Jennifer L. Sucher

• Provides strategic bankruptcy advice as National Bankruptcy Counsel to one of the largest health insurance companies in the United States. Represents clients’ interest in all major healthcare bankruptcy cases in the United States.
• Represents leading insurance companies in bankruptcy cases of insureds in connection with lost sensitive and guaranteed cost general liability, workers’ compensation, and automobile liability insurance policies.
• Represents secured and unsecured creditors and landlords in all aspects of bankruptcy cases and out-of-court restructurings.
• Led In-House Litigation and Investigation Teams – conducted early factual and legal assessments, selected and managed outside counsel, and developed strategy for efficiently resolving claims.
• Led Vendor Risk Management Team to ensure coordination of credit, operational, and legal risks associated with high volume of outside vendors.
• Led Ethics roundtable at the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) Legal Forum.
• Provided strategic legal advice to all levels of management on distressed and new commercial contracts and secured lending and leasing transactions primarily in the Healthcare Financial Services, Commercial Real Estate, and Franchise Finance and businesses.
• Negotiated and drafted finance documents including healthcare receivable loans guarantees, restructuring agreements, and Debtor-in-Possession financing.
• Proactively engaged GE Compliance, Government Relations and Communications teams to protect GE’s reputation with the same diligence employed to protect its economic interests.
• Negotiated and drafted a high volume of commercial contracts including loan sale agreements, vendor and supply agreements, franchise agreements, M&A documents, and real estate and equipment leases.
• Managed process of selecting, hiring, and supervising outside counsel for bankruptcy and workout matters. Reduced outside legal expenses by 15% annually by creating initial case assessment process that focused on fixed fee arrangements for significant aspects of an engagement and helped management make educated cost/benefit assessments of legal strategies.
• Participated in and helped develop mentoring programs for diverse outside attorneys with goal of increasing retention of diverse attorneys, both at GE and at its partner law firms.
• Planned and conducted training sessions on numerous legal issues attended by approximately 400 GE employees annually.

Since 2023, Jennifer has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© in the field of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law.

Anti-Defamation League 2014 Women of Achievement Award Recipient – An honor given to five women annually who are outstanding in their field and embody the spirit and philosophy of ADL through their efforts to improve communication and understanding among the diverse racial, religious, and ethnic communities of Chicago.

Jennifer is Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished Peer Review Rated for High Ethical Standing. This is a testament from peer legal professionals of the highest level of professional excellence and of unquestionable ethics.

GE Above & Beyond External Focus Award for contributions to GE Capital’s Pro Bono programs.

GE Above & Beyond External Focus Award for work on the GE Women’s Network and GE Diversity Committee.

Heller Financial Chairman’s Award – Awarded to recognize significant accomplishments of individuals that serve as models of Heller’s cultural values, specifically awarded for role as Operational Risk Manager.

Heller Financial Compliance & Corporate Credit Service Recognition Award – Awarded for outstanding contributions to Heller’s Compliance and Training programs.

Heller Financial Legal Service’s Star Performer Award – Highest legal award for accomplishments as leader of the UCC Team.

Received the American Bar Association Certificate of Excellence.

• Village of Northfield, IL Plan and Zoning Commissioner (2021-Present) – responsible for recommending changes to the Zoning Code, Comprehensive Land Use Plan and for reviewing and recommending zoning classification changes, special use applications, planned development applications and subdivision applications.
• Chi-Town Jazz Festival Organizer & Volunteer (2010-2018) – Provides development and logistics support for this annual not-for-profit festival run by an entirely volunteer staff that brings together jazz musicians, jazz fans and music venues around the Chicagoland area to raise money to support local food pantries.
• buildOn Chicago Breakfast Committee Member and Volunteer (2005-2015) – Actively supports buildOn’s fundraising efforts in furtherance of its primary missions to empower urban youth through after-school volunteer programs and to build schools in some of the poorest and most remote communities in the world. Traveled to Nicaragua and lived with a local family in a remote village while helping build the “Sucher Family and Friends School”.
• North Suburban United Way Board Member/Volunteer for United Way of Metropolitan Chicago (2009-2015) – Researched and monitored numerous funded agencies to make sure all funding criteria and impact measures were met. Organized fundraising outreach campaigns. Created the North Suburban UW Youth Advisory Board.
• Glenbrook South Instrumental League Jazz Fest Chair (2009-2013) and Alumni Parent Volunteer (2015-present).