Founder
Jimmie B. Strong
Experience
Chief Legal Officer
Rosmar USA, Inc.
Oct 2020 - Present
Nashville, Tennessee, United States
- Advise company's board and other officers regarding legal and regulatory issues.
- Craft and evolve legal strategy that furthers business (management, operations, and sales) strategies.
- Drive vertical integration of cross-border manufacturing and distribution efforts.
- Vet, structure, and oversee Qualified Opportunity Zone investment opportunities and investments.
- Negotiate supply agreements, distribution agreements, requirements contracts, preferred pricing arrangements, and commission arrangements.
- Cultivate relationships with federal, state, and local regulatory bodies and divisions of such bodies responsible for economic development, pesticide registration, environmental protection, and food and drug administration.
- Leverage relationships to enhance brand awareness, generate sales, and create opportunities for thought leadership.
- Form foundation, secure tax exempt status, and implement philanthropic strategy to increase access to hygiene solutions in underserved areas.Associate
Baker Donelson
Mar 2014 - Oct 2020
Greater Nashville Area, TN
- Represented buyers and sellers as the lead drafter in mergers and acquisitions and provided guidance on deal structuring, due diligence, and other business advisory services in connection with domestic and cross-border asset purchase and stock purchase transactions.
- Implemented artificial intelligence and machine learning into the deal process; leveraged artificial intelligence in contract review, acquisition due diligence, and contract data mining; leds Firm initiatives in providing artificial intelligence solutions to clients.
- Advised venture capital funds and emerging companies in early stage and growth capital transactions; represented startup accelerator programs and reorganized entities upon entry into accelerator programs, including by leading companies through entity conversions and subsidiary formations, mergers into Delaware C-Corporations, stock splits, share redemptions, and intellectual property assignments and releases.
- Represented companies in structuring equity incentive plans, planning for tax implications of different types of award grants, negotiating conditions triggering repurchase, and selecting mechanisms for determining appropriate repurchase prices.
- Assisted clients in evaluating tax structure and potential tax savings, implementing tax structure changes, creating non-profits for exempt activities, and filing tax exemption (501(c)(3)) applications.
Summer Associate
h3gm (Harwell Howard Hyne Gabbert & Manner, P.C.)
Aug 2013 - Sep 2013
Greater Nashville Area, TN
Corporate:
- Drafted heavy machinery international distribution agreement for exclusive distribution rights in North America, South America, and the Caribbean.
- Drafted summaries of client third-party agreements and identified potential compliance issues.
- Filed Limited Liability Company (LLC) application for joint-venture partners; amended and incorporated existing joint-venture agreement into operating agreement.
Intellectual Property & Intellectual Property Transactions:
- Developed client materials for frequently asked questions regarding trademark application process and enforcement/policing of trademark rights.
- Drafted agreement to incorporate company’s decision to shift from model in which perpetual technology license and yearly service plan were offered separately to model offering one-year, renewable subscription to both technology and service.
- Identified licensee’s rights and remedies for breach of licensing agreement; drafted summary of grounds for termination.
Securities:
- Drafted risk factors for private placement memorandum (PPM).
- Drafted unanimous consent of board of directors regarding allowance of atypical transfer of shares.
- Responded to Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) request for history of and selected material transactions made by thirty-year-old holding company.
- Summarized changes to Rule 506 and prerequisites to/requirements of general solicitation provisions.Summer Associate
Bass, Berry & Sims
Jun 2013 - Aug 2013
Greater Nashville Area, TN
Corporate:
- Represented Operating Advisor in multi-billion dollar Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities deal; wrote memorandum addressing Operating Advisor’s consultation rights regarding non-serviced loans.
- Revised Asset Purchase Agreement to account for change from single buyer/seller structure to dual buyer/seller structure; drafted Assignment and Assumption Agreements and Bills of Sale.
Securities:
- Assessed materiality (as defined by SEC 8-K disclosure requirements) of $40 million acquisition for corporation with over $3 billion in assets.
- Contributed to memo advising board of directors about responses to shareholder proposals advocating the elimination of change-in-control provisions that allow accelerated vesting of equity awards; researched previous No-Action requests; evaluated shareholder voting results of other companies who included the similar requests in their proxy materials; and determined the likelihood of success of each course of action.
- Evaluated merits of early adoption of Dodd-Frank (Section 954) compensation recovery plan.
Researched success rate of shareholder proposals requesting elimination of accelerated vesting.
- Reviewed leading global bank’s 10-Q and provided guidance to improve Management’s Discussion and Analysis.
