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Krystin Hernandez

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Offering Counsel

Age:34

Organization: McDonald’s Corporation

Title: Managing Counsel

City: Chicago

State: Illinois

 

As managing counsel for McDonald’s Corporation, Krystin Hernandez serves as a strategic advisor across different areas of one of the world’s leading global foodservice businesses.

With more than 39,000 restaurants around the world and $23 Billion in revenue and serving 69 million customers in more than 100 countries every day, she must be skilled in a wide range of legal practices including real estate, commercial transactions, supply chain, M&A, franchising, business operations, marketing and intellectual property.

Since 2010 she has been practicing law in-house, beginning her work in the company’s real estate division negotiating leases for special venue locations. 

In 2012 she became part of the Commercial Practice Group advising clients and negotiating supplier agreements related to equipment and building materials. In 2015 she transitioned over to the U.S. Business Counsel Team where she provided strategic guidance focusing on franchises and restaurant operations. In 2017 she pivoted to focus on marketing and intellectual property. She has also served as the primary legal support for Global Government Relations dealing with fundraising lobbying and PAC laws.

She has also been sponsored by McDonald’s Legal Department to participate in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Fellowship program and was selected to join PODER25, a General Counsel talent pipeline initiative of the Hispanic National Bar Association.

At McDonald’s, she served on the company’s legal diversity committee and on the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Diversity Committee where she led the diversity internship program for the chapter. She has been co-chair of the executive board of Spark Chicago, a nonprofit mentoring and corporate leadership program working with Chicago 7th and 8th graders.

She earned a bachelor’s degree and a law degree from the Institute of Technology and the Chicago-Kent College of Law.

She applauds HACE’s dedication to the employment, development, and advancement of current and future Latino professionals. The organization’s efforts are necessary to help eliminate the systemic racism that has resulted in an exceedingly low number of diverse board members, CEOs, and General Counsels. As the child of Cuban immigrants, she joins HACE’s goals and is committed to offering opportunities to Latino professionals.