Attorney at Law

WILLIAM L. CORTEAL, ESQ.

**** *** **** **. ******: 714-***-****

Yorba Linda, CA 92886 Email: ********@*****.***

CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION • EMPLOYMENT LAW • INSURANCE LAW

Strategic and focused General Counsel with extensive experience executing the legal function and serving as an integral member of a sophisticated and complex executive advisory and business management team in a highly regulated industry. Expert proficiency in contract negotiations, employment law, insurance law, litigation management, and regulatory compliance. Comprehensive understanding of liability defense strategies built from a successful career directing legal issues for a multi-million dollar aviation services company.

Apply a hands-on approach and diverse strategic planning and negotiation skills to meet the needs of contract management. Command of contract language linked with insurance and litigation management experience providing impact of contract language on future litigation. Lead by example and build consensus with internal stakeholders and third parties to achieve goals. Outstanding interpersonal communication and leadership skills. Member of the California State Bar.

Professional strengths include:

Contract Drafting / Complex Negotiations

Employment Policies / Personnel Management

Financial Analysis / Administrative Proceedings

Federal & State Regulatory Compliance

Insurance Litigation / Needs Assessment

Legal Writing, Research, & Analysis

Vendor Relations / Customer Relations

Documentation / Interpretation

EXPERIENCE & ACHIEVEMENTS

CERTIFIED AVIATION SERVICES, LLC, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 2005–2015

Vice President, Administration & General Counsel

Manage, lead, and direct legal matters for a leading provider of commercial aircraft maintenance and modification service, supporting the largest domestic and international airlines and manufacturers across the continental U.S. Priority clients include Airbus, American Airlines, Boeing, JetBlue Airways, Lufthansa Technik, Virgin America, and U.S. Airways. Specialize in litigation, insurance, risk, contract, and regulatory compliance management. Resolve priority matters involving human resource and employment law; advise senior management on acquisition issues and information technology protection.

Supervise and lead a team of six professionals responsible for monitoring corporate risk and potential litigation. Minimize overall exposure by enforcing strict controls and standard practices between multiple operational functions. Emerged as an influential member of the executive staff; regarded for exceptional subject expertise and industry insight.

Acquired valuable expertise in drafting complex contracts to meet the operating requirements mandated by the airline industry. Reviewed and negotiated all international agreements and defense contracts that sustained the company’s top line revenue.

Authored the company’s employment policies and procedures, assuring that all rules governing the hiring and dismissal of personnel complied with relevant state and federal laws. Experienced in settling administrative claims with state and federal labor boards.

Implemented the company’s insurance policies protecting the company from medical, general, aviation, property, aircraft hull, and management liabilities. Reduced the workers’ compensation modification rates and increased total coverage limits to $200M.

CERTIFIED AVIATION SERVICES, INC., Costa Mesa, CA 1995-2005

Controller & Corporate Counsel (1999-2005); promoted from Controller (1995-1999)

Minimized liability exposure for the company in drafting standard operating contracts with business partners in the U.S. and abroad. Directly involved in the negotiation of primary service contracts with the U.S.

WILLIAM L. CORTEAL, ESQ. – PAGE TWO

Mobile: 714-***-**** Email: ********@*****.***

CERTIFIED AVIATION SERVICES, INC. – CONTINUED

Department of Defense (DoD) valued at $4M. Reviewed agreements and advised senior management on potential risks; coordinated communications across function and title throughout the entire enterprise.

Encouraged frequent interactions between leaders in the finance, accounting, contracts management, and human resource departments to identify, escalate, and resolve critical issues more efficiently.

Served as the de facto Director of Operations in the absence of a Chief Executive of Chief Operating Officer. Emerged as a trusted adviser to management analyzing operational gaps.

Saved the company over $100K in external legal fees in securing settlements with regulatory agencies reviewing the company’s airport practices. Investigated and clarified the facts of each citation raised.

HUGHES AIRCRAFT COMPANY, Fullerton, CA

Subcontract Administrator (1986-1995)

Primarily responsible for negotiating, reviewing, and managing the major subcontracting relationships for one of the largest aerospace and defense companies in the world, controlled at the time by the General Motors Corporation. Integral member of the contracts management and legal teams overseeing business operations impacting over 19,000 employees at the Fullerton, CA location. Served as a legal advisor to a division that manufactured and built state-of-the-art radar systems installed in ships for the U.S. Navy. Drafted contracts in compliance with federal regulations continually monitored by representatives from the Navy.

Authored a high-profile subcontract valued at over $3M that increased the availability of critical components to the build process. Agreement covered 50 individual kits and 2,800 unique items.

Represented the Materials Department in pricing exercises before multiple third party vendors.

Issued valuable legal summaries, support files, and documentation to the office of the General Counsel to increase transparency for senior management.

Facilitated audits and directed cost-benefit analyses to evaluate existing operating clauses with strategic vendors. Offered recommendations on negotiation tactics to business leads.

Additional Experience:

SEIGLER, CORTEAL, DONAHUE, ROBERTSON & GARZA, INC., Newport Beach, CA – President (1997-1999)

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW – Juris Doctor, Orange, CA

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY FULLERTON – Bachelor of Arts, Liberal Studies, Fullerton, CA

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Bar Admissions: State Bar of California.

Professional Memberships: California State Bar Association.

Computer Skills: Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Familiar with Quickbooks, MAS, MYOB, and Peachtree Accounting Software.

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