William Von Hoene

William A. Von Hoene, Jr., 56, has responsibility at Exelon for the departments of finance, legal, communications and public affairs, federal governmental and regulatory affairs and public policy, audit and controls, investments and strategy.  Von Hoene joined Exelon, one of the nation’s largest public utilities and the owner of the largest fleet of nuclear plants in the country, in February 2002, as vice president and deputy general counsel in charge of the company’s litigation.  In March 2004, he was promoted to senior vice president, in January 2005 to acting general counsel, in February 2006 to general counsel, and in February 2008 to executive vice president.  In June, 2009 he assumed his current position.  Von Hoene serves on Exelon’s Executive Committee and is a member of the Board of Directors of Nuclear Electric Insurance Limited and the Board of Advisors of Flying Food Group.

Professional History

Prior to joining Exelon, Von Hoene was a senior partner at Jenner & Block, specializing in complex civil and white-collar criminal litigation.  While at Jenner & Block, he served on the management committee and, at various times, as hiring partner and chairperson of the firm’s pro bono and diversity committees. 

Civic Involvement

Von Hoene has served on numerous civic and public interest boards of directors.  He is past president of the Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Inc., and past general counsel to the Leadership Council for Metropolitan Open Communities.  He currently serves on the boards of directors of the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago, the Northwestern Memorial Hospital Foundation, and the Diversity Scholarship Foundation, and has previously served on the boards of directors of the Chicago Legal Clinic, the Chicago Bar Foundation and the Joffrey Ballet.  He also serves on the Visiting Committee of the University of Chicago Law School, and is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago and the Executives’ Club of Chicago.

Awards

While Von Hoene served as general counsel, the Exelon Legal department received the 2007 Association of Corporate Counsel Pro Bono Award, which recognizes the most outstanding corporate pro bono program in the country, and in 2009 was named one of three finalists for Corporate Counsel magazine’s best legal department.  Von Hoene received the 2008 Vanguard Award from the Chicago Bar Association, recognizing outstanding contributions in making the legal profession more accessible and reflective of the community at large.  In 2009, he received the Spirit of Excellence award from the American Bar Association Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession, and was named by the National Law Journal as one of the twenty most influential general counsel in the country.  Von Hoene also received the 2009 Advocate for Diversity Award for his significant contributions to the legal community and for embracing diversity, and is the 2010 recipient of the Chicago Appleseed Corporate Leader Award.  In September 2010, Von Hoene received the Arthur Goldberg Social Justice Award, presented by the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, for his career-long dedication to social justice.

Education

Von Hoene is a 1980 graduate of the University of Chicago Law School, where he served on the Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif, and a 1976 graduate of Yale University. 

Family

Von Hoene is married to Nikki Zollar and has three children, William L. Von Hoene, Branden Zollar and Grant Sanders.