Jess Bissey Email & Phone Number

Washington, Dc, Us

Boston, La, Denver, Paris, London, Düsseldorf, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, Oo

As a Managing Director and the firm’s first Chief Sustainability Officer, Ms. Bissey is responsible for overseeing the evolution of AEW’s Resilience efforts across the firm, driving a cohesive approach to environmental, social, and governance impact and performance and its continued integration into our global investment processes. In this role, she is implementing innovative systems, enhancing responsible transparency, and fostering the exploration and adoption of best practices intended to drive resilience for our business, our people, and our assets. Ms. Bissey has built and leads a team of subject matter experts who serve as partners to the firm’s investment teams and resources for our external stakeholders, including operating partners, investors, property managers, and other vendors. She brings with her deep expertise in leading and advising companies on sustainability, governance, social impact, and transformational change. ■ Firmwide Leadership Roles. Ms. Bissey serves in an advisory role to the firm’s Investment Committee and Risk Management Committee, and sits on the firm’s Risk, Compliance, and Operations Committee and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Steering Committee.

Mclean, Va, Us

As the principal within the Office of the Corporate Secretary of Fortune 500 firm, Ms. Bissey led teams of legal and business professionals to provide counsel, business advice, subject matter expertise, and strategic guidance related to corporate governance, transactions, investor relations, environmental and social impact, and governance practices (ESG).Launched and lead enterprise-wide ESG function, including responsibility for both a dedicated team and a highly-matrixed ESG Council with representation across corporate and business executives. Promoted a data-driven and strategic approach to responsible transparency and investment in managing ESG risk and opportunity. Aligned strong corporate responsibility programs and practices within a cohesive governance structure, with oversight from the Board of Directors. ■ ESG Reporting. Responsible for required SEC disclosure and sustainability reporting aligned to GRI, SASB, TCFD, CDP, World Economic Forum Stakeholder Capitalism Standards, and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Launched the firm's annual corporate sustainability report.■ Investor Relations. Engaged with inbound investor interest and conducts targeted ESG and Corporate Governance outreach. Oversaw responses to ratings organizations, including ISS, Bloomberg, S&P Global (formerly Robeco SAM), MSCI, Sustainalytics, Ethisphere, among others.■ Stakeholder Engagement. Led the firm’s first formal, stakeholder-inclusive materiality and gap assessment. Leveraged AI to maintain real-time landscape understanding.■ Corporate Governance. Served as Assistant Secretary of Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corp (NYSE: BAH) and Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., its operating subsidiary.■ Initiatives. ISO 14001 audited and certified EMS, net-zero commitment, science based target for carbon emissions, Booz Allen Foundation, sustainability-linked metrics for long-term executive compensation, economic development and R&D tax credits, among many others.

San Francisco, California, Us

Business-minded corporate attorney with a love for complex financial and strategic transactions and a focus on providing accessible corporate and business sustainability input to clients throughout their life-cycles. Clients spanned sectors, including technology (blockchain, health-tech, civic-tech, fin-tech, SAAS, among others), aerospace/defense/government, consumer goods, education, media, PE/VC, environmental/social impact, family offices, and others.■ Corporate Governance and Transactions. Jess represented companies and investors at every stage of development, providing day-to-day governance, compliance, and fiduciary advice, as well as strategic transaction counseling as clients engaged in their most transformative events. Jess advised both companies and investors through often iterative investment transactions and engaged in all phases of merger and acquisition transactions. ■ Impact Investing & Social Enterprise. Served as Deputy Chair of a practice dedicated to representing mainstream businesses, social entrepreneurs, and investors focused on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues. Jess worked with clients to achieve, protect, and report their measurable impact through the use of corporate and transaction structuring, tailored governance, hybrid / tandem models including both non-profit and for-profit organizations, and alternative fund, debt, and equity investment structures.

San Francisco, Ca, Us

Interim lead of M&A in the corporate legal function, as a dedicated in-house assignment (secondment) from Morrison & Foerster. ■ Subject Matter Expertise. Engaged to manage the exploration and execution of corporate transactions, and assist rapidly growing legal team in development and adoption of best practices during the company’s first reporting quarter following its IPO.■ Cross-Functional Engagement. Seamlessly integrated with Legal, Finance, Tax, and Business Development functions to drive strategic initiatives during a transformative period for this newly-public company.

