Hello! I'm Sean

 With both a business and a law degree, I have spent a career representing 

Fortune 500 companies, government entities, and high net-worth individuals

in a wide-array of business and legal matters.

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EXPERIENCE

2019 - 2020

Business & Legal Affairs;

Contract and Commercial Management

Cyber-Legal-Informatics

PANASEER LIMITED - LONDON and NEW YORK

In-House Counsel engaged to assist this award-winning cyber-security start-up by offering advice and support regarding sales, marketing, info-sec and licensing.  Served to initiate, implement, and enforce complex commercial transactions, company policies and procedures; and I serve as the intellectual property manager. I oversee actual and potential legal disputes and liaise with outside counsel re on-going litigation. I help negotiate the company's mainstay subscription agreements, handle all licensing matters, establish data protection protocols, and Brexit preparedness. 

Panaseer's clients include heavily regulated banks and insurance conglomerates. (i.e., Cisco, UBS, Schwab, Wells Fargo, Fanny May, Experian, U.S. Federal Reserve, and the London Stock Exchange).  Contracts valued at over £150,000,000.

Contributions Include:

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• Contract Management, Negotiation, Drafting, and Enforcement;

• Manage Contract Implementation;

• Craft Data Security and Privacy Policy, Procedure and Training;

• Intellectual Property Management;

• Dispute Prevention and Resolution;

• Litigation Strategy and Coordination;

• Oversee All Licensing and Subscription Agreements;

• Human Resource Policies and Training;

• Vendor and Third-Party Agreements;

• Trademark Applications and Appeals;

• GDPR Compliance and ISO 17001 Certification Efforts;

• Crafted Employee Stock Ownership Plan;

• Manage Brexit-Related Matters Including Post-Brexit Status Qualifications;

• Draft and Publish White Papers Concerning GDPR, Data Protection, Brexit and CISO Challenges.

2017-2018

Commercial Manager

Licensed Realtor

SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL REALTY - BEVERLY HILLS

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• Managed all aspects of contracts involving the procurement, marketing, financing and sales of luxury properties in Beverly Hills, Encino, Malibu and greater Los Angeles. 

• Selected by Sotheby's to participate in (and graduated from) their advanced management training program (MAPP). 

• Drafted and enforced complex financing agreements; enforcement options, and lead dispute resolution efforts.

Achievements:  Managed $50,000,000+ in contracts involving real property; engaged and coordinated financing, escrow, and closing of real property sales.

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2015-2017

V.P. Business & Legal Affairs

Commercial Management

Data Security

CINEMA NOW, LLC - LOS ANGELES AND LONDON

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Began my tenure by negotiating and implementing the company's divestiture from its parent company (Rovi) and its merger with its new suitor, CinemaNow.  Handled all aspects of contract management and legal affairs for this international on-demand media company (much like Netflix).  Also responsible for data protection oversight and compliance.  Worked with teams of technical engineers from across the globe.

• Organized and co-managed implementation teams relative to divestment and merger.

• Provided risk and financial advice regarding I.T. outsourcing and build-on-our-own considerations.

• Interfaced with all the major U.S. film and media studios involving licensing of digital media rights.

• Interfaced with government regulators involving public facing information and data protection.

• Negotiated with the lead media trade associations (BMI and ASCAP) concerning music royalties.

• Spearheaded effort to go public, coordinated outside counsel, coordinated BDO, oversaw due diligence.

• Managed through oversight the human resource department; hired; fired; and crafted policies.

2010-2018

Business & Legal Affairs Consultant

Contract and Commercial Management

ERENSTOFT CONSULTING - LOS ANGELES AND LONDON

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Independent contractor for high net-worth individuals and corporations.  Most projects involved ad hoc crisis-management and implementation of company policies, contract enforcement, or commercial management. Served to interface with warring parties; interpret and resolve contract disputes; and choreographed litigation through settlement or trial.

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Achievements:  

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• Handled start-ups and mature business turnarounds, M&A, funding, liquidation, bankruptcy, tie-ups.

• Contract and litigation management: Initiated litigation, hired/collaborated with outside counsel, trials.

• Negotiated, drafted and enforced a wide array of commercial contracts across the globe.

• Established company-wide contract management processes.

• Trained leadership and personnel in contract management and enforcement processes.

• Served to bring about collaborative ventures tapping existing staff and resources.

• Supplied strategic and ad hoc risk-analysis to stakeholders on a wide variety of commercial ventures.

• Served as interim CEO and COO for start-ups and helped integrate permanent staff for those positions.

• Managed extremely thin budgets and understaffing challenges while maintaining company morale.

2006 - 2010

Judge (Pro Temp)

LOS ANGELES SUPERIOR COURT - LOS ANGELES

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Served as a Superior Court Judge Pro-Temp.

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Nominated, trained and served as a judge on temporary (as needed) basis in the

Los Angeles Superior Court. Conducted short trials to decision and issued written decisions and orders.  

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• Predominant matters heard: Contract disputes and regulatory enforcement.

