Ice Miller Promotes Humke to Chief Managing Partner
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIndianapolis-based Ice Miller LLP has elected Steven Humke chief managing partner. He has served as chair of the more than century-old law firm's strategic planning committee and will succeed Phil Bayt in the new role at the beginning of the year. Bayt has completed his four-year term on the firm's management committee.
December 5, 2014
News Release
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Ice Miller LLP is pleased to announce that Steven Humke will be the new chief managing partner of the AmLaw 200 firm, effective January 1, 2015. Humke will begin his term of service with a new management team, which includes deputy managing partners Judy Okenfuss, Richard Barnhart and John Burke. Drew Miroff, a partner in the Firm's litigation group, has been elected by the partnership as chair of the strategic planning committee, replacing Humke in that role.
Humke built his career advising the owners of numerous Indianapolis-based firms, notably Australian Gold, Baker Hill, Compendium, Crossmann Communities, ExactTarget and h.h.gregg, among others. He also is an active lawyer for private equity funds such as Cardinal Equity Partners, Lineage Capital and Monument Advisors.
“This transition process, planned for some time, is intended to create an environment where our leadership can assess opportunities and respond to changes in the marketplace from different perspectives,” said Phillip Bayt, outgoing chief managing partner of Ice Miller. “Like other businesses, we are continually evaluating opportunities to manage our operations in ways that allow us to better serve our clients.”
In addition to Bayt, Brenda Horn, Robert Gauss and James Davidson have completed their four-year term of service on Ice Miller's management committee. The chief managing partner is elected by the partners of the firm. The deputy managing partners are nominated by the chief managing partner and ratified by the partners of the firm.
“Ice Miller has a proven track record of working with innovative clients throughout the life cycles of their businesses,” said Humke. “While the technology and specific legal needs of innovators have changed over the years, the fundamental focus on building and growing a successful business has not. Through this new management team, our attorneys will continue to be able to pair their strong technical knowledge with sound business fundamentals to help our clients achieve their goals.”
“Ice Miller has a 100-year tradition of seeing change as an opportunity,” said Okenfuss. “The new management team will continue the tradition of the firm, and will work to develop new, cutting-edge legal strategies for the benefit of our clients.”
Steven K. Humke, chief managing partner, is a senior corporate lawyer with extensive experience negotiating, managing and completing complex business and financing transactions. Most of his clients are entrepreneurs, but he also represents several private equity firms and has played a role in many of the larger business transactions completed in Indiana during the past decade. Many of his clients do not employ in-house counsel and Humke serves as the primary legal advisor to the board of directors and CEOs of these companies.
Judy S. Okenfuss, deputy managing partner, has been a litigator with the firm since 1991 and currently chairs the Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action group. Okenfuss focuses her practice in representing manufacturers, distributors, and retailers in all types of matters, including class action lawsuits, traditional product liability cases, indemnification claims, and recalls. Over the years, she has represented companies in over 35 state and federal jurisdictions, including before the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation. Okenfuss also works with companies to help them minimize the potential effects of litigation and other claims through the development of comprehensive methods for managing risk, including contractual indemnification, targeted insurance, internal policy development, and crisis management.
Richard A. Barnhart, deputy managing partner, is chair of the firm’s Banking Practice. A significant percentage of his practice focuses on representing banks and other financial institutions in senior and mezzanine debt facilities. Barnhart has vast experience in commercial lending and finance transactions including syndicated loans, asset-based loans and second lien loans, in a full array of industries. Whether the financing is very complex involving multiple borrowers, multiple facilities, and multiple countries or, on the other hand, fairly straightforward and not out of the ordinary, Barnhart and the Banking Practice team provide valuable knowledge and experience to their clients.
John David Burke, deputy managing partner, has worked in commercial litigation in Chicago since graduating from law school in 1990. Burke entered the practice of law with DLA Piper where he worked as a partner in the litigation group until he joined Ice Miller in 2005. He has handled cases in almost every area of commercial litigation including breach of contract, Uniform Commercial Code, fraud, franchise, legal malpractice, construction, bankruptcy and reorganization, environmental, partnership and real estate litigation.
About Ice Miller LLP
Founded in 1910, Ice Miller LLP is an Am Law 200 Firm with a nationally recognized reputation in many of its practice areas. Ice Miller offers a broad array of capabilities in virtually all areas of legal practice including: corporate, patents and trademarks, bankruptcy, lobbying, labor and employment, litigation, employee benefits, environment, tax, trusts and estates, real estate, municipal finance and government law. With offices in Chicago; Cleveland; Columbus; DuPage County, Ill.; Indianapolis; and Washington, D.C., the Firm has more than 300 lawyers and 40 paraprofessionals.
Source: Ice Miller LLP