Koley Jessen

This weekend, Teresa Beaufait retired after 18 years with Koley Jessen. As a Shareholder and member of our Mergers & Acquisitions team, Teresa played an important role in the success of our clients, our practice, and our firm. But what stands out most is the impact she had on the people around her.

Known for her sharp intellect, thoughtful approach, and steady presence, Teresa became someone colleagues turned to time and again. Whether navigating a complex issue, working through a demanding deal, or simply taking a step back to think through the "why" behind a decision, people trusted her judgment and knew they could count on her.

It's difficult to capture the full impact Teresa has had on the people around her, but the reflections below are a good place to start.

As Teresa begins this next chapter, we hope it includes plenty of time with family, grandbabies, tennis, and all the things she enjoys most.

Thank you, Teresa, for everything you've given to Koley Jessen over the past 18 years.

Take a moment to read some of the reflections shared by members of our team, and feel free to add your own memories or well wishes in the comments below.

Let’s talk practically about how AI is being used in legal work and how businesses can use it more effectively before and alongside counsel.

Introducing AI In Practice — our new video series focused on practical guidance at the intersection of AI, law, and business. This series is designed to move beyond generic AI risk conversations and focus instead on how AI is actually showing up in legal work today.

Throughout the series, we’ll explore:
• practical examples of how AI is being used in legal work;
• what AI can realistically help with right now; and
• ways businesses can use AI to better prepare information, identify issues, and collaborate with legal teams.

In our first session, we’ll take a look at the tools our team is using across day-to-day legal work and preview the practice-focused sessions to come.

Register for our kickoff session here: https://webinars.on24.com/koleyjessen/AIinPractice

Back for year three with the Nebraska Diaper Bank, and our Corporate team came ready to work.

Split into two teams for a little friendly competition—Josh’s Swaddle Squad and Zack’s Blowout Brigade—the goal was simple: help diaper 1,000 babies for a month. Safe to say…mission accomplished.

Together, we helped make more than 60,000 diapers possible, wrapping over 24,000 in one session alone.

With 40+ team members showing up, it was a great turnout for an even better cause. Grateful for the opportunity to support the families served by the Nebraska Diaper Bank. ⭐

We’re pleased to welcome Derek Grutsch as a Shareholder on our M&A team. Derek advises private equity sponsors and companies on mergers and acquisitions and other investment transactions, including platform investments and add-on transactions that drive long-term growth.

We’re excited to have him join us and further strengthen our ability to guide clients through sophisticated deal strategies.

Learn more about Derek: https://www.koleyjessen.com/insights/news/koley-jessen-expands-m-a-practice-with-addition-of-shareholder-derek-grutsch