Linda Chaplik Harris
Partner
Linda Chaplik Harris is a highly experienced
lawyer who represents publicly held corporations, institutional
investors and privately held companies in a broad range of complex
corporate matters, including mergers and acquisitions, private
equity and venture capital transactions, joint ventures, leveraged
buy-outs, bankruptcies, work-outs and restructurings, franchising
and general legal counseling.
In her more than 30 years practicing law,
Linda has represented financial institutions, Fortune 100 companies
and privately held companies, including Prudential Insurance, GE
Capital, Sara Lee, Kaplan Higher Education and numerous banks.
Linda previously served for 10 years as chair of SNR Denton's
Corporate and Securities practice in the US.
Linda devotes the majority of her time to
helping clients identify, structure, negotiate and consummate
successful business transactions. She is equally experienced at
representing buyers, sellers, venturers, investors and portfolio
companies. Her clients' businesses are global, and she has worked
on numerous transactions involving non-US parties and
properties.
She has represented companies at all stages,
from startup to sale, and has in-depth expertise in work-outs and
bankruptcies. For many clients without in-house legal talent, she
serves as outside general counsel, advising on areas such as
contracts, procurement and employment.
Family businesses frequently engage Linda to
help them explore possible sales or other liquidity alternatives,
governance assistance and general legal expertise to family
members. Her work on behalf of privately held companies has
included serving as outside general counsel for several
family-owned businesses, including The Chas. Levy Company, one of
the largest book distributors in the US.
Linda's clients are extremely diverse and her
expertise extends to the airline industry (she served as general
outside counsel to a Midwest commuter airline prior to its sale to
American Airlines and as corporate counsel to the Official
Committee of Unsecured Creditors in the United Airlines
bankruptcy), wholesale distribution, higher education, insurance
M&A, manufacturing, professional services, healthcare and
banking.
Through her professional, philanthropic and
other outside activities, Linda is a major supporter of
entrepreneurs and early-stage businesses, including women-owned
businesses. She was a founding member of, and lecturer to, the
Capital Circle, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing
the flow of capital to venture capital businesses. She also is a
frequent speaker at the Entrepreneurial Conference of the Women's
Business Development Center.
Honors and Awards
- Ranked in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business
(Illinois Corporate/Mergers and Acquisitions), 2010–2011
- Recipient, Anti-Defamation League "Women of Achievement" award,
1999
Organizations
- Director
- Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce
- Joffrey Ballet
- Anti-Defamation League
- Women's Business Development Center
- Women's Issues Network (president,
1994-1995)
- Member
- The Economic Club
- The Chicago Network
- Chicago Finance Exchange
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