https://www.vlplawgroup.com/attorneys/lee-conner/• Represent financial institutions and other clients in venture lending and other commercial/corporate matters. - Advise clients on all aspects of deal structure, negotiation, and documentation. - Manage 30-40 projects at a time; requiring communication with 50-70 bankers and borrowers. - Drafting and closing process demands error-free work and ability to protect the lender while successfully negotiating with opposing counsel and meeting borrower’s financial timelines. • Direct, train, and supervise counsels and paralegals; business development contributor.• Promoted from Counsel to Partner (April 2021).Practice Areas:• Commercial Lending, Structured Finance & Venture Debt• Corporate• Emerging Growth Companies & Venture Capital

https://www.vlplawgroup.com/attorneys/lee-conner/

• Executive team member in multi-state company; key contributor to decisions with enterprise-wide impact.• Primary legal advisor on all matters, either handling directly or supervising outside counsel. - Delivered legal guidance to minimize regulatory compliance risk across the enterprise. - Scrutinized and negotiated contracts with outside vendors and other third parties.• Head of human resources function, serving 430+ employees located at 40+ facilities in NC, VA, and TN. - Strategic Leadership: -- Thought leader driving formulation of strategic objectives around employer branding, employee engagement, and employee value proposition. -- Driving force behind HR IT transformation: Moved exit interview process online, yielding actionable information; conceptualized and implemented employee benefits website; added debit cards, online account access, and mobile receipt capture to FSAs; partnered with IT to develop online job application. -- Led team that organized and planned Company’s annual employee meeting; crafted changes that yielded a sharply positive trend in meeting evaluations. - Employment Law & Compliance: -- Designed and led companywide EEOC training; conducted FLSA audit to assure proper classification. -- Standardized reference checking and employee separation processes. - Talent Management & Employee Benefits: -- Interviewed top candidates; helped hiring managers craft and negotiate job offers. -- Directed annual performance management process. -- Increased wellness program completion by +10% (participation +16%).

• Key legal leader supporting a wide variety of business and operational units within a thriving venture bank.• Joined bank as a startup during 2nd year; experienced private equity raise, IPO, and sale to Pacific Western Bank.• Partnered with key stakeholders to assess and control enterprise risk. - Managed highly-successfully bank-wide overhaul of record retention policies and procedures. - Aligned with operational department heads to draft compliance-related policies and procedures. - Led inter-departmental team’s overhaul of master deposit account terms & conditions.• Advised HR leaders re: employee discipline, hiring, separations/terminations, wage and hour issues, and other employment law matters. Reduced litigation risks by partnering with HR to create training program. • Drafted policies (e.g., social media, pandemic, telecommuting) and sales commission plans.• Negotiated advantageous settlements in 2 complicated trademark infringement cases; managed all internal aspects and controlled outside counsel spending.Provided in-house counsel in a variety of legal areas:• Commercial Law & Contracts• Corporate Law & Governance• Outside Counsel & Litigation Management• Real Estate / Commercial Leases• Employment Law / Human Resources• Intellectual Property Management (Trademark Protection)• Banking Operations• Small Business Administration (SBA) Loans• Record Retention & Destruction• Risk Mitigation• Added to Senior Leadership Council (Q1 2010).• Promoted twice (AVP to VP; Loan Documentation Attorney to Associate General Counsel).

• Drafted and negotiated a wide variety of loan documents, including loan and security agreements, subordination agreements, amendments, waivers, pledge and security agreements, and NDAs. • Managed attorneys and paralegals, as well as department budget.• Reviewed contracts and other commercial documents, including leases, software licenses, confidentiality agreements, and vendor agreements/licenses.

Recruited as a pioneering attorney hired to launch a new operational team and transform loan documentation function within an entrepreneurial commercial bank dedicated to serving startup companies and venture capital firms.• Operational manager of key internal department; hired/managed attorneys and paralegals.• Modernized and automated document drafting, enhancing speed and achieving 99% rate error-free rate.• Led unit from creation to 90%+ utilization in under 18 months by building reputation for trust, high quality work, and responsiveness among internal customers.

• Private practice attorney counseling clients in variety of legal disciplines, focusing on corporate clients.• Led efforts to modernize marketing and branding, adopt new logo, and overhaul website.• Responsible for client relationship management and development, as well as billing and collection.COMMERCIAL LAW & CONTRACTS• Drafted and negotiated wide variety of contracts and agreements including real estate leases, vendor contracts, franchise agreements, and confidentiality agreements.• Key legal leader in acquisition of a construction materials company; led successful resolution of legal title issues and environmental complications at seven plant sites.CORPORATE LAW & GOVERNANCE• Counseled executives regarding corporate law and governance issues.• Drafted and filed formation documents for corporate entities such as C-corporations, S-corporations, and limited liability companies. • Designed corporate structures for small and medium-sized businesses.• Prepared and filed required documents/applications with government agencies. EMPLOYMENT LAW• Developed and implemented management training program for clients focused on reducing employment-related litigation risks.• Represented employers in wide variety of employment litigation, including EEOC discrimination claims and lawsuits for wrongful termination and sexual harassment. • Successfully negotiated numerous employment-related litigation settlements. • Represented employers in NC ESC unemployment benefits hearings.• Drafted employment handbook for private business with over 500 employees, as well as non-compete agreements, employment contracts, and termination agreements.

• Recommended strategies to competitively re-position hotels for national hotel operator/investor.• Analyzed market and site feasibility, market segmentation, and demand generators.• Calculated hotel operating projections and real estate investment returns.• Performed legal due diligence on hotel acquisition targets. * PROMOTED from Development Analyst to Senior Development Analyst.

• Performed comprehensive strategic and financial assessment of US Airways’ competitive position against Southwest Airlines and Southwest’s unique strategy.• Analyzed factors such as: labor, fuel, publicity and maintenance expenses; frequent traveler rewards and employee profit sharing policies; Internet ticketing; dining and cabin service; fleet composition; and route systems.• Recommended targeted changes to the CFO and other officers to enhance US Airways competitive position against Southwest and other low-cost carriers.

• Selected by an exceptionally competitive national recruitment process to work ‘on Wall Street’.• Performed financial underwriting of mergers and acquisitions, public debt offerings, and initial public offerings of stock; participated in IPO road show.• Lead Analyst: (i) Equity One, Inc. (EQY) initial public offering; and (ii) acquisition of Eastern Resorts by Equivest.• Composed presentation and accompanied CEO and CFO as CSFB’s representative on Equity One’s IPO roadshow for institutional investors.