Decided 1000+ trial matters; served as mediator in countless cases.​

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1994 - 2010

Attorney at Law

Commercial and Litigation Specialist

LAW OFFICE OF SEAN ERENSTOFT - LOS ANGELES

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I handled business and legal affairs through trial.  Clients included high net-worth individuals, indigents, Fortune 500 companies and start-ups.

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• Handled all aspects of contract management from origination, negotiation, research, drafting, enforcement and litigation.

• Handled all aspects of personal and corporate risk-management, insurance claims, subrogation, arbitration, and litigation.

• Prosecuted and defended human resource disputes, litigation, mediation, arbitration, and settlement.

• Engaged in complex and class action trial practice.

• Tried 42 jury trials to verdict.

• Tried 100's of court trials to decision.

• Handled limited appeals.

• Crafted structured settlements and indemnification claims.

• Crafted and proposed legislation.

• Whistleblower against public corruption.

1994 - 1996

Senior Corporate Counsel

Contract Management 

CAROL WIOR, INC. - LOS ANGELES

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Handled a wide-array of business and legal affairs matters for this $20 million/year

manufacturer of women's swimwear.  This company was embroiled in several contract disputes involving material suppliers, human resources and the leasehold of the corporate headquarters.  I handled and/or coordinated with outside counsel to address risk-management and on-going litigation. Handled intellectual property disputes.

1993 - 1994

Associate Litigation Attorney 

LLOYD'S OF LONDON - LOS ANGELES

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As a litigation attorney, I handled  complex (numerous defendant) litigation involving Fortune 500 companies involved in risk management. 

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Matters Included:

• Energy Infrastructure:  Handled biomass and windfarm leases and construction matters related thereto.

• Complex Contracts:  10 - 50 party construction contract litigation matters.

• Multi-Faceted Insurance Claims:  Litigated multi-vendor indemnification and subrogation claims.

1991 - 1992

Prosecutor 

LOS ANGELES DISTRICT ATTORNEY - CALIFORNIA

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Prosecuted misdemeanor and felony matters through trial on behalf of the State of California.  

1990 - 1991

Prosecutor 

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY - CALIFORNIA

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Prosecuted infraction and misdemeanor matters through trial on behalf of the State of California.  

1990

Law Clerk 

MORRISON & FOERSTER - ORANGE COUNTY

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Assigned to business and corporate litigation support duties; research and drafting; discovery review and summary.  Matters involved human resource and employment litigation; contract and employee stock ownership disputes.

1989 - 1993

Owner 

ESQUIRE ATTORNEY TEMP AGENCY - LOS ANGELES

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Handled short-term and permanent placement of attorneys and legal support staff during hiring freezes during the United States recession.

EDUCATION

1989 - 1992

Juris Doctor (J.D.)

WHITTIER LAW SCHOOL - LOS ANGELES

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Besides completing the three-year juris doctor program, I participated in moot court, helped establish the school's Public Interest Law Foundation, was a member of the International Law Society, and wrote for the school's newspaper. Wrote and published a law review article: California's Double-Hearsay Rules Post Proposition 190.

1985 - 1989

Bachelor's Degree (B.S.)

PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY - INTERNATIONAL

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Malibu, California

• Bachelor of Science in Business Administration & Management  

• Minor: Political Science

• Junior and Senior Class President

• Sigma Epsilon Fraternity

• Collegiate Water Polo (Red Shirt) (1985)

Heidelberg, Germany

• German language

• Modern European History; EU Formation

• Fine Arts

​Beijing, China

• Comparative Economics

• Game Theory

2019

Certificate

CERTIFICATE: NCFE LEVEL II - DATA PROTECTION AND DATA SECURITY

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2017

License

LICENSEE: CALIFORNIA BUREAU OF REAL ESTATE

SKILLS

EXPERTISE

FOSTERING RELATIONSHIPS

I am most proud of the business relationships I built during my 30 year professional career.

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As a prosecutor and litigator, I learned about managing and enforcing compliance while exercising patience and care.

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As a middle-manager, I learned about teamwork and organization because it's more efficient than doing otherwise.

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I intend that my legacy will be the depth of the relationships I've fostered and the profits I've helped realize.  

RISK MANAGEMENT

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The entirety of my career can be summed up with these two words. 

I have spent the better part of my career helping others to manage and reduce risk. 

Not to wax too philosophical but finding solutions to critical matters takes out-of-the-box thinking if you thrive to find the win-win solution. 

I've navigated a career's worth of controversies involving life-and-death struggles, business disputes, and corporate negligence.  The hard work is grounded in understanding the risks.

LEGAL ANALYSIS AND SOLUTIONS

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I.R.A.C. - Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion.  This is how I tackle the issues that come up at work.  The challenge is figuring out how to define and simplify the Issue that needs addressing.  After all, most corporate challenges do not define themselves or point immediately to a solution.  

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Experience handing a wide-array of business quandaries has helped give me that 10,000 foot view of the issues I face as a consultant.  

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With decades as a practiced business lawyer, I work with companies to find solutions to challenges; and form processes to avoid them in the future. 

This is the value of experience.  

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