Morgan Lewis Added Sara Kalis as Partner
The firm expanded its Chicago labor and employment practice by recruiting the former senior corporate counsel from Amazon.
Updated on Sept. 21, 2026 in Job Search
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Morgan Lewis announced that Sara Kalis has joined its Chicago office as a partner in the firm's labor and employment practice. The hire follows Kalis's tenure as senior corporate counsel at Amazon.
Why it matters
The move brings significant in-house experience to the firm's legal team in Chicago, specifically regarding the labor issues managed by large-scale corporate entities. Operators often look to these lateral moves to gauge how top firms are positioning their advice for changing workplace regulations.
The hire marks a single senior addition to the firm's Chicago labor and employment group, which now includes the former in-house counsel from a major global retailer.
The players
Sara Kalis
A legal partner and former senior corporate counsel at Amazon who previously held roles at Littler Mendelson and Paul Hastings.
Morgan Lewis
A global law firm specializing in complex litigation, labor and employment, and corporate advisory services for enterprise clients.
The details
Kalis joins the firm after serving as senior corporate counsel at Amazon, adding depth to the firm's existing labor and employment capabilities. Her background also includes experience at the law firms Littler Mendelson and Paul Hastings, providing a track record across multiple legal environments. Businesses in the Chicago area may see this transition as a signal of how the firm intends to bolster its counsel on employment matters for large-scale operations.
Timeline
Monday, September 21, 2026: Morgan Lewis announced the hiring of Sara Kalis.
Market Landscape
This move follows the standard industry trend of global law firms recruiting senior in-house counsel to bolster their labor and employment practices. Firms frequently leverage this expertise to improve their advisory services regarding workplace regulation and compliance.
Chicago-based operators should monitor if this hire changes the firm's approach to local labor disputes and regulatory compliance. Review your current legal service agreements to determine if this addition affects the specialized counsel available to your management team.
The takeaway
Large firms often integrate former corporate counsel to better anticipate the needs of their enterprise-scale clients. Operators should track whether this firm's evolving practice aligns with their own upcoming labor compliance needs.
Further reading
For broader trends in professional hiring within the city, see our coverage of the Chicago Job Search.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Bloomberglaw.
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