Chaka Patterson

Chaka Patterson serves as Adtalem’s Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary. He is responsible for all legal, compliance, and corporate governance matters for the Company.

Prior to joining Adtalem in 2018, Chaka served as Chief of the Civil Division in the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, where he supervised 100 attorneys and represented the largest county in Illinois in all of its civil litigation. Before returning to government service, Chaka served as a partner in the Business and Tort Litigation Practice at the Jones Day law firm, where he specialized in complex commercial litigation, internal investigations and white collar criminal defense work. Chaka also co-chaired the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Prior to joining Jones Day, Chaka served in increasing roles of responsibility at Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), including Associate General Counsel; Vice President, Investor Relations; and Vice President & Treasurer. Before joining Exelon, he was Chief of the Special Litigation Bureau in the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, where he prosecuted complex consumer, healthcare and securities fraud cases. Chaka was also a partner at Jenner & Block LLP prior to joining the Illinois Attorney General's Office.

Chaka started his legal career as a law clerk for the Honorable Solomon Oliver, Jr., United States District Judge of the Northern District of Ohio, and the Honorable Karen Nelson Moore, United States Circuit Judge of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Chaka is active in a variety of community and civic matters. He is a member of the Board of Directors at the University of Chicago Laboratory School and the Law Council for the University of Chicago Law School.

Chaka received his bachelor’s degree in political science from Amherst College, a juris doctor degree from Harvard Law School, and a MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.