Photography by Jim Prisching

Altruism isn’t often the first word that comes to mind when thinking about lawyers, but in the case of TransactionalLawyer Kevin Mudd, the two things are intrinsically linked. Even back in the third grade, Kevin participated in a one day 30-mile Hike for Hunger without giving it a second thought.

“I can’t believe I did it,” Kevin reflects. “Thirty miles—that’s intense. I don’t even let my kids walk to school because it’s a mile.”

But looking out for others is where Kevin seems most at home. It’s a part of his family heritage. Kevin sits on the board of the Mudd Family Foundation, a philanthropic family enterprise that annually raises money for The Night Ministry, a group that offers assistance and shelter to young runaways downtown.  He’s also a longtime volunteer for Meals on Wheels in Glenview, delivering food to the elderly and infirmed. Even when it comes to his law practice, he recently helped the Catholic Church recover more than 16 thousand dollars in assets, and he did it pro bono.

Much like his propensity for charity, his love of the law is something that was also handed down to Kevin. His great uncle was actually Robert Crowe, the State’s Attorney who served as the chief investigator and chief prosecutor in the notorious Leopold-Loeb trial. In high school, Kevin was a part of Evanston high’s nationally recognized debate team. Incidentally, one of Kevin’s teammates from the year they won the state championship is now the Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, Neal S. Wolin. Kevin’s time on the debate team fostered his affection for speaking out on behalf of those who weren’t being heard. That’s what drew him to study at Berkeley after a semester at Oxford.

“Berkeley was the epicenter of the free speech movement,” Kevin says. “That’s where I experienced the power of saying what needs to be said on behalf of a client.”

Though he loved the climate of California, Kevin’s connection to the North Shore and the community atmosphere we cultivate brought him back to Wilmette when it was time to raise his family. “I really like the continuity of our lives here,” says Kevin. “It’s part of who I am. I love that my kids go to school (St. Francis Xavier) where my mom went to school. I love that I go to the same grocery store that used to deliver to my grandfather. I like the stability of our North Shore values.”

Stability is something Kevin goes out of his way to deliver for some of his more high profile clientele who like to keep their legal matters private. While he has worked with a number of Chicago Bears, high-profile television figures and gentlemen that we know from their careers in politics, you’d never hear about it, because part of Kevin’s practice is discretion. It is a facet of his international practice, which includes clients as far away as the Philippines, that makes it harder for prospective clients to seek out his accomplishments, but it’s an inconvenience that Kevin gladly accepts for the benefit of the people he represents.

“I learned very early, when I was a law clerk, that you have to put own ego aside and focus on what’s best for the client,” Kevin says. “I bring order to messy situations and it can be an emotional process sometimes. There are chaotic angst-filled situations and I bring calm to them. I think that’s really kind of a higher calling and that’s what I enjoy doing—giving people a little peace.”

 For more information, or to contact the Law Offices of Kevin Mudd, call 773-960-2451.—Jake Jarvi