Rossana Garduno

Josh provides strategic legal counsel to corporate and individual clients on critical business matters that include complex corporate transactions including mergers and acquisitions, venture capital/growth equity transactions, corporate structuring and governance issues, employee equity and non-compete agreements, joint ventures and private securities placements. He works with them to analyze their transactions and operations from every angle – planning, negotiation, documentation, impl...

Anna serves as the vice-chair of Cozen O’Connor’s national Labor & Employment Department, where she has been integral to the growth and success of the firm’s L&E practice. Working out of the Chicago office, employers engage her to represent them in high-stakes, high-profile labor and employment litigation before state and federal courts and administrative agencies. She is also widely recognized as a “go to” legal resource for institutions of higher educat...

Heidi Steele is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Corporate Law. Heidi practices law in Chicago, Illinois Best Lawyers has recognized Heidi Steele since 2026. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Heidi Steele is held by other lawyers.

Financial institutions across the country rely on David Dlugie to handle their most critical commercial property and commercial loan matters, sometimes with extremely tight timelines. For clients that are financing or selling/buying/leasing real property, or acquiring or disposing of commercial real estate loans, he solves their financing and equity issues using negotiation skills honed through three decades of practice. As the head of Katten's Chicago Real Estate practice, David assembles te...

M. Christine Graff is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Real Estate Law. M. Christine practices law in Chicago, Illinois Best Lawyers has recognized M. Christine Graff since 2025. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which M. Christine Graff is held by other lawyers.

A trusted adviser with over a decade of experience, Terese Connolly counsels and represents multinational corporations in navigating the wide range of domestic and international labor and employment related issues that arise when managing a global workforce. Terese advises and counsels multinational companies; conducts enterprise risk assessments, compliance audits and internal investigations; and provides training for management and employees on employment law, leave laws, anti-discriminatio...

Andrea Friedman is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Advertising Law. Andrea practices law in Chicago, Illinois Best Lawyers has recognized Andrea Friedman since 2027. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Andrea Friedman is held by other lawyers.

Maureen O'Brien is a partner in the Chicago office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Maureen's practice includes a broad range of employee benefits and executive compensation matters, and she has extensive experience with the M&A aspects of employee benefits and executive compensation, including strategic and private equity transactions. Maureen advises clients on the design and implementation of qualified and nonqualified retirement plans, welfare plans, Section 409A matters and equity and in...

Julie Seymour represents and counsels banks and borrowers, including hospitals, health systems, educational and cultural institutions and long-term care providers; governmental issuers; underwriters; and trustees in connection with tax-exempt and taxable financings. Since 1990, Julie has been involved in billions of dollars of tax-exempt bond financings, including fixed and variable rate structures, as well as secured and unsecured lending transactions. What do you focus on? In my finance pra...

Norma Zeitler serves as outside labor and employment and litigation counsel to nonprofit, healthcare, hospitality and manufacturing clients. Norma is totally committed to helping each client focus on its mission and mitigate the potential for a dispute through proactive counseling and development of sound policies, practices and procedures. Norma represents employers in the defense of employment discrimination, retaliatory discharge, breach-of-contract, workplace torts and restrictive covenan...