About Robert L.
Robert L. Herst earned a B.A. in economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1973 and a J.D. from Loyola University Chicago in 1977. He completed his formal legal education in the 1970s and moved into roles that combined business and law. His academic background blends economic training with legal study, a combination he carried into the corporate world.
He spent a substantial portion of his early career in the legal department of Kraft Foods. Over time he held a series of positions there, and in 1982 he served as Vice President & Associate General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer. In that capacity he handled internal legal matters, compliance oversight and counseling for business units. The role required coordinating legal advice across departments and managing aspects of corporate compliance programs.
After his years inside corporate legal departments, Herst established his own practice. He now operates the Law Office of Robert L. Herst, LLC. In private practice he applies the routines and perspectives honed in-house to client matters. He is accustomed to the pace of business decision-making and the practical demands companies place on outside counsel.
Herst is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and the American Bar Association. He is licensed to practice in Illinois. His work touches on corporate governance, compliance counseling, contract negotiation and review, and regulatory matters that affect businesses. Clients include business owners and corporate entities seeking counsel on transactional and compliance issues.
Colleagues and clients describe him as a lawyer who brings corporate counsel experience into a smaller firm setting. He combines years of in-house legal work with the responsibilities of private practice. He currently practices from the Law Office of Robert L. Herst, LLC and concentrates on business law, corporate governance and compliance counseling.
