Vice President Real Estate

Samuel W. Ach *********@*****.***

*** ******* **** . ********, ******** 60025 . 847-***-****

General Counsel and Multidimensional Executive with substantial experience

in business development, corporate governance, strategy design and

implementation, risk assessment, and litigation. Proven record of building

collaborative relationships with CEO, Board and others, of crafting

pragmatic solutions to complex business and legal challenges, and of

successfully guiding companies through major transitions. Recognized as a

versatile leader and strong team player who drives results through a

combination of analytic rigor, integrity, inquisitiveness, risk tolerance,

creativity, hands-on work style, and superior communication skills.

Exceptional past performance in diverse settings, including midsize private

company, large-cap publicly traded corporation, government agency, and

prominent law firm.

Professional Experience

Senior Vice President & General Counsel 2007 - Present

Learning Paradigms, Inc., Northfield, IL. Management consulting firm

providing strategy development, organizational change, executive coaching,

and related advisory services.

Operational responsibilities include negotiation of client contracts,

intellectual property protection, benefits administration, and co-vendor

arrangements. Personal consulting engagements focus on evaluation of

acquisition and divestiture opportunities, transition and integration

planning services, facility utilization forecasting, and process

improvement/technology integration planning.

Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary 2004 - 2007

Chemcentral Corporation, Bedford Park, IL. Large non-public industrial

chemical distribution company with annual sales of $1.4B, 35 U.S.

distribution facilities, and international subsidiaries or joint ventures

in Australia, Canada, China, Dubai, India, Malaysia, Mexico, and Singapore.

Helped CEO, CFO, and others transform company into more profitable,

disciplined, and growth-oriented global supply-chain partner through

strengthened chemical producer relationships, overseas expansion, adoption

of regional operating model, corporate entity restructuring and improved

budgeting. Selected accomplishments include:

. Spearheaded executive and external legal and finance negotiation team

through successful sale of company to industry leader at substantial

premium over market-based valuation -- overwhelming shareholder

approval following emergence of competing acquirer and increased

tender offer.

. Overhauled Board practices and Committee charters to meet applicable

corporate governance standards following enactment of Sarbanes-Oxley

and other legal developments; Guided Board through evaluation of

unsolicited buyout offer and subsequent decision to pursue sale of

company.

. Re-engineered corporate strategic business planning process to provide

comprehensive assessment of external market trends, future capital

investment needs, new market development opportunities, and existing

organizational capabilities; produced revised business plan objectives

for operating units and later provided comparative growth/value

framework for evaluating corporate merger proposal;

. Directed public communications and crisis response in aftermath of

nationally reported chemical plant explosion; secured support of

public officials to calm public, and avoided federal safety sanctions.

. Led due diligence and negotiation teams for acquisitions in Australia

and Brazil, and provided executive supervision for joint ventures in

Asia-Pacific, India, Dubai, and USA.

. Implemented new contract review and approval processes to assure

better protection of corporate interests; helped build business case

for new ERP system and negotiated license and support agreement with

SAP; and helped manage captive insurer and broker presentations to

reduce insurance costs.

. Re-aligned legal department assignments, reformed outside counsel

engagement practices, implemented new e-discovery tools, and

introduced enhanced performance review process; resulted in greater

staff productivity, better litigation outcomes, and lower total legal

services expense.

Chief Counsel 2003 - 2004

Illinois Department of Transportation, Springfield, IL and Chicago, IL.

State agency with 6500 employees, and annual procurement, construction, and

maintenance budget of approximately $5B.

Recruited by former boss to provide non-partisan legal advice; to supervise

internal legal staff and claims bureau; to help formulate Department

policies and regulations necessary to implement new legislation and

executive orders; and to enforce ethics laws and policies. Inherited a

diminished and demoralized staff of approximately 35 people, but halted

exodus of experienced personnel and inspired renewed effort by regularly

meeting with each department attorney, resisting appointment of unqualified

personnel to important posts, and streamlining contract approval work-

flows. Selected accomplishments include:

. Developed administrative rules for utilization of controversial

Project Labor Agreements and for implementation of problematic

contractor qualification statute; addressed concerns of federal

regulators and avoided threatened loss of federal funding.

. Negotiated CREATE Project Memorandum of Understanding among national

railroads, state and city officials for public-private financed $1+

billion infrastructure upgrades in Chicago area; created basis for

securing substantial federal program support in highway

reauthorization.

. Established effective working relationship with internal security and

audit unit; helped build case for contractor suspension pending FBI

investigation and subsequent criminal conviction.

