Barnes & Thornburg partner Prather named IU VP, chief legal counsel

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Barnes & Thornburg partner Anthony “Tony” Prather has been selected to serve as the newest chief legal officer of Indiana University.

Anthony Prather

IU announced Prather’s hiring, which is pending board of trustees approval, on Friday.  He will assume his new duties as vice president and chief legal counsel on Feb. 22.

Prather will advise the university’s trustees and administration on legal issues and serve as the contact on all legal matters involving IU. He replaces Jackie Simmons, who was terminated without cause in December and is on unpaid administrative leave until her retirement on June 30.

As a partner at Barnes & Thornburg, Prather advises clients across the nation and is often called on for his knowledge of federal and state employment and affirmative action laws, according to a news release from IU.  Prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg, he served as in-house counsel for Ameritech and Firestone.

Prather is a two-time IU graduate, including receiving his law degree from the IU Maurer School of Law.

Over the course of his career, Prather, has collected numerous awards, including being named a Distinguished Barrister by Indiana Lawyer in the 2018 Leadership in Law Awards. Additional accolades include induction into the IU Maurer School of Law Academy of Law Alumni Fellows, receipt of an IU Bicentennial Medal and receipt of the IU Maurer School of Law Distinguished Service and Samuel S. Dargan awards.

“I am truly excited to join IU as a part of President (Pamela) Whitten’s leadership team and in support of the Board of Trustees,” Prather said in a statement. “This opportunity allows me to come home to a place that I know well and love; a place that I received both my undergraduate and law degrees from; a place where, in a voluntary capacity, I enjoyed interacting with students; and a place where three of my children earned degrees.”

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