Katten established the John P. Sieger Excellence in Mentoring Award, named after the longtime partner and former chair of the insolvency and restructuring practice who died last year.
The John P. Sieger Excellence in Mentoring Award is named after the longtime partner and former chair of Katten’s Insolvency and Restructuring practice.
“We are proud to honor John’s memory and spirit — his leadership talents, the care he showed for the people around him, his commitment to acting on his strong belief that Katten is better when it is diverse and inclusive. He was a tireless advocate for his clients and routinely brought out the best in those who worked with him,” Roger P. Furey, chairman of Katten, said .
Sieger, who joined Katten in 2005 in the firm’s Chicago office, demonstrated a deep commitment to talent development, serving as a mentor and sponsor to countless attorneys and business professionals across Katten. As the national head of the insolvency and restructuring department, he was involved in many high-profile bankruptcy proceedings and served on the firm’s national compensation committee.
“John was a strong leader. Not only did he have excellent technical skills from which his colleagues could and did learn, but also, and perhaps more importantly, he supported his colleagues, treated everyone fairly, and motivated the team to do their best work and to keep a positive mindset. In short, his leadership made us all better,” Peter Siddiqui, insolvency and restructuring practice co-chair at Katten, said.
The award in his honor will be presented annually to a Katten attorney who exemplifies Sieger’s dedication to mentorship. An internal selection committee, consisting of firm leaders and representation from Katten affinity groups and other firm committees, will evaluate nominees based on the mentoring impact they have made on Katten attorneys and the overall culture of mentoring at the firm. The committee will consider criteria such as supporting a mentee’s professional growth and career success, demonstrating interest in a mentee’s well-being and deepening a mentee’s sense of belonging.
“John did all the things an ideal mentor should. He doled out recognition for excellent work product and strong work ethic, gave candid constructive feedback and practical advice, made introductions to key internal and external people, and said the names of his mentees in the rooms where important decisions were being made,” Becky Lindahl, litigation partner at Katten, said. “John influenced the trajectory of my career in ways that I will never be able to calculate, and I’m forever grateful to him.”
Firm leaders plan to announce the first award recipient in November.