Government & Regulatory:
- Attended meetings at Federal Housing Finance Agency, Federal Housing Administration, and U.S. Senate to discuss Government Sponsored Entity reform regarding securitized transaction oversight.Summer Associate
Baker Donelson
May 2013 - Jun 2013
Greater Nashville Area, TN
Corporate:
- Attended startup conference; discussed investment preferences (Series A or B; Healthcare IT or Life Sciences) with sources of venture capital in connection with pairing investors and entrepreneurs.
- Drafted Articles of Organization, Contribution Agreement, and Written Consent for formation of LLC.
- Drafted Program Summary of $90 million Supplier Agreement governing food distribution to 300 franchisees.
Securities:
- Completed 50-state survey of filing requirements for offerings under Rule 506 of Regulation D.
- Drafted consents for factual sources cited in Initial Public Offering registration statement (Form S-1).
- Ensured compliance with Initial Public Offering registration requirements found in SEC Regulation C.
- Verified accredited investor status and compiled investor ledgers for Rule 506 offerings.
Government & Regulatory:
- Assessed healthcare plan’s compliance with Affordable Care Act provisions relating to healthcare sharing ministries, minimum essential coverage, and the Employee Shared Responsibility Tax.
- Wrote memorandum assessing claims brought against client in enforcement action by New Jersey Attorney General for violations of state's Consumer Fraud Act.Legal Intern
Sports Legacy Institute
Jan 2013 - May 2013
Greater Boston Area
- Communicated with and aided outside counsel in drafting charters governing activities of Intellectual Property, Legal & Regulatory, Science & Education, and Professional Sports Organizations committees.
- Updated bylaws and drafted consents for creation of advisory committees and officer positions.
- Researched issues surrounding potential expansion of SLI’s activities to the United Kingdom.Summer Associate
Gorby Peters & Associates, LLC
May 2012 - Aug 2012
Greater Atlanta Area
- Communicated with Office of Secretary of State and Department of Revenue in various states for power of attorney regarding client filings, payment of client taxes, and reinstatement of client certificates of authority.
- Drafted motions, complaints, and discovery requests in intellectual property, tort, and contract cases.
- Drafted employment agreement sections (non-disclosure, non-compete, and non-solicitation sections).
- Responded to sensitive correspondence from Department of Justice in whistleblower litigation; distinguished information provided by client from negative authority, publicly disclosed information, and other qui tam actions.
- Structured breach of fiduciary duty, conversion, fraud, and bad faith claims in preparation for arbitration.
- Wrote memoranda addressing potential issues with new trademark applications; corrected old applications.Advocacy Coordinator
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Oct 2010 - Aug 2011
Greater Nashville Area, TN
- Provided research assistance for Director of Children’s Health Advocacy, 3 programs (staff of 10) under Director’s supervision, and Children’s Health Committee (20 members); aided Director in grant writing.
- Represented department in government and media relations; garnered wide-ranging support for department: launched Nashville Kids Triathlon (400 racers) and hosted events at which mayor and US Congressman spoke.Summer Analyst in International Trade & Finance
Library of Congress
May 2010 - Sep 2010
Washington D.C. Metro Area
- Responded to research requests from senior analysts, legislators, and Congressional staff members.
- Analyzed trends in international private capital flows in report on remittances (cross-border transfers by migrant workers).
- Developed competencies in using World Bank databank and making supporting visual representations in Excel.
Education
Harvard Law School
Doctor of Law (J.D.)
2011 - 2014
Activities and Societies:
Bloomberg Law, Campus Representative
Harvard Association for Law and Business, Private Equity Chair
Harvard Law TaxHelp, Tax Preparer (Internal Revenue Service Volunteer Tax Assistance Program)
Harvard Black Law Students Association, Membership Engagement & Recruitment Committee ChairInstitute for International Public Policy
Fellowship and Graduate School Scholarship
2007 - 2010
Summer 2007: Coursework in International Relations with on-site training at World Bank and United Nations
Spring 2008: Coursework in International Business and European Union Economic Structures in Rome, Italy; Received Award for Excellence in International Business (1st American and 3rd recipient in 20 years)
Summer 2008: Coursework in Economics and Statistics at University of Maryland Graduate School of Public Policy
Summer 2009: Spanish Immersion Program in classroom and host-family settings in Santiago, Dominican Republic
Summer 2010: Internship at Library of Congress' Congressional Research Service (detailed in Experience)Morehouse College
Valedictorian, Phi Beta Kappa (Bachelor of Arts, Political Science and Government)
2006 - 2010
Activities and Societies:
Golden Key International Honour Society, President
Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., President
Morehouse College Accreditation Committee, Student Body Representative
Morehouse Mentoring Program, President
Morehouse College International Affairs Society, Community Service Chair