Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres Expands Corporate M&A Team with New Senior Counsel John Sabl

August 9, 2024

Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres LLC (CFDB), the entrepreneurial law firm founded by big law alumni and recognized as one of the largest and fastest-growing certified women-owned law firms in the nation, welcomes John J. Sabl to its Corporate M&A practice group.

Sabl is a broad-based and business-oriented transactional attorney with a wide range of experience as a private firm attorney and general counsel. He handles matters including mergers and acquisitions, public and private securities offerings and other financing transactions, private equity, venture capital and strategic investments, joint ventures and other strategic partnerships, investment fund and investment transactions, restructurings, major contractual matters, and corporate governance and corporate counseling assignments. Through his work as a general counsel and outside counsel, he also has handled a variety of litigation supervision, crisis and risk management, employment and other issues.

“John’s legal experience and ability to give results-oriented business advice aligns with our dedication to serving as trusted partners for our clients,” said CFDB partner and Management Committee co-chair Jessica Fairchild. “As they navigate high-stakes transactions to move their businesses forward, clients can rely on John and our entire team’s enhanced expertise to provide creative solutions to the challenges they face.”

Sabl has strong industry knowledge across a broad range of areas, including technology, insurance, securities and other financial services, communications and media, investment management, food and agribusiness, software and information services, manufacturing, venture capital and affordable housing.

He spent most of his career as a corporate and securities partner at Sidley Austin LLP, where his clients included major established companies, first-generation entrepreneurial entities, investment and commercial banks, venture capital, private equity and other investment funds and institutional investors. Immediately prior to joining Croke Fairchild, he served as the general counsel of Anzu Partners LLC, a venture capital investment firm, where he handled a broad range of investment transactions, fund formation, and governance issues and financing matters.

Sabl also served as the head transactional attorney for the City of Chicago, where he supervised approximately 40 attorneys handling major transactions, bond offerings and a wide range of contractual and regulatory matters. Significant transactions handled included the City’s long-term power agreement to source electricity from a large solar facility being constructed, the casino license and agreement process and various financing arrangements.

He also previously served as the Executive Vice, President, General Counsel and Secretary of CNO Financial, Inc. (formerly Conseco, Inc.), an insurance and financial services firm.

Since January 1, 2024, CFDB has welcomed 21 new attorneys to its ranks, reflecting its ongoing commitment to team expansion and client service. The firm is on track to exceed 100 attorneys by its fifth anniversary later this year.

About Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres:

A full-service law firm with offices in Chicago and Milwaukee, Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres LLC is home to a diverse team of trusted advisors and counselors valued for their legal skill, intellectual curiosity and commitment to forging pragmatic solutions. The firm’s clients include entrepreneurs, investors, growth-stage companies, family offices, family businesses and Fortune 500 companies. Croke Fairchild is also a certified women’s business enterprise and a member of the National Association of Minority and Women-Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF). For more information, visit www.crokefairchild.com.

Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres LLC’s lobbying and government affairs partner is Point of Difference Strategies (PoD). PoD is the largest wholly Latina-owned lobbying firm in Illinois, with offices in Chicago and Springfield. Specializing in strategic advice, advocacy, and relationship management, PoD offers top-tier government affairs and lobbying services at both federal, state, and local levels. We proudly serve a diverse client base, including local governments, trade organizations, Fortune 100 companies, and non-profits. For more information, visit www.podstrategies.com.