Hosted by DealFlow Events
Westchester Country Club | Rye, New York
June 23-24, 2021
The largest forum for networking and discussion of special purpose acquisition companies and alternative IPO techniques.
The pandemic hasn’t slowed down the SPAC market and it won’t slow down the industry’s leading conference either.
We’re committed to making The SPAC Conference 2021 our best event ever by reinventing our format to offer a setting for education, networking and dining that’s largely outdoors. We’re also doubling the length of the conference from one to two full days to accommodate more attendees and a bigger agenda.
Just ask around. Our reputation speaks volumes about the lengths we go to deliver value – whether it’s our laser-focus on developing the best possible content or rethinking the typical event format in order to adapt to change and deliver a superior experience.
Each year attendees at The SPAC Conference represent a broad range of finance professionals with common interests and shared goals. Our conferences attract the decision makers in an organization – the people empowered to make things happen. This is your opportunity to meet them.
Our events are widely recognized as the signature events in their respective markets. The SPAC Conference brings together the leading investment professionals with the major firms servicing the market.
Offering the largest gathering of investors, bankers and management teams in the business. You can count on the best networking to maximize your business development.
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Our panelists and presenters are thought leaders in the industry.
The SPAC Conference includes 1-on-1 meetings that you can schedule through our event app, allowing you to connect with conference attendees even before the event.
2Comprehensive and technical discussions of legal issues, finance trends, and deal dynamics.
4CEO
The Vogel Group
Alex Vogel is the Chief Executive Officer of The Vogel Group. Alex Vogel is a lawyer and nationally recognized policy expert on federal regulatory and legislative strategy, risk management, political strategy, crisis management, and strategic communications. Throughout his career he has been a senior policy negotiator in the most significant matters before Congress, including serving as the top staffer in the Senate. Alex is respected by Fortune 500 companies, private equity firms, trade associations, and national coalitions as the architect of winning strategies in their most high stakes policy and regulatory challenges. Alex has been recognized for his work in The Hill’s Top Lobbyists list more than ten times in his career, including in 2018, 2019, and 2020.
Chief Technology Officer, Hardware
GigCapital
Andrea Betti-Berutto is GigCapital Hardware CTO and board member of GigCapital4 and GigInternational1, senior technologist and entrepreneur with more than 25 years of industry experience, from RF and optical interconnect systems to RFIC semiconductor technologies. Before joining GigCapital, Mr. Betti-Berutto was a Fellow of Optical Interconnect Business Units at Integrated Device Technology (NASDAQ IDTI), leading the integration of the former GigPeak technical team after its acquisition by IDT.
As a hands-on executive with an extensive professional background, Mr. Betti-Berutto has experience in product, technology, and business roadmap definition; strategic initiatives; company reorganization; product development; NPI processes; M&As. He was previously VP of Engineering of Iterra Communications, a pioneer in creating semiconductors for 40G next-gen optical networks that he also co-founded, before going on to co-found and serve as CTO at GigOptix.
Mr. Betti-Berutto has worked at a number of international companies, among them Fujitsu in the United States, the European Space Agency in the Netherlands, and Space Engineering SpA in Italy. He has published multiple papers covering the IEEE field and holds US patents in the area of high-speed RF and optical integrated circuits.
Partner
Reed Smith
Ari is a partner in the firm’s Global Corporate Group in the New York office. He focuses his practice on capital markets, including special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), initial public offerings (IPOs), and other public and private equity offerings. Ari has represented issuers, target companies, underwriters and placement agents in approximately 80 SPAC IPO and de-SPAC transactions with an aggregate market value of over $15 billion dollars.
In addition to his capital markets practice, Ari has represented issuer and underwriter clients in numerous other IPOs and has represented companies in both public and private mergers and acquisitions transactions. He also advises clients on general corporate matters.
Founder
SPAC Research
Benjamin Kwasnick is the founder of SPAC Research, an independent data service focused on US-listed Special Purpose Acquisition Companies. SPAC Research provides custom research and analysis on the SPAC space, as well as a comprehensive data set and synopsis of all material events throughout each SPAC's life cycle.
