Alan Patzik is a founder of the firm and a partner in the firm’s Business and Finance Practice Groups. Alan has extensive experience in merger and acquisition work, commercial finance, federal and state securities matters for private companies, and other general business matters, including a significant amount of work representing clients in the formation of joint ventures with institutional capital partners.
Alan’s clients seek out and value his pragmatic and thoughtful advice, having referred to him over the years as “the shortest distance between two points,” the “best business lawyer they have ever encountered” and their “consigliore.” When asked to define his individual practice, Alan explains that he has a traditional transactional practice delivered in a non-traditional way, adopting a structure and approach that optimizes the results for his clients.
In 1991, Alan faced a choice: to continue with the status quo or strike out on his own. If you know Alan, then you know the choice was clear. Never one to settle for the way things have been done before, Alan wanted to build a law firm that focused not just on what can be done, but what should be done for each client in each situation. It’s with this outlook that Alan serves as “general counsel” to a broad array of closely-held businesses and entrepreneurs and has developed into one of the premier business attorneys in the Chicago market. Alan is particularly proud of his role as both counselor and attorney to his clients and values his role as a trusted advisor and team member, distinguishing himself from typical service providers who answer questions, render an invoice and move on to the next matter.
In discussing the Firm, Alan’s eyes light up. As a Founder of the Firm, Alan takes great pride in what he and his colleagues have achieved. “We have built a firm that is focused on serving the needs of mid-market companies and their principals, and in doing so we have staffed our firm and structured our service offerings to meet the unique demands of this client base.” Our clients expect and deserve thoughtful, creative and pragmatic advice, delivered in a cost effective and efficient manner, and we work every day to make sure that we deliver a product that exceeds the expectation of the clients we serve. We achieve this goal by recruiting and retaining an intellectually gifted group of attorneys and placing them in an environment where teamwork, client satisfaction and quality of work product is paramount. Our passion for this approach is seen daily in the quality of the work product produced, the results achieved for our clients, and the loyalty exhibited by our client base.
Alan is involved in various charitable activities, including serving as a member of the Board of Directors of the Children’s Brittle Bone Foundation. Alan has deep ties to the University of Illinois having previously served on the Dean’s Business Counsel for its College of Business. Alan also serves as a member of the board of advisors of a number of business enterprises.
Alan was born in Chicago, Illinois, and currently resides in Northbrook, Illinois with his patient and understanding wife, Marla, of over 35 years and his yellow lab, Naava. He and Marla have four children, Benji and his wife Emily, Zach and his wife Rachel, and one grandchild, Stella. Alan is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (B.S., Accounting, with highest honors, 1981, Bronze Tablet, James Scholar) and Northwestern University (J.D., 1984). Mr. Patzik was admitted to the Illinois State Bar and the Bar of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in 1984. Alan is also a registered Certified Public Accountant in Illinois and is a member of the Chicago, Illinois State and American Bar Associations.
