I serve as the chief legal advisor to executive leadership at Yazaki in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala. My responsibilities include:• advising executive leadership in connection with commercial and operational matters;• advising all business units and core functions on overall commercial strategies, including commercial contracting, negotiations, recoveries and disputes with customers;• advising purchasing department in connection with all procurement and supply chain matters, including commercial agreements (general terms and conditions, master service agreement, master supply agreement, bonus agreements, etc.) and supply chain disputes (force majeure, demands for price increase, stop-ship threats, etc.);• advising human resources and management in connection with employment matters, including employee benefits and compliance matters;• advising IT and related functions in connection with internal IT policies, SAP migration, and other matters;• executing strategy for all litigation matters in North and Central America; • regulatory compliance regarding import/export matters, including OFAC/sanction compliance, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, and laws/regulations surrounding conflict minerals, and the Corporate Transparency Act.I also serve as a key member on all crisis management teams for matters impacting Yazaki’s operations in North and Central America.In addition to these roles, I am frequently called upon to support our business planning/footprint expansion activities, and am responsible for the day-to-day handling of corporate governance, internal control/risk assessment/risk mitigation activities, and compliance functions.

Advise purchasing department on direct and indirect purchasing matters, including including commercial agreements (general terms and conditions, master service agreement, master supply agreement, bonus agreements, etc.) and supply chain disputes (force majeure, demands for price increase, stop-ship threats, etc.).Draft, negotiate and structure complex commercial contracts and other agreements, including agreements with customers and suppliers, licensing agreements, SaaS agreements, terms and conditions of sale, long term agreements, master service agreements, purchase orders, letters of intent, non-disclosure/non-compete agreements, and other commercial agreements.Advise senior leadership on navigating commercial disputes, including supply chain and vendor disputes.

Litigation practice focusing on general commercial, contract and Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) disputes; construction disputes, including change orders, payment disputes, cost overruns, and lien/bond claims; consumer finance litigation, including suits arising under Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Truth in Lending Act (TILA), Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) and Michigan Consumer Protection Act (MCPA); real estate matters, including loan workouts and litigation, title/lien priority disputes, mortgage fraud, and various title insurance issues; credit card and retail installment contract disputes; automotive (OEM, Tier 1 and Tier 2) disputes; insurance coverage disputes; fraud, tortious interference, and other business torts; and defense of premises liability, personal injury, and property damage suits.

Advised financial institution clients with regard to various regulatory compliance, corporate governance, executive compensation, and employee benefits issues.