Steve Stern Email & Phone Number

Private law practice concentrating on complex commercial transactions in a wide variety of areas, including sales, distribution, purchasing, manufacturing, supply chain, information technology, advertising, marketing, logistics, transportation, real estate and construction. Draws upon prior experience providing legal advice and counsel to management teams of large publicly and privately held companies to meet the needs of individual and business clients. Highly motivated, detail-orientated and trusted advisor with a uniquely personal touch respected by clients and colleagues alike for finding creative, practical, cost effective solutions to business problems.

Libertyville, Illinois

Served as primary counsel to Procurement/Information Technology teams of $25B captive finance company for Volkswagen, Audi, Ducati, Bugatti and Lamborghini brands in US. Responsible for commercial transactions and vendor relationships relating to day-to-day operations of US Service Centers and Region and Field Operations offices and for reviewing, drafting, negotiating and advising management on legal, regulatory and compliance risks associated with such transactions, including software as a service (SaaS) and software license, maintenance, development and consulting services agreements for applications supporting credit, funding, customer care, collections, remarketing, financial maintenance, risk management, accounting, tax, human resources and other operational groups. Worked closely with the business, Assistant General Counsel and Procurement/Information Technology teams on development of model documents, including RFP, SaaS, software license, development and consulting services agreements, to support and standardize the procurement process for US commercial transactions.

Naperville, Illinois

Provided legal support and advice to $5B Store Brands/Private Label business for all matters related to day-to-day operations, including the review and negotation of sales, distribution, product supply, confidentiality, consulting, private label and contract manufacturing agreements with key retail customers and contract manufacturers. Served as primary counsel to Indirect Global Marketing Procurement team reviewing, drafting and negotiating marketing, advertising and promotion services agreements relating to media agencies, brand design, shopper/consumer insights, social media, Website content activation and in-store sales support, software, hosted service and database license agreements with media and cloud computing service providers, and promotion license agreements with motion picture studios. Assisted primary counsel to Corporate Procurement/Supply Chain, Information Technology and Facilities Management teams in reviewing and negotiating procurement, information technology, facilities services and equipment purchase agreements.

Deerfield, Illinois

Private law practice concentrating on complex commercial transactions in a wide variety of areas, including sales, distribution, purchasing, manufacturing, supply chain, information technology, advertising, marketing, logistics, transportation, real estate and construction.

Rosemont, Illinois

Served as legal advisor to senior management teams of over 20 distribution centers located throughout the US with sales ranging from $250 – 350 MM, while also serving as primary counsel to $250 MM equipment and supply business and Corporate Real Estate and Environmental Departments. Managed all legal matters related to day-to-day business operations. Reviewed, drafted and negotiated all commercial contracts, including sales, distribution, confidentiality, consulting, product supply, services, technology, environmental, construction, commercial/retail lease and real estate purchase/sale agreements. Handled all commercial disputes. Provided advice regarding antitrust, bankruptcy, credit, collection, construction, environmental, marketing, promotion, procurement, real estate and technology matters. Supervised one paralegal. Managed real estate and environmental legal fee budget of $250,000.

Downers Grove, Illinois

Selected by General Counsel to support newly created Global Procurement and Information Technology organizations for all NA and global commercial transactions totaling over $5 B. Worked closely with senior management and category managers on structuring and negotiating agreements with key suppliers to support multi-year strategic supplier integration and sourcing initiative that resulted in cost savings in excess of $100 MM over 4 years, including agreements with raw material, ingredient, packaging, contract manufactured goods, and equipment suppliers, and advertising, marketing, business, commodity risk management, construction, engineering, facilities management, logistics, MRO inventory, office supply, temporary help agency, travel and warehousing service providers. Handled all commercial disputes and managed all related litigation. Supervised senior contract attorney, two paralegals and outside counsel. Managed outside legal fee budget of $750,000.

Downers Grove, Illinois Cincinnati, Ohio Memphis, Tennessee

Joined Sara Lee Corporate Law Department after serving as General Counsel of its Peck Foods subsidiary to provide legal support to the senior management teams of the Sara Lee retail and foodservice meat and bakery businesses comprised of 10 operating divisions with sales of $4 B and more than 5,000 employees, while also serving as primary counsel to the Corporate Credit, Environmental Affairs, Insurance, Purchasing, Real Estate, Treasury and Transportation Departments. Promoted to roles of increasing responsibility every two years. Managed all legal matters relating to the day-to-day operations of such businesses and departments, including all commercial transactions and any resulting commercial disputes and litigation. Provided advice concerning advertising, antitrust, bankruptcy, credit, collection, e-commerce, environmental, insurance, mergers and acquisitions, procurement, technology, real estate and transportation matters. Assisted Chief Counsel in developing and administering department budget of $1 MM and managing outside legal fee budget of $1.5 MM.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

A $350 MM family-owned food processing and beef slaughtering company acquired by Sara Lee with operations in Wisconsin and Nebraska employing over 2000 employees.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The second largest law firm in Wisconsin with over 450 lawyers and offices in four states and China.

Jd

Bs, Accounting, Management Sciences And Economics