Tamela Merriweather is an experienced legal and regulatory advisor in the financial services industry. In her role as Senior Vice President, Associate General Counsel for The Northern Trust Company, Tamela is a member of the legal department leadership team and advises on securities finance, derivatives and global banking regulations. Prior to joining Northern Trust, Tamela practiced in the Chicago and London offices of Mayer Brown LLP. Tamela began her career as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Alan C. Page and the Honorable Helen M. Meyer of the Minnesota Supreme Court. Before attending law school, Tamela had the privilege of serving as a U.S. Department of State intern at the U.S. Embassy in Paris.

Tamela joined the board of directors of the National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL) in July 2021 and NAWL’s executive committee in July 2022. Tamela previously served as the co-chair of NAWL’s Diversity Committee and is a past recipient of NAWL’s "Virginia S. Mueller Outstanding Member Award." Tamela has been an active member of the Securities Finance industry for many years through her leadership of the Legal, Tax, and Regulatory Subcommittee of the Risk Management Association’s Securities Lending Council, as co-chair of the 35th Annual Conference on Securities Lending, and as a founding member of the Risk Management Association’s Women in Risk Committee. Tamela completed McKinsey’s Black Executive Leadership Program in 2021 and Corporate Leadership Center’s Leading Women Executives Program in 2018. For many years, Tamela has actively supported By The Hand Club For Kids, a non-profit educational program serving kids and families on the west and south sides of Chicago.

Tamela grew up in San Diego and lives outside of Chicago. Tamela received her B.A., magna cum laude, from Spelman College and her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Minnesota Law School. Tamela is admitted to practice law in Illinois.