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HAVING THEIR BACKS: Reeves works to protect fund assets

HAVING THEIR BACKS: Reeves works to protect fund assets

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Tiffany Reeves
Tiffany Reeves

Working with employee-benefits clients and institutional investors clients, Tiffany R. Reeves finds every day is different and she always has more to learn.

“The work is very dynamic,” said Reeves, a shareholder at Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren’s employee-benefits and institutional-investor practice in Madison. “I am primarily focused on ensuring that the assets of our retirement fund clients are protected.”

Reeves represents and advises institutional-investor clients in domestic and international private investments in transactions on an individual or commingled basis. She also advises public pension fund clients on fiduciary, governance and legislative matters, as well as general-fund administration.

“When working with investments, the landscape is always changing – and regulations change too – so you need to stay informed of the changes so you can do your best for your clients,” Reeves said.

When Reeves joined Reinhart earlier this year, she brought with her a wide breadth of experience. She had served as a former deputy executive director and chief legal counsel at the Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund and has experience advising governmental and Taft-Hartley pension plans on best practices and investments.

“My experience as an in-house counsel provide me with a unique perspective in analyzing client matters and ensuring that the legal advice is pragmatic and administratively feasible,” Reeves said.

Reeves did not grow up wanting to be a lawyer, but while attending Northwestern University to earn her master’s degree in sports administration with a concentration on risk management and labor matters, she found herself drawn to the labor side.

“I have been a journey of studying and working on things of interest to me,” she said. “I was an athlete growing up and have always loved sports and while I was studying that, it led me to labor issues and the law, which I found that I really enjoyed.”

Wisconsin Law Journal: What makes your work important to you?

Tiffany Reeves: I think what makes my work important is that what I do helps to ensure the retirement security of working people. We work predominantly with public pension funds on investment, fiduciary, governance and operational issues. Assisting pension funds in conducting their due diligence and implementing best practices strengthens the retirement security of teachers, public safety workers and other government employees – people who spend their whole careers serving others.

WLJ: Who is your hero in the legal field?

Reeves: Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Both because she is a pioneer for women in the legal field, being just the second (and for a while the only) woman on the Supreme Court and she has worked tireless throughout her career on gender-equity issues. She is also unabashedly and unapologetically authentic.

WLJ: What do you do outside of work to deal with stress from the office?

Reeves: I’m a bit of a workout junkie, so I run and take barre and other fitness classes. I also spend most of my time away from the office playing with my two little ones (2-years-old and 4 months old).

WLJ: What’s one thing many people get wrong about what you do?

Reeves: Most people think that being a lawyer is always adversarial. However, my practice is more about problem solving and finding a resolution and/or approach that is in the best interest of the client and its participants.

WLJ: What’s your favorite memory from law school?

Reeves: I had a great group of friends in law school so most of my favorite memories were the social time in the commons in-between classes or attending sporting or other law school events as a group.

WLJ: Is there a certain case that stands out to you?

Reeves: My practice is mostly transactional; however, in my previous role as in-house counsel, I was involved in a number of interesting cases that involved corporate governance issues.

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