Chaka Patterson

• Lead counsel in an internal investigation into alleged C-suite misconduct for a Fortune 100 public company.
• Lead counsel in an internal investigation into a board member for a Fortune 100 public company.
• Lead counsel in an internal investigation for a Fortune 100 public company, involving allegations of complex financial fraud and bribery in the company’s supply chain.
• Lead counsel in an internal investigation for a Fortune 100 public company, involving alleged workplace misconduct by several senior managers.
• Lead counsel in an internal investigation for a public company involving alleged violations of the federal False Claims Act. Convinced the government not to intervene and subsequently obtained a dismissal of the False Claims Act lawsuit with prejudice.
• Lead counsel in an internal investigation for a public company involving alleged federal tax fraud by its subsidiaries. Resolved the matter with no civil or criminal charges brought by the government.
• Provided Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) compliance advice and counsel to the subsidiary of a public company.
• Led an investigation into the compliance practices of private company purchased by a public company between signing and closing of the transaction.
• Led an investigation into alleged financial misconduct by a public company CEO.
• Created and implemented a comprehensive compliance program for a Fortune 500 client; established processes and procedures for corporate governance, regulatory and securities issues.
• Led investigations into allegations of fraudulent conduct by senior executives across three different global Fortune 500 clients located in the U.S., Mexico, and Singapore.
• Counseled and advised boards of directors for public companies on a variety of legal matters, including corporate governance, securities, and regulatory litigation.

Chaka Patterson has more than three decades of experience conducting hundreds of internal investigations in corporate, government, and private practice. Clients across industries rely upon his advice and counsel to resolve investigations involving complex legal and financial issues.

Before joining the firm, Chaka served as senior vice president, general counsel, and corporate secretary at a global education corporation where he led scores of sensitive, high-level internal investigations. He previously served as chief of the Civil Actions Bureau for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office where he led several high-profile investigations into alleged violations of state and federal law by county employees. Chaka’s government service also includes time spent as an assistant attorney general and chief of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office Special Litigation Bureau, where he investigated and prosecuted civil and criminal fraud cases, including health care fraud, securities fraud, complex consumer fraud, charitable trust fraud, and False Claims Act cases.

In between his government service, Chaka served as treasurer and head of investor relations for a Fortune 100 public utility holding company where he honed his business and financial acumen, including the ability to identify potential red flags and other areas of concern in public company financial documents and SEC filings. Clients now call upon Chaka to review their financial documents and SEC filings for areas of potential concern.

Bar Admissions

• California
• Illinois

Education

• The University of Chicago (M.B.A.)
• Harvard University (J.D.)
• Amherst College (B.A.)

Memberships