Managing Director
CDX Advisors
Billy Goldstein is managing director at CDX Advisors, a technology-powered investment banking advisory firm. He is also Lead Independent Director of the Board of JOFF FinTech Acquisition Corp (NASDAQ: JOFFU). Mr. Goldstein has over 25 years of experience in investment banking, corporate development and strategy. He was a managing director at Goldman Sachs’s TMT investment banking group executing mergers, acquisitions and capital raisings. At Macquarie Capital, Mr. Goldstein was Head of Telecom Investment and Merchant banking for North America. Most recently, Mr. Goldstein was EVP at Sterling Talent Solutions—a Goldman Sachs-portfolio company—where he was Head of Strategy, Corporate Development and M&A, and led acquired businesses. Mr. Goldstein also serves as Senior Advisor at Star Mountain Capital, LLC, an alternative asset-management firm. Mr. Goldstein received a Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree, with the highest distinction, in electrical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA, with honors, from Harvard Business School.
Partner
Katten
Brian has successfully represented multi-national corporations, private companies and sponsors in public and private capital markets transactions, mergers and acquisitions and restructuring matters, including initial public offerings, high-yield offerings, merger transactions and acquisitions worth billions of dollars.
He has a broad transactional practice, representing both issuers and underwriters in public and private financing transactions, including equity offerings, high yield debt offerings (144A/Reg S), investment grade debt offerings, exchange offers and tender offers. He advises U.S. and international companies on corporate and securities law matters, including corporate governance and SEC, NYSE and NASDAQ disclosure, reporting and compliance obligations.
Brian received his JD from Brooklyn Law School, where he was an editor of the Brooklyn Law Review, Dean's List member, and received the Professor Samuel Hoffman Memorial Prize for Excellence in Corporate Law. Brian received his BA from Syracuse University, where he was a member of The Renee Crown University Honors Program.
Managing Director
UBS
Carlos Alvarez is a Managing Director in UBS’ Financial Institutions Group, based in New York, where he leads the Specialty Finance and Permanent Capital solutions franchise. Prior to joining UBS in 2018, Carlos had a 20-year career at Deutsche Bank, where he was most recently Head of Permanent Capital and oversaw the SPAC banking team. Over his career, Carlos has advised clients across numerous products including M&A, ECM, DCM and de-novo fundraises. At UBS, Carlos leads an experienced team dedicated to providing investment banking services to SPAC clients, and has personally advised on 25+ SPAC IPOs and business combination transactions dating back to 2005. Carlos has an MBA from Columbia Business School, a BS in International Business from Northeastern, and a BS in International Business Studies from Universidad Pontificia Comillas (Spain).
Founder & CEO
Albeck Financial Services
Christy founded Albeck (or its predecessor entities) in 1987. Christy received a BS in Accountancy from the University of Houston. Prior to forming Albeck, she worked in public accounting, and industry before founding her own company where she served clients as an outsourced controller/CFO in both public and private companies. Christy also performed the migration of the accounting systems for her clients, all the while growing Albeck through referrals from satisfied clients, auditors, and SEC attorneys.
For the past 30 years, Christy has acted as an outsourced controller/CFO for a variety of industries: venture backed high tech and biotech, construction, software, healthcare, auto leasing, real estate, education, legal, oil and gas, alternative energy, mining, and manufacturing. Christy has also assisted many clients with navigating the IPO process from advisory services on finding the right investors, selecting auditors and attorneys, to preparation of all financial statements and accounting documents required for the IPO process. She has also consulted on various technical accounting issues, reverse mergers, and financing efforts, as well as preparing financial statements and footnote disclosures for both public and private companies.
Christy belongs to the CFO Network, Deal Flow Source, Global Private Equity & Venture Capital, the SEC Financial Reporting Forum, and the Global Leaders of the Energy Sector, as well as serving on the boards of several not‐for‐ profit companies.
President of Global Capital Markets
DFIN
Craig Clay is the president of global capital markets at DFIN. Prior to his current role, he served as senior vice president at R.R. Donnelley leading the Global Capital Markets and Legal Process Outsourcing business. Before joining the company, Craig was a leading financial analyst at American Eurocopter, a subsidiary of Aerospatiale.
Craig received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Baylor University and earned a Master of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University. Craig serves as a trustee for Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City and is a board member for Peloton Document Solutions, LLC.
