ProfessionalsBrian AlpersteinManaging PartnerBrian Alperstein is the managing partner of the BSA Legal Group. Brian specializes in solving problems that deal with international business transactions and business and corporate law. His practice is primarily focused negotiating complex corporate transactions in the United States, Latin America and Europe. He represents both public and private companies and has specialized in representing start up and venture funded companies in fast growth industries. Brian has served as general counsel to both publicly listed and ventured funded growing companies with responsibility for managing inside and outside legal resources, at great cost savings to our clients. He has negotiated and drafted numerous inbound and outbound software license and development agreements, cross border acquisitions, corporate financing and restructuring, distribution relationships and other corporate agreements. He has worked on transactions throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe and the Middle East. Direct: +1 (202) 261-3520 US Cel: +1 (202) 345-1905 Lima Cel: + (51) 199-9361211 Email: ba@bsalegalgroup.com Marco KirbySenior AssociateMarco is a licensed Venezuela attorney and political scientist. His knowledge of both the civil and common law systems and his international experiences allow him to focus his practice on the designing and implementing of unique solutions for both inbound and outbound international business transactions and opportunities related to Latin America. Marco graduated on 2001 with a Cum Laude distinction in Law and Magna Cum Laude distinction in Political Science from the Universidad de los Andes in Mérida Venezuela, in 2003 he completed a Master of Law in Comparative Law (LL.M) with a Certificate on International Business and Trade Law from the University of Florida, he was then selected as a Fulbright Scholar to study a Masters degree on International Relations with a concentration in global markets and Latin America at the Maxwell School, Syracuse University. Direct: +1 (202) 536-4493 Venezuela: + (58) 414-7036774 Email: mk@bsalegalgroup.com Luis ArmendárizAssociateLuis’ practice emphasizes in the representation of foreign companies and high net-worth individuals investing in Latin America, mainly in Mexico, in cross-border joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, as well as financial institutions lending on real and personal property. Luis advises clients on Mexican and international law issues, including corporate, franchise, securities, real estate and foreign investment regulatory compliance. He has experience representing U.S. clients in their various transactional issues throughout Mexico and Latin America, coordinating in many cases with a network of top-quality local law firms, where applicable and necessary. Luis acquired this experience by working in top-level law firms both in Mexico and the U.S. He worked in the Monterrey office of Santamarina y Steta, S.C., one of Mexico’s most traditional and distinguished law firms. In the U.S., Luis worked for Bryan Cave LLP, a full-service business law firm with over 1,000 attorneys around the world. Luis obtained his law degree from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey. A few years later, he obtained his LL.M. degree from Northwestern University School of Law and a Certificate in Business Administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. He resides in the El Paso, TX – Juarez, Mexico border area and travels frequently to our Washington, DC, office. Direct: +1 (915) 309-9968 Email: la@bsalegalgroup.com Sandra BettocchiAssociateSandra is a licensed attorney in both the U.S and Peru. She has knowledge and experience working in both the civil and common law systems. She focuses her practice on domestic and international business transactions related to the US and Latin America with a special expertise on advising the firm’s clients on their transactions in Peru. Sandra has experience working with well-recognized law firms and corporations both in the U.S. and Peru. She worked for Brown and Charbonneau, LLP, a boutique litigation firm in Orange County, California. She also worked as a paralegal in the San Francisco office of Thelen, Reid & Priest, LLP, a large law-firm with offices in various major cities of the U.S. In Peru, Sandra worked as a legal intern at one of Peru´s largest corporations, Graña y Montero. She provided legal support and advice in the contracts and real estate areas. She also completed legal internships at INDECOPI (Peru´s National Institute of Defense and Protection of Free Trade and Intellectual Property) and Banco Financiero del Peru. Sandra has experience in commercial litigation as well as family and corporate law. She was involved in various aspects of commercial litigation, including trial preparation, motion practice and all aspects of discovery. She was also involved in advising commercial clients on corporate governance, start-up issues, mergers, acquisitions, dissolutions, and general corporate transactions. Sandra obtained her law degree in 1998 from the University of Lima, School of Law and Political Science. A year later she obtained her license to practice law in Peru. In 2002 Sandra completed a Masters of Law in Corporate Law (LL.M.) from the University of California - Davis, School of Law. She was admitted to the State Bar of California in 2003. Sandra is fluent in Spanish and English. Direct: +51 99279-1443 Cel: +51 99279-1443 Email: sb@bsalegalgroup.com Michael WilliamsOf-counselMichael Williams runs our public securities group. He currently represents or has represented over 30 clients and their representatives in the process of going public through the filing of registration statements on Form S-1 [formerly Form SB-2], filings on Form 10 [formerly Form 10-SB] as well as numerous reverse merger transactions. He also assists public companies with SEC reporting and compliance matters. He worked for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, D.C. from 1975-1980. Michael was previously President and Director of Fully-Reporting, OTCBB Trading Public Company, SPLIF.OB. Direct: +1 (813) 831-9348 Cel: +1 (813) 484-9883 Email: mw@bsalegalgroup.com Ricardo LópezLegal AssistantRicardo is a legal assistant for BSA Legal Group. He works closely with the international corporate attorneys and clients on pre- and post-contract management and administration. He has experience with public company corporate governance and multi-state incorporations. Ricardo’s academic background has provided him with the skills to provide excellent research and due-diligence reports. Ricardo received his Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations and Latin American Studies from The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, in 2009. He is currently pursuing a Masters in Government with a focus in Economic Security at The John Hopkins DC campus. Ricardo is fluent in English and Spanish. He works out of our Washington, D.C. Office. Direct: +1 (202) 261-3519 Email: rl@bsalegalgroup.com Brook EdingerOf-counselBrook represents US and international clients, handling all aspects and sizes of deals, including negotiating, documenting, coordinating due diligence for and closing US and cross-border M&A, finance and joint venture transactions. Brook also advises debtor and creditor clients on workout, insolvency and reorganization matters, as well as advising clients on entity structuring, formation and governance matters. After living in Istanbul for two years, Brook has established a broad network of contacts in finance, business and law in Southern Europe and Central Asia, particularly in Turkey, and regularly arranges and staffs all aspects of deals, from identifying counterparties and professionals, initial discussions and term sheets, to diligence, documentation and consummation. Brook has served as counsel for US-based private equity funds on acquisition, disposition and financing deals, global finance house specializing in transaction and trade finance, counsel on multiple distress, debt and equity investment purchase and workout deals, arranged a multi-property media transaction in Turkey for publicly-traded global media and tech company, counsel for publicly-traded media and technology company in the sale of multiple radio stations, including the largest radio station sale in the US since 2008, counsel for Latin American telecoms company in the sale of an undersea cable interest and telecommunications business in Colombia and Panama, counsel for publicly-traded global media and technology company in its sale of 16 TV stations for $1.24 billion to seven separate buyers. Brook was admitted to the Bar of the District of Columbia and Virginia. He is also a member of the American Bar Association and the Federal Communications Bar Association. He obtained his JD from William and Mary School of Law (1995), and his BA, with Highest Honors, from College of William and Mary (1991). Dag WilkinsonOf-counselWith over twenty-five years of experience as a large law firm partner and general counsel, Dag has a wealth of corporate finance, securities, transactional and executive expertise. He has a proven track record of forging long-term working relationships with executive management teams. Dag was previously Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of Capital Pacific Holdings, Inc., a publicly-traded $600 million real estate company. Prior to Capital Pacific, Dag was a partner at Wiley Rein LLP, one of the most prominent law firms in Washington, D.C., where he led the firm’s corporate practice and loss mitigation program. Dag’s experience includes overseeing all legal activities, including general corporate matters, securities law compliance, finance and risk management, of a $600 million publicly traded company for 7 years. He also was responsible for over $500 million in senior, subordinated and project level financing. Dag was general counsel to sponsor of commercial real estate investment trusts with over $400 million in assets under management, and to borrower in workout of over $275 million in senior debt. Lead transactional counsel in acquisition of 24,000 acre development site, and to television and radio operator in acquisition of over 500 radio and television stations. Investee counsel in over $750 million in real estate joint venture financing, among others. Dag obtained his JD from Yale Law School in 1982, and a MPA from Princeton University Woodrow Wilson School. Dag has been admitted to the Bar of California, District of Columbia and the U.S. Supreme Court. J. Ladd JohnsonOf-counselLadd received his JD and MAcc from Brigham Young University in 2001, and his BS from Brigham Young University in 2000. He is licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia and Utah. Ladd has a wealth of experience representing public and private companies of all sizes in business and finance matters ranging from large mergers, acquisitions and finance transactions worth hundreds of millions of dollars, to structuring and forming mid-sized and start-up companies in a variety of industries, including technology, media and telecommunications. Ladd serves as outside general counsel to multiple rapidly growing media and technology companies. He also regularly advises clients on matters involving general corporate law, workout matters, real estate, broadcast and media towers, bankruptcy and reorganization, and tax-exempt status. Ladd was previously an associate at Holme Roberts Owen for one year and an associate at Wiley Rein LLP for seven years. Ladd has represented a Latin American telecoms company in the sale of an undersea cable interest and telecommunications business in Colombia and Panama. He has been the lead transactional counsel for multiple media companies in the purchase and sale of broadcast and wireless towers and transmission sites, as well as multiple business owners in multi-million dollar transactions. He has represented various media and other companies on mergers, acquisitions, dispositions and financings ranging from $1 million to $100 million, among others. |