TERESA WILTON HARMON is co-managing partner of Sidley’s Chicago office, a member of the firm’s Executive Committee, and a partner in the firm’s Global Finance practice. Teresa is a go-to advisor and frequent speaker on financial transactions, commercial law, digital assets, and legal ethics. She is also a trusted board leader, who channels the strength and spirit of Sidley's 1400-person Chicago office to support our clients and community.
Teresa’s financial transactions experience includes secured and unsecured loans, workouts, restructurings, structured finance, and securitization. For several years, Teresa’s practice has placed particular emphasis on financial transactions involving regulated and emerging industries, including derivatives, clearing organizations, exchanges, financial market utilities, student loan companies, electric utilities, digital asset market participants, and fintech companies. Her experience and knowledge allow her to bridge the gap between complex legal regimes and sound financial principles. Teresa takes an active role in counseling on liquidity solutions, collateral and risk management methods, default scenarios, counterparty risk, netting, and adapting to new legal regimes and technologies — including distributed ledger technology.
Teresa’s commercial law practice includes all articles of the Uniform Commercial Code. Teresa has honed her UCC knowledge as an active participant in UCC drafting committees including the drafting committee for the 2022 UCC Emerging Technology Amendments, as a member of the Permanent Editorial Board for the UCC, and as an adjunct professor teaching Secured Transactions at The University of Illinois College of Law. She is a nationally recognized speaker on UCC and other commercial law issues.
Teresa’s practice includes using the tools of commercial law and finance to help clients build platforms, navigate changing laws, and engage in transactions involving blockchain, cryptocurrency, stablecoin and tokenized securities, and other real-world assets. She is an active member of Sidley’s global FinTech and Blockchain group.
Teresa is named in Crain’s Chicago Business’s “Who’s Who in Chicago Business” (2023–2026), which recognizes “the people driving decisions, setting agendas, and leading change across the region.” Crain’s Chicago Business has also recognized Teresa and included her in their “Notable Women in Law” (2022), “Notable Women Executives Over 50” (2020), and “Notable Gen X Leaders in Law” (2019) lists. The American Lawyer named Teresa a “Midwest Trailblazer” (2022) for her work in the fintech area. Chicago Daily Law Bulletin and Chicago Lawyer jointly honored Teresa at the inaugural “50 Women in Law Awards” (2020). She was also named a “Trailblazer in Finance and Banking” by The National Law Journal (2019).