CHICAGO — Prominent Chicago Democrat Thomas C. Hynes and his son Matthew J. Hynes have joined Chicago-based Chapman and Cutler LLP’s government relations practice group, the firm announced this week.
The elder Hynes is a former Cook County assessor, state Senate president, and committeeman from the city’s 19th ward. He will serve in an of counsel role, while Matthew was hired as a partner.
Both men, who previously were partners at the firm of Quinlan & Carroll Ltd., will work in the group that includes public finance, focusing on providing lobbying services, strategic planning, and legislative, governmental, and business advice for public and private clients.
“Their backgrounds in legislative, governmental, and business practices fit well with Chapman and Cutler’s longstanding eminence in the fields of public finance, corporate finance, banking, and governmental relations,” the firm’s chief executive partner, Richard Cosgrove, said in a statement.
“Both public and private clients today are expecting firms to provide high-level quality advice on a wide range of public policy and political issues. Tom and Matt can offer these services at a sophisticated level because of their backgrounds in business, government, and politics over the decades, allowing them to render highly valued consultation on opportunities and problems.”
While the senior Hynes brings to the table his longstanding governmental ties throughout Chicago, Cook County, and Illinois, Matthew has managed several campaigns, including his brother Daniel Hynes’ failed Senate bid in 2004. Daniel Hynes is currently seeking re-election as the state comptroller.
“Matt and I are pleased to be joining Chapman and Cutler — it’s a superbly well-positioned financial law firm with a fine history and strong and recognized practices in both corporate and public finance,” Thomas Hynes said in the statement. “We know our current clients will be well-served but we also see an opportunity to expand our business and work closely with Chapman’s municipal, corporate, and financial service clients.”
Chapman and Cutler was knocked from its long-held position as first among bond counsel firms in the Midwest last year by Ice Miller LLP because of that firm’s work on Detroit’s $1.4 billion sale, but Chapman marked its 25th consecutive year as the top law firm when ranked by number of deals nationally.
The firm worked on a total of 652 deals nationally last year, including 603 in the Midwest, with total volume of $9.7 billion, according to Thomson Financial. In 2005, that number topped the 474 deals handled by the first place finisher based on deal volume — Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP. Chapman primarily works in Illinois, California, and Utah. The firm’s work spans all sectors of tax-exempt finance with its high number of client relationships with school.
