Maria T. McGuire

Principal, Goldberg Kohn

Biography:

Maria McGuire is a principal in the firm’s Commercial Finance Group. She represents banks, finance companies and other lenders in structuring, documenting and negotiating commercial finance transactions, including asset-based and cash-flow loans, restructurings and workouts, and working capital and acquisition finance transactions. She has experience in a variety of business sectors and frequently works on technology finance transactions and international finance transactions, primarily focusing on Europe and North America. She is a recipient of the 2016 Secured Finance Network’s 40 Under 40 Award and has been recognized as an Emerging Lawyer by Leading Lawyers.

Maria is chair of Goldberg Kohn’s Business Development Committee and is a member of the firm’s Finance Committee. She is admitted to practice in Illinois, is a member of the American Bar Association and has been involved in pro bono projects with the National Immigrant Justice Center and the Center for Disability and Elder Law. Maria received her law degree, cum laude, from Notre Dame Law School in 2003 and her B.A., magna cum laude, in American studies and anthropology from the University of Notre Dame in 2000.

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

Believe in yourself and your abilities. Have confidence in your ability to learn and to work hard to achieve your goals. At first, this means establishing a strong foundation by mastering the basics of your field. As you further advance in your career, be willing to adapt as the market and industry change and take advantage of new opportunities. Be willing to accept the challenge that comes with those new opportunities and have confidence in your ability to succeed.

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

I wish I had known the great degree of career satisfaction that would come from working with the same clients and colleagues over many years. A traditional law firm offers a relatively straight-forward career path. At the beginning of my career, my first goal was to be an excellent attorney, and I threw myself into my work. My second goal was to develop strong relationships with my colleagues and clients. The mental challenges of my work are incredibly satisfying, but that is something I had expected when I chose to focus on commercial finance. What I had not anticipated was that over the years many of my clients and colleagues have come to feel like family. When I joined Goldberg Kohn twelve years ago, I knew that I had found a special place that would truly be a home for me and my career. I focused on doing my best work and invested in the growth and worked for the success of the firm as a whole and knew that my colleagues were all doing the same. I knew I was where I wanted to be – a place where we were invested in and believed in each other.

As I developed relationships with clients, on an individual basis as well as with their institutions, over the years, the better I knew and under- stood how each client’s institution worked and what a client’s goals and concerns were, I could provide a better service to them, and there is no better career satisfaction than knowing that you have done outstanding work for those who depend on you.

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

Mentoring has played a critical role in the development of my career. I am lucky to have strong relationships with a number of attorneys who have shared their knowledge and time with me over the years. They have been willing to educate, answer questions and discuss issues time and again. They have also actively assisted in the development and advancement of my career. They have involved me in challenging projects, helped me develop client relationships, and supported me in firm leadership positions.

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

Listen to the next generation of leaders. Give real consideration to their priorities and values, even if they are different from our own. My advice for those just starting out includes being willing to adapt and change through your career, and that same advice applies to the industry as a whole in order to attract and retain the talent it needs.