Founder & CEO
AUM Media
Crocker is an award-winning investor relations and corporate communications advisor with two decades of experience helping public and private companies access the capital markets, complete major acquisitions, and business transformations. He has worked with senior leaders of over 100 companies across a range of industries ranging from startups to Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 scale enterprises.
He has helped to guide his clients through dozens of IPOs, as well as secondary and follow-on offerings, and “going private” transactions to support successful outcomes. Crocker is a skilled communicator whose experience spans investor presentations, earnings releases, earnings call presentations, corporate and investor websites, CEO speeches and bylined articles, and op-eds. He has an extensive network of investment bankers, institutional investors, and private equity funds developed over many years that enable him to understand how fundamentals-based investors think about a story. He has organized or chaired major investment conferences on both the East and West Coast, as well as in China and Hong Kong.
Crocker lives in New York City with his three children. He is the founder and Chair of an independent school, MUSE Academy, focused on the performing arts, and a trustee and former chair of the 110-year-old Brooklyn Music School. Before his current career, he was an independent filmmaker and a journalist for major newspapers and The New Republic. He received his BA from Yale, where he graduated summa cum laude, won the Literature Prize, and was the Editor-in-Chief of The Yale Daily News, and later was a Fulbright Scholar at the Freie Universität Berlin studying philosophy.
Managing Partner
Chord Advisors
Vice Chairman
Marcum
Under Mr. Bukzin’s leadership, Marcum has grown to become a top-ranked auditor of publicly traded companies (No. 5 in 2021) and a leader in audits of initial public offerings (source: Audit Analytics). He has also secured Marcum’s stature as one of the top auditors of special purpose acquisition corporations (SPACs), including representing the largest SPAC IPO on record.
Mr. Bukzin oversees a team of professionals in Marcum offices across the U.S. He has more than 20 years of experience advising clients on SEC policies, practices and procedures and has in-depth knowledge of registration and reporting requirements under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including navigating the evolving public reporting landscape.
Mr. Bukzin additionally serves as national leader of Marcum’s Cannabis Practice. He has assisted clients with regulatory compliance issues, complex deal structures, capital raising and strategic planning. He also is a member of the Firm’s Technology and Life Science & Biotech industry groups, where he has assisted clients in the areas capital raising, mergers & acquisitions and going public.
Serving on Marcum’s Executive Committee and New York Regional Management Committee, Mr. Bukzin further provides guidance for the Firm’s internal operations, strategic planning, practice development and client services.
Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel
Reinvent Capital
David Cohen is the Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel of Reinvent Capital. His areas of expertise include mergers and acquisitions, public and private corporate and securities transactions, special situation investing, asset management, and reinventions. David joined Reinvent Capital in 2018 as part of the founding team. Prior to this, David served as Associate General Counsel of Zynga and led the legal team responsible for mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and securities and finance matters. Previously, he spent nine years in private legal practice, most recently as Senior Counsel in Proskauer's corporate and private equity groups. David received an A.B. from Middlebury College and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. He is an officer and/or director of at least four SPACs.
Partner
Ellenoff Grossman & Schole
Douglas S. Ellenoff, a member of Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP since its founding in 1992, is a corporate and securities attorney with a specialty in alternative financings, including, SPACs, M&A, PIPEs, RDs and Crowdfunding. In the last 10 years, he has been involved at various stages in numerous registered public offerings, including more than 100 financings and, hundreds of private placements into public companies. Since 2002, Mr. Ellenoff has been involved with over 250 SPAC IPOs and 60 business combinations.
Senior Executive
TPG Pace Group
Eduardo Tamraz is a senior executive in TPG’s Pace Group, the firm’s newly formed effort to sponsor SPACs and other permanent capital solutions for companies. He is Executive Vice President of Corporate Development of TPG Pace Holdings and TPG Pace Energy. He previously worked in TPG Capital in London. Prior to joining TPG in 2015, Eduardo was a Senior Member of Eton Park focusing on industrials, retail, and telecom. He previously worked at BC Partners and Merrill Lynch. Eduardo has an MA in economics from Cambridge. He is based in New York and is Co-Chair of Lincoln Center YP Education and Co-Chair of Young Glimmerglass Opera.
Global Head of SPACs
Nasdaq
Eklavya Saraf is a Managing Director of New Listings at Nasdaq. In this role, Eklavya is responsible for managing Nasdaq’s efforts