General Counsel, In-house Counsel, Outside General Counsel
Resume:
TO: Legal Hiring Managers and Recruiters
RE: General Counsel, AGC, "Outside" General Counsel.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I am an experienced in-house lawyer looking for a GC, AGC or part-time "outside general counsel" position. I have attached for your consideration a brief Profile document that outlines my expertise and representative matters along with a Resume that provides more detail concerning employers, roles, and accomplishments. I would be glad to discuss either or both with you at your convenience
An accomplished corporate generalist with experience that translates broadly, I have spent most of my career working in-house for large consumer products companies, and have also served small businesses and non-profits during brief stints in small firm practice.
As General Counsel for two large consumer products manufacturers (private drinkware manufacturer Tervis Tumbler Company, and public beverage manufacturer Cott Corporation) I served on the Senior Leadership Teams and led the Law and Risk Management departments of both; provided pragmatic, business-focused legal counsel to Directors and C-Suite Executives; and oversaw matters related to contract drafting and negotiation, legal and regulatory compliance, risk and litigation management, corporate governance and disclosure, and IP development/ management;
As Associate General Counsel and Counsel to several operating divisions of food and beverage giant PepsiCo (Frito-Lay, Pepsi-Cola, Tropicana, Quaker and Gatorade) I negotiated a myriad of contracts and provided actionable legal direction for clients in front line commercial, industrial and corporate positions.
As de-facto “outside general counsel” for several small businesses and non-profits I established frameworks for success for those clients with straightforward legal/business guidance and understandable organizational documents, contractual templates, and operating policies.
A collaborative legal partner, I have worked successfully with businesses large and small, serving clients at every level and in every function within those businesses, and have earned the trust of clients from storeroom to boardroom with a combination of honesty, intelligence, common sense, and imagination. Clients know me to be a “can do” lawyer who facilitates business success by keeping the legal side of the business running smoothly and finding creative solutions to knotty problems when they arise. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how I might fit into your plans.
Thank you for your kind consideration and attention. I hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
Matthew A. Kane, Jr., Esq.
6647 Windjammer Place
Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202
********@*****.***
PROFILE
MATTHEW A. KANE, JR., ESQ.
********@*****.***
Education Bar Memberships * Georgetown Law Center, JD * Florida
* Boston College, BA (Magna Cum Laude) * Virginia
* Georgetown Preparatory School, Diploma * District of Columbia
Employment. An accomplished in-house lawyer who served as General Counsel, VP-Law and Associate General Counsel for significant consumer products companies (public and private) and as “Outside General Counsel” to small businesses and non-profits in small firm practice:
* Tervis Tumbler Company (4 years): General Counsel, Chief Legal Officer
* Matthew A. Kane, PA (2 years): Principal
* Cott Corporation (6 years): Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary at Cott Corp and VP-Law at Cott Beverages USA.
* PepsiCo Inc (18 years): Associate GC at Tropicana Products, Counsel at PepsiCola, Senior Attorney at Frito-Lay.
* Kane & Koons (3 years): Associate
Leadership. A respected business leader responsible for the smooth operation of law departments and related activities including-
* Contract Management * Legal and Regulatory Compliance
* Corporate Governance and Reporting * Employment Practices, Employee Conduct
* Intellectual Property Development and Protection * License Administration
* Risk and Emergency Management *Litigation, Dispute Resolution
Client Groups. “Go To” legal point who has provided hands on personal service to all business functions including-
* Sales and Customer Service * Boards of Directors
* Marketing and Licensing * Finance and Accounting
* DSD Operations and Retail Stores * Investor Relations and Public affairs
* Manufacturing and Logistics * Human Resources
* Engineering and Procurement * Risk Management and Insurance
* NPD, R&D, QC, and QA * Information Technology
Expertise. A trusted legal advisor providing practical advice based on a solid working knowledge of a variety legal specialties including -
* Contract and Commercial * Advertising and Labeling
* Anti-trust * Customer and Consumer Promotions
* Corporate and Securities * Intellectual Property and Licensing
* Employment Discrimination * Compensation and Benefits
* Product Safety * Workplace Safety
* Environment * Risk and Insurance
* Non-profit * Privacy
Contract Matters. A skilled contracts attorney who has drafted/negotiated thousands of contracts covering-
* Sales Supplier/Distributor/Broker Services, Private Label Supply, Authorized Reseller, MAP.
* Marketing Marketing/Advertising Agencies, Sponsorships/Promotions, Sports/Entertainment/Fashion Licensing, Talent.
* Corporate Acquisition/Divestiture, JV, Loans/Letters of Credit, Capital Restructure, Insurance, Enterprise Consulting.
* Contractors Design/Installation/Construction of Plants, Processing systems, Storage Facilities, Equipment, and Vehicles.
* Suppliers Crops, Commodities, Goods, Materials, Components, Ingredients, Packages, Parts, Fuel, Energy.
