Wendi Wade
Caledonia,IL
Summary
Licensed Illinois Attorney & Experienced Business Partner. Dedicated professional offering expertise in contract law. Proven success in building trusting rapport with stakeholders and offering sound legal advice in clear and universal terms. Handles multiple tasks and utilizes efficient time management skills to prioritize work and meet deadlines.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
Counsel, Aerospace
Woodward, Inc.
11.2024 - 03.2025
- Risk Assessment: Evaluated Requests for Proposal and advised business teams on risk mitigation and compliance issues in the aerospace industry.
- Contract Management: Drafted and redlined global commercial and government contracts and purchase orders (FAR and DFARS).
- Legal Research & Analysis: researched and analyzed relevant laws, executive orders, and regulations to provide informed legal advice to C-Suite.
- Provided final legal approval on all aerospace contracts under $10 million.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to support timely resolution of complex legal matters.
Staff Attorney
Navitus Health Solutions
03.2022 - 11.2024
- Contract Management Program: designed, implemented, and maintained policies, procedures and standards of work for legal department; contract template design and maintenance; continuous refinement to align with regulatory and legislative requirements.
- Reduced average contract turnaround time from 365+ days to 10 business days
- Sales Team Support: Negotiated and drafted complex pharmacy contracts with health plans, government agencies, Managed Medicaid, labor unions, and Medicare FFS; technical vendor agreements; NDAs; BAAs.
- Sales Team/RFP Support: incorporated current business strategy in RFP responses; redlined contract terms and advised stakeholders of risks and opportunities.
- New Product Support: collaborated with subject matter experts to understand new product offerings and drafted custom contract templates for same
- Business Team Counsel: collaborated with stakeholders at all levels on contract interpretation; compliance; employment law; regulatory issues; and implementing new programs.
- Communication: Conveyed complex legal issues to non-lawyers.
- Developed and conducted in-house presentations for training and professional development across the enterprise.
Associate Attorney
Heyl Royster Voelker & Allen
09.2019 - 03.2021
- Drafted and reviewed legal documents, including contracts, pleadings, and motions, ensuring accuracy and compliance with applicable laws.
- Successful settlement of high-profile employment suit. Projected settlement of seven figures; developed novel defense/counter-claim strategy and settled for nominal value.
- Conducted and defended 100+ witness depositions.
- Routinely appeared before Illinois’ Worker’s Compensation Commission in Chicago to present oral appellate arguments.
- Conducted thorough legal research for case preparation, identifying critical information to support client positions.
- Negotiated settlements of disputes and litigation.
- Developed legal strategies to protect client interests and resolve disputes.
- Researched and interpreted laws, rulings and regulations to advise clients on business and legal transactions.
- Reviewed and analyzed pertinent state and federal laws and legal precedents.
- Construction defense – American Arbitration Association.
Associate Attorney
WilliamsMcCarthy, LLP
01.2018 - 09.2019
- Performed extensive legal research and brief writing to develop case strategy.
- Drafted litigation pleadings for insurance defense claims and domestic relations.
- Drafted appellate briefs for state and federal court cases
- Managed cases and advised local government boards in closed session on pending litigation strategy and settlement.
- Completed Rockford Chamber of Commerce Leadership Development Program May 2019.
- 3L Summer Associate 2017
Graduate Assistant
Northern Illinois University Office of Equity & Compliance
01.2015 - 12.2017
- Conducted approximately 50 Title IX and Title VI Investigations: interviewed witnesses, analyzed facts, drafted report of findings.
- Monitored NLRB decisions, pending legislation and advised executives of potential impact on university.
- Drafted updates to university policy to comply with new laws, regulations, advisory opinions, and court/regulatory case law.
- Supported and advised human resources personnel in collective bargaining agreement enforcement and labor union relations.
Court Specialist
State of Illinois 17th Judicial Circuit
09.2005 - 04.2013
- Developed training program and standard of work manual for implementation of new state wide electronic court reporting initiative, resulting in more accurate recordkeeping.
- Developed relationships with attorneys, judges, and court personnel to promote understanding and acceptance of new court recording process.
- Interviewed, supervised, and trained 20+ court reporting personnel.
- Provided exceptional customer service while responding promptly to inquiries from attorneys, litigants, and other court users.
Education
Juris Doctor -
Northern Illinois University College of Law
DeKalb, ILBachelor of Arts - Human Resources & Organizational Management
University of Illinois – Springfield
Springfield, IL Skills
- Approachable
- Accountable
- Innovative problem solver
- Kind & Empathetic
- Sense of humor
- Skilled negotiator
- Accurate and meticulous work product
- Remote work savvy
- Microsoft Office 365
- Teams/Zoom/WebEx
- Contract Management Software
- WestLaw/Lexis
Affiliations
- Illinois Licensed Attorney in Good Standing
- Wisconsin Bar – Corporate Counsel 2022 -Present
- Illinois State Bar Association Member
- ISBA Employment Law Section Council Member 2019-2023
- American Bar Association Member
Timeline
Counsel, Aerospace
Woodward, Inc.
11.2024 - 03.2025
Staff Attorney
Navitus Health Solutions
03.2022 - 11.2024
Associate Attorney
Heyl Royster Voelker & Allen
09.2019 - 03.2021
Associate Attorney
WilliamsMcCarthy, LLP
01.2018 - 09.2019
Graduate Assistant
Northern Illinois University Office of Equity & Compliance
01.2015 - 12.2017
Court Specialist
State of Illinois 17th Judicial Circuit
09.2005 - 04.2013
Juris Doctor -
Northern Illinois University College of Law
Bachelor of Arts - Human Resources & Organizational Management
University of Illinois – Springfield
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