Anika Fischer will join the Company as Senior Vice President and General Counsel on June 3, 2024. Ms. Fischer, age 35, will report directly to Jeffrey J. Donnelly, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, and will assume legal responsibilities from William J. Tennis, the Company’s Executive Vice President and General Counsel, who previously announced his retirement effective as of June 30, 2024.
Prior to joining the Company, Ms. Fischer was Deputy General Counsel at Essex Property Trust, Inc., a multifamily REIT. During her nine-year tenure at Essex she led its legal department in capital markets transactions, securities and corporate governance matters and the teams responsible for closing and underwriting complex real estate transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, structured finance, joint ventures, developments and financings.
She was also a member of the Essex senior leadership team and sat on the insurance committee, environmental/social/governance committee and enterprise risk management committee. Ms. Fischer began her career as an associate at Kirkland & Ellis LLP in the Real Estate group. Ms. Fischer received her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School, and a B.A. from Wesleyan University.
