Big Indy Firm Coming to Chicago, Plans 50-Lawyer Office

A more than 370-lawyer international law firm headquartered in Indianapolis is reportedly coming to Chicago in a big way.

Baker & Daniels is establishing a presence in the Windy City with a seven-lawyer contingent from Schuyler Roche, and expects to have a 50-lawyer Chicago office in the near future, according to a press release.

The group that will establish the new Chicago office is led by Richard Michaels, a former president and chairman of Schuyler Roche with a transactional practice, and David Allen, a business litigation partner there. Also joining them at Baker & Daniels will be Andrew Geier, Catherine Gryczan, Rachel Nguyen, Randall Schwartz II and Mary Walter.

Baker & Daniels has leased 21,000 square feet at 311 S. Wacker Drive that will house both its Chicago law office and several subsidiary consulting offices that are already in Chicago and will now move to the new space.

"We already have begun to reach out to other lawyers in our strategic effort to expand our Chicago office to 50-plus professionals initially," states Tom Froehle, the firm's chair and chief executive partner, in the press release. "As the major Midwest commercial center, Chicago complements our existing national and international practices in Indiana, Washington, D.C. and China."