Minato-Ku, Tokyo, Jp

Interim lead of the Legal function of SoftBank Group Corp.’s international investment division, on a dedicated in-house assignment (secondment) from Morrison & Foerster. Responsible for supporting all aspects of venture-style investment and M&A transactional activities and portfolio maintenance at both early and late stage. Provided practical, business-oriented legal oversight and strategic guidance for all transactions and ongoing portfolio matters, working in partnership with management, investment team members, banking advisors and outside legal counsel.Collaborated with the Business Operations function to implement policies that address and mitigate legal risk to the business. Advised in partnership with internal functions on budgetary, real estate, staffing and employment matters to reach pragmatic and efficient solutions for a rapidly growing team.

Chevy Chase, Md, Us

Enthusiastically provided corporate counsel with respect to all legal issues facing the leading vertical marketplace and SaaS provider in the wedding and event space. (Note that, following a series of business combination transactions, WeddingWire is now known as The Knot Worldwide). ■ Mergers & Acquisitions. Focused on thoughtfully and efficiently executing M&A, key partnerships, and technology transactions from exploration to integration, in close coordination with the Strategy function. Served as legal transaction team lead in the international acquisition of Wedding Planner S.L., the corresponding category leader across Europe and Latin America, expanding WeddingWire’s operations into 12 additional countries. ■ Corporate Governance. Advised the Board of Directors and members of the Executive Team. Served as Assistant Corporate Secretary for the company and its subsidiaries.■ General Corporate Counsel. Worked cross-functionally to draft, negotiate and facilitate the implementation of commercial contracts, including services, confidentiality, marketing and promotion, licenses and other technology transactions, consulting, and all other business agreements. Managed litigation, disputes, and employment, privacy, and other regulatory matters. ■ Management. Responsible for team management and supporting development of the Legal function in a fast-growth environment.

Manhattan, Nyc, Us

As a U.S. attorney practicing in the United Kingdom, represented primarily public company and banking clients in a broad range of corporate transactions and advised on U.S. securities disclosure, compliance, and sustainability reporting. Developed as a trusted advisor on general corporate and fiduciary matters. ■ Mergers & Acquisitions. As part of a nimble team, typically served as the sole associate on complex negotiated and unsolicited transactions including public and private mergers, real estate acquisitions, private equity investments, joint ventures and spin-offs, in U.S., European, and cross-border transactions.■ Securities & Public Company Compliance. Represented issuers in registered, exempt and private debt transactions, including those involving investment grade bonds, senior, mezzanine and other junior facilities, preference shares and hybrid and convertible instruments. Advised with respect to the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Dodd-Frank Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, stock exchange standards, and auditor and board independence requirements. ■ Project Finance. Provided corporate support for international project financings, including public and private interests in infrastructure, mining, oil and gas, and development projects.

London, Gb

Dedicated in-house assignment (secondment) from Sullivan & Cromwell LLP.In-house legal counsel at world’s leading premium beverage alcohol company, advised on issues with material impact at the group level and managed external legal advisors in the United States, United Kingdom, and other jurisdictions.■ Disclosure. Advised on development of sustainability / corporate social responsibility disclosures. Monitored compliance with U.S. securities and other regulatory laws and disclosure requirements. Directly advised investor relations, corporate relations, and financial reporting functions with respect to U.S. regulatory restrictions and requirements. Presented recommendations in response to queries from the Board of Directors and senior management.■ Mergers & Acquisitions. Engaged on transaction structuring and risk-management for a series of contemplated acquisition transactions in various global locales. As a transactional attorney in the corporate headquarters, oversaw legal and business issues arising in local deals and provided guidance and feedback from the Group perspective. Led creation of practical knowledge management resources on transactional legal and policy considerations, including internal control requirements in acquisition, joint venture and minority investment contexts, disclosure, related party issues, and U.S. cross-border transaction rules.■ Business Ethics. Acted as primary counsel to the company's Director of Compliance & Ethics. Facilitated introduction of a revised code of business conduct and training program and engaged with the internal audit and risk function to develop and implement a targeted anti-corruption compliance assessment and audit program.

Juris Doctor (J.D.)

B.A., English, Government

High School