Kara E. Harchuck

Originally developed for a video interview, the following is a transcript of the discussion between Marc Kadish, Kara Harchuck, and Jewel Thomas. It follows the conclusion of the pro bono project that Kara worked on for The Harvard School in Chicago, IL.

[ Marc ] Hi and welcome. I'm Marc Kadish, the Director of Pro Bono Activities and Litigation Training here at Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP, and I'm here with Kara Harchuck, an associate in our Real Estate Practice Area, and Jewel Thomas, the former principal of The Harvard School, to discuss the pro bono project that Kara was involved with. Kara, before we discuss the project, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself. Where did you grow up, where did you attend college and law school?

[ Kara ] I grew up outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and I went to Allegheny College, in Meadville Pennsylvania (just north of Pittsburgh). For law school, I decided to attend Northwestern U. because after visiting the school and meeting the students and faculty, it was a great fit. I loved Chicago, and wanted to go to Law School in a big city, and Chicago is the perfect mix of big city and mid-west personality.

[ Marc ] And why did you choose the field of real estate to practice law?

[ Kara ] My family is in the construction business and I worked (for my dad) in the office for multiple years during summers and breaks from school, so I knew the industry and I was familiar with it. Then I took a few classes in law school and tried a few summer associate assignments and realized I really enjoy the work and the people. It was another perfect fit.

[ Marc ] And I understand it is truly a family business, in every sense of the word?

[ Kara ] Yes. My whole family works for the company. My mom handles the benefits and my brother is an Estimator and Project Manager.

[ Marc ] What was it that attracted you to Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw? And was pro bono work an important factor in your decision process?

[ Kara ] Mayer, Brown has an excellent and diverse real estate practice and the practice itself is like a small community within the whole firm. I also really liked the people I met as a Summer Associate, and could really envision myself working with them every day. The other thing I liked about Mayer, Brown is that there are other options for me if I was ever interested, considering all of the various practice groups and high caliber of work. And yes, I did look at pro bono as a qualifying factor when I was interviewing and found it really impressive that Mayer, Brown has such a broad program. I felt confident that if I wanted to do Pro Bono and be at a firm that encouraged it rather than discouraged it, I was making a good choice with Mayer, Brown.

[ Marc ] And of course, that's why we are here, to discuss the pro bono project that you worked on, for The Harvard School, which leads me to Jewel, the former principal of the School; thank you for being here today. How long were you the principal of The Harvard School?

[ Jewel ] I became the Executive Director of The Harvard School in July, 1997. I was the school's administrator for six years.

[ Marc ] And unfortunately, the school had to be sold and that's where you came in, Kara. A few other lawyers also worked on the project, but for the most part, you were the lead. How were you able to assist them?

[ Kara ] I was able to help negotiate several purchase contracts (we went through a number of buyers that fell through before finding the ones that eventually bought the property). I also helped clear the title policy and negotiate with the Illinois Department of Employment Services (IDES) to get all of the debts paid off. Then I prepared all of the proper documents for closing, and went to the closing with Jewel.

[ Marc ] Jewel, what can you tell us about your experience working with Kara and how was she able to assist you?

[ Jewel ] It was wonderful to work with Kara. This was a completely new experience for me and the Board of Directors of the school. Kara was an expert on the legal aspects of selling the school and very effective in counseling us on the proper steps to take to complete the sale. She was also very available to us and always returned calls or provided needed information in a timely manner. She provided me with a much needed level of comfort in this emotional process.

[ Marc ] So what's next chapter look like for you?

[ Jewel ] I am continuing to work with the Harvard School board of directors to complete the details of closing the school and I am presently working for a Landmark Education, an international training and development company in media and public relations.

[ Marc ] Kara, what kind of learning experience was this for you?

[ Kara ] It helped with the advancement of my learning experience and it gave me an opportunity to give back to the community where I practice, which is important to me. I felt more confident as a first year because I had gained the experience of working directly with clients, being the person in charge and negotiating the agreements. Most importantly, though, I felt as though I was truly helping my client, and providing them with knowledge and guidance throughout the process. Since many of our clients are sophisticated real estate companies or lenders, they are very familiar with the process and do not need us for the every day stuff. This client was a School, not a real estate company, and it actually needed our help to get the job done. It made the deal more rewarding to me.

[ Marc ] And what was the most challenging part of the project?

[ Kara ] IDES was a tough negotiator.

[ Jewel ] The Harvard School was forced to close because of lack of funds and overall indebtedness. We owed a large of sum of money to IDES, that we were unable to pay and we needed funds to do much needed repairs to our school building, which was built in 1916. Kara was able to achieve a level of communication with IDES that we had never been able to achieve prior to her work with us.

[ Jewel ] Kara and Mayer, Brown, Rowe and Maw were a Godsend. Though we were Chicago's oldest private school and had a wonderful history, it was not very useful to us in this process. We could have never afforded such excellent legal representation. Her services facilitated the process of selling the building and insured that we could complete all details of the sale. Without her services, the property might still be on the market.

[ Marc ] Thank you both for your time today.