* Vendors Third-Party Manufacturing, Assembly, Tolling, Storage and Transportation.
* Consultants Product Design, Customer/Consumer Research, Strategic Planning, and Financial, Technical and IT Services
* Real Estate Lease/Purchase/Build-Out of Retail, Manufacturing, Distribution, and Office Facilities.
* Employee Compensation/Benefit/Incentive Plans, Non-Solicitation/Non-Compete, Employment and Severance..
* IP Purchase/License of Sports, Entertainment and Fashion Designs, Artwork, Logos and Likenesses.
* IT Commercial and Industrial Operating Systems, B to B and B to C Websites, and ERP, Retail POS, and CRM Systems.
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Non-Contract Matters. A dependable legal partner keeping the legal side of the business in order-
* Sales Review of Pricing Policies, Promotional Programs, and Customer Incentives.
* Marketing Review of Advertising, Public Relations and Labeling Copy, Sweepstakes and Consumer Promotions
* Corporate Governance, Secretarial, Board Management, Reporting, Disclosure, Ethics/Business Conduct.
* Operations Environmental Compliance, Product Integrity, Plant Safety programs and issues.
* Employment EEO (Discrimination and Harassment), ERISA (Compensation and Benefits), WARN Act.
* IP Clearance, Registration, Maintenance, Defense of Owned IP. License Administration.
* Litigation Advertising, Antitrust, Contract, Employment, Environment, IP, Injury to Person or Property.
* Risk Enterprise Risk Management, Emergency Response, Recall/Product Withdrawl, and Business Continuity.
RESUME
MATTHEW A. KANE, JR.
Home 941-***-****
********@*****.***
Cell 941-***-****
SUMMARY
An accomplished business lawyer who has served as General Counsel for two consumer products companies (one a privately held North American drinkware manufacturer and retailer, the other a publicly traded multinational beverage company), as Associate General Counsel and Counsel for prominent operating units of a third (a major public multinational food and beverage concern), and as “Outside General Counsel” to several small businesses and non-profits;
A respected law department leader responsible for handling or oversight of contract management, legal and regulatory compliance, corporate governance and reporting, employment policies and practices, intellectual property clearance and protection, date privacy and protection, license administration, risk management and litigation management;
A trusted legal advisor who has provided pragmatic legal advice and actionable solutions for clients on issues involving a variety of legal areas including contract and commercial, advertising and labeling, anti-trust, trade and consumer promotions, corporate and securities, intellectual property, licensing, employment, compensation and benefits, product safety, workplace safety, environment, insurance, non-profit and privacy.
A skilled contracts attorney who has worked with clients in all functions to negotiate and draft clear and concise contracts covering corporate, commercial and industrial transactions of every description.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
TERVIS TUMBLER COMPANY – Venice, FL 2012 – 2016
General Counsel, Chief Legal Officer
General Counsel, Chief Legal Officer to substantial privately held manufacturer and marketer of unique plastic double walled insulated drink-ware decorated with stock, custom and licensed designs.
Created Law Department that now handles Legal Compliance, Governance, Contracts, Risk, Litigation and IP.
Oversaw Licensing Group administering licenses covering hundreds of sports/entertainment/fashion properties.
Established Patent Review Process: 35 applications filed, 11 granted (so far), 3 infringements challenged.
Drove implementation of Enterprise Risk Management, Business Continuity and Recall Programs.
Introduced standard terms for Sales, Procurement, Engineering, New Products, Licensing, and Web teams.
Oversaw completion of LOI’s, Leases and Construction K’s for 25 retail stores.
Completed contracts for ERP, CRM, POS and Data Security systems, B2B and B2C websites, and PCI Services.
Advanced Product Safety and Labeling preparation required for intro of products to International Markets.
MATTHEW A. KANE PA – Lakewood Ranch, FL 2010 – 2012
Business Lawyer
Business Lawyer and Mediator serving small businesses and non-profits on a fixed fee, hourly or pro bono basis.
Helped several fledgling non-profits complete formation and policy documents and IRS -501(c)(3) application.
oReceived Outstanding Pro Bono Service Award, from Legal Aid of Manasota in recognition of efforts.
Helped several small businesses get started or move to the next level by drafting or reviewing contract templates, internal operating policies, marketing materials, and privacy policies.
Certified by Florida Supreme Court to serve as a Circuit Civil Mediator from 2011 to 2013.
COTT CORPORATION – Tampa, FL 2004-2010
Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, Cott Corp (3 years) * VP-Law Cott Beverages USA (3years)
Joined Cott as VP- Law for $1.2 billion US subsidiary,Cott Beverages USA, the largest supplier of private label soft drinks and juices in USA. Promoted to General Counsel and Secretary of $2.0 billion publicly traded (on NYSE and TSX) multi-national manufacturer of soft drinks, juice beverages, sports drinks and energy drinks (private label and branded) and owner/licensor of Royal Crown Cola brand in all countries except United States.
