Howard J. Trienens is a partner of Sidley Austin and former chair of Sidley’s executive committee. From 1980 to 1986 he also served as vice president and general counsel for AT&T. Trienens received two degrees from Northwestern, a bachelor’s degree in 1945 and a J.D. in 1949 and was editor in chief of the Illinois Law Review. After graduating, he taught a course in criminal law at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and clerked for Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, Fred M. Vinson. He joined Sidley Austin as an associate in 1949 and returned to the firm in 1952, where he was named partner four years later. Trienens became vice president and general counsel for AT&T in 1980 and retired as senior vice president and general counsel in 1986. During his tenure, he played a key role in disposing of antitrust litigation impacting telecommunications industry. He also was deeply involved in the restructuring of the Bell System and AT&T following a Department of Justice suit that settled.
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