Brendan Gardiner

Adjunct Professor of Law

Brendan Gardiner is a trusted legal advisor who counsels boards and senior executives through complex legal, regulatory, compliance and geopolitical risks. 

As Deputy General Counsel at Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), a global food ingredient and commodities trading company, Brendan led a global team of over 100 legal and compliance professionals supporting ADM’s business across 200 countries. Concurrently, Brendan led ADM’s Insurance and Risk Management team, responsible for placing ADM’s insurance programs, managing claims, and overseeing ADM’s captive insurance company. Brendan joined ADM after spending 11 years with Caterpillar Inc., including its energy subsidiary, Solar Turbines, where he counseled senior leaders on litigation, regulatory, commercial and compliance matters in the Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific, including a three-year ex-pat assignment in Brussels.

Prior to moving in-house, Brendan practiced with the international law firm Sidley, specializing in commercial and securities litigation and internal investigations. Brendan joined Sidley following a clerkship with Judge Susan H. Black on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

A Boston native, Brendan earned his BA from the University of Notre Dame; while there, he spent a year at Maynooth University in Ireland. He earned his JD from Notre Dame Law School, where he served as Executive Editor of the Law Review. Before entering law school, Brendan was a high school teacher and coach.

Brendan is a member of the Board of Directors of Irish Community Services (Chicago), and previously served on the boards of WorldChicago, St. John’s International School (Belgium), and All Saints Catholic Academy (Illinois).