Women in Law 2023

2023

LISA DUARTE PARTNER

Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres

L isa Duarte is an partner and management committee co- chair at Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres, a business law firm serving entrepreneurs, investors, growth-stage companies and Fortune 500 companies. Lisa leads the firm’s Government Affairs and Regulatory Law practice group and heads Point of Difference Strategies, the lobbying and government affairs entity partnering with CFDB. Lisa has spent her career at the intersection of law and government. Prior to joining CFDB, she served as the First Assistant Deputy Governor for Budget & Economy in the JB Pritzker Administration in Illinois. In this role, Lisa oversaw 17 agencies involving budget, economy, economic development and regulation, and more than 170 boards and commissions. During her tenure, Lisa led on some of the administration’s top legislative initiatives, including negotiating passage of the first gaming bill in over a decade, the passing of two balanced and bi- partisan budgets, the consolidation of more than 650 police and fire pension systems, and legislation that reduced taxes and regulatory burdens on businesses and created tax incentives for economic investments and growth. Lisa also played a lead role in the State of Illinois’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic. From the original stay-at-home order of March 2020 through the distribution of the first vaccines, Lisa worked diligently to advocate for the needs of businesses and the economy while protecting the health and welfare of the residents of the State. Lisa was intimately involved in the identification of essential

and non-essential businesses and the Restore Illinois Plan. Lisa’s agencies oversaw the distribution of more than $1 billion of CARES Act money. Lisa also worked with the City of Chicago Mayor’s Office, where she served as legislative counsel to former Mayor Rahm Emanuel and represented the City of Chicago before the Illinois General Assembly, state agencies and executive offices. She then advanced to the dual role of Chief of Staff to former Deputy Mayor Steve Koch and Chief of Staff to the Mayor’s Economic Council. Outside of work, Lisa devotes her time to civic and philanthropic causes with a focus on helping the Latino community. She is a Founding Board Member of the Chicago City Council Latino Caucus Foundation Leadership Academy, which focuses on developing a pipeline for the next generation of Chicago’s Latino business and civic leaders. She is also a member, and previous Secretary, for the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation, which awards scholarships to Latino students attending Illinois universities. Lisa also serves on the Board of Trustees at the Museum of Contemporary Art; and the Board of Directors at Choose Chicago, the City of Chicago’s travel, tourism and convention board In 2020, the Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois honored Lisa with the Mercedes Luque Rosales Government Lawyer of the Year Award. In 2021, the National Latino Education Institute acknowledged Lisa’s commitment to the ongoing education of Latinos with its Emerging Leader Award. Lisa holds a B.A. from Michigan State University and a J.D. from DePaul University College of Law.

WOMEN IN LAW 2023