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Growing up in Chicago with two brothers, Deanna Ortiz became a competitive athlete at a young age. She recognized the value and satisfaction of being a team member working in harmony with a group of individuals who collectively strive to attain a goal greater than the sum of its parts. “To have that experience of being a teammate, pushing myself, being accountable to others, and helping my teammates and our team be successful, has been immensely rewarding,” Ortiz explains.
At DePaul University, Ortiz played Division 1 basketball and later made the Puerto Rican Women’s Basketball National Team, playing in a tournament to qualify for the Olympics. “We did not make it, unfortunately, but I was honored to be on the national team to represent Puerto Rico and my family,” she says.
The experience she gained from her years playing for DePaul and with Puerto Rico’s national team informs her work today as senior counsel at McDonald’s. “I’ve carried that with me through pretty much everything I do, and specifically here at McDonald’s on my legal team,” Ortiz says.
According to her, playing basketball at an elite level is not unlike practicing law. It’s a highly competitive field, and no matter the area, it boils down to one side against the other with both sides expecting victory, she says. With her basketball career behind her, these days winning means establishing the best position for McDonald’s and its franchisees.
Accountability to teammates is one benefit Ortiz took from her time playing basketball. Another is establishing relationships and working with a diverse group of people. DePaul recruits athletes from around the globe. This familiarized Ortiz with different people she wouldn’t have otherwise met if not for basketball.
“We had international players. You’re put on a team where you spend ten out of twelve months with other young women. You learn so much about other people, how to communicate, about relationship building because you’re not all from the same background,” Ortiz recalls. “It’s been most beneficial in my legal career and in my life.”
Ortiz’s interest in the law grew out of her passion for advocacy. But it was a family member’s experiences that solidified Ortiz’s decision to practice law. At family gatherings, her aunt (a corporate attorney) would regale Ortiz with colorful stories about practicing law. “Hearing about the power of the brand, work trips, and the stories around how she was leading the charge on certain projects,” she describes. “I’d ask questions and get her perspective on how she’d accomplish those things. It was ingrained in me that this was exactly what I saw myself doing.”
Ortiz is one of ten lawyers on the McDonald’s US property management legal team, where she manages a variety of real estate matters pertaining to McDonald’s properties: resolving disputes, spotting issues, and recognizing opportunities.
“It’s my job to make sure that any issues or questions that come up are navigated in a way that protects our property and its operation, so the franchisee’s business is not being interfered with,” Ortiz says.
“I continue to strive to learn from other people, whether they be my teammates or business partners.”
Deanna Ortiz
She approaches her work with an emphasis on integrity and fairness, ensuring projects are properly and ethically handled. “I work to make sure that everybody’s rights and obligations are being observed and not violated,” she says. On construction projects, for example, she ensures easements are correct and utilities are to code.
“I have been fortunate to work closely with Deanna, and it’s abundantly clear that her training and success on the basketball court drives her work ethic at McDonald’s,” says Brendan M. Walsh, co-chair of litigation at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden P.C. “She’s strategic in her perspective and clear in identifying issues as well as a true advocate for the company and its brand.”
Since 1955, when McDonald’s opened its first franchise, the fast-food giant has played a significant role in Americans’ lives by improving communities, creating spaces that foster connection, providing jobs, and supporting local economies. Ortiz, with her desire to make positive impacts in communities, plays a part.
For many families, McDonald’s is a core memory, she says. “It’s convenient for families on road trips or on their way to sporting events. McDonald’s is there, and it’s been there for many years for families around the country and the world,” she says. Because McDonald’s is woven into the fabric of American communities, Ortiz feels an obligation to keep stores open and reaches communities through the relationships she’s established with her business clients.
Fresh out of Kent Law, Ortiz went to work at Metra, a commuter rail service in Chicago, where she gained considerable experience in real estate law and in dealing with government agencies, like the Illinois Department of Transportation. Through that experience, Ortiz gained perspective and laid a foundation in law.
Yet, she owes her law career to athletics. “That’s what I carry. I continue to strive to learn from other people, whether they be my teammates or business partners,” Ortiz says.
“It’s been a learning experience and growth experience in my career, as well as in my life. I’m always open to learning and understanding different perspectives to reach common goals. As I continue to grow, I’m also thinking about how I can now support and inspire the next generation of lawyers like my aunt and so many others have done for me,” she says.
Pashman Stein Walder Hayden P.C. is a full-service law firm with offices in New Jersey, New York, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. The firm has a well-earned reputation for resolving complex commercial disputes for its clients, large and small, and is regarded as a go-to law firm for “bet the company” litigation in the region. We salute the achievements of Deanna Ortiz at McDonalds Corporation and are proud to partner with innovative leaders like Deanna.
