Now that I have my inbox somewhat under control, I would like to write about my recent experience attending the Commercial Law League of America’s (“CLLA”) 79th Chicago meeting. While last weekend, April 16-19, was the CLLA’s 115th Convention and its 79th Chicago Meeting, it was my first experience at a CLLA function.
For those of you who are not familiar with the CLLA, the CLLA is a worldwide organization of attorneys and other credit professionals who are committed to excellence in the fields of commercial law, bankruptcy and insolvency. One of the main thrusts of this organization is to protect and represent the interests of creditors in a multitude of commercial and legal settings. The CLLA’s Chicago Meeting is a prime example of how the CLLA effectively achieves this purpose.
The Chicago Meeting was an abundant display of the legal, educational and professional services that the CLLA has to offer those not only in the credit industry, but the general business community. From the informative educational programs to the interactive ask an expert sessions, the Chicago Meeting is a great way for an attorney or other credit professional to quickly become knowledgeable on a number of topics within the general business and credit communities. Moreover, I found the Chicago Meeting to be an invaluable source for networking and meeting both prospective and current clients, as well as fellow attorneys.
Lastly, I must comment on the camaraderie among current members and their willingness to go out the way to make new members/first time attendees such as myself feel more than welcome at this event. It was refreshing to witness such free flowing discussion not only about business matters, but also about each others social and personal affairs. As a first time attendee, I can only hope that there will be many more trips to Chicago, which will inevitably lead to new friendships among colleagues and peers.