Linda Lerner

Partner

Halloran Farkas + Kittila LLP

Scarsdale, NY

Linda Lerner is a partner and the head of Halloran Farkas + Kittila’s New York office. Linda is widely recognized for her deep expertise in the regulation of financial markets and their participants. She works with clients seeking to offer innovative products and services, and assists in gaining regulatory approval for them.

Brenda E. Barrett

Partner

Jennings, Strouss & Salmon, P.L.C.

Austin, TX

Ms. Barrett provides legal solutions and business guidance to entrepreneurs, corporate decisions-makers and individuals about critical business law issues. Her diverse group of clients frequently turns to her for assistance with start-up and organizational matters, design and negotiation of business acquisitions, private securities offerings, corporate governance issues, restructurings including mergers and conversions, corporate finance and a wide range of other general corporate and transactional matters. Ms. Barrett’s clientele range from Fortune 500 companies to local small businesses operating in a wide range of industries including financial services, energy, technology, railroad services, hospitality, retail, gaming, and professional services.

Daniela Cimo

Associate

Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman

Coral Gables, FL

Daniela F. Cimo is an Associate in the Government Division at Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman, P.L. Her practice is primarily focused on representing municipalities in local government law matters ranging from zoning regulations and land use policies to Florida's Sunshine and ethics laws.

Prior to joining WSHC+B, Daniela served as a legal aid attorney for Legal Services of Greater Miami's Florida Community Development Legal Project. In this role, Daniela provided pro bono legal support to nonprofits and underserved entrepreneurs, helping them navigate corporate governance issues, regulatory frameworks, and a range of transactional matters.

Layla Dotson-Lumpkin

Partner

Thompson Hine LLP

Chicago, IL

Layla is a partner in Thompson Hine’s Corporate Transactions & Securities Practice. She focuses her practice on venture capital, emerging company transactions and mergers and acquisitions; extensive experience advising early-stage companies and venture capital investors through the venture capital financing process; and serves as outside GC to early-stage companies. Counsels clients acquiring and selling companies in middle-market transactions, including private equity buyers and sellers, strategic acquirers and operator sellers. Invests funds and time in the early-stage company ecosystem, including mentoring startups. Presents on early-stage company, small business legal issues, teaches in entrepreneurship law and venture capital finance to law students.

Cesar Severo Escovar

Senior Manager, Compliance Advisory

Capital One

Cedar Park, TX

Cesar is currently the Senior Manager for Compliance Advisory in the Card Partnerships Division of Capital One. He has over a decade of experience in banking compliance and regulatory oversight, consumer financial services, and corporate governance. He has served in other roles in the past within the banking and credit union industry, such as Vice President of Compliance and Financial Services for North Side Community Federal Credit Union.

Cesar is a Business Law Fellow alumni, and currently serves as Vice Chair for the Pro-Bono Committee and Chair of the Young Lawyer Committee for the American Bar Association's Business Law Section.

Jon A. Fredrickson

Chief Innovation Officer

Wazoku, Inc.

Eden Prairie, MN

Jon Fredrickson is a proven leader and one of a handful of global executives that focus on transformative innovation. Jon has focused on private and public sectors to help find hidden solutions from unlikely Solvers. Jon has been a valued and frequent speaker at global innovation forums; United Nations in New York and Geneva, Open Innovation Global Forums in Korea, Siemens Open Innovation Conference Germany, MIT’s Sloan School, The King’s College in London, Kellogg School of Management, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Minnesota Medical Conference, International Integrated Oil Conference Norway, Office of Science and Technology Policy – The White House.

Bishara J. Handal

CEO

HCSI Corporation

New York, NY

Bishara (BJ) is the CEO of HCSI Corp., a New York City-based consulting firm providing services to entrepreneurs and small businesses. These include access to capital, business strategy & formation, and business operations including marketing, financial management, and inventory management.  Previously he was the Director of the Brooklyn Business Center (BBC) at Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, the country’s oldest community development organization.  At BBC, he worked to secure funding from corporations, foundations and government agencies. He previously owned an import footwear business that manufactured footwear in China, Korea and Taiwan for clients such as Walmart and Target.

Mark D. Hobson

Partner

Halloran Farkas + Kittila LLP

Miami, FL

Mark Hobson is the partner in charge of the Miami office of Halloran Farkas + Kittila LLP and also works with other members of HFK, including Linda Lerner in the New York office and Mike Halloran in the San Francisco and Jackson Hole offices. Mark is an experienced securities, corporate, and transactional lawyer licensed in Colorado and Florida. Mark received a B.S., in marketing and management from a private business college in Tampa, FL, his J.D. from The Florida State College of Law, and a post-doctorate degree in International, comparative and E.U. law from Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium.

Sara Stock

CEO

Stock Legal

St. Louis, MO

Sara’s dynamic practice at Stock Legal focuses on general corporate work for businesses and commercial real estate transactions. Sara advises her clients in all aspects of the business lifecycle including entity formation, financing, general business matters, scaling via capital raise, contractual arrangements, corporate governance, and mergers and acquisitions. Sara also assists clients in acquiring, divesting, leasing, financing, and developing commercial real estate. Sara’s joint MBA and Juris Doctorate degrees uniquely position her to provide the highest quality legal advice seasoned with an exceptional foundation for understanding her client’s business objectives.