WOMEN IN SECURED FINANCE 2020
RECOGNIZING EXCELLENCE
J
eanne is a partner in the Business Finance practice of Hahn & Hessen LLP. She started as the first paralegal at the firm in 1979 and developed her skills in commercial finance while attending law school at night. Jeanne served as in house counsel to two of the firm’s clients, Bank of New York and Bank of America and returned to Hahn & Hessen in 2008. During her tenure at Hahn & Hessen, Jeanne has built a practice specializing in factoring and asset- based lending focused on delivering personal attention to clients in a wide range of lending structures. Her practice includes structuring, negotiating and documenting a wide range of factoring and financing transactions for all types of financial institutions. Jeanne is a versatile lawyer, able to bring a practical viewpoint to each transaction, while protecting the interests of the client with respect to legal and business risk.
JEANNE FERRIS SIEGEL Hahn & Hessen LLP
Outside the firm, Jeanne has been deeply involved over the years in the Association of Commercial Finance Attorneys, serving as its president from 2007-2009. Jeanne has served on numerous panels for the Association of Commercial Finance Attorneys, the New York Institute of Credit and the International Factoring Association. Last year, Jeanne won the Top Hat Award given by one of the industry’s leading credit clubs.
What advice would you offer to women just starting out in the industry? I would offer women the same advice that I would offer men. It’s extremely important to learn the fundamentals of being a lawyer, but it’s critical to be able to put the tasks you are asked to do in the context of the transaction you are working on. It is not enough to learn how to do something if you don’t learn why you are doing it. Studies have shown women are more reluctant to tout their accomplishments in the workplace. What advice would you give to help women be more comfortable with speaking up? Lawyers advising financial institutions increase their value to their clients if they are able to come up with practical solutions to roadblocks in the transaction process. Work hard to understand your client – how the business operates and what its values are. Don’t be afraid to come up with creative solutions to make both the lender and the borrower comfortable with the terms of their agreements and in that way your accomplishments will speak for themselves. What do you enjoy most about your role?
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THE SECURED LENDER APRIL 2020
Hosting closing dinners. After the hard work and long hours of closing a transaction, working alongside the legal team and the business team, it is very satisfying to gather around dinner and drinks and take that deep sigh. I am a people person, so when I’m interacting with people, I’m happiest. I love networking – when I meet someone in the industry, one of our first conversations is finding out who we know in common. If you connect with someone through other people who they like and respect, they tend to like and respect you. I also love mentoring younger lawyers in both industry knowledge and legal
concepts. The look that you see when a young lawyer connects the dots for the first time on a subject is priceless. Least? Setting boundaries. Technology has enabled us to stay connected to our work no matter where we are. As a service provider to a hardworking industry this enables me to provide service remotely and I don’t have to miss out on commitments outside of the office. On the other hand it is hard to disconnect from my work, which can feel like a burden at times. I would have preferred not to have had to run a closing call while at an appointment with my mom’s doctor. How do you balance work/personal time? That’s the question of my generation. I was lucky because while I was raising my children I was working as in-house counsel with long, but regular, hours. In addition, my husband was a stay-at-home dad and I had the comfort of knowing that everything was taken care of at home. Even with those advantages there were many moments and occasions during work hours that I wish I could have shared with my family and there were many industry functions after work that I wish I could have participated in. I quickly learned that I am most productive in the morning so in order to have some free time in the evening I start my days very early. When my work life gets crazy, I stay organized and get all of the work done so that I can enjoy my personal time. I always try to remember that although we are doing important work, we are not saving lives and so if we need to take personal time we can find a way to make it work.