McDermott Will & Schulte, a global law firm

Amid accelerating deal activity and increased diligence around workforce issues, global law firm McDermott Will & Schulte has expanded its Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Practice Group with the addition of Adria Crowe in Chicago. Her arrival underscores the firm’s continued investment in its employee benefits platform as well as private equity and M&A.

Adria enhances the firm’s transactional capabilities through her practice focused on employee benefits and executive compensation matters in mergers and acquisitions, spinoffs, divestitures, joint ventures, and restructurings. She advises on deal‑critical benefits issues that arise throughout the transaction lifecycle, from diligence, structuring, closing, and post‑closing integration.

“With the volume and complexity of transactions continuing to rise, clients are looking for seamless support that can keep pace with sophisticated deal teams. As a highly technical employee benefits lawyer with a strong transactional mindset, Adria brings precisely that capability,” said Andrew Liazos, global head of McDermott’s Benefits & Compensation Practice Group. “She joins our practice ready to advise clients at every stage of the deal lifecycle.”

Adria’s arrival is particularly significant for clients operating at the leading edge of the deal market, where selective underwriting, heightened regulatory scrutiny, and employee benefits considerations demand more integrated advice.

“Joining McDermott presents an opportunity to be part of a platform where employee benefit considerations are deeply integrated into complex deal execution,” Adria said. “The firm’s strength across tax, employee benefits, private equity, and M&A creates an environment where I can work closely with deal teams to help clients manage risk and position their businesses for what comes next.”

Adria guides clients through high-impact moments in today’s M&A market, where transaction risk, insurance strategy, and employee benefits exposure intersect. She has experience in leading underwriting diligence and policy negotiations on acquisitions across industries including buy-out mergers and acquisitions, real estate, and secondaries transactions and advises clients on Internal Revenue Service plan corrections and compliance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.