Press Release | Sep 28, 2026Honigman Hires Joel Gustafson as Chief Information Officer

Veteran technology leader brings extensive experience to advance the firm's technology strategy

CHICAGO - Honigman LLP announced today it appointed Joel Gustafson as its new Chief Information Officer (CIO). He succeeds Craig Hardtke, who retired after a 17-year tenure with the firm. Gustafson brings a rich law firm leadership background, as he previously held executive management technology and operations roles at Sidley Austin, Mayer Brown, and most recently, Crowell & Moring.

"We are pleased to welcome Joel to our firm's leadership. I'm confident that he will play a critical role in fostering Honigman's spirit of collaboration, entrepreneurship, and innovation," said Honigman chief executive officer and chairman, David Foltyn. "His track record of building high-performing teams will also play a key role as we continue to pursue our strategic priorities."

Gustafson has more than 25 years of global information technology leadership experience across professional services and consumer-focused organizations ranging from 2,000 to more than 50,000 employees. Throughout his career, he has aligned technology with business objectives to improve service delivery, strengthen security, enhance operational efficiency, and support growth.

"We were impressed by Joel's demonstrated leadership, expertise, and collaborative approach that make him well-suited to lead our technology strategy," said Dwight Floyd, Honigman's chief operating officer. "We look forward to what he brings to our trajectory of growth and innovation."

Gustafson has experience leading internal technology organizations, cloud environments, and support operations, including outsourced and offshore programs. He has also led global procurement and vendor management initiatives and participated on executive leadership teams responsible for enterprise technology roadmaps and service delivery.

"I look forward to joining Honigman and working alongside its robust leadership team, skilled attorneys, and talented business professionals," said Gustafson. "It's a dynamic time of growth at the firm. I am eager to advance its technology capabilities, and in turn, play a part in continuing to deliver exceptional service to clients."

Gustafson earned his BA from North Central College.

About Honigman:

Honigman is a full-service law firm with more than 400 attorneys advising clients on complex business, litigation, regulatory, and transactional matters throughout the United States. The firm has offices in Chicago, Detroit (with multiple locations throughout Michigan), Washington, DC, and Israel. For more information, visit honigman.com.

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