Jody A. Boquist
Global employment and labor law firm Littler, Mendelson P.C. has named a new office managing shareholder at its Chicago office.
On Aug. 1, Jody A. Boquist assumed her new leadership role at Littler’s North Clark Street office. She will oversee about 40 attorneys. One of her goals as the office’s new managing shareholder is to increase Littler’s visibility in the region and to focus on the firm’s associates’ needs, she said.
Boquist joined Littler when it first opened its Chicago office in 1997. She has since held roles including eight years as the firm’s associate general counsel, and she was on the associates committee, where she was involved in recruiting new attorneys.
She was also a member of the firm’s client investment management committee, in which she was involved in various internal business and financial dealings at the office.
“I think through the years, being here when the office first started and seeing how our office and practice has evolved and changed and being a part of these administrative roles … has given me a pretty good background in associate development and growth,” Boquist said.
Since stepping into the position last week, Boquist said the biggest change has been shifting from focusing on daily client issues to turning to internal associate needs.
“We’ve got oustanding lawyers in this office,” she said. “What are the associates’ goals, where do they want to be? It’s a great kind of change in perspective to what can we do to help the office overall and their role in the office.”
In addition to focusing on the firm’s own employee needs, Boquist said she also wants to make it a priority to remain innovative in the practice of employment law, which is something she said has changed dramatically since she first joined Littler 19 years ago.
In particular, she said keeping up with the growing range of subject matters while representing anything from global clients to small businesses has presented a number of challenges in the field.
“The firm has committed to being on the forefront of cutting-edge legal issues. Everyone is being challenged in being more efficient in the delivery of top-notch services, and Littler has been ahead of the curve,” she said.
Another way in which the workplace at Littler has changed has centered around technology, Boquist said. Although it’s not a challenge that’s exclusive to any single firm, Boquist noted that Littler is always looking for new ways to be innovative and evolve in the technology it uses, particularly involving how it affects clients.
One example she cited was a program the firm launched about five years ago, Littler CaseSmart, that serves as a case management system. It allows clients to track employment-related claims and cases while also providing them access to “flextime” attorneys who are a part of the firm but work from home.
Not only does Boquist want to highlight the firm’s offerings going forward, but she said she’s committed to making sure the people behind the cases and technology are recognized.
“I really think we’ve got such a great group of lawyers and I think we’d like to raise our visibility in the Chicago market in particular,” she said.
In a joint statement, Littler co-managers Tom Bender in Philadephia and Jeremy Roth in San Diego said they have confidence in Boquist.
“Jody has shown leadership through her involvement in a number of firm committees and initiatives. We are confident in her capabilities and look forward to her taking the reins and advancing the firm’s position throughout Chicago and the Midwest region,” they said.
Boquist attended the University of Minnesota Law School and is a native of Janesville, Wis. Prior to joining Littler in 1997, she was an associate at Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon.
She was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1992.
She, her husband and their 7-year-old twin sons live in Wilmette.