Elaine Williams concentrates her practice in public, corporate and educational finance. A graduate of the University of Chicago School of Law, Ms. Williams has extensive experience in municipal and finance law. Her work experience includes the Chicago Board of Education, where she built the Law Department's Public Finance Unit and served as lead in-house attorney on more than $1 billion in Chicago Board of Education municipal bond transactions. She has also served as bond and underwriters' counsel on numerous bond financings, and has represented corporations, financial institutions and government entities in complex, multi-million dollar transactions.

Ms. Williams also brings considerable business management skill and experience to her legal practice. Before joining Chico & Nunes, Ms. Williams held the position of Vice President of Government Programs and Legal Counsel at a national K-12 technology company, where she managed the company's Caribbean operations. She also served three years as the Chief Technology Officer for Chicago Public Schools, where she oversaw the district-wide installation and maintenance of technology for 600 schools. Ms. Williams has been involved with the federal E-Rate program since 1999 and has an in-depth knowledge of the regulatory requirements of the technology funding program for schools and libraries.

Finance - Representative Transactions (2008-2009)
    

• Underwriters' Counsel on $260,000,000 Transit Authority General Obligation Working Cash Notes;
• Co-Underwriters' Counsel on $75,000,000 Transit Authority Capital Grant Receipts Revenue Bonds;
• Co-Underwriters' Counsel on $150,000,000 Transit Authority Capital Grant Receipts Revenue Bonds;
• Co-Underwriters' Counsel on $100,000,000 Transit Authority Capital Grant Receipts Revenue Bonds;
• Special Issuer's Counsel on $500,000,000 Education Revenue Bonds;
• Special Issuer's Counsel on $5,100,000 Education Revenue Bonds; and
• Co-Bond Counsel on $10,000,000 Private Placement Public Facilities Bonds.
  

Technology Legal Experience
   

• Part of legal team representing two international technology companies in connection with target marketing, the development of business proposals and contract negotiation and dispute resolution;
• General representation of several educational institutions on financing and facility matters;
• Counseled K-12 educational technology firm on national technology bidding and procurement practices;
• Supervised the purchase, implementation and maintenance of technology in more than 600 Chicago Public School instructional and administrative sites, and managed annual technology budget of approximately $150 million; and
• Developed and enforced policies and data security standards for Chicago Public Schools to ensure technology investments aligned with business and educational objectives.

Admissions 
     

• Illinois

Education
    

• J.D., University of Chicago School of Law 1983
• B.A. in Philosophy and English, Amherst College 1980