Andrew Sagartz, Executive Director
Andrew Sagartz, JD, MBA, serves as Executive Director of BENNU Legal Services. Before founding the organization as a nonprofit legal aid agency, Andrew obtained in-depth experience with immigration and nationality law by representing hundreds of immigrants in private practice. As Senior Attorney at BENNU, he also provides legal advice and support to small businesses and other nonprofit organizations.

Previously with the 400-attorney law firm of Jenner & Block before 2002, Andrew worked on secured lending matters, business acquisitions (both stock and asset purchases), and securities law on behalf of some of the nation's largest companies and financial institutions. He also assisted with securities litigation, and handled not-for-profit matters as well as immigration cases on a pro-bono basis. Prior to joining Jenner & Block, Andrew was with Masuda, Funai, Eifert & Mitchell in Chicago. There, he counseled international business clients - many from Japan - about business law, immigration issues, and the like.

Andrew graduated with honors from The Ohio State University College of Law. As a law student, Andrew clerked at a boutique immigration law firm where he worked on deportation and asylum cases. He was also a judicial extern with Hon. Alan E. Norris, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. As a law student, Andrew mediated conflicts at the Municipal Court of Franklin County, and was on staff of the Ohio State Journal on Dispute Resolution. He was also a two-time recipient of a Foreign Language and Area Study (FLAS) fellowship.

Prior to law school and after living and working in Japan for a time, Andrew graduated with distinction from the MBA program of Thunderbird: The American Graduate School of International Management, the nation's highest ranked graduate school in international business. There, he received Thunderbird's prestigious Worldwide Scholarship. Andrew obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Asian Studies from Lesley College in Cambridge, MA while working full-time at Harvard Community Health Plan. He has taught in the MBA program of Lake Forest Graduate School of Management in years past, and he is currently an Adjunct Professor in the paralegal programs of College of Lake County and of Lewis University.

Andrew is proficient in Japanese.