After nearly 20 years of focusing on the private M&A markets from various vantage points, I founded Third Hat Consulting to provide on-demand support to investment banks and corporate finance advisors throughout their engagement lifecycle and to create a big-picture focused advisor helping small and midsize private business to build a team and make faster, more informed decisions about their M&A process.

• Leader of Quality and Risk Management team for Deloitte’s U.S. Investment Banking practice.• Manage Deloitte’s global Investment Banking practice’s access to the U.S. market.• Expert in engagement and price structuring, engagement letter negotiations, marketing material review and real-time management of in-flight and post-closing engagement issues.• Coordination of Business, Legal, Risk and Independence functions of Deloitte.• Training and development of new Investment Banking practitioners and Quality and Risk management team members.• Led risk team responsible for integration of acquisition that doubled Deloitte’s Investment Banking headcount.

• An executive in Deloitte’s M&A Transaction Services practice. • Advising financial and strategic buyers and sellers on acquisition due diligence and post transaction matters. • Quality and Risk Management coverage of the U.S. M&A practice.• Specializing in professional domestic and international conflicts resolution, engagement letter negotiations, confidentiality matters and third party-access.

• Responsible for identification and management of legal issues during contracting and engagement phases. • Lead multiparty negotiation strategy sessions involving stakeholders from various internal teams in preparation for client negotiations.• Focus on Investment Banking, M&A, Securitization, Enterprise Risks Management and Audit service lines .• Specializing in domestic and multinational master service agreements, consulting agreements, access agreements, confidentiality agreements, teaming agreements, alliance agreements and subcontractor agreements.• Advise Deloitte’s foreign member firms on U.S. best practices.• Engagement and management of foreign and domestic outside legal counsel.

• Represented financial and strategic buyers and sellers in all aspects of M&A transactions.• Drafted and negotiated definitive transaction and ancillary agreements.• Formed corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies in the contexts of pre-closing, post-closing and general corporate reorganizations. Drafted and negotiated controlling corporate documents including certificates of incorporation, limited liability company agreements, partnership agreements and by-laws.• Conducted complex due diligence reviews and preparations of diligence reports, defensive profiles and material issues lists.• Completed six-month rotation through White & Case’s Bank Finance Group.