For more than 40 years, shareholder Charles “Chuck” Rantis has been one of the cornerstones of our firm. Chuck has consistently provided stellar client service and achieved fantastic results in some of the most complex litigation matters our firm has handled. Specifically, his work has concentrated on product & premise liability, construction litigation, transportation litigation, and defending public utilities.
Clients often expressed their appreciation for Chuck’s ability to translate highly technical information to a judge and jury in compelling and persuasive ways. He has demonstrated the qualities of a great litigator in his time at our firm, while also being a key source of learning and assistance for many younger attorneys, as well as a very good friend. So it is with more than a little sadness that we wish Chuck well as he retires this month. Graciously, he agreed to talk with our Marketing Team about his career and his time at Johnson & Bell.
Our conversation started at the beginning of his career. Chuck described himself as “a very sentimental person” and he remembered his very first day at the firm “like it was yesterday.” Around that time, he was finishing up his final year at the Chicago-Kent College of Law, where he graduated in May 1985.
Chuck was offered a position with J&B in December 1984. He immediately accepted and never looked back. Chuck was the 37th lawyer hired at Johnson & Bell and now has the second longest tenure at the firm, only bested by shareholder Pat Morris.
When reflecting on his decision to pursue law as a career, Chuck emphasized that being an attorney has been his goal since he was 12 years old. This early interest in the law was sparked by his uncle who was an attorney working at the public defender’s office in Cook County. Due to this connection, young Chuck was able to attend baseball games and lunches with judges and lawyers his uncle knew. He spent time listening to their conversations and marveling at the interesting world they inhabited. “I decided early on that this was what I wanted to do.”
Chuck’s first impression of Johnson & Bell was noticing its litigation successes. He said, “It was obvious that they [Johnson & Bell] were very successful in court, and I wanted to ride a successful horse.” Soon after he began, Chuck saw why the firm was so successful. He explained that the firm had many “cohesive personalities” that worked well together and had an unwavering dedication to client service.
He recalled how, even as a young lawyer just starting his career, he was able to work closely with firm leaders like John Bell, Bill Beatty, and his “mentor,” Tom Andrews. Chuck attributed many of his career successes to the lessons he learned from these experienced litigators. He described Andrews as “kind, patient …. he taught me how to do everything.” Chuck also described how Johnson & Bell distinguished itself from other defense firms back in the 1980s. He said, “Everyone really wanted to provide quality work … it was really emphasized to take good deps [depositions], work hard, give it all you have, and the rest will take care of itself.” It’s an attitude that continues to this day.
While reflecting on changes he has seen at the firm over the last 40 years, Chuck expressed how the approach to “work-life balance” has evolved over the years. He went on to explain how one of the biggest challenges of his career (and for most attorneys) is the fight to keep a "sense of equilibrium” while not losing sight of the urgency that the cases we handle demand.
Chuck also shared key tips he learned in his long career to teach himself the very important skill of issue spotting, which is one of the biggest differentiators in the legal profession, especially when taking depositions. “If you want to learn how to take a good deposition, read some old dep transcripts. I looked at all different types of cases. You read enough, you begin to understand what are the issues of the case and what are the themes of the case.”
When asked about his biggest professional challenge, Chuck had this to say; “If I had to do it all over again, I would have focused more on marketing.” Chuck noted how the firm has put an increased emphasis on marketing over the years, and he expressed some regret in not being able or willing to participate in a more meaningful way. He also reflected on the challenge of “doing your best every day and finding that work/life balance. He added “You have to enjoy every precious moment in front of you … Father Time is undefeated.”
While most people around Johnson & Bell know Chuck well, he shared some things that people may not know. He said that while many believe he has a hard exterior, he is really a “softie,” especially with his family (his wife, four sons, and granddaughter). Chuck also emphasized his hard-working nature despite his career success and time growing up in Chicago's suburbs. “I always worked, usually two jobs.” He said his work ethic was instilled in him by his restaurateur father and immigrant grandfather. He recalled working as a parking valet at Carson’s Ribs as a young man. “The work has changed but my approach to it hasn’t,” he said.
Another thing that has not changed for Chuck over the years is the support and dedication of his wife Karen and his sons. He said, “I owe whatever success I have to my wonderful and selfless wife, who has stuck by me through thick and thin.” Chuck said he will be excited to spend more time with his wife and family in retirement. He met Karen through a former colleague at Johnson & Bell and now they have been married for nearly 35 years.
When closing our interview, Chuck emphasized that “the firm has been very good to me, and I like to think that I have been good to it.” He said, “I am looking forward to the next chapter, but I do look back and wish I had savored it more as I was going through it … there were a lot of good times.”
Chuck listed many of the great people he has had the pleasure of connecting with through his time at Johnson & Bell. He specifically called out attorneys like Scott Hoyne, John Bell, Tom Andrews, Tim Couture, Judge Donald O'Brien Jr., Joe Spitzerri, Joseph Carini, Robert Burke, Kevin Owens, Robert Comfort, JoAnn Angarola, Meghan Sciortino, Judge Jeffery Chrones, and others. One quote from Chuck sums up his career at Johnson & Bell perfectly, “It has been a wonderful life, a wonderful career, and I am forever grateful. I have a blessed life.”
Thank you Chuck for many years of dedicated and diligent service, not only the firm, but to the clients we represent. We wish him nothing but the best in his retirement.
