About John Philip
John Philip Starkweather has spent more than three decades in private practice. He earned his J.D. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1991 and entered the profession at a time of shifting legal landscapes. He has worked in several different firm settings and across state lines, and his career reflects steady movement through both large and small firms.
After law school he joined Mayer Brown & Platt in 1991. That role introduced him to the operations of a major national firm. He moved to Rosenberg & Liebentritt in 1996. Two years later he was working at Piper Rudnick. In 2001 he opened his own practice, Starkweather Law, taking on the responsibilities of client development and firm management. In 2007 he became a partner at Boardman & Clark LLP, where he remains a member of the firm’s partnership.
Starkweather is admitted to practice in both Illinois and Wisconsin. Over the years he has handled matters that require familiarity with the procedural and substantive rules in both states. He has gained experience in different firm cultures: from large national offices to a solo practice and then to a regional partnership. That variety has shaped the way he approaches case work and client matters.
Colleagues describe him as someone who adapts to the needs of each matter. He has managed the administrative duties that come with running a boutique practice and has also navigated the collaborative demands of partnership in a multi-attorney firm. His background includes courtroom work, transactional assignments and client counseling, reflecting the diverse caseloads typical of attorneys who move between firm types.
Outside of firm roles, he maintains memberships in professional associations relevant to his practice. Those affiliations keep him connected to peers and to developments in court procedure and statutory changes across jurisdictions where he is licensed.
The arc of his career — from associate positions at established firms to owner of a small practice and now partner at a regional firm — shows a lawyer comfortable in different roles. It also shows an attorney who has built a practice through steady work rather than publicity. He continues to practice actively and is based at Boardman & Clark LLP, where he works on matters that arise in the states where he is licensed.
He currently practices law as a partner at Boardman & Clark LLP.