. Delivered required legal support with 1/3 less staff than predecessor

through greater delegation of authority within identified parameters,

greater risk taking in certain real estate acquisitions.

Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary 1999 - 2002

Ameritech New Media, Inc., Chicago, IL. Competitive cable systems

operator responsible for design and construction of fiber optic data and

video communication networks in major metropolitan areas.

Promoted to GC approximately four months before business put up for sale by

corporate parent following shift in infrastructure investment priorities.

Primarily responsible for negotiating sale of company, including management

presentations and supervising due diligence responses for multiple buyers,

and for assuring ongoing delivery of legal services through combination of

internal and outside legal resources. Approximately six months after

taking job, also assumed supervisory responsibilities of VP Human Resources

and VP Governmental Affairs following their departures from company.

Selected accomplishments include:

. Drove complex divestiture of fiber optic infrastructure and

governmental licenses to successful conclusion with venture capital

sponsored buyer.

. Recommended by company's President to be his successor upon

retirement.

. Developed management retention and performance incentives to preserve

business value through extended two-year sale -- company won national

J.D. Power service excellence award during this time.

. Reduced annual legal spend by approximately 30% through re-

prioritization of staff and outside counsel work-load.

Senior Counsel 1995 - 1999

Ameritech Corporation, Chicago, IL. Fortune 100 regional

telecommunications service provider, and controlling shareholder of foreign

telecommunications companies in Europe and Asia.

Originally recruited to company as senior environmental counsel to

establish risk oversight committee, to provide more collaborative support

to Environment Health & Safety group and operating companies, and to manage

swollen portfolio of superfund and RCRA cases. Following early successes,

was designated as lead attorney for network services division

(corporation's largest business unit), and subsequently selected for new

role as chief attorney for enterprise-wide risk management and business

continuity planning group. Selected accomplishments include:

. Instrumental leadership role in assessing potential business

disruptions and liability exposures in event of systemic IT

infrastructure and software failures and in shaping $280M business

continuity and risk mitigation project covering 20+ business units and

international affiliates.

. Negotiated voluntary environmental sustainability disclosure standard

for U.S. telecommunications industry with activist social investor

group CERES; avoided potential shareholder meeting disruption, proxy

complications, and unduly burdensome annual data collection and

disclosure obligations.

. Implemented new cross-functional compliance oversight structure per

federal sentencing guidelines; designed streamlined EPCRA reporting

process for 1000+ locations; reduced environmental litigation expense

and outstanding cases by approximately 50%; and assisted in

reorganization of internal EHS function based on subject matter

expertise.

Partner & Associate 1987 - 1988, 1989 -1995

Butler, Rubin, Saltarelli & Boyd, Chicago, IL. Distinguished law firm

focused on complex commercial litigation founded by former partners of one

of city's largest law firms and staffed almost exclusively by "big law"

lateral hires.

One of few partners recruited directly from law school, personal practice

focused on environmental and reinsurance matters. Selected accomplishments

include:

. As litigator, helped founding partner establish the firm as a leader

in international reinsurance dispute resolution through a series of

multi-million dollar arbitrations (largest case in excess of $100M);

and

. As an environmental counselor, advised automotive, railroad, and waste

management clients in real estate transactions, site-approval

hearings, and in CERCLA/RCRA litigation.

Education and ProfeSSIONal CREDENTIALS

Law Clerk to Chief Judge Harrison Winter, U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of

Appeals, Baltimore, MD.

J.D. - University of Chicago Law School, Chicago, IL.

B.A. - Amherst College, Amherst, MA.

Bar Memberships: Currently admitted to practice law in Illinois.

Previously admitted to practice before the U.S. 4th & 7th Circuit Courts of

Appeals and the U.S. District Court for Northern District of Illinois.

Professional Associations: Association of Corporate Counsel; Corporate

Executive Board's General Counsel Roundtable; American Bar Association;

SHRM; and Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

BOARD SERVICE and Other ENGAGEMENTS

Chair, Vice Chair & Board Member, Glenview Education Foundation 2005-

Present

Private non-profit that fundraises and awards grants in support of

instructional innovation, teacher development, and technology investment in

public schools. More than $600,000 in grants over past five years.

Vice President & Corporate Secretary, Human Resource Services, Inc.

2007-Present

Consulting firm providing services to global corporate HR and legal

departments and to leading law firms.

Director, Bedford Insurance Company, Ltd. (Bermuda)

2004 - 2007

Captive insurance company providing improved access to international

property and casualty markets.

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