Sarah Curtis Email & Phone Number

United States

Serving at the helm of Choctaw Global, LLC, I provide transitional CEO expertise in investments, commercial endeavors and government contracts and represent the Choctaw Nation at the first Federal Tribal Advisory Council to the Government Accountability Office.Overseeing a multi-million dollar budget, I partner with executive management and retirement committees in organization-wide initiatives including developing the first strategic plan for the family of 24 companies. I am proud of the team’s efforts in delivering these history-making outcomes:► Drove significant multi-million dollar surges in the size of the investment portfolios by negotiating transactions, advising on stabilization plans for multiple companies, and monitoring the utilization of outside counsel. ►Generated tens of millions of dollars in incremental proceeds after divesting two multi-family assets and securing millions of dollars in single-year EBITDA improvements by implementing cost savings, best practices, governance structures, and portfolio restructures.►Fostered a 57% reduction in retirement plan fees by changing financial advisors.Working with this team of experts, I anticipate record-breaking revenue spikes through rebranding, new website launches, first-ever annual reports, newsletters, and marketing campaigns to elevate Choctaw Global to the highest level of industry excellence.

Recruited to a vice-presidential role at a minority-owned holding company of 23 subsidiaries, I wasted no time in assembling a 10-person legal and compliance staff to negotiate over 100 contracts in vendor, investment, subcontractor, and government relationships.As a pioneer in the Choctaw Nation in developing processes and procedures for selecting and managing outside counsel, I joined forces with attorneys, health, safety, and environmental professionals to ensure adherence with Small Business Administration (SBA) rules and defense and federal government acquisition regulations (DFAR, FAR), inquiries, and programs. Navigating environmental exposure and permitting procedures, we ensured compliance engagement concerning the presence of lead in a manufacturing facility resulting in a clean facility without any bodily harm or findings, fines, or penalties from the government.

Miami, Florida, Us

Segueing my expertise as a corporate general counsel attorney to a firm with 1,700 associates across 40 countries, I held responsibility for providing representation in litigation, business, real estate, and governmental law.Supporting customers in non-profit entity formation and management activities, I partnered with stakeholders to negotiate and close sizable deals from the initial assessment stage through post-closing.To educate peers and clients and build camaraderie among female professionals, I regularly spoke at conferences, hosted relationship-building events, and fostered regulation and best practice awareness by authoring alerts related to government contracting issues.

Cleveland, Ohio, Us

As a contract attorney, I advised for-profit and nonprofit clients on business and tax law issues and federal, state, and local compliance. My responsibilities included drafting legal documents, memos, briefs, various filings, and contracts, and creating and delivering client presentations, executive-level internal communications, seminars, and staff training. Continuing in my pursuit of assisting under-represented communities, I supported modifying the native law section of the Alaska Bar Association’s requirements to issue stock to those natives born after the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act enrollment deadline.

As general counsel for a family of 15 government and commercial contracting companies worth hundreds of millions of dollars, I specialized in construction, security, logistics, oil and gas, and environmental services.Acting as the sole in-house legal advisor, I directed the government and private entity agreements, and reviewed and advised on existing and potential contractual relationships. With persuasive collaboration, I averted hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees by prudently handling the utilization of outside counsel while maintaining lines of communication for service needs during emergencies. Advancing relations between Alaska Natives and the commercial industry, I negotiated and drafted legal documents in completing a historic multi-billion-dollar agreement between several Alaska Native corporations and a major oil and gas company.

Cleveland, Ohio, Us

Launching my career with a full-service global firm employing 1,500 lawyers throughout four continents established the foundation for over a decade of career success by providing me with first-hand experience in navigating and integrating law principles, business protocols, and government regulations. Serving on panels for a broad client base, I handled cases from pro bono matters to multi-billion dollar civil litigation suits. Some of my most notable cases included facilitating a smooth financial transition of a multi-million dollar restructuring of a 34-company credit enterprise and overseeing filing processes and enterprise development program applications for groups of 10 or more companies.Expanding the reach and scope of my services, I was honored to serve on a life-changing case before the Alaska State Supreme Court to advocate for retirement benefits for the spouse of a deceased state employee.Improving the quality of life for others inspires me to contribute my legal skills to impacting the community and influencing a wide-range of corporate sectors.

Ll.M., Taxation

Jd, Law

Ba, History & Political Science