Legal Counsel and Director of Acquisitions
Mr. Anthony Palazzo is one of the most effective General Counsels in the United States of America (USA). He has over 25 years of institutional legal experience in multiple domains like; mergers & acquisitions (M&A), support of the operations of various business lines, eCommerce, data & cyber-security, risk analysis as part of governmental compliances, commercial transactions, banking, and complex federal and state litigation.
His legal experience as well as his business experience has resulted in his ability to work effectively as a Senior Legal Counsel and Senior Manager for large national private & public companies with a variety of business lines, which is unique for a corporate counsel.
Mr. Palazzo began his legal career as an Associate General Counsel with Statewide Bancorp, N.A., a New Jersey $4 billion dollar Federally Chartered Bank Holding Company. After five years with the Bank Holding Company, he became Legal Counsel and Director of Acquisitions with Ocwen Financial Corporation (NYSE-OCN); a $2.5 billion equity and financing Holding Company that formed the first hybrid equity and financing National REIT – Ocwen Asset Investment Corporation – (NASDAQ: OAIC). Ocwen operated various business lines throughout the United States and as Director, he was the point person in over $300M in preferred debt and equity arrangements.
As a Senior Legal Counsel, Mr. Palazzo can act as a subject matter expert and provide guidance on M&A and complex transactions, both domestically and internationally, and effectively engage in the following:
- Assist management team on mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, select distribution agreements, and other complex commercial transactions.
- Strategize with and supervise outside and in-house counsel on issues related to all aspects of mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, select distribution agreements, and other complex transactions.
- Advise and regularly consult with senior managers in efforts related to the understanding of enterprise-wide business strategy and goals, especially those related to proposed transactions.
- Advance “best practices” in risk-averse and global compliance matters, in the context of being part of a rapid growth national & international technology company.
- Participate and manage the drafting, editing, negotiating, reviewing, and interpreting of agreements and contracts and proactively handling matters through to resolution.
- Direct and manage the development and implementation of strategies related to business development activity and other complexes, and enterprise-wide issues.
Mr. Palazzo is a Member of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) and the Association of the Federal Bar. His numerous articles were published in The New Jersey Law Journal, the Association of Corporate Counsel, and The MANN Report – Real Estate Management Section. He holds a B.A. in Economics from Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and a J.D. from Boston University School of Law, Boston, Massachusetts.
As a General Counsel of a $2 Billion Durham, NC, based organization that is a Global Information Technology and Private Equity Holding Company, with 8,500 employees and over 80 subsidiary companies operating domestically in 40 US states and Internationally in North America, European Union (EU), and Asia, few of his key achievements were as follows:
- Instrumental in growing the Holding Company from $300M to over $2B in assets
- Created a program for Collections and Litigation which reduced loss by 50%
- Re-designed Human Resources Department to better handle all employment-related issues
- Designed a Global Enterprise level Data and Information Risk & Compliance Program
Sample Business lines:
- Real Estate/JV Debt & Equity and Financial Services: Portfolio lending, secured transactions & construction lending. Commercial Mortgage Financing, Billing, Collections, Denial Management Services, and Accounts Receivable Management. www.practicebuilders.com
- Health Care/Medical: Portfolio of companies providing: Medical Coding, Medical Certification Programs, EMR for Ophthalmology Practice Management, Revenue Cycle Management, and Private Senior Care. www.aapc.com and www.eyecareleaders.com
- Marketing and Sales: Portfolio of companies providing: Quality marketing and sales products utilizing workshops, onsite consultation, branding services, eMedia solutions, local advertising, sales team, and call centers. www.certitrek.com
- Publishing: Portfolio of companies providing: Magazines and Industry Publications encompassing expertise in a variety of areas such as sports and entertainment enthusiasts, athletic memorabilia, and collectibles. www.engagedmediamags.com
- Independent Technology Services: Provide market research detailing market economic dynamics and providing forecasts for developments in a variety of Industries. Engage Independent Contractors for specialized professional expertise in a variety of Industries Worldwide. www.bccresearch.com
A few of the core management responsibilities handled by Mr. Palazzo for the Legal Department of Parent and Subsidiary Companies are listed below:
- Preparation of essential commercial agreements for 80 +/- subsidiaries and their Business Lines.
- Supervision of due diligence activities and evaluation of compliance documentation,
- Report and Advise on Federal and State regulations,
- Preparation of Stock Purchase Agreements, Asset Purchase and Merger Agreements,
- Preparation of Publishing, Licensing, Author and Distribution agreements,
- Draft EHR & EMR software sales and service contracts for Ophthalmologist clients,
- Intellectual property rights, Copyright, and Website infringement protection,
- Compliance with HIPAA, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA),
- Collaborate with M &A team for a successful bid submission process
