Former Foley & Lardner Managing Partner Stan Jaspan Dies, Capping a Quarter-Century Leadership Era
A longtime Milwaukee-based law firm leader
Stan Jaspan, who spent his entire legal career at Foley & Lardner and served as the firm’s managing partner for 25 years, has died. The firm said Jaspan died unexpectedly on July 27, 2024. He was 78.
Jaspan became managing partner in May 1999 after earlier leadership roles that included chairing the firm’s Labor & Employment practice group and leading its partner selection process. His tenure placed him at the center of a period of significant growth for a firm that traces its origins to the 19th century and is widely viewed as one of Wisconsin’s most prominent and long-established legal institutions.
Career path and professional profile
Jaspan earned an undergraduate degree from Cornell University and a law degree from Yale University. He joined Foley & Lardner in 1971 and became a partner in 1978, building a practice that included high-stakes labor and employment matters.
Among his career highlights, Jaspan argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in a workplace-discrimination case, Automobile Workers v. Johnson Controls, Inc. (1991). That case is frequently cited in employment law for its treatment of sex discrimination and employer policies affecting women of childbearing age.
- Joined Foley & Lardner: 1971
- Became partner: 1978
- Became managing partner: May 1999
- Length of managing partner service: 25 years
Expansion and the firm’s national footprint
During Jaspan’s time as managing partner, Foley & Lardner expanded its geographic platform, adding or strengthening operations in multiple U.S. markets and Mexico City. The firm has described this period as a shift toward becoming more fully integrated as a national law firm, with a broader set of offices supporting corporate, litigation, and regulatory work across industries.
In more recent public descriptions of its operations, Foley has reported having more than 1,000 attorneys and a multi-office U.S. and international presence, with executive leadership roles now held by a chairman and CEO and a separate managing partner.
How colleagues described his role
Firm leadership described Jaspan as a central steward of the firm’s culture and a mentor to attorneys and business professionals, reflecting an internal view that his influence extended beyond client work into training and leadership development.
Jaspan’s death marks the passing of a figure closely associated with Foley & Lardner’s modern era of expansion, as the firm continues operating with an updated executive structure and a national footprint that grew substantially during the years he led it.