Susan Grueneberg
Partner
Cozen O’Connor
Susan Grueneberg is a partner at the 750-attorney, Am Law 100 law firm of Cozen O’Connor and a dean of the national franchise law bar. She has been practicing in the field for more than 35 years and is a trusted business advisor, regulatory counsellor, and certified franchise specialist. She represents major franchisors, developers, sub-franchisors, and multi-unit franchisees on corporate transactions and regulatory compliance; structuring new franchise programs; conducting audits; franchise M & A; and franchisor-franchisee relations. She also assists clients in franchise-related disputes and serves as an expert witness in trials and arbitrations.
An important sub-area of Gureneberg’s practice is her work on behalf of non-U.S. franchisors seeking to enter the U.S. marketplace and, likewise, U.S. franchise programs seeking to expand abroad. She is particularly focused on Asia. She has spent considerable time in China, is fluent in Mandarin, and maintains decades-long relationships in Beijing and Hong Kong.
Andrea Lucan
Partner
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
One of very few female partners in the project finance space, Akin Gump partner Andrea Lucan is a leading lawyer in the energy industry who regularly shepherds highly complex transactions involving the sale, acquisition, development and financing of renewable energy projects.
Among the recent examples of her work, Lucan has spearheaded several significant renewable energy transactions for leading energy companies, including representing Southern California Edison in the negotiation of 195 MW of storage capacity agreements. The selected resources are expected to go online before summer 2021. One of the contracts, a 100 MW energy storage project awarded to Strata, will become one of North America’s largest operational lithium-ion battery systems when it comes online in December 2020. She also represented Longroad Energy Partners in its co-development and financing partnership with Fengate Asset Management to develop and construct the 72.6 MW Weaver wind project with a value of $170 million.
Tim Poydenis
Partner
Goodwin Procter LLP
A partner in Goodwin’s Technology Companies group, Tim Poydenis is a leading advisor in business and venture capital law by representing emerging growth companies and venture capital investors in Los Angeles and around the world. He is known for providing counsel to companies of all sizes throughout their corporate lifecycle, and guiding them on all aspects of formation, fundraising, strategy, partnerships, business relationships, M&A, joint ventures and corporate governance.
Having worked on marquee deals throughout his career, such as Sweetgreen’s $200 million Series H financing, Poydenis has continued this momentum into 2020 by counseling leading technology companies and venture capital investors in LA’s booming technology market. Currently, Poydenis works with Fitplan, and also advises a number of venture capital and private equity funds based out of LA that have in excess of billions in assets and continue to invest in local companies.
Jason Silvera
Partner, Global Vice-Chair Corporate Department
Latham & Watkins
Jason Silvera, a partner and global vice-chair of Latham’s Corporate Department, consistently demonstrates his experience and know-how for his clients and his peers, and has especially stood out as a firm leader during the COVID-19 pandemic, fostering a sense of community and cohesion at the firm during the shift to remote work. Silvera collaborated with other firm leaders to create new practices for the Los Angeles offices in the face of the pandemic, including offering new and innovative resources for attorneys and staff to better connect, to offer feedback, and to stay healthy. Silvera has continued Latham’s momentum in corporate deal making and transactions, guiding the strategic business direction of the firm’s largest department and its many component practice groups.
Silvera’s practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions for many Los Angeles-based private equity firms and public and private companies in a broad range of industries important to the US economy.
