Charlie Harrison Legal Executive With A Business Perspective
1. Charlie Harrison
Legal Executive with a
Business Perspective
Charlie Harrison cjh@stjosephllc.com
312.560.7148 1
2. Legal Executive with a Business Perspective - Summary
Legal Expertise Executive Business Experience
• Corporate governance & Secretary • Liquidation of a public company with
• SEC periodic reporting with contingent 21,000 acres of railroad property
liability reserve estimation • Directed Real Estate Sales department
• Complex litigation management • Led real estate rezoning projects
• Real estate negotiation, contracting • Managed 90+ environmental
or supervision of 1,800+ closings remediation projects or claims
• Environmental liability
10,500 miles of modern railroad
Charlie Harrison cjh@stjosephllc.com
312.560.7148 2
3. Legal Expertise – Complex Litigation Management
Contested liability for environmental
Personally settled 20+ lawsuits arising
liability at a rail yard through two trips to
from commercial disputes, real estate
the 7th Circuit with appeals to the US
contracts, personal injury, environmental
Solicitor and the US Supreme Court to
liability and corporate asset sales by
finally settle at 20% ($1.1M) of the actual
independent negotiation or mediation
damages.
Charlie Harrison cjh@stjosephllc.com
312.560.7148 3
4. Legal Expertise – Real Estate and Environmental Liability
Provided legal support, contract Provided legal direction and analysis for
negotiation and documentation and resolution of 120+ federal and state
closing, including supervision of two environmental sites or claims in
paralegals, for 1,800+ real estate closings twelve states including selecting and
for property in twelve states. managing outside counsel.
Charlie Harrison cjh@stjosephllc.com
312.560.7148 4
5. Legal Expertise – Corporate Secretary and SEC Periodic Reporting
Corporate Secretary for complex publicly Prepared Legal Proceedings sections for
traded family of entities. Advised the Securities and Exchange forms 10-Q and
Board on liquidation options and 10-K including preparation of liability
processes to avoid personal liability reserve estimates for litigation and
for the officers and directors. environmental liability.
Charlie Harrison cjh@stjosephllc.com
312.560.7148 5
6. Executive Business Experience – Real Estate Sales
Led four-person real estate sales
Led organization and marketing of sale of department to 32% annualized
13,000 acres of former railroad property to revenue increase by re-aligning
a single purchaser. compensation and changing
department culture by example.
2002
Sales
32% Increase
2001
10,500 miles of modern railroad
Charlie Harrison cjh@stjosephllc.com
312.560.7148 6
7. Executive Business Experience – Real Estate Rezoning
Directed rezoning of 163 acre parcel from
farmland to 860 unit residential. Persuaded Secured zoning change for a planned
Indian tribe to drop opposition by using unit development for a 42,000 sf office
fisheries biologists and civil engineers building in only seven months from
to design a storm water runoff filtration concept to final approval in spite of
system which could permit future initial municipal rejection of the
salmon habitat restoration. Result: value project.
increased from $500,000 to $12 million.
Charlie Harrison cjh@stjosephllc.com
312.560.7148 7
8. Executive Business Experience – Environmental Remediation
Persuaded Wisconsin DNR to permit
Persuaded Illinois EPA to issue “No Further
three feet of diesel free product
Action” letter within six weeks of
spread over eight acres to remain in
submitting initial environmental studies
place by accepting the filling
on 25 acres of former rail yard on
necessary to construct a parking lot
Goose Island, Chicago. Result: sale
as the remediation solution. Result:
for $5.9M closed by end of quarter.
$3M cost savings.
Charlie Harrison cjh@stjosephllc.com
312.560.7148 8
9. Mixed Legal Expertise and Executive Business Leadership
Created $6M (40%) increase in value from
Cut remediation expense at company
the remediation of 100 acres of former rail
owned arsenic pesticide manufacturing
yard by persuading the Wisconsin DNR to
site by $7.6M (88%). Contracted with a
accept capping as the remedy. Then
commercial buyer whose end use made
charged excavation contractors tipping
the remediation standards less stringent,
fees to place the fill which acted as the
sued a prior lessee for contribution and
environmental cap while raising the
arranged for brownfield grants.
property out of the flood plain.
Charlie Harrison cjh@stjosephllc.com
312.560.7148 9
10. Mixed Legal Expertise and Executive Business Leadership
Persuaded City of St. Paul , which had
operated a municipal land fill for 25 years Persuaded village which had operated a
years on 120 acres of Company owned 9 acre company site for 25 years as a
wetlands adjacent to the Mississippi municipal landfill accept title and
River, to purchase the property and release the company from environmental
indemnify the Company from liability.
environmental liability.
Charlie Harrison cjh@stjosephllc.com
312.560.7148 10
11. Education
Kellogg Graduate School of Management MIT – Center for Real Estate
Executive MBA - 2004 Professional Courses - 2001
IIT – Chicago Kent College of Law St. John’s College
JD with honors - 1988 BA in Liberal Arts - 1981
Charlie Harrison cjh@stjosephllc.com
312.560.7148 11
