July 8, 2026 – Seyfarth Shaw LLP continues the strategic growth of its Corporate department with the addition of Kristin Rice-Gonzalez as a partner in the firm’s Chicago office.
Rice-Gonzalez is the 12th Corporate partner to make a lateral move to Seyfarth since the start of 2025 – and the fourth since the beginning of 2026. She follows Robert Giacchetti (Boston), Jeffrey Cash (Dallas), and Daniel Valsamopoulos (New York), who joined Seyfarth earlier this year.
Rice-Gonzalez focuses her practice on real estate and real estate-related private funds, advising sponsors, managers, and institutional investors on the formation, structuring, and operation of open- and closed-end investment vehicles. She has extensive experience counseling clients on alternative investment fund matters, including the formation of domestic and international private investment funds, with particular emphasis on real estate private equity funds, fund-of-funds, and secondary transactions.
In addition to her funds practice, Rice-Gonzalez advises clients on real estate joint ventures and a range of investment-related regulatory matters, including issues involving FINRA regulations, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, and the Investment Company Act of 1940. She regularly represents both sponsors and investors.
Rice-Gonzalez joins Seyfarth from Mayer Brown, where she practiced in the firm’s Investment Management/Funds group for the past four years. She previously spent more than 15 years at Baker McKenzie, including over five years as a partner. During her time there, she spent seven months in Zurich advising Swiss banks on US securities requirements in connection with the US Bank Program.
“Kristin is an exceptional addition to our expanding funds practice and broader Corporate department,” said Andrew Lucano, chair of Seyfarth’s Corporate department. “Her depth of experience across fund formation, investment management, and real estate-related transactions complements our existing capabilities and supports our continued growth in key strategic areas. We are thrilled to welcome her to the team.”
Rice-Gonzalez’s experience in real estate joint ventures further enhances a practice area that remains a significant focus for the firm.
“We continue to see strong demand for sophisticated real estate joint venture counsel,” said Paul Mattingly, chair of Seyfarth’s Real Estate department. “Kristin’s experience will further strengthen our ability to serve clients in this area and support the continued growth of our real estate platform.”
“Kristin is a highly respected lawyer whose arrival strengthens both our Chicago office and our national Corporate practice,” said Tracy Billows, co-managing partner of Seyfarth’s Chicago office. “She brings a combination of technical excellence, client focus, and collaborative energy that aligns perfectly with our culture and our long-term vision.”
“Seyfarth offers an entrepreneurial and collaborative platform that will allow me to continue growing my practice while delivering exceptional service to clients,” said Rice-Gonzalez. “I am excited to join a firm that is investing in its people, expanding its capabilities, and committed to helping clients navigate increasingly complex business challenges.”
Rice-Gonzalez earned her JD at Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology. She received her BS from Illinois State University.
Seyfarth’s Corporate department offers clients a full-service, multidisciplinary team of attorneys across virtually all areas of practice. The Corporate group works with an array of businesses from large well-known companies to start-ups and is highly regarded for its deep knowledge of mergers and acquisitions, securities, investment management, corporate counseling, financing, and commercial transactions.
Seyfarth’s Real Estate department serves sophisticated clients across a number of industries. Recognized as one of the largest real estate practices in the US, Seyfarth’s integrated world class team serves local, regional, and national clients on the acquisition, financing, development, leasing, restructuring, servicing, and disposition of noteworthy real estate assets and portfolios. This experience extends across comprehensive array of asset classes, including office, industrial, multifamily, retail, health care, and data center projects.
Seyfarth’s Chicago office, home to more than 160 attorneys, is the firm’s longest standing hub, rooted in the city where Seyfarth was founded in 1945. Today, Chicago serves as a powerhouse center of excellence, delivering sophisticated counsel across the full spectrum of modern business needs. While the office continues to lead in labor and employment law, it has strategically expanded to offer robust capabilities in corporate and finance, real estate, bankruptcy, high stakes litigation, and employee benefits.
About Seyfarth: With more than 1,000 lawyers across 19 offices, Seyfarth Shaw LLP provides advisory, litigation, and transactional legal services to clients worldwide. The firm is recognized for its innovative approach, advancing the standard of legal service delivery in an evolving global marketplace.
Seyfarth collaborates with clients to capitalize on opportunities and solve complex challenges across capabilities, including corporate, litigation, real estate, regulatory compliance, labor and employment, and executive compensation and employee benefits. Committed to collaboration and a client-centered approach, Seyfarth delivers solutions as sophisticated as the challenges clients face.
“With approximately 900 lawyers across 17 offices, Seyfarth Shaw LLP provides advisory, litigation, and transactional legal services to clients worldwide.”
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