Mary Smith is a prominent attorney, business executive, and trailblazing leader who served as President of the American Bar Association (ABA) from 2023-2024, becoming the first Native American woman to hold the role. She currently...

Cathy Birkeland is a global Chair of Latham & Watkins’ Capital Markets Practice and the Office Managing Partner of the Chicago office. Ms. Birkeland’s practice focuses on capital marketstransactions, public company representation, corporate governance, and...

Nida Ghaffar is a trusted real estate attorney and the Office Managing Partner for the Husch Blackwell LLP Chicago office. Nida focuses her practice on real estate acquisitions and dispositions, retail, industrial, and office leasing...

TERESA WILTON HARMON is the managing partner of Sidley’s Chicago office and a partner in the firm’s Global Finance practice area, focusing on financial transactions and commercial law. Her financial transactions experience includes secured and...

Liisa Thomas is the Office Managing Partner of the Chicago office of Sheppard Mullin, where she supports the firm’s Chicago strategy, growth, and operations. She works closely with firm leadership and with Chicago’s business and...

Jessica A. Garascia is Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Chief Administrative Officer and Secretary at AAR (NYSE: AIR), a leading aviation services provider to commercial and government customers worldwide. Joining AAR in February of 2020,...

Mary Ann Hynes was appointed as vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of Corn Products International, Inc., in 2006. She came to Corn Products with a wealth of experience in the role of vice...

Tanya Jaeger de Foras joined Ingredion as Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, Corporate Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer, November 29, 2021. Tanya is a member of the Executive Leadership Team reporting directly to...

Laurel Bellows, a principal of The Bellows Law Group, P.C., represents executives, in the United States and internationally. Laurel is an experienced business lawyer counseling senior executives and corporations on employment matters, employment and severance...

Managing Partner, Jenner & Block, ChicagoMelissa M. Root is a restructuring and bankruptcy lawyer. She has deep experience representing creditors, official committees, debtors, examiners and trustees in complex financial restructuring matters and high stakes bankruptcy...