Lou Ann Brunenn

Shareholder, Banking and Finance Practice, Greenberg Traurig, LLP

Biography:

Lou Ann Brunenn is a shareholder at global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP in the Banking and Finance Practice where she focuses on documenting secured and unsecured credit facilities for financial institutions and corporate borrowers. Lou Ann frequently represents lead arrangers and administrative agents in a wide variety of large corporate and middle-market syndicated transactions, including cash flow and asset-based facilities, acquisition finance and sponsor-led financings. She has experience in structuring complex credit transactions, including cross-border and multicurrency facilities. Lou Ann’s finance practice ranges from bilateral and middle-market club facilities to multi-billion dollar leveraged transactions. Her practice includes loan originations and the workout and restructure of distressed debt. Lou Ann has handled finance transactions in many different industries, including television and radio broadcasting, manufacturing, insurance, healthcare, oil field services, restaurants, and financial services.  Lou Ann received her law degree, cum laude, from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law and her B.S., cum laude, from Texas Christian University. She resides in Dallas, Texas with her husband and three sons. 

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

When starting out, it is important to build your professional reputation by being a dependable and reliable team member. Begin by learning everything you can about the industry, searching for opportunities to gain additional experience, working hard, communicating with confidence and by consistently delivering excellent work product. Be inquisitive and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Volunteer for the most difficult tasks and always deliver projects ahead of deadlines. Project self-assurance and a positive attitude when dealing with others. When you consistently perform at the highest level, you will become essential to the success of your team and establish a reputation as someone to count on.   

Also, seek out informal mentors who can teach you new skills, share their expertise and advocate on your behalf within the organization. I think it is important to have both male and female mentors who can share their different perspectives with you and offer guidance. You will find that good mentors are generous with their time and become invested in your career success.

Finally, start developing your network both inside and outside of your organization. Internal networking may lead to a better opportunity in another department. And an external contact you make early in your career may later have the power to open doors for you. Some of my most important client relationships began during the first years of my finance career and have grown into true friendships.

How can commercial finance organizations offer meaningful professional development and career advancement?  

I believe organizations should take measurable steps to promote the advancement of diverse talent. For example, it is important that organizations have women in prominent leadership positions. I have had the opportunity to work with numerous women who have led deal teams for multi-million-dollar credit facilities. These women are valued within their financial institutions for their expertise, excellent problem-solving skills, and dedication to their jobs. Organizations that recognize and value such outstanding women have an institutional commitment to diversity and inclusion. When senior leaders work to ensure that all women are provided leadership opportunities early in their careers, women recognize that they are valued within the organization and that meaningful career advancement opportunities are available to them. In addition, organizations should also offer implicit bias training for all employees. It is well documented that everyone experiences implicit bias. Only by recognizing that fact can organizations establish more objective criteria for advancement. By demonstrating a commitment to diversity and inclusion through these types of concrete actions, organizations can offer more meaningful professional development opportunities to women.

What is your approach to change in the workplace?

Change is sometimes hard, but I’ve learned that if I embrace it with a positive outlook, change has led to career advancement. For example, I started out as a litigator when I first graduated from law school and it took me a few years to decide to leave litigation for a corporate practice. Although I worried that I would be starting over when I changed my practice focus, I soon realized that the experience and skills I gained as a litigator were invaluable to my success as a finance lawyer.

With the rise of fintech and artificial intelligence, the finance industry, like the legal industry, is undergoing transformative changes. We need to adapt quickly to take advantage of new opportunities. Each new opportunity we embrace can become a building block for further career growth.