Experienced Paralegal
06.524.G.10
A versatile paralegal professional with nine years’ experience in preparing board minutes, managing corporate governance and maintenance, Sarbanes Oxley (SOX) compliance, protecting intellectual property, preparing for mergers and acquisitions, litigation support, and P&L enhancement for a leading utility company and law firms.
Expertise includes outstanding skills in document drafting and management, negotiating contracts and fee arrangements, data room design, prosecuting trademark registrations, resolving disputes, project management, and international matter coordination.
EXPERIENCE
SouthWest Water Company (NASDAQ: SWWC), Los Angeles, California 2008-2010
Manager of Legal Affairs & Corporate Governance
Managed corporate governance and legal affairs for a publicly traded water utility with 1,400 employees, $211 million in revenues and operations in nine states, including 19 subsidiaries. Responsible to the Vice President/General Counsel and Secretary.
Corporate Governance:
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Attended and prepared the minutes for board and board committee meetings.
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Drafted resolutions, consents, charters, policies and other corporate governance documents.
Corporate Organization and Maintenance:
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Managed a massive reorganization that consolidated 51 subsidiaries into 19 entities, resulting in significant savings in tax preparation fees for the company.
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Oversaw and performed corporate maintenance for the parent company and all of its subsidiaries.
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Formed, qualified, merged and dissolved entities as needed.
Mergers & Acquisitions:
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Renegotiated a data room provider contract resulting in savings of 49% in the first year.
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Designed and built a new electronic data room for the eventual sale of the company.
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Gathered and uploaded needed documents during the due diligence phase of the company’s sale.
Field Support & Diplomacy:
- Resolved significant issues with local regulatory and licensing agencies when field operations ran into impasses while pursuing company goals.
Budgeting and P&L Enhancement:
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Reduced legal expenses by more than $200,000 annually.
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Successfully settled $125,000 in disputed legal fees for $40,000.
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Reduced annual corporate maintenance costs by 75%.
Intellectual Property:
- Prosecuted the company’s trademark registrations and successfully defended challenges from the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) attorneys.
Compliance:
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Managed SOX compliance for corporate governance.
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Partnered with internal control auditors to identify and remediate SOX deficiencies.
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Anticipated and clarified deficiencies in the design of internal controls, which avoided formal recommendations in the final audit.
Rae LaMothe & Associates, Attorneys, Santa Monica, California 2005-2008
Senior Paralegal - Corporate, Trademarks & Litigation
Responsible for all corporate maintenance for client entities. Coordinated legal affairs for international subsidiaries. Drafted and managed board minutes, consents, stock certificates and transfers, and other corporate documents. Analyzed minute books and cured deficiencies. Prosecuted and maintained trademark portfolios (U.S. and international). Managed documentation for $40 million acquisition. Coordinated development of electronic data room for disposition of corporate assets. Drafted and managed non-disclosure agreements. Drafted motions, discovery and deposition summaries.
Rein Evans & Sestanovich Attorneys, Los Angeles, California 2004-2005
Paralegal - Real Estate, Trademarks & Litigation
Supported a busy real estate practice with an average of 5-7 deals per month. Reviewed title reports and surveys. Prepared loan packages. Proofread leases. Drafted lease summaries and estoppels. Prepared closing binders. Performed legal research. Formed, merged and dissolved entities. Drafted resolutions, minutes and powers of attorney. Prosecuted more than 100 trademark registrations with the USPTO and international agencies. Drafted discovery, motions and deposition summaries.
Christensen, Miller, Fink , Jacobs, Glaser, Weil & Shapiro, Los Angeles, California 2001-2003
Legal Assistant
Supported a senior partner in the real estate and corporate practice for a law firm with more than 100 attorneys. Prepared correspondence, managed files, completed expense reports, managed appointments, coordinated meetings, and conducted legal research. Drafted a winning arbitration brief.
PRIOR EXPERIENCE
Advertising Executive, Branding Consultant, Publicist and Television Writer
Clients included: Apple Computer, StarKist, Neutrogena, Nikon, Upper Deck, Fi-Bar Nutrition Bars, Scott Foresman, BBDO, CBS, NBC, MTV, Propaganda Films, All American Television, Daily & Associates
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Masterminded a pan-European advertising campaign for Apple Computer that achieved a 300% increase in brand awareness in four countries.
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Generated more than $10 million of television coverage for a start-up company on a budget of $200.
EDUCATION
University of Chicago, Graduate School of Business, Chicago, Illinois
M.B.A. Marketing and Accounting
Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
Bachelor of Science, Design & Environmental Analysis
Languages: French and Hebrew
