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Join fellow Law and Booth alumni for a fireside chat with Tom Cole, JD’75, and Ken Jacobs, AB'80 as they discuss Tom’s new book, CEO Leadership: Navigating the New Era in Corporate Governance.

CEO Leadership: Navigating the New Era in Corporate Governance (published November 2019) will be available for purchase at the event. The book is also available for purchase online here. Use promo code UCPNEW to receive 20% off.

Cost
$25 for Alumni & Guests
$20 for Young Alumni (Classes of 2015-2019)

Hors d'oeuvres and beer, wine, and soda will be served.

Program
6:00 PM-6:30 PM: Registration & Networking
6:30 PM-7:30 PM: Fireside Chat
7:30 PM-8:30 PM: Networking & Book Signing

Speaker Profiles

Tom Cole, JD'75 (Speaker)
Senior Counsel, Sidley Austin LLP, Trustee, University of Chicago

Tom Cole is senior counsel and chair emeritus of Sidley’s Executive Committee. He resides in the firm’s Chicago office. He became senior counsel effective on January 1, 2017 upon his retirement as a partner and as a full-time practicing lawyer. He had been a partner in the firm since 1981. During his time as a partner at Sidley, Tom was also vice president-law of Northwest Industries, Inc. from 1982 through 1985.

For 15 years ended in April 2013, Tom served as chair of the firm’s Executive Committee, the committee that exercises general authority over the affairs of the firm. In April 2014, he stepped down as a member of the Executive Committee (on which he had served since 1987) and as a member of the firm’s Management Committee (on which he had served since 1988).

Tom focuses his practice on public company mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance. He is consistently recognized by Chambers USA and Chambers Global, including in their most recent editions. In 2001, Tom was recognized by Chambers Global as one of the 26 U.S. lawyers included in its list of the “Global 100 Lawyers”—“lawyers who stand out from their colleagues and are recognized internationally.” He was designated an M&A “Dealmaker of the Year” for 2007 by The American Lawyer. He was selected for BTI Consulting’s “Client Service All-Star” team in 2008, 2011 and 2014. In 2010 and 2013, Tom was named to “The Directorship 100,” the NACD’s list of “the most influential people in the boardroom community.” In 2015, he was named a “M&A and Antitrust Trailblazer” by The National Law Journal.

Corporate governance assignments have included advising public company boards and their standing and special committees on a variety of subjects, including internal investigations, CEO succession, shareholder activism and proxy contests. Activism defense assignments have included United Continental Holdings (against PAR and Altimeter), PulteGroup (against the founder and Elliott Management), Commercial Metals (against Icahn), Navigant Consulting (against Engine Capital) and International Game Technology (against Ader Investment Management). He represented Elaine Wynn in her withhold vote campaign against a Wynn Resorts incumbent director.

For the five years ended 1998 and beginning again in 2013, Tom has taught the seminar on corporate governance at The University of Chicago Law School. He taught the same seminar at Harvard Law School during the Spring Semester of 2015. His book, “CEO Leadership: Navigating The New Era in Corporate Governance” will be released by The University of Chicago Press in November 2019.

He has been involved in dozens of public company mergers and spinoffs, including the following that were each valued at more than $1 billion.

Kenneth M. Jacobs (AB ’80)
Chairman and Chief Executive Office of Lazard
Trustee, University of Chicago

Ken Jacobs has served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lazard since November 2009. Previously, he was a Deputy Chairman of the firm and Chief Executive Officer of Lazard North America since 2002. He joined Lazard in 1988 after beginning his career at Goldman, Sachs & Co. Ken has been instrumental in shaping Lazard’s strategy since its initial public offering in 2005, a transformational event after more than 150 years of private ownership. He remains active in advising Lazard clients, and has participated in landmark transactions across a variety of industries. Ken serves on the Board of Trustees of the University of Chicago and of the Brookings Institution. He is also a Director of the Partnership for New York City, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. In 2017, he was inducted into the French Legion of Honor. He earned an AB in Economics at The University of Chicago and an MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business in 1984.