Ken James Email & Phone Number

United States

Cleveland, OH, US

Instructing upper level students in commercial contract principles and drafting techniques.

I am an accomplished C-Suite business lawyer. A value-creating leader who translates complex legal challenges into actionable business solutions. I am currently seeking my next opportunity and can be reached at: kennethjames1011@gmail.com

General Counsel and Director Government Affairs. Reported to CEO. Major accomplishments:Completed sale and lease back of two U.S. manufacturing facilities, Canada Distribution center, and U.S. headquarters facility in four transactions totaling $25 million.Led Legal team in negotiation of $150 million credit facility.Created a Privacy Council to monitor.

East Cleveland, OH, US

Cuyahoga Falls, OH, US

• Provided counsel to commercial and functional operations on a broad range of tactical and strategic issues. Responsible for managing the company’s litigation and risk portfolios.
• Legal counsel on executive team which successfully negotiated renewal of a distribution agreement with a customer group that accounted for 11% of annual revenue.
• Managed investigation and achieved favorable resolution of Fair Labor Standards Act matters.
• Managed investigation, litigation, and defense of class action claims against the company.
• Member of executive team that restructured $830 million of bonds improving liquidity and balance sheet by implementing a three-part transaction involving a new bond offering, issuance of a new class of stock, and.
• Managed 6-month disaster recovery project which affected 60,000 square feet of corporate headquarters. Structured and settled the related insurance claims.

Paris, Ile-de-France, FR

• Executive legal counsel for a wide range of strategic business projects. Key client groups included Business Strategy, Operations, Sales, and Marketing departments.
• Lead counsel on 3 strategic asset dispositions valued at $625+ million. Managed preparation and review of due diligence, drafted and negotiated transaction documents, closed each transaction, and met market level.
• Lead counsel for a strategic restructure of distribution network generating multi-million dollars of incremental revenue and creating a dedicated distributor network. Drafted and negotiated 5-year distribution.
• Lead counsel in a trademark licensing transaction creating multiple millions of dollars in shareholder value by spinning off a product line and negotiating a restructured agreement with a VC.
• Managed defense and settlement of an environmental property damage class action suit consisting of 4,500 property owners near a company production facility with a Plaintiff demand of $45 million resulting in a.
• Identified and implemented eDiscovery software system saving thousands of dollars per case by creating in-house e-discovery capability. Managed label database ensuring governmental compliance. Improved accuracy and.

• Managed negotiations with county water commission to preserve critical waste water discharge rights that were essential for operation of a recently acquired production facility.
• Developed a contract structure to facilitate financing for a product distribution business.
• As temporary General Counsel, conducted a review of FCPA compliance by European based sales agents for global supplier of airport security equipment.

London, GB

• Legal counsel and member of executive commercial strategy team. Key client groups included Procurement, Sales, and Distribution Management.
• Drafted and negotiated new distribution agreements for hundreds of distributors creating millions of dollars in incremental marketing funds to support new product introduction.
• Generated millions of dollars in incremental revenue by drafting and negotiating an industry-changing distribution agreement.
• Led the successful purchase of a multi-million dollar production facility, a strategic necessity to support demand for a new product category.
• Innovated a sales and product distribution plan approved by company auditors permitting “forward sale” of inventory that would have otherwise been unsalable due to a sudden change of an existing supplier contract.

Boston, MA, US

• Business Partner and advisor to product management, sales function, and lighting systems business.
• Received a CEO Award for winning proposal securing a new $90 million a year customer.
• Led and closed acquisition of high-tech lighting company owning a patent and structured transaction to avoid sharing of intellectual property under a patent cross-license agreement.
• Advised Sales & Marketing on product advertising including “environmentally friendly” and “green” claims.
• Assisted Marketing teams in developing proper substantiation of product performance and product comparison claims.
• Managed product liability litigation companywide.

Dallas, Texas, US

• Led legal team on 25 divestitures, acquisitions and joint ventures having a combined transaction value of $425 million. Advisor to businesses on a broad range of matters including antitrust, commercial law, and.
• Formed a joint venture with a Japanese company becoming the exclusive distributor for a consumer product.

Juris Doctorate

Bachelor Of Arts - Ba