Frances P. LaFleur joins Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP today as a partner in the firm’s Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Practice Group. LaFleur is the second partner to join the employee benefits group this month and the third partner to join the firm’s growing Chicago office this year.
“We’re delighted that we have been able to persuade Fran to return to her old firm,” said Alfred W. Putnam, Jr., Chairman of Drinker Biddle. “She has been remarkably successful in a series of prominent in-house positions over the last decade and we worked very hard to lure her back into the fold.”
LaFleur will focus her practice on advising clients on retirement, executive compensation and health and welfare plan issues, as well as ERISA fiduciary governance matters. She will also serve as one of the leaders of the firm’s nationally prominent employee benefits practice for health systems and other tax exempt entities.
“Fran brings to the firm additional strength to our expanding health industry employee benefits team,” said Howard J. Levine, chair of the firm’s national Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits Practice Group. “Her time in-house has not only expanded her legal skill, but also allows her to bring to private practice the clients’ perspective.”
Prior to joining Drinker, LaFleur served ten years at various in-house roles. Her most recent position was senior legal counsel for Schneider Electric. Immediately prior to that, she was senior counsel for Hillshire Brands and its predecessor firm, Sara Lee Corporation. She also served as senior attorney for BP America, Inc. She worked at Drinker Biddle’s predecessor firm in the Chicago market, Gardner Carton & Douglas after graduating from law school.
LaFleur earned her law degree from Northwestern University School of Law, and a bachelor’s degree, cum laude, from Eastern Illinois University.
Earlier this month, Theodore M. Becker joined the firm as Chair of its national Employee Benefits and ERISA Litigation Team. Additionally, former Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Collins joined the Chicago office as a member of the firm’s White Collar Team earlier this year.
