Jen Cafferty Patton

Chief Talent Officer

Jen Cafferty Patton

Chief Talent Officer

Jen Patton is chief talent officer for Foley & Lardner LLP, where she is responsible for overseeing and leading the firm’s talent strategy for attorneys and business professionals, including recruitment, professional development, employee relations, benefits and compensation, coaching, and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Jen came to Foley from Vinson & Elkins, where she most recently served as director of professional development. In that capacity, she directed all attorney development initiatives, including professional skills training, continuing legal education programming, on-demand learning, individual coaching, and all attorney onboarding, orientation and integration efforts.

She previously spent four years as that firm’s director of lateral recruitment, where she oversaw global lateral recruiting efforts.

Prior to that, Jen served two years as V&E’s director of alumni relations, where she developed the firm’s alumni relations program, created networking and business development opportunities for alumni, and oversaw the design, development and launch of an alumni website and other communications.

Jen is a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law and practiced with Baker Botts and the Supreme Court of Texas following graduation. She did her undergraduate work at Rice University, where she also played on the Division I varsity basketball team and served three years as captain. Before going to law school, she spent two years as an investment banking analyst at Goldman Sachs.

01 November 2024 In the News

‘Stepping out ahead of most firms’ - Foley Featured on ‘Legal Speak’ Podcast for Partner Training Program

Foley & Lardner LLP partner Leigh Riley and Chief Talent Officer Jen Patton appeared on the Legal Speak podcast episode, “Leveraging Partner Training To Recruit and Retain,” detailing the inception of Foley’s Partner Excellence Actionable Knowledge (PEAK) program, its roadmap, and insights on how Foley is helping its people succeed at every stage of their careers.
17 October 2024 In the News

Foley's PEAK Training Program Highlighted in The American Lawyer for Investment in Ongoing Attorney Development

Foley & Lardner LLP's PEAK (Partner Excellence Actionable Knowledge) training program is highlighted in The American Lawyer article, "As Partnerships Evolve, Law Firms See Ongoing Partner Training as Recruiting and Retention Tool."
05 June 2024 In the News

Jen Patton on Big Law Mental Health - 'Much work to be done, but Foley is committed'

Foley & Lardner LLP Chief Talent Officer discussed Foley's commitment to supporting mental health and wellness in Law360.
12 January 2024 Foley Career Perspectives

Boston Litigation Partner Beth Boland Discusses Women in Leadership Roles

Foley’s clients entrust our firm to provide innovative legal solutions for their most challenging business problems. Doing this successfully requires the inclusion of people with different insights and experiences.
12 December 2023 Foley Career Perspectives

Speaker Series Examines Intersection of Mental Health and Performance

This month, Best Self – Foley’s firmwide wellness initiative – launched a three-part speaker series to explore the complicated ways that mental health drives performance and how it shows up in high-achieving work cultures.
31 August 2023 Foley Career Perspectives

International Women in Cyber Day: Spotlight on Foley’s Information Security Team

Each September 1, we observe International Women in Cyber Day (IWCD), a global movement to celebrate the achievements of women and bring awareness to the issues they face within the industry.