Anne Marie Pisano

Principal, Goldberg Kohn

Biography:

Anne Marie Pisano is a principal in the firm’s Commercial Finance Group. Her practice focuses on representing banks and non-bank financial institutions engaged principally in the middle market. Anne Marie has experience in the documentation, negotiation and closing of asset-based and cash flow loan transactions. Her work includes single-lender and syndicated-loan transactions across a wide range of industries including manufacturing, technology, software, and business services. Anne Marie regularly rep- resents clients in connection with acquisition financings, refinancings, recapitalization financings, workouts and restructurings, and cross-border finance transactions.

Anne Marie is a member of the firm’s Task Force on Women’s Issues and the American Bar Association and Turnaround Management Association. Prior to pursuing her legal career, Anne Marie worked as a coordinator of international relations in Nagai, Japan through the Japan Exchange and Teaching program. She received her law degree, with honors, in 1999 from the University of Chicago and her B.A. in political science, sum- ma cum laude, in 1995 from Villanova University and is admitted to practice in Illinois and Pennsylvania. Anne Marie was featured in the July 2017 Spotlight on Flex issue of the Diversity and Flexibility Alliance.

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

I advise young women to be proactive in their professional development and the direction of their careers. Do not be afraid to ask questions – the beginning of your career is the best time to gather as much information as possible and master the fundamentals. In addition, your senior colleagues will not only expect you to ask questions but view your desire to learn more about your field as a positive trait. Once you feel you have a mastered those items, be sure to move on to more advanced assignments. Ask to work on more challenging matters or tasks; do not stay stagnant or wait for an assignment to come to you.

Also, be mindful of the connections that you are making with colleagues, clients and opposing counsel and the way you present yourself in those interactions. You are building your professional network through each of these points of contact.

Relationships with clients, colleagues and others involved in a transaction are crucial to your success. The relationships created early on can oftentimes come back to you many years down the line.

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

I wish I understood the importance of communicating all of my achievements and short and long-term objectives with those senior to me at my firm. Everyone working in this industry is very busy, and your senior colleagues simply may not have the time to notice all of your efforts or may not understand the outcomes you want for your career. Don’t be shy about letting your colleagues know this information. Whether it is a more specific type of work or more contact with specific clients, if you do not communicate these goals, they will never come to fruition. You have to be your own best advocate.

What kind of role has mentoring and/or sponsorship played in your career?

The mentoring and sponsorship that I have received over the course of my legal career, all of which has been at Goldberg Kohn, has been invaluable. I was given opportunities very early in my career to interact directly with clients and to develop my skills and knowledge base. These early interactions and knowledge laid the groundwork for the rest of my career. I have had a lot of examples at Goldberg Kohn of really smart, hardworking people who produce excellent legal work and provide great client service. I have done my best to emulate these role models. In addition, these individuals have shared advice, provided counsel and shared client relationships with me. Because I have greatly benefited from the mentors and sponsors I have had along the way, I am committed to being a mentor and sponsor to younger professionals.

What do you think the industry could do to attract and retain the best and the brightest today?

I think that the younger generation wants to feel that the work they do is important both on a personal level and to their communities and world. Those of us who work in commercial finance understand that the transactions we work on are vital to the success of many companies and the people, families and communities who rely on those companies. I think that the most important thing that our industry can do to attract the best and the brightest is to educate them on the fundamental role that our industry plays. I think some of the initiatives that leaders in the commercial finance community are taking in this regard are a great step in the right direction.