Kathleen O. Currey

Partner, Parker, Hudson, Rainer & Dobbs LLP

Kathleen Currey is a partner in the commercial finance practice group with Parker, Hudson, Rainer & Dobbs LLP.  She represents financial institutions and borrowers in secured lending and financial restructuring matters and has extensive experience with syndicated loan facilities, asset-based financings, debtor-in-possession financings and negotiating complex intercreditor agreements.  Kathleen graduated from the University of South Carolina (B.S., business administration (finance), 1986) and Emory University School of Law (J.D., with distinction, 1993) and is listed in Chambers USA (2013-present) and The Best Lawyers in America (2016-present) in banking and finance.

Kathleen is the program chair of the Secured Lending Seminar, Institute of Continuing Legal Education in Georgia (2020 – 2021) and is a frequent speaker and author addressing a variety of secured finance topics, including intercreditor, workout and bankruptcy issues for the secured lender.  In addition, Kathleen is a frequent speaker and writer on the topic of diversity and inclusion.  Most recently, she was a panelist for the Georgia State Bar Bankruptcy Section, Diversity & Inclusion Ethics & Professionalism CLE in February 2021, a moderator for Georgia State Bar Diversity Program Fall Learning Lab and a co-author of “Leading the Way to Creating Diverse and Inclusive Firms,” Georgia Bar Journal, April 2019.

What advice would you offer to women just starting out in the industry?

Be curious.  I have always thought that the practice of law, particularly in the commercial finance practice area, is a lifetime apprenticeship.  There is always something new to learn (about a borrower’s specific industry, the unique concerns of a particular borrower, the legal aspects of a transaction and how to better advocate for your client) and that is what makes this practice area so interesting.  Each day I think about what I learned.

What do you know now that you wish you knew in the beginning of your career?

Early in my career I was very focused on learning my craft, which, of course, was critical, but I now know that I also would have enjoyed spending more time building relationships outside of my firm.  Devoting more time to that in more recent years has been very rewarding. 

What role has mentoring played in your career?  

I have had (and still have) many great mentors and I have learned different lessons from each of them.  The most important thing that I have learned from all of them is always to act with integrity.  With that as a guiding principle, you can never go wrong.

What do you enjoy most about your role?  

Early on in my career I enjoyed contract drafting (the more complicated the contract, the better) because I loved the challenge of capturing exactly what the parties intended and making sure all the provisions worked together.  It was like putting together a puzzle.  As I have become more senior, I have realized that my relationships with people, both internally and externally, are what drive me to be the best lawyer that I can be and that is what is most fulfilling. 

How do you balance work/personal time?  

Creating balance has been different for me during each stage of my adult life.  When my children were young, I was very focused on work when I was at work and I was very focused on my children when I was at home.  As my children have grown and I have become more senior in my career, I do not have an expectation of compartmentalizing work and personal time.  I know that I must meet the needs of the client, regardless of when those needs arise.  Not trying to compartmentalize work and personal time has been very freeing and I consider it a luxury to be able to operate that way at this stage of my life and career.

How can commercial finance organizations attract and retain more women?

I think the biggest challenge is not attracting women to the industry; rather, it is retaining them over the long term.  I think the single most important thing we can do to retain women is to recognize that each person’s path and the pace of her career is unique.  There is not one way to be successful, but the most important thing is to stay in the “game.”  

What effect, if any, has working remotely had on your career and/or your industry? What have been the challenges and how have you worked to overcome them?  

Prior to the pandemic I rarely worked from home, so it was an adjustment going to full-time remote working overnight.  Once I purchased the right equipment (including upgrading my internet service), it was smooth sailing and I have not looked back.  Because of the available technology, we have been able to serve our clients seamlessly and I feel like I know my co-workers even better now because we have been more intentional about preserving and growing our relationships.  I am a big fan of video conferences (especially for internal meetings).  I think the biggest challenge is to continue to be intentional about training younger attorneys.