Maggie Hickey

Partner and Government Enforcement & White Collar Practice Co-Leader
With a long and notable career in government, Maggie is an accomplished trial lawyer and co-leads the firm’s Complex Litigation Group and Government Enforcement & White Collar Group.
Maggie Hickey, Partner, ArentFox Schiff LLP

Maggie focuses her practice on internal investigations, compliance programs, sexual harassment issues in the workplace, and ethics training. In 2019, she was appointed as the independent monitor to oversee implementation of the multi-year consent decree outlining reforms for the Chicago Police Department (CPD).

In 2018, Maggie was tapped by the Board of Education of the City of Chicago to lead an independent review of the school district’s policies and procedures following the Chicago Tribune’s investigation that revealed cases where students were sexually abused by Chicago Public School (CPS) employees. That same year, Maggie was handpicked by multiple state legislators to investigate sexual harassment within all departments of the Office of the Speaker of the House in Illinois.

Her high-profile matters have garnered many industry accolades. She was named a Law360 MVP for White Collar in 2019, one of only five lawyers recognized on the national list. Maggie was listed as a Notable Gen X Leader in Law by Crain’s Chicago Business. Clients have described her as “an extraordinarily talented lawyer,” who “gets to the heart of legal issues very quickly,” according to the 2020 Chambers USA guide.

Maggie’s experience spans both Springfield, Ill., and Washington, D.C. In 2015, she was appointed Executive Inspector General for the Agencies of the Illinois Governor, an independent executive branch state agency that ensures accountability across state government, nine state public universities, and four Chicago-area regional transportation boards. As Executive Inspector General, Maggie chaired the Illinois Health Care Fraud Elimination Task Force, a comprehensive effort to prevent and eliminate health care fraud, waste, and abuse in state-administered health care programs.

Prior to that, she was the Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois for more than five years, and also served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) in the Criminal Division, Financial Crimes, and Special Prosecution Section investigating and prosecuting complex and sensitive matters. Maggie was chief of staff and chief legal counsel to U.S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald, and she began her career with the U.S. Senate as the Investigative Counsel for the Committee on Government Affairs. She was also an AUSA in the Criminal Division for the Southern District of West Virginia.

In addition to her practice, Maggie remains active in several community service and pro bono legal initiatives.

Publications, Presentations & Recognitions

Presentations

  • “Hot Trends in SEC and DOJ Enforcement & Litigation,” Sandpiper Partners, Chicago (Jul. 13, 2022)
  • “I Resolve Chicago Keynote Address,” I Resolve Public Debate Series, Webinar (Nov. 11, 2020)
  • “Investigating Sexual Harassment Allegations,” Association of Inspectors Generals Fall 2018 Training Conference, Chicago, Ill. (Oct. 25, 2018)
  • “Women in Leadership: Women Helping Women,” Chicago Bar Association Alliance for Women Annual Kick-Off Reception, Chicago, Ill. (Oct. 9, 2018)
  • "The Power of Nice, Step into your Power,” Keynote Address at the Woman’s Bar Association of Illinois, Chicago, Ill. (May 30, 2018)

Recognitions

  • Notable Women in Law, Crain’s Chicago Business (2020, 2023, 2024)
  • The Best Lawyers in America, Best Lawyers (2021-2024)
  • Vanguard Award, Women’s Bar Association of Illinois (2021)
  • Chambers USA – Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations, Illinois (2020-2023)
  • Illinois Leading Lawyer, Law Bulletin’s Illinois Leading Lawyers Network (2021)
  • Influential Women in Law, Law Bulletin Media (2020)
  • MVP – White Collar, Law360 (2019)
  • Notable Gen X Leaders in Law, Crain’s Chicago Business (2019)
  • Chicago’s Notable Women Lawyers, Crain’s Chicago Business (2018)

Boards, Memberships & Certifications

  • Women’s White Collar Defense Association
  • Women’s Bar Association of Illinois
  • Economic Club of Chicago
  • Chicago Bar Association
  • California Bar Association
  • Federal Bar Association
  • 7th Circuit Bar Association

Professional Activities

  • Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago, Board of Directors, Chair (2017), (2006–2019)
  • Oak Park Infant Welfare Society, Circle Member (2016-2019)
  • Mikva Challenge Foundation, Board of Directors (2005-2013)