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Robert J. Hicks, chair and managing partner of fast-growing Taft Stettinus & Hollister LLP, has been selected as IBJ’s 2026 Forty Under 40 alumni of the year.
The Forty Under 40 Alumni Award recognizes a former honoree who stands out as a continuing contributor to central Indiana. Hicks will be honored at the 2026 Forty Under 40 event on April 15, when IBJ will publish a full profile about him.
Hicks was a member of the Forty Under 40 class of 2000 when he was executive vice president of CIT Group, where he oversaw more than $25 billion in Wall Street asset-backed securitizations, debt financings and acquisitions. He also managed a $100 million venture capital and private equity portfolio for CIT and led its largest portfolio company, RealMed Corp., as its chairman and CEO.
In 2017, Hicks was named managing partner at Taft and has overseen significant growth, due in part to mergers and acquisitions — what the legal industry generally refers to as “combinations.” Taft now ranks as the 79th largest law firm in the country, according to the 2025 Am Law list. The firm has more than 1,250 attorneys across the country.
In 2024, the last year for which information is available, Taft’s profits per partner rose to $1.174 million, eclipsing the $1 million mark for the first time.
And during Hicks’ tenure, Taft’s revenue is up more than 500% and total headcount is up by more than 300%.
Hicks has been listed on IBJ Media’s Indiana 250, a list of the most influential leaders in Indiana, since its inception in 2022. He was also named a distinguished barrister by The Indiana Lawyer’s Leadership in Law program in 2012.
Hicks has also been recognized among the Legal 500 M&A Powerlist: United States (2024); Indiana Super Lawyers (2004-2025); and as a distinguished fellow by the Indianapolis Bar Foundation (2011).
He began his career with Arthur Andersen after receiving an accounting degree from Butler University in 1984. He then received a law degree from the William and Mary Law School in 1986.
Hicks was selected by a committee of IBJ leaders for the award. To be eligible, the Alumni Award winner must have been recognized as a Forty Under 40 honoree at least 10 years ago.
This year’s honorees will be unveiled at 8 a.m. April 15 at the Indiana Roof Ballroom. Tickets for the event are available at ibj.com/events/2026/forty-under-40.
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