• Spearheaded the first legal department in North America by managing and guiding the transition of U.S. legal support from corporate offices in Europe and building a centralized U.S. legal department; achieving an exceeding expectations accolade.• Collaborative member of the executive team playing a pivotal role in developing legal and business strategies of several business units, sectors, and locations involving millions in business transactions, including compliance, and governance matters.• Draft, review, and negotiate a broad scope of general business-related commercial agreements, including, master service agreements, non-disclosure agreements, sales and purchase agreements, lease agreements, and a variety of procurement transactions.• Collaboratively work alongside sales executives, global legal, finance, human resources, and procurement on both standard and negotiated agreements, industry regulations and compliance, corporate maintenance, employment issues, and litigation, among others.• Work closely with global legal in the implementation of legal guidelines and policies guiding the US legal and management teams with a common framework for review and negotiation of transactional matters.• Concurrently work with outside counsel regarding various regulatory and business matters and monitoring pending claims and litigation cases; successfully managing case strategy, and legal budget; history of successfully reducing legal expenses.

• Collaborated with the executive team by contributing to business, operational, and legal strategies. Successfully implemented a resolution process involving human resources, accounting, claims, IT, compliance, underwriting, sales and marketing, customer service, and audit department related issues.• Prepared, reviewed, and negotiated a wide variety of commercial/business related agreements, including financial documents, joint ventures, compliance filings and other documents relating to business practices.• Conducted legal and business research regarding compliance, best practices, and other matters falling within the purview of targeted regulatory compliance; monitored effects of the law in jurisdictions where organizations are authorized to conduct business.• Led corporate compliance matters related to regulatory, business, and corporate governance filings, including corporate formation, maintenance, and general corporate housekeeping; filed and managed trademark applications and approvals.• Developed a comprehensive employee manual including policies and procedures guiding the organization; worked closely with Human Resources involving compliance with employment and labor related issues; successfully defeated EEOC claims.• Investigated, defended, and accomplished a Better Business Bureau rating to an A+

• Provided a full range of legal support and advice involving multiple lines of business, including real estate development, hospitality, advertising, and property management; collaborated with executive teams in a broad range of business and legal related matters.• Structured, negotiated, and reviewed a variety of corporate and business-related agreements, including commercial leases, general contractor, and vendor transactions; participated in commercial real estate purchases, mergers and acquisitions, and joint ventures.• Led the management of compliance matters involving local governmental agencies by ensuring compliance with regulations and laws impacting real estate, hotel operations, advertising, and construction; successfully ensuring compliance with building codes, construction, land use, and permitting; including, representation at judicial hearings. • Collaborated and managed business projects between engineers, architects, and general contractors ensuring compliance with business objectives and timelines.• Successfully reduced legal expenses by proactively identifying and mitigating legal exposure and litigation costs; responsible for management and direction of outside counsel by assisting with investigations, discovery, and general case strategy.

• Successfully established the first in-house legal department, and proactively handled and managed all cases and claims. • Generated successful outcomes in numerous claims/cases and government investigations by conducting risk-assessment and developing legally sound strategies for the defense of all actions.• Saved the company over $50,000 in attorney’s fees through timely and cost-effective case resolution and efficient recruitment and management of outside counsel. • Provided proactive legal advice and counsel to corporate executives and management teams.

EARLY CAREER – LITIGATION EXPERIENCE• Handled a variety of general civil and commercial matters, including but not limited to insurance defense cases on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants; owned cases from inception through trial; drafted pleadings, propounded and responded to discovery, drafted and argued motions, deposed witnesses and parties, and participated in mediations and trials; second chaired jury trials.