Cari Grieb

Partner, Chapman and Cutler LLP

40 Under 40 Category: Legal Services

Biography:

Cari Grieb is a partner in the Banking and Financial Services Department of Chapman and Cutler LLP, where she represents lenders in large cap and middle-market spaces in senior, first lien/second lien, subordinated and mezzanine financings, including asset acquisitions, leveraged buy-out transactions, and restructurings.

In addition, she represents professional and minor league teams and lenders in stadium finance transactions and other sports matters.  Cari also contributes her expertise to advance diversity initiatives in the legal profession and among professional sports leagues. She is an adjunct professor for Northwestern University’s Masters of Sports Administration Program where gender equality is an academic area of focus. She is an advisor to the NFLPA on racial and gender diversity and has published widely on gender-related topics. At Chapman, she advocates for advancing workplace equality policies.

She graduated as Valedictorian, with honors, from Cornell University where she earned a B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations and magna cum laude from Duke University School of Law, where she earned her J.D. Cari, her husband Jonathan, and their children, Theo and Hanna, reside in Chicago.

What is the best professional advice you have been given and how have you implemented it?

Some of the best professional advice I have received is that I have to be my own best advocate of my career. My mentors have encouraged me to raise my hand and ask for opportunities and to speak up to effect positive change. With the encouragement and support of my peers, I have been fortunate to turn this advice into tangible results – most recently, to ask for expanded parental law firm benefits, which has resulted in improved parental leave policies for both my male and female colleagues.

What advice do you normally give to the junior talent you mentor/what advice would you give to forthcoming generation of talent aspiring to win this award?

Being excellent at what one does is essential in practicing law and requires hard work and a continuous commitment to learning. However, the hallmark that truly distinguishes excellence among professionals is having a focus on relentless client service. Over the course of my career, I have had the opportunity to observe what consistent client service entails and the positive impact it has had on client relationships – clients are more appreciative and loyal when they know I have their back and are available to them when they need me. Delivering relentless client service is not easy to master – it takes extraordinary dedication and management. But the best way to learn is to observe and adopt the practices of successful mentors who inspire you.

Networking is also extremely important to advancing one’s career in finance. I always recommend to my junior peers and my Northwestern students to master how to network on social media (in particular, Twitter and LinkedIn). I have had many business and visibility opportunities arise from both forms of social media. As the number of Millennials continue to rise in the finance industry, I think junior talent will need to master how to successfully market themselves on social media.

When interviewing junior talent, what do you say to pique their interest on why they should accept a position in this industry?

I like to tell potential junior talent that a career in finance is perfect for those individuals who love problem solving and can handle time-sensitive deadlines. While the turnaround time on deals can be challenging, there is nothing like the rush of closing a complex transaction with multiple parties counting on you. No two deals are identical; each one presents unique challenges and levels of complexity; and the fast-pace makes for exciting days.

The other thing I like to tell people to pique their interest in commercial finance is that the industry has a myriad of unique opportunities — some of which enable individuals to connect to an already passionate cause or hobby. In my case, it was taking my personal interest in sports and parlaying that into my legal practice, client visibility opportunities in the form of writing, speaking, teaching, and media interviews and my community involvement.