Burnett realizes value of relationships

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Lawrence Burnett knew early on that working for Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren was a perfect fit.

“After I got a full-time offer I requested the litigation department,” he said. “They ignored that and put me in our corporate group. I have loved it ever since.”

Burnett, a chairman of corporate-practice law for Reinhart, is responsible for managing more than 40 attorneys and overseeing behind-the-scenes administrative matters. He is lauded within the company for his business acumen, which has resulted in the firm being recognized as a leader in sophisticated mergers and acquisitions services.

His leadership has benefited not only the firm but also the lawyers and paraprofessionals with whom he works. He has often served as a mentor to young professionals, providing guidance in due diligence, financing structures, corporate governance, document drafting and negotiating best outcomes for clients.

“Larry is the consummate professional and a tremendous resource to our company,” said Jerome Janzer, Reinhart CEO. “He is very responsive, cognizant of timelines, thorough and not averse to appropriately bringing other resources to bear inside of his firm to provide needed expertise.”

Janzer said Burnett also has a “great personal demeanor that inspires confidence and comfort that your interests are in the best of hands.”

Burnett considers some of his biggest accomplishments to be developing long-term relationships with clients and younger colleagues, as well as working on difficult projects, such as helping a Wisconsin company restructure its balance sheet and raise additional capital after the recession in 2008. The company prospered, creating 250 jobs before later being acquired.

Burnett’s energy and devotion go well beyond the walls of his firm. Throughout his career he has been involved in many professional and nonprofit organizations, including the Coalition for Children, Youth & Families and the Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinic.

Burnett advises younger lawyers to develop an expertise in their field and to remember that law is a business of relationships. “Those will ultimately be the most rewarding,” he said.