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Jeaninne Cordero was immersed in a successful in-house law career when her son was diagnosed with autism shortly before his second birthday. “We did not know what his prognosis was going to look like. He was a largely nonverbal child, so we needed to get him immediate therapy,” says Cordero, chief commercial counsel at Accertify Inc., a company that helps organizations solve their digital identity and financial fraud risks.
Cordero left her job as director of legal affairs at XO Communications Inc. to care for and advocate for her son full time. As she was learning to navigate the world of special education, she met numerous families that found it more challenging than she. “They didn’t have the skills to ask the questions or negotiate an individualized education program (IEP) on their child’s behalf. So, I started offering my services to help them on a pro bono basis,” she says.
Cordero attended IEP meetings and advocated for these families. She became so professionally successful—and personally fulfilled—in this role that she’d spend the next fifteen years as a solo practitioner advocating for clients within the purview of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Active in the Chicago Bar Association since earning her JD from Notre Dame in 1989, Cordero has held several leadership positions in the organization, like working with the Chicago Bar Foundation Board providing grants to legal aid service providers in Illinois. One grant recipient was Equip for Equality, a disability rights organization that launched a Special Education Clinic in the early 2000s with her help when she was on Equip’s board of directors. She currently serving on Equip’s board a second time.
Cordero recognized her passion for advocacy and public service while in college. As an undergraduate at Colorado State University, she had hopes of working on Capitol Hill. Fortunately, a professor of hers had been a classmate of Colorado Senator Gary Hart, a presidential hopeful in 1988. “He said, ‘I’d be happy to write a letter of introduction for you,’” Cordero recalls.
With résumé and recommendation letter in hand, Cordero knocked on Senator Hart’s door. But he wasn’t hiring. After knocking on several more doors, she found a job with Representative Timothy E. Wirth of Colorado.
As a legislative assistant, Cordero got her first taste of public service and the law while also acquiring vital skills. “Constituents were always coming by the office. You’re visited by trade associations and lobbyists and encouraged to go to receptions after work,” she explains.
These visits and receptions taught Cordero the art of welcoming individuals from all walks of life and the science of analysis and research. “Those skills set me up for success in law school as well and for advocacy. The ability to apply analysis to reading various articles and pulling things together in a concise way and writing statements for a member and knowing who your audience is,” she says. After her time on Capitol Hill, Cordero earned her JD and after a few years of law firm practice, she embarked on a corporate legal career mostly in telecommunications.
“[Families] didn’t have the skills to ask the questions or negotiate an individualized education program (IEP) on their child’s behalf. So, I started offering my services to help them on a pro bono basis.”
Jeannine Cordero
In May 2024, after fifteen years of advocating for students and their parents in IEP meetings, Cordero returned to in-house practice at Accertify, a leading fraud detection company, where she heads up a team of three lawyers whose primary responsibilities include advising the business, drafting and negotiating service agreements for clients, and vendor agreements for services provided to Accertify.
“I have always been passionate about where law and technology intersect. Our products help merchants ferret out fraudulent credit card transactions and saves money for our clients because they’re able to protect themselves against fraudulent transactions,” Cordero says.
The biggest challenge in that role, she says, is understanding artificial intelligence and its myriad applications. “The artificial intelligence programs are really creating another level of complexity. Accertify is a fast-moving company,” Cordero explains. “Fraudsters are always on the move and thinking of new ways to scam people and businesses out of their money. We have to stay one step ahead.”
During her years as an advocate for students with special needs, Cordero continuously searched for success stories but always came up short. “I was getting mired down looking for answers and not finding them,” she laments. All these years later, though, she’s finally found one: her son.
After attending Northside College Prep, one of Illinois’ most prestigious high schools, and graduating with honors, her son attended the Syracuse University School of Communications for journalism. Again, he graduated with honors. “My son’s turned out to be a fabulous young man and intelligent and a great writer. I just want to inspire other parents who are struggling with these differences to give them happiness and some encouragement.
“Yes, things can turn out just fine,” Cordero continues. “I know that people who have children with disabilities or who are diverse learners invest a lot in the success of their children.”
Greenberg Traurig’s Global Labor & Employment Practice supports clients from offices across the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. The practice boasts numerous trial victories and is often engaged to manage complex, high-stakes cases, including nationwide class and collective actions. Our Labor & Employment team helps clients navigate intricate employment issues and develop practical, proactive strategies that can be easily implemented by modern human resources professionals. Greenberg Traurig is proud of the partnership we’ve forged with Accertify and Jeannine Cordero.
