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 Management

Commercial, I.T. and Cyber-Security

PANASEER LIMITED - LONDON

Engaged to assist this award-winning international cyber-security start-up handling contract development, contract management, legal compliance and the management of our external corporate solicitors.  I handle all commercial licensing matters, data protection, Brexit preparedness, and a wide-array of business and legal affairs.  Panaseer's clients include heavily regulated banks and insurance conglomerates. (i.e., Cisco, UBS, Schwab, Experian, U.S. Federal Reserve, and the London Stock Exchange).  Contracts valued at over £12,000,000.   

Major Accomplishments Include:

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• I draft, review and negotiate intricate commercial, subscription and licensing agreements relative to cyber-security, partnerships and technical contractors.

• I wrote the company's Master Service Agreement and craft complex NDAs and PoC contracts.

• I introduced Panaseer to the state-of-the-art contract management platform and am training staff on its use.

• I re-crafted Panaseer's employee handbook, company policies, and independent contractor agreements.

• I crafted a customized employee stock ownership plan

• I provide advice concerning litigation avoidance and conflict resolution.

• I manage Brexit-related matters including advising staff on post-Brexit status qualifications.

• I am NCFE qualified and am leading the company's efforts to ensure GDPR compliance and data protection/data privacy requirements.

• I crafted the policies and procedures for on-going GDPR compliance, reporting and assessment.

• I train all levels of employees in data security. 

• I publish white papers concerning GDPR, data protection, Brexit obligations, and CISO challenges.

2017-2018

Licensed Realtor

Contract Manager

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.

• Participated in sales worth over $50,000,000+ in contracts involving real property, art, wine and autos.

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

2015-2017

V.P. Business & Legal Affairs

Commercial and Security Informatics

CINEMA NOW, LLC - BEVERLY HILLS

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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 by working with teams of technical engineers from across the globe.

• 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 human resource department; hiring; firing; crafted policies; performance reviews.

2010-2018

Business & Legal Affairs Consultant

ERENSTOFT CONSULTING - LOS ANGELES

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Independent consultant to law firms, start-ups and mid-sized companies.

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

• Litigation and Appellate Management: Drafted litigation, motion practice, trial coordination and choreography.

• Human resource and operations management.

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

• Established company-wide contract management processes.

• Crafted, trained and maintained corporate policies for all levels.

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.  Predominant matters heard: Contract disputes and regulatory enforcement.

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

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.  Matters included oil and natural gas producers, construction defect, mass casualty, and 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. Company income put me through law

school.

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. 

I also 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

• European History and EU Formation

• Fine Arts

​Beijing, China

• Comparative Economics

• Political Science

• 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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