By Wendy Heilbut

wendy@jayaramlaw.com

As we look over 2019, several themes emerge for Jayaram Law: growth, fine tuning and spreading our message.  Each manifested itself in a number of ways, both for us internally and for our clients.  Here is a rundown, with a few highlights and some projections, of how each played out this year.

GROWTH – We welcomed some really incredible new members to our team in 2019. 
Julia Broder I almost forgot Julia had only joined us this year (albeit early in the year), because I don’t think any of us, inside the firm or our clients, can remember life before we had Julia on board.  Her mere presence sets us all at ease on a busy day.  Julia sits in the front of our Chicago office so if you haven’t met her yet, do yourself a favor and come for a visit and book recommendation.

Heidi Yernberg Echols brought her private practice into Jayaram Law earlier this year- along with her refined judgment and generous demeanor.  She’s the first person we each go to for a balanced perspective and is always so generous with her time and advice. Read below for more on Heidi’s practice. 

Cassie Hightman  joined our Chicago office over the summer as a lateral hire in our transactional team.  Clients love that Cassie is quick and precise with her answers to their questions.

Aaron Ogunro joined us in Chicago right after graduating from Vanderbilt Law School.  Coming to Chicago, while colder, is a homecoming, as Aaron is from The Windy City.   Clients love Aaron’s accurate answers and calming presence.  

Pam Unger started this fall in New York managing our Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable. We have to share Pam with her three talented kids, but we’ll take it! Pam’s clarity and organization is already providing so much value to us and our clients.  

Kelly Caputo joined our New York office just this week!  She’s here to support us and you as we work out your legal needs.  We are all excited to work with Kelly.  When you talk to her, ask her about a favorite recipe as she loves to cook. 

FINE TUNING – As we grow and expand, we are always looking for the best fits for our firm and anticipating areas our clients need support in as they grow. Heidi, for example, brings an expertise in the area of Privacy Law that is hard to find.  She started her career approximately twenty years ago in healthcare and technology- before Privacy Law was even a thing! She still practices those, but as the needs of her clients evolved with the changing landscapes of their sectors, so did Heidi’s practice.  Now, she’s a unique lawyer who has been practicing Privacy Law for 20 years!  

As a firm, we are also always evolving with our clients and the work we are doing today will likely become a burgeoning practice area tomorrow!  For example, did you know we are experts in Amazon Counterfeiting?  

SPREADING OUR MESSAGE – This year, not only did the Innovator get disseminated across many countries and nearly every state (Maybe all of them. Let us know if you’ve forwarded it to a friend in North Dakota or Alaska!) but we also traveled to engage with clients and share some of our knowledge with others.   

Last month Doni Robinson and I hosted an event at the Rebecca Minkoff store in connection with our client, the Female Founder Collective.  We spoke to dozens of female founders getting their entity in shape from a legal perspective.  Attendees ranged from single founders still in “idea mode” to women running growth-stage companies looking to take the next step.  Everyone left with a bit more knowledge, maybe a new friend- and a Jayaram Law notebook!  We promise to share all of those with you at our next event!

A handful of colleagues in the Chicago office attended our client Codeverse’s collaboration with the Girl Scouts of America, where a scholarship Jayaram Law financially supported to provide to underprivileged youth in Chicago coding classes was announced.

Vivek  spent time in Paris for Men’s Fashion Week over the summer and finalized the very exciting collaboration between our client Daniel Arsham and Dior.  Get yourself to Dior or check it out online!