Joel Cherry Email & Phone Number

Savannah, Ga, Us

Respected practitioner and consultant in corporate, complex transactional, intellectual property/licensing, technology, compliance/governance, entertainment/media and retail matters

I served as chief legal officer for this iconic organization, the country's #1 leisure farming and and ranching retailer; $5 billion public company with 15,000 employees in 1,000+ locations nationwide.Leadership role overseeing all aspects of legal operations for the company. Created and effectuated legal strategies, policies, and procedures for all divisions, including Merchandising, Marketing, Finance, Operations, Global Sourcing, e-Commerce, Information Technology, Real Estate, Logistics, and Human Resources. Identified and resolved issues raised in complex transactions, compliance, licensing, regulatory, corporate governance, contract negotiations, disputes/litigation, intellectualproperty, and related issues across multiple legal disciplines. Counseled senior management on aligning corporate goals with legal requirements and on business issues.· Credited with improving revenues by turning around company's outdated transaction-handling processes which proved far more efficient, facilitated 1,200+ vendor relationships valued at $2+ billion, and reduced disputes dramatically.· Increased value of company's brands by millions of dollars by leading Branding Initiative and through careful oversight and enforcement of intellectual property assets.· Driving force behind successful Sustainability Initiative designed to educate our team members and customers on the importance of our responsibility to and relationship with our environment; defined and deployed action plan carried out across all divisions.· Spearheaded critical aspects of Global Sourcing Initiative that became $350 million revenue stream; managed unique issues presented by international and import-export laws.· Protected company from potentially catastrophic penalties and liabilities by formulating business policies and procedures in compliance with state and federal regulations, including corporate governance and reporting practices.

Proactively led all aspects of legal strategies for all divisions of this legendary designer/manufacturer/distributor of musical instruments around the world, overseeing 70+ employees. Closed high-stakes deals, resolved issues raised bylitigation and other disputes, and directed outside counsel globally. Advised CEO on joint ventures,corporate governance, and other areas crucial to company’s business operations. LedInternational Entertainment Relations Division, and its ten offices worldwide, to new levels of success.• Bolstered revenues by many millions of dollars by negotiating with China’s Minister ofCulture to secure a majority ownership interest in China’s second-largest pianomanufacturer; overcame long-standing cultural differences during year-long negotiation toclose deal.• Tripled European stringed instrument business by securing hard-fought joint venture withEurope’s venerable, premier stringed instrument organization (the inception of which datesback to the 17th century).

Created and effectuated legal strategies related to significant transactions for a range of entertainment industryheavyweights, including recording artists, film-makers, producers, managers, executives and others.• Represented LucasFilm (including the months-long negotiations for global distribution rights for the StarWars soundtracks), Willie Nelson, Jimmy Buffett, Lynyrd Skynyrd,International Gaming Technologies, Reba McEntire, Gloria Estefan, Toby Keith, Brooks &Dunn, Tim McGraw, and many others.

International recording/marketing/distribution company counting the Beatles among its artists• Delivered legal solutions to transactional issues, ensuring favorable terms for record andpublishing deals and allowing company to exploit artists’ works globally.• Introduced innovative Contract Tracking System and International Matrix Agreement thatensured consistent global treatment of similar terms in different contracts, and provided auniform methodology of communication among all divisions worldwide.