Chris Burnham

Chris brings a wealth of business and investment knowledge to her role as a Commercial Broker with Maverick Partners. Graduating with a degree in accounting from Southern Methodist University and a law degree from Duke University, Chris began her career as Corporate Counsel to The Northern Trust Company, a multistate bank based in Chicago. There she advised on the operations of the Private Banking Division, reviewing, drafting and negotiating transactions involving private and commercial loans, mortgages, trusts, wills, securities and fiduciary obligations, in addition to guiding bank compliance with applicable regulations. Chris eventually left Northern Trust to join a family business which focused on commercial real estate investment, where she was able to apply her legal background to the purchase, sale, renovation and operation of office, retail and multifamily properties and develop her own expertise in finding, evaluating and acquiring well-valued real estate investments. After attending a class reunion at Duke in 2012, Chris inspired her family to relocate to the Raleigh-Durham area. She was fascinated with the transformation that had occurred in Durham since her time at Duke, and was eager to participate in the rapid redevelopment taking place Downtown. Chris obtained her broker’s license and began her NC real estate career by helping developers and investors locate undervalued investment opportunities in the Downtown market. This inevitably led her to join forces with Maverick Partners. Chris enjoys using her legal, financial and investment background to help clients make choices that minimize the use of financial resources and maximize returns. A born entrepreneur herself who has developed interests in ecommerce business, digital analytics and film development, production and finance, Chris is particularly well-suited to identify and serve the unique needs of entrepreneurs, start-ups and clients in the tech space. Chris is a member of the Durham Regional Association of Realtors (DRAR), North Carolina Association of Realtors (NCAR), National Association of Realtors (NAR), the NC Chapter of Certified Commercial Investment Members (CCIM) and the Triangle Real Estate Investors Association (TREIA). She is also working toward obtaining her full CCIM designation, signifying advanced expertise in commercial and investment real estate.