CHICAGOLAWBULLETIN.COM THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2019 ® Volume 165, No. 36 Serving Chicago’s legal community for 164 years LAW FIRM LEADERS Schiller DuCanto & Fleck LLP’s Meighan A. Harmon is pictured in her downtown office. She is now the family law firm’s managing partner, thefirst woman to hold that position since the firm launched in 1981. Sarah Mansur Harmon named Schiller DuCanto Fleck’s new MP BYSARAHMANSUR 1996. She spent five years at Law Bulletin staff writer She has become the first woman to lead Nottage and Ward LLP, a Chicago family law and divorce firm, be- Schiller DuCanto & Fleck LLP the family law firm in its 38-year history fore she joined Schiller DuCanto has named Meighan A. Harmon & Fleck. Her practice concen- as its new managing partner. She trates on divorce cases that in- is the firm’s first woman to serve I was aware of Schiller DuCanto there is no question about it. Emo- volve multimillion-dollar estates. in that role. Harmon succeeds & Fleck. I probably thought, even tions run high. Litigation is a bat- Donald C. Schiller, a co-founder Arnold B. Stein, who held that po- then, that’s where I belonged,” tle, at least on some level. And of the firm, said in a statement sition since 2015. He will remain Harmon said. being able to do it in such a way Harmon is well suited to take on as a partner. She said the firm has estab- that you are always treating peo- the managing partner role. Harmon, who focuses on com- lished a reputation for delivering ple, even on the other side of the “She is a natural leader who plex family law cases, will lead the high-quality work and retaining case, with respect is something takes great care to help guide and 48-attorney firm, which has of- ethical lawyers who represent that is important to all of us,” she continue the development of our fices in Chicago, Lake Forest and high-net worth clients, or “the one said. first-rate team of lawyers. Wheaton. percent.” Harmon earned her law degree Meighan will lead by example as “Even when I was in law school, “This is a difficult practice, from Notre Dame Law School in well as carry on her dedicated Copyright © 2019 Law Bulletin Media. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from Law Bulletin Media.service to our clients. When Like many firms, Schiller Six of the firm’s 13 senior part- has evolved. When Harmon start- the vacancy arose, there was no DuCanto & Fleck didn’t have any ners are women, and two of the ed her career, same-sex marriage question among the executive female partners for a long time, three executive committee mem- and same-sex divorce were not committee that Meighan was she said. bers are women. services provided by family law the right person to become our “That having been said, I think “This is a really stressful prac- firms. managing partner at this impor- our founders laid the ground- tice. It’s one thing to have really “I don’t think we have really tant time in our firm’s growth and work for what exists today, a long smart people here, which we do. seen the implications of that yet,” development. I am delighted to time ago. Because they not only We also have to have people who she said. see her take on this next chal- hired really bright women — they are invested in each other and Assisted reproductive technol- lenge,” Schiller said in the state- worked with us, they fostered us, committed to constantly support- ogy is another new area that falls ment. they kept us engaged during ing each other in all aspects of our under the auspices of family law, Harmon said she’s aware of those critical periods in our ca- lives,” Harmon said. she said. how the firm has changed since it reer where sometimes women Maintaining the firm’s culture “And new family units that will was founded by Schiller and the fall off the partnership track,” she and closeness among attorneys is come out of both the opening up late Joseph N. DuCanto in 1981. said. “It’s one thing to say ‘Well, I a priority for her as managing of the idea of marriage to a larger “The divorce process used to be did it, you can do it too,’ it’s a partner. She also wants to keep group of people but also how fam- called four men and a woman,” whole other thing to actually cre- the firm on the forefront of the ilies are constructed is changing she said. ate an environment that provides practice area. in a lot of different ways,” she said. There was the husband and the support for the people who “The practice of family law is “It will be impactful to our wife, and both attorneys and the are coming up behind you to changing,” she said. practice for sure.” judge were men. do it.” For one thing, the client base smansur@lawbulletinmedia.com Copyright © 2019 Law Bulletin Media. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from Law Bulletin Media.