Over the last nine years, F. Chase Simmons (J.D.’97) has led the Polsinelli law firm as its chief executive officer and chairman. With three decades of experience, his career has grown alongside the firm.

After graduating from Southern Methodist University with degrees in philosophy and political science, he applied to a couple of law schools before enrolling at UGA Law. Simmons was drawn to Athens by the school’s reputation.

“UGA was well-known, it was beautiful,” he said. “It’s highly ranked and highly respected, and you could see that from the outside.”

Starting at UGA, similar to many first-year law students, was a bit overwhelming for Simmons. He learned early on what the keys to success were for his peers.

“The people who had really taken college seriously, or had had jobs, or had been in the military, were able to kind of treat it like a five-plus-day-a-week job,” he said. “That was a transition. It was a really good, healthy one for me, but it was definitely a transition.”

For the next three years, Simmons focused on developing a breadth of knowledge without becoming too focused on one specific area.

“I really felt like I came out of UGA with no specialty whatsoever, and that really prepared me incredibly for both my legal career and then moving into the business world as well,” he said.

During the summer of 1996, following his second year of law school, the Olympics made it increasingly difficult to find a traditional legal summer job in Atlanta.

“After interviewing a little bit in Atlanta and just not finding the right opportunities, I went back to Kansas City, where I’d gone to high school, and my mom and stepdad still lived,” he said. “I just did it for a summer job and ended up, through that process, meeting Polsinelli and falling in love with the firm. It was a very small firm at the time.”

Simmons then met and fell in love with his wife, who lived in Kansas City, making the move to KCMO an easy one.

“Additionally, [Polsinelli] was the definition of a place that you can grow with. Every idea I ever had about changes to my career – what I wanted to build or try – there was an opportunity and a willingness of the firm to allow me to do that.”

At Polsinelli, which now has 1,200 lawyers, Simmons built a career that tied together advocacy, litigation, real estate and public finance. And, he found he was unexpectedly rewarded with the real-world impact of his legal work.

“I could take my daughters to a park that was part of a development I’d put together, or go to a soccer game at a stadium that I’d financed, and I really liked that part of it,” he said.

After almost 20 years of practice, he made the decision to step away from his client base and move into firm leadership.

“I’m a very goal-oriented person, and I was ready to make a new set of goals,” Simmons said. “So I thought, ‘What about trying a new career but staying at the only job I’ve ever known?’”

After stepping into a leadership position, he developed a clearer idea of the impact he wanted to have on Polsinelli and beyond. At the core of that vision are mentorship and influence.

“In the last three or four years, I got a new mentor who was from another firm and is retired now. … I don’t know how many people pick up a new mentor when they’re in their 50s, but I did,” he said. “I look on some people I’ve tried to mentor. They’ve had a lot of influence on me as well, and I hope I can have an influence on them.”

He also took the opportunity to see how he and the law firm could make an impact through the Polsinelli Simmons Family Scholarship Fund, which was established at UGA Law in 2023. Motivated by his work colleagues, and his wife and two daughters, the fund supports students enrolled at the law school who are committed to furthering the advancement of women in law.

Beyond his own professional accomplishments, Simmons is grounded in helping others to reach their own goals. From building relationships with his classmates at UGA to fostering connections throughout his career, he has developed a network that strengthens and inspires him.

Throughout life, Simmons said, “You’re exposed to other really amazing, sharp people who will end up being a set of lifelong friends and likely clients and colleagues.”

—Caroline L. Passaro