Gardner Carton & Douglas
Encyclopedia
Gardner Carton & Douglas (GCD) was a Chicago
-based law firm
that practiced from 1910 to 2006 when it merged with Philadelphia-based law firm Drinker Biddle & Reath
.
In 1910, Henry A. Gardner, Jr. and Alfred T. (Tom) Carton, two young graduates of the Harvard Law School, opened the doors to their new law practice at 76 West Monroe Street in Chicago. Their first client was Swift & Company
. Over the next two decades, relationships with major corporations in the Chicago area formed the heart of the firm's legal practice, which began to grow substantially and continued through the advent of the New Deal in 1933, an era that often necessitated that corporate entities pay near constant legal attention to their business dealings. After serving as the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury under Presidents Herbert Hoover
and Franklin D. Roosevelt
for a year, James H. Douglas returned to the firm renaming it Gardner Carton & Douglas, which was kept until the combination in 2007 with Drinker Biddle. Around the same time, in the 1930s, firm partner Arthur D. Chilgren filed one of the first registration statements in the United States under the Securities Act of 1933
. His skills attracted many investment bankers to use the firm as underwriter's counsel for numerous financing transactions. Several decades later, in 1973, partner Ray Garrett, Jr.
, was selected to become chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission. In the 1970s, Gardner Carton & Douglas also established one of the first health law practices in the country. The firm opened its Washington, D.C.
, office in 1977, and several years later expanded again, opening offices in Milwaukee, W.I. and Albany, N.Y.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
-based law firm
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
that practiced from 1910 to 2006 when it merged with Philadelphia-based law firm Drinker Biddle & Reath
Drinker Biddle & Reath
Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP is a national law firm founded in Philadelphia in 1849 by John Christian Bullitt. The firm has 650 lawyers located in 11 offices in the United States: Philadelphia; Chicago; Washington, D.C.; Florham Park; Princeton; New York City; Albany; Los Angeles; San Francisco;...
.
In 1910, Henry A. Gardner, Jr. and Alfred T. (Tom) Carton, two young graduates of the Harvard Law School, opened the doors to their new law practice at 76 West Monroe Street in Chicago. Their first client was Swift & Company
Swift & Company
Swift & Company is an American food procession company a wholly owned subsidiary of JBS S.A. , a Brazilian company that is the world's largest processor of fresh beef and pork, with more than US$30 billion in annual sales as of 2010. It is also the largest beef processor in Australia.Swift &...
. Over the next two decades, relationships with major corporations in the Chicago area formed the heart of the firm's legal practice, which began to grow substantially and continued through the advent of the New Deal in 1933, an era that often necessitated that corporate entities pay near constant legal attention to their business dealings. After serving as the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury under Presidents Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
and Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
for a year, James H. Douglas returned to the firm renaming it Gardner Carton & Douglas, which was kept until the combination in 2007 with Drinker Biddle. Around the same time, in the 1930s, firm partner Arthur D. Chilgren filed one of the first registration statements in the United States under the Securities Act of 1933
Securities Act of 1933
Congress enacted the Securities Act of 1933 , in the aftermath of the stock market crash of 1929 and during the ensuing Great Depression...
. His skills attracted many investment bankers to use the firm as underwriter's counsel for numerous financing transactions. Several decades later, in 1973, partner Ray Garrett, Jr.
Ray Garrett, Jr.
Ray Garrett, Jr. was a senior partner at Gardner Carton & Douglas in Chicago until his appointment as the Chairman of the U.S...
, was selected to become chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission. In the 1970s, Gardner Carton & Douglas also established one of the first health law practices in the country. The firm opened its Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, office in 1977, and several years later expanded again, opening offices in Milwaukee, W.I. and Albany, N.Y.