Negocios Now

www.negociosnow.com Diciembre 2022 19 L isa Duarte will never forget the day she became a named partner at Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres In recognition of a recent certification as a Women's Business Enterprise, the law firm changed its name from Croke Fairchild Morgan & Beres LLC to Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres LLC. Now recognized as the largest WBENC-Certified WBE law firm in Chicago and one of the top-five largest in the United States serving entrepreneurs, investors, growth-stage companies and Fortune 500 companies. But what was Lisa's initial reaction after becom- ing a named partner? "I was an equity partner from day one at the firm. The name change was always planned; however, I felt a little uncomfortable with it at first. After consulting with a close friend, I came to see things differently- the name change was less about me and more about what it could mean for other women, Latinas, and Latinos to see a Latino name on the door of a firm of our size and caliber", she said in an interview with Negocios Now. Where did you grow up? Logan Square. How did your neighborhood shape you? It grounded me. It was a gateway to my culture. It taught me about the kind of person I wanted to be. Where did your parents come from, and what did they do? My Mother was born in Jayuya, Puerto Rico. She is one of six sisters. She moved to the US when she was about 7 years old. She just retired from a long 28-year career as a Chi- cago Public School teacher. My father was born in Ibague, Colombia but grew up in Bogota and moved to Chicago after graduate school. He was a life-long entrepreneur. How did you become interested in law? I was always focused on the importance of education and knew from a young age that I wanted to be a lawyer. I lived and went to school in very different communities. That brought a lot of inequity to light, and I wanted to become a lawyer to fix those inequities. Why did you pick government relations as a career? I didn't really pick government relations as a career, government relations found me. I always knew I wanted to be a lawyer. Once I received my law degree, I kept following the things I was pas- sionate about and good at. Options in government relations revealed themselves and I kept excelling. What barriers have you faced, and how did you overcome them? Too many to list. You overcome them with grit and focus. Get up and push on them every day. Focus on looking through them rather than at them, until they are not there at all. What made you move from the private sector into government (at the mayor's office and then the state)? My move to the Mayor's office was completely uncalculated. It was my first job in government/politics; I had no idea what I was getting into. The Governor's office was the oppo- site. I knew exactly what I was getting myself into. Broadly speaking, I witnessed the destruction of the previous administration and was eager to help rebuild our state. Specifically, the position involved overseeing business, budget, and eco- nomic development focused agencies, boards, and commissions. You rarely see women or Lati- nos in those roles. I wanted to change that. Gov- ernor Pritzker's genuine commitment to diversity was also a huge factor. I wanted to get in there and work to hire and empower as many diverse people as possible and with JB as our leader, I knew it would be possible. What prompted you to return to the private sector? It was never my intention to return to gov- ernment after my time at the Mayor's office but the opportunity to effect so much good was too hard to pass up. I only committed to serve two years in the Governor's Office. Funny thing is even though I always knew I was going to leave in 2 years, it was incredibly difficult to leave. What is your expertise as a part- ner with Croke Fairchild Duarte Beres? I oversee the regulatory and government affairs practice group and, as a co-chair of the management committee, I oversee the actual operation of the firm as a business. What does it feel like to see your name as part of the firm's name? It took a little getting used to; I con- sider myself to be a low-key person and shied away from the idea at first. But once it was up there, I received a tremendous outpouring of positive feedback, specifi- cally about representation for women and Latinas. I came to understand that having my name on the door was about more than just me. I'm glad we made the change. Now that you're at the top of the city's largest wom- an-owned law firm, what do you want to do with that posi- tion? Grow the firm and create more opportunities for others. What interests do you have outside of work? Food, travel, and golf. LISA DUARTE 'Laser focused on growing the firm while creating more opportunities for others'

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