SUMMARY:

Innovative, energetic and problem solving leader with over 30 years of legal and business experience achieving success for institutions and cutting edge startups. Expertise includes management, law, operations, finance, technology and litigation in the technology, Internet, finance, telecommunications, retail, healthcare and publishing and manufacturing industries.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

Confidential, Warren, New Jersey

Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel

Responsibilities:

• Managed transformation of a technical textile (medical, aerospace and construction yarn) distributor into a manufacturing business operating in a new State of the Art manufacturing, research and development center.
• Managed all aspects of business operations including Legal ( Corporate, IP and litigation), Finance, IT, HR and worked closely with the Sales, Manufacturing and Operations teams.
• Created financial and production models to support financing for transition.
• Secured and negotiated equipment financing with bank and N.J. Economic Development Authority.
• Negotiated ten - year lease for new mixed use office, manufacturing and warehouse facility, including landlord sponsored major infrastructure improvements.
• Negotiated the construction, engineering and architectural services contracts.
• On-time startup through daily on-site management of all services throughout construction.
• Restructured subsidiary including negotiation of withdrawal of minority interests.

Confidential, Summit, New Jersey

Co-Founder, President & Chief Operating Officer; Member of the Board of Directors.

Responsibilities:

• Developed and managed the strategic evolution of the first and only multi-asset, Central Limit Order Book and RFQ based swaps exchange from inception into a Dodd Frank Act - CFTC regulated institutional exchange. Assets include IRS, CDS, NDF, and the first regulated Bitcoin derivative based on a proprietary Bitcoin Index - TeraBit.
• Created and managed all aspects of the firm's development including client and investor relationships, marketing, operations, legal, regulatory, financial, software development and exchange operations.
• Secured financing of equity and debt.
• Hired and managed all internal and external Legal, Technical and Operations personnel.
• Exchange went live earlier than scheduled and below budget.
• Obtained regulatory approval for our greenfield development of an electronic derivatives exchange.
• Created and negotiated the CFTC authorization of the world’s first regulated Bitcoin derivative and the first regulated benchmark index for the price of Bitcoin.
• Negotiated and closed all financing agreements with outside counsel.
• Negotiated all agreements for software development, telecommunications, data centers, clearing, intermediary platforms, compliance, regulatory oversight and client access agreements.
• Restructured company into a holding company and multiple subs, isolating the regulated entity.
• Managed patent and trademark portfolio; co-inventor of pending patent.
• Implemented electronic contract execution and workflow management system.
• Navigated Capitol Hill during the pendency of the CFTC drafting regulations.

Confidential, Florham Park, New Jersey, & New York, New York

Shareholder

Responsibilities:

• Represented equity pairs trading hedge fund in its corporate, software development and financing.
• Advised major insurance company on $150 million software development project.
• Outside Cyberlaw counsel for Confidential ’ online commerce sites.
• Developed electronic IP portfolio tracking system to reduce prosecution and maintenance expenses.

Thacher

Confidential, Summit, New Jersey and New York, New York

Responsibilities:

• Interim General Counsel of Vonage Holdings Corporation. Responsible for all commercial transactions including Internet advertising, retail chain distribution, VAR channels, telecom and infrastructure, and corporate reorganization to multiple functionally specific subsidiaries with intercompany services agreements.
• After the complete destruction from the September 11, 2001 attack of our offices in the World Trade Center I became interim CIO to rebuild entire technology infrastructure, including the loss of all backup data. Delivered a live platform available for 150 attorneys and 150 staff in 7 days.
• Thereafter, managed rebuilding the firm's entire platform: all technology personnel, equipment and software specification and acquisition, conversion of the firm's applications palette, new accounting system, outsourcing of certain IT functions and infrastructure management. Returned to practice of law six months later upon hiring permanent CIO.
• Protected millions of dollars of revenue as Intellectual Property Development and Litigation Counsel for Built NY creating multi-dimensional intellectual property portfolio of trademarks, design patents, utility patents and copyrights to protect an innovative and award winning line of consumer products. Successfully obtained trademark shape protection, and halted dozens of infringers.
• Secured a Nationwide fixed fee litigation defense contract based on a custom automated litigation management system.

Confidential, Morristown, New Jersey

Founder & Managing Partner

Responsibilities:

• Successful defense verdict after nine-week IT copyright infringement jury trial.
• Interim General Counsel for encryption technology firm.

Confidential, Short Hills, New Jersey

Litigation Associate

• Successful defense settlements of several multi-hundred-million-dollar damage claims in IT infringement and petrochemical plant construction litigations.
• Interim General Counsel Times Mirror Multimedia. Responsible for all transactions, content licensing and distribution agreements for innovative medical education, infotainment and children’s entertainment publisher with BusinessWeek, Food & Wine Magazine, Johnson & Johnson and Sharon Lois & Bram, Sandoz.

Adjunct Professor of Law

Confidential

Responsibilities:

• Computer Law, Negotiating Software Development Agreements, Computer Litigation, Internet Law, and Online Communities.