Rachel Barner is a global Business Executive, Corporate Counsel and experienced Board Member who brings the powerful combination of international perspective, legal expertise, strategic vision and financial acumen. A trusted advisor to and partner of top management and boards of directors, Rachel is valued for advice and guidance in enterprise risk, corporate solutions and global ethics.
As Executive Vice President, Managing Chief Counsel and Global Ethics Officer for Jones Lang LaSalle Americas, Inc., a financial and professional services firm specializing in commercial real estate services and investment management, Rachel advises and counsels senior management on all aspects of employment law and corporate litigation. She is relied on to evaluate business risks relating to commercial disputes, and she partners with business teams to reach operational objectives. As manager of a team of legal and non-legal professionals, she develops and manages the firm’s global ethics and compliance program, including strategy development, investigations and compliance enforcement, focusing on North and South Americas as well as Asia Pacific. She creates and conducts internal training and information sessions on topics such as ethics, harassment/discrimination, union avoidance and management, and operational compliance issues such as Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. In addition, she reviews/drafts client and third-party contracts related to employment relationships, coordinates response and strategy relating to external disputes and manages outside counsel on litigation matters. Earlier positions at the firm include Global General Counsel, Corporate Solutions Compliance and Executive Vice President, Chief Litigation Counsel & Global Ethics Officer.
Rachel also has served as an Associate Attorney for Littler Mendelson, P.C.; Vedder, Price, Kaufman & Kammholz, L.L.P.; and Seyfarth Shaw, L.L.P all based out of Chicago. She was a Law Clerk for the Honorable William J. Bauer in the United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit, and for the City Colleges of Chicago, Office of the General Counsel.
Earlier in her career, Rachel was a Human Resources Consultant for Coopers & Lybrand, L.L.P., Human Resources Advisory Group, and a Management Consultant for Andersen Consulting, L.L.P. (Accenture). During college, she worked for the Chicago Park District as a Sailing Instructor through the Judd Goldman Adaptive Sailing Program for paraplegic, quadriplegic and other clients with disabilities.
Rachel has extensive board experience, including serving as the Board Secretary and founding member for Jones Lang LaSalle Americas, Inc.’s Global Environment and Sustainability Board. Responsibilities include developing internal company policy, assessing global energy and sustainability capabilities, identifying strategy for providing external business services to clients, developing internal environmental and energy-saving practices, and advising the global CEO and other senior management on compliance and other legal issues. She also was a Member of the University of Chicago Alumni Board & Chairperson of its By- Laws Committee, Member of the Lincoln Park Zoo Auxiliary Board and Member of the Lookingglass Theatre Associates Board. Currently, she is an active board member for Comer Children’s Hospital of The University of Chicago.
Rachel has been admitted to the Bar of the United States Supreme Court, the Supreme Court of Illinois, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and the United States District Court for Northern and Southern Districts of Illinois, Eastern District of Wisconsin, Western District of Michigan and Northern District of Indiana. She also is an active member of the Economic Club of Chicago.
She earned her Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law, where she was a member of the Order of the Coif (honor society – Top 10% of class) and served as Editor of the Law Review and was a published author. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Social and Linguistical Anthropology from the University of Chicago, where she was a member of the Dean’s List, graduated with Academic Honors and was part of the Swimming/Diving Team.
When not working, Rachel and her husband enjoy showing the world to their 10-year-old son. She also is a competitive sailboat racer, long-distance road cyclist and whitewater kayaker.
