Joseph M. Email & Phone Number

I am the Chief Legal Officer and Managing Director at Equity Group Investments (EGI) - Sam Zell’s private investment firm - which is an active owner in public and private assets in various industries. In my role, I oversee all legal aspects of EGI, including working with the investment team on transactions, with Sam Zell on corporate, governance and transactional issues as well as his personal legal needs, and with the Zell family and Zell Family Foundation on a variety of philanthropic and other matters. I have extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and securities and corporate finance - across industries, for Fortune 50, middle-market and emerging companies. I’m a long-standing volunteer and advisor to the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee and the Community Law Project and work with the Zell Family and their foundations, including the Zell Family Foundation.Prior to joining EGI in 2017, I worked at Skadden, Arps in the Corporate practice group. Earlier in my career, I was a manager in the consulting division of Arthur Andersen and in the legal and regulatory division of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. I am a CPA and hold a JD summa cum laude from Chicago-Kent College of Law, an MBA with distinction in finance from DePaul University and a BA in finance from Michigan State University.

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  Chief Legal Officer And Managing Director

  Equity Group Investments

  Jan 2020 - Present - Chicago

  I lead all legal aspects of EGI on a broad range of investment and operational matters, and work with Sam on his personal legal needs. I have extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and securities and corporate finance - across industries, for Fortune 50, middle-market and emerging companies. About EGI: Backed by private capital, EGI has an open investment mandate with the ability to invest across industries, with controlling or non-controlling interests, in debt or equity, short-or long-term, at any point in the economic cycle. Founded as an investment firm by Sam Zell more than 50 years ago, EGI has originated, rescued, and grown multi-billion dollar companies across numerous industries. Current portfolio companies are in the following sectors: energy, logistics, waste, manufacturing, transportation, healthcare and real estate.