Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP

Katten holds top-tier rankings in Chambers USA for Financial Services Regulation, Structured Finance, Real Estate, and Commercial Litigation. The firm's financial services practice advises broker-dealers, investment advisers, hedge funds, and private equity firms on SEC and FINRA regulatory compliance, enforcement defense, and transactional matters. Its structured finance and securitization group handles complex CLO, RMBS, and asset-backed transactions. Katten's real estate practice is one of the most active in the Midwest, handling acquisitions, development, financing, and leasing for institutional investors and developers. The firm also maintains a strong commercial litigation practice and a recognized environmental law group.

Katten uses a free-market assignment system. The firm seeks candidates who are motivated, entrepreneurial, and possess strong critical thinking and interpersonal skills. Hiring partners emphasize authenticity, they encourage candidates to observe their surroundings during interviews, paying attention to how attorneys interact with each other and with staff. A successful summer associate at Katten is open to varied assignments, responsive to attorneys who reach out with work, and collaborative with colleagues. The firm values academic achievement, leadership experience, and on-campus involvement, while also prioritizing cultural fit and professionalism.

Katten's strength in financial services and structured finance positions it at the center of capital markets activity that drives the global economy. The firm's Chicago roots give it a Midwestern accessibility that associates consistently cite as a cultural advantage, while its national office network provides the reach of a much larger platform. For students interested in financial regulation, real estate, or capital markets work in a firm that values entrepreneurial thinking and genuine collegiality, Katten offers a compelling and differentiated environment.