Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres

What Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres does

Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres (CFDB) is a Chicago-headquartered, majority women-owned and controlled full-service law firm founded in 2019 by four partners from elite law firms and government roles. The firm operates from three offices (Chicago LaSalle as headquarters, Chicago Wacker, and New York) with approximately 60 partners plus associates, counsel, and operational staff. CFDB is WBE-certified by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and is a member of NAMWOLF.

The firm delivers comprehensive legal services across more than 20 practice areas including Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Funds & Investment Management, Litigation & Investigations, Real Estate, Employment & Labor, Venture Capital & Founders, Outside General Counsel, SEC & Corporate Governance, Immigration, Government Affairs & Regulatory Law, Intellectual Property & Privacy, Restructuring & Special Situations, Finance & Liquidity Solutions, Private Client Services, Taxation, Food & Drug, Political Law, Non-Profit Advisory, Public Finance, and specialized Cryptocurrency/Digital Assets/Web3 and AI legal services. The firm has grown through two mergers: Fairchild Morgan Law in 2019 and Prendergast & Layden in February 2023.

CFDB generates revenue through billable professional services using quote-based, flexible fee structures with multi-year client engagements. Its target client base spans Fortune 500 companies, investment funds ranging from $25 million to over $2 billion in size, financial institutions, family offices, government agencies, and emerging/growth companies. Distribution is direct via partner-led business development, with no intermediary channels. The firm has been named to the Crain's Chicago Business 2026 Fast 50 and the Women Presidents Organization's 50 Fastest Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies, and achieved a record number of Chambers & Partners rankings in the 2026 USA Guide.

Name

Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres

Legal name

Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres LLC

Website

https://crokefairchild.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres is a women-owned, Chicago-based full-service law firm serving Fortune 500 companies, investment funds, family offices, government agencies, and emerging companies across 20+ practice areas, with offices in Chicago and New York.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) & Securities Law (BPAHAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

M&A Advisory (Buy-Side & Sell-Side) (BPAHAOAA), M&A Advisory (Buy-side/Sell-side) (BPAHADAC), Buy-Side M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAB), Real Estate M&A / Joint Venture Advisory (Platform Deals, Partnerships) (BPAJANAF), Real Estate Capital Markets Advisory (Debt/Equity Placement, Refinancing) (BPAJANAE)

Keywords

• Legal services
• Corporate law firm
• Mergers acquisitions
• Investment funds
• Commercial litigation

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Fees: The firm generates revenue through billable legal services provided to clients. Services span corporate/M&A, litigation, investment fund formation, regulatory compliance, real estate, and other practice areas. The firm offers flexible fee structures to build long-term client relationships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres is a Chicago-based law firm providing comprehensive legal counsel across more than 20 practice areas. Services span corporate/M&A, private investment fund formation, complex commercial litigation, real estate, employment, immigration, government affairs, taxation, regulatory compliance, and specialized advisory in cryptocurrency/Web3 and artificial intelligence law, serving investment funds, Fortune 500 companies, family offices, government agencies, and emerging growth companies.

Product overview

Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres is a women-owned law firm offering comprehensive legal services across multiple practice areas. The firm operates as a single unified legal practice providing transactional, litigation, regulatory, and advisory services to corporate clients, investment funds, family offices, and individuals. The firm's service portfolio includes Corporate/M&A, Private Funds, Litigation & Investigations, Real Estate, Finance, Employment & Labor, Venture Capital, Immigration, Government Affairs, Tax, Intellectual Property, Restructuring, and specialized practices in Cryptocurrency/Web3 and AI law.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Private Funds & Investment Management
• Litigation & Investigations
• Real Estate
• Employment & Labor
• Venture Capital & Founders
• Outside General Counsel
• SEC, Corporate Governance & Business Counseling
• Immigration
• Government Affairs & Regulatory Law
• Cryptocurrency, Digital Assets & Web3
• Artificial Intelligence Legal Services
• Restructuring & Special Situations
• Finance & Liquidity Solutions
• Private Client Services
• Taxation
• Political Law
• Non-Profit Advisory
• Intellectual Property, Privacy & Technology Transactions

Quantifiable outcome

• Record number of Chambers & Partners rankings in 2026 USA Guide
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• NAMWOLF (National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms)coreOthersCroke Fairchild is a member of NAMWOLF, a national association dedicated to increasing the utilization of minority and women owned law firms. Membership demonstrates the firm's commitment to diversity and inclusion in the legal profession and provides access to corporate clients seeking diverse legal counsel.
• Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)coreOthersCroke Fairchild is a certified Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) by WBENC. The firm is majority women-owned and controlled, which provides certification for corporate procurement and supplier diversity programs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP: National full-service firm with comparable M&A, private equity, real estate, and government affairs practices. Larger incumbent with broader geographic and industry coverage.
• Seyfarth Shaw LLP: AmLaw 200 firm with Chicago presence and strong M&A, real estate, and litigation practices. Established incumbent competing for mid-market and enterprise mandates in similar geographies.
• McDermott Will & Emery LLP: Major global firm headquartered in Chicago with comparable M&A, private equity, real estate, and litigation practices. Larger and broader incumbent competing for the same enterprise clients.
• Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP: AmLaw 100 firm with similar M&A, venture capital, private funds, and emerging-tech practices serving comparable enterprise clients. Larger incumbent with broader geographic reach.

Direct peers

• Polsinelli PC: AmLaw 200 firm with established corporate/M&A, private funds, real estate, and emerging-company practices. Comparable mid-market-to-enterprise client base and diversified service model.
• Holland & Knight: Major U.S. law firm with strong M&A, private equity, real estate, and litigation practices serving similar Fortune 500 and fund clients. Comparable in serving national enterprise clients across multiple practice areas.
• Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC: National law firm with parallel corporate, M&A, private funds, real estate, and government affairs practices serving Fortune 500 and mid-market clients. Comparable full-service platform model.
• Akerman LLP: AmLaw 200 firm with comparable M&A, private funds, real estate, and government affairs practice mix serving mid-market and enterprise clients nationwide. Similar in scale and breadth to CFDB's full-service corporate offering.
• Ice Miller LLP: Mid-size full-service firm with similar M&A, private funds, real estate, and government affairs practice areas targeting comparable enterprise and fund clients; based in the Midwest with national reach.

Emerging players

• Wendel Rosen Black & Dean LLP: Bay Area-based mid-size firm with notable M&A, private funds, and real estate practices serving emerging and growth companies. Smaller and more regional than CFDB but with overlapping client focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/croke-fairchild

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres