RICH AKUETEY
Scarsdale, New York 10583
LEGAL EXPERIENCE
VERTRUE INCORPORATED, Norwalk, CT 4/05-
present
Vice President, Legal Counsel
In-house business lawyer for internet marketing company. Key
responsibilities include providing creative, practical and timely
legal advice and guidance to senior business managers to help them
make decisions and navigate in a highly competitive, regulated and
fast changing business environment; spotting, analyzing and monitoring
legal developments (federal and state) affecting the business and
communicating the implications for the business to senior management;
and developing, implementing and monitoring compliance plans. Key
areas of focus include commercial transactions (primarily mergers and
acquisitions and commercial contracts), corporate law, consumer
privacy and data protection legal requirements, intellectual property
and employment law. Provide all corporate secretary functions.
Structure, draft, negotiate and create forms for a broad range of
commercial agreements, including merger, asset, stock and joint
venture agreements, confidentiality agreements, letters of intent,
credit agreements, marketing agreements, intellectual property
licensing agreements, real estate leases and employment and
consulting agreements. Manage outside counsel on matters relating to
mergers and acquisitions, due diligence and litigation. Lead in-house
lawyer for company's going private transaction in 2007. Supervised
the preparation and filing of '34 Act filings and compliance with
federal securities laws prior to company going private.
KRAMER LEVIN NAFTALIS & FRANKEL, New York, NY 10/01-
4/05
Corporate Associate
Represented corporate clients, banks, private equity funds and
investment banks in mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, equity
and debt investments, financings and joint ventures. Responsibilities
included providing advice and guidance on corporate and securities
laws, structuring transactions and drafting and negotiating merger
agreements, purchase agreements, subscription agreements, credit
agreements, indentures, investment agreements, stockholders
agreements, warrant agreements, registration rights agreements,
limited liability company agreements, partnership agreements, joint
venture agreements and other transactional documents. Lead associate
on all transactions.
SIMPSON THACHER & BARTLETT, New York, NY
9/97-10/01
Corporate Associate
Represented corporate clients and private equity funds in mergers and
acquisitions, joint ventures and restructurings. Rotated through the
Mergers & Acquisitions, Finance and Bankruptcy departments.
Responsibilities included drafting and negotiating purchase
agreements, merger agreements, joint venture agreements, stockholders
agreements, credit agreements and other transactional documents;
preparing and reviewing various SEC filings; and conducting legal due
diligence and researching corporate and bankruptcy law issues.
EDUCATION
Columbia University School of Law, New York, NY
J.D May 1997
Honors: Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar
Columbia Law Review
Activities: Research Assistant to Professor James Liebman
Bernard M. Baruch College, New York, NY
BBA in Marketing, magna cum laude, June 1986
PRIOR BUSINESS EXPERIENCE
ZIFF-DAVIS PUBLISHING, New York, NY
11/90-8/94
Senior Account Executive
Marketed software support databases to Fortune 500 companies.
Negotiated contracts with software companies and worked with software
developers to customize databases for clients.
ONE-CALL VIDEO, New York, NY
8/87-9/90
Owner/Manager
Founded and managed home delivery video business
BAR ADMISSION New York