The law firm was founded in 1859 when Edward Swift Isham, the son of a justice of the Vermont Supreme Court, formed a partnership with James L. Stark. Incorporated as Stark & Isham, the firm quickly gained repute for their handling of commercial law. In 1872, the firm admitted Robert Todd Lincoln, the son of former President Abraham Lincoln, as a junior partner. William G. Beale followed as partner in 1886 and the firm became Isham, Lincoln & Beale.[2]
Merger
In 1986, the firm merged with Reuben & Proctor but maintained its name. Isham represented several major business clients including Commonwealth Edison, McDonald's, NBC, and CBS.[citation needed] Former Illinois Governor Richard B. Ogilvie became a partner after he returned to the private sector. On April 20, 1988, the firm dissolved following complications from the merge.[3] At the start of the merge, 225 attorneys worked under the Isham name. By the end, only eight remained.
Isham Lincoln & Beale was the second-oldest legal firm in Chicago after Sidley Austin. Several of its attorneys left for Sonnenschein Carlin Nath & Rosenthal after Isham disestablished. It was thought to be the second-largest dissolution of a law firm after Finley, Kumble, Wagner, Underberg, Manley, Myerson & Casey.[2]