Led Law and Risk Management Departments that supported US and International business units.
Handled Public Company Governance, Secretarial, Reporting, Disclosure, Business Conduct and Ethics matters.
Led Revision/Rollout of Business Conduct and Ethics Policy.
Oversaw maintenance and licensing of RC International Trademark Portfolio (1100 marks in 40 countries).
Vetted revisions to Compensation, Benefits, Retention and Severance Plans.
Drove reduction of 2009 Legal Spend by 30% and 2008 Insurance Expense by 20%.
Oversaw documentation of capital restructure plan resulting in overall reduction in debt obligations by $50mm.
MATTHEW A. KANE, JR. RESUME cont’d
Supported orderly Plant Closures, Workforce Reductions, Customer Terminations and Business Divestitures.
Supported roll-out of EEO, ADA and ADEA Compliance programs.
Created or completed a variety of contracts including:
oMaster Purchase Agreements for Concentrates, Flavors, Sweeteners, Additives, Cartons, Cans, Bottles;
oLong Term Contracts for supply of Private Label soft drinks and juice beverages for Major Chains;
oExclusive Distribution and Manufacturing Agreements for Branded Beverages;
oFinancing and Construction agreements for state of the art bottling lines with in line blow molding; and
oContracts for Purchase, Lease and Build-out of Office, Plant and Warehouse space.
PEPSICO INC, Purchase, New York 1986-2004
Associate General Counsel, Tropicana, (12 years) * Counsel, PepsiCola (3 years) * Senior Attorney, Frito-Lay (4 years)
Counsel to front line managers in Sales, Marketing, Public Affairs, Engineering, Manufacturing, Logistics, Procurement, Supply Chain, IT, HR R&D, QA, QC, Finance and Sales Ops functions for prominent divisions of multi-national food and beverage leader..
Reviewed Ingredient Statements, Nutrition Labeling and Nutrient Content Claims for entire Frito-Lay line of products.
Vetted every Label, Advertisement and Consumer Promotion (sweepstakes, giveaway) by Tropicana for period of 10 years.
Advanced implementation of Process Safety Management, UST Management, Employee Right to Know, and Community Right to Know programs, as well as Air and Water permit compliance.
Served as Legal Representative on Product and Plant Crisis Management committees. Drafted operating procedures
Managed Litigation involving Advertising, Antitrust, Contract, Environmental, Patent, Copyright, Product Liability, and Personal Injury claims, including Price Fixing Class actions.
Drafted, negotiated Contracts for
oRetail Sale, Authorized Resale, Brokerage, Distribution, Co-Packing, and Bottling.
oLong Term Master Supply for Crops, Commodities, Ingredients, Packaging, Equipment, Parts, Tools, Vehicles.
oSale of Juice Co-Packing Business. Purchase of a dozen independent Direct Store Distributorships.
oLease/Buildout of Custom Warehouse and Office Space for buildout of nationwide distributor network
oDesign, Construction of several Salty Snack and Soft Drink plants, and Citrus Processing and Juice Packaging lines.
oDesign, Construction, Management and Financing of Qualifying Co-Generation Facility.
oDesign, Installation of Refrigerated Aseptic Storage Tanks, Refrigerated Rail Tankers, and Aseptic Processing Lines
oLong term Exclusive “Pour” at Universities, Stadiums, and Hotel, QSR, and Cinema Chains.
oCommercial Endorsements from famous Athletes and Entertainers. Sponsorships of Athletic and Entertainment events.
oAdvertising and Marketing agencies, and Syndicated Data, Market Research, and Business Re-Engineering Firms.
oCreation (pre-Internet) of satellite-Based Sales Reporting Tool giving 14,000 users results “next day”.
oSoftware Development, Licensing and Maintenance agreements for Commercial and Industrial operating systems.
KANE & KOONS – Washington, DC 1983-1986
Associate
Associate Attorney. Handled Business Law and Decedent’s Estate Matters, Personal Injury and Commercial Litigation.
PERSONAL INFORMATION
EDUCATION BAR MEMBERSHIPS
Georgetown University Law Center, JD Florida
Boston College, BA (Magna Cum Laude) Virginia
Georgetown Preparatory School, Diploma District of Columbia
OUTSIDE INTERESTS
Sports as Participant (running, golf, weights, yoga, basketball) and as Fan. Movies. Books.
Volunteer /Pro Bono Attorney, Legal Aid of Manasota.
Volunteer (Past Trustee), Habitat for Humanity of Manatee County.
Volunteer, All Faiths Food Bank.
Past Trustee and Chairman, Out of Door Academy, an Independent College Preparatory School.
Past Volunteer Youth Basketball Coach, Suncoast Basketball League.
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