Name:		Mrs. Essence McGill Arzu
		Month:		May / June 2012
		Schools:		Harvard University, A.B. in Slavic Languages & Literatures (emphasis on Russian & Soviet Studies and Economics), 1994; Harvard University, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, Davis Center for Russian Studies, A.M., 1997; Columbia University School of Law,
		Organization:		Foley Hoag LLP
		Title:		Partner

Essence McGill Arzu is a partner in the Business Department at Foley Hoag LLP. Her practice focuses on advising public and private company clients on numerous transactional and organizational issues. Her varied transactional work involves corporate finance (such as secured and unsecured debt financings and venture capital financings), business combinations (including domestic and cross-border mergers, acquisitions, asset purchases and joint ventures), banking transactions (including federal/state level bank mergers and regulatory compliance) and nonprofit governance matters (including formation and general operational issues, mergers and acquisitions, and maintaining tax-exempt status). Essence has extensive experience with debt financing transactions on both the lender- and the borrower-side (including multi-million dollar bank and syndicated credit facilities, mezzanine financings, convertible debt transactions, public and private debt offerings and secured and unsecured loans) for public and private companies, non-profit micro-lenders, investment companies and banks, as well as international experience in mergers & acquisitions, debt financing and compliance matters.

Essence received her B.A. from Harvard University in 1994, her M.A. from Harvard University, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, Davis Center for Russian Studies, A.M. in 1997 and her J.D. from Columbia University School of Law in 2000. She is admitted to the bar in Massachusetts, Washington D.C. and New York. Essence is a member of the Board of Directors of the Big Sister Association of Greater Boston (Clerk), the Boston Dance Alliance (Co-President) and The Partnership, Inc. (Clerk), the Board of Trustees for the Boston Bar Foundation, the Board of Governors of the Harvard Club of Boston, and the Board of Overseers for The Celebrity Series (Vice-Chair). Essence was selected as a Boston Business Journal "40 Under 40" honoree (class of 2010), and as a participant in the Boston Bar Association Public Interest Leadership Program (2005-2006), The Partnership, Inc.'s Fellows Program (2007), The Partnership Inc.'s Next Generation Executive Program (2011-2012) and the Women's Bar Association Women's Leadership Initiative (2011-2012). Essence also is a member of the Boston Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated.