Crain's 40 Under 40: BRYAN ZAIR, 39
It’s Crain’s 25th anniversary of honoring 40 metro Detroit professionals who have made their marks before age 40.
Photo by Jacob Lewkow. What Bryan Zair would tell his 25-year-old self: “Take the day-to-day ups and downs (and successes and failures) in stride, because it is very rare that a single success or failure will have a lasting effect on your career or your life.”Bryan Zair is a Detroiter. The son of Chaldean immigrants from Iraq, Zair worked full time at his father’s convenience store in Detroit’s Brightmoor neighborhood while in college. He spent three years as an associate at Clark Hill PLLC‘s Detroit office before opportunity led him to Chicago. He started as an associate with Mayer Brown LLP in 2007, later becoming a partner working with one of its largest clients, Dow Chemical Co.
Detached from Detroit’s fall from the financial crisis and subsequent automotive collapse, Zair felt the longing to return home. In September last year, he returned, helping one of the country’s largest firms, Jones Day, open a Detroit office.
“Being able to be back in Detroit and start an international firm in the city, to participate in the rebirth of this city in some way … that’s something I consider to be one of my greatest accomplishments.”
As a partner at Jones Day and head of its local merger and acquisition practice, Zair was involved in two large transactions: the $11.3 billion acquisition of ITC Holdings Corp. by Fortis Inc. and the $670 million divestiture of L&W Supply Corp. by USG Corp. to ABC Supply Co. Inc.
Zair led the USG divestiture.
Zair’s father has since retired from running the convenience store, which is no longer open. But Zair is still big on Detroit.
“We were in the Brightmoor area for more than 20 years,” Zair said. “The truth is, that neighborhood had a lot of people that lived there for a very long time, and a number of community organizations. Now there’s urban farming and investment. It shows they never gave up, and that’s what’s so special about Detroit and Detroiters.”
Crain’s teamed with Crowdrise to help this year’s 40 Under 40 winners raise money for their favorite causes.
Bryan’s Charity of Choice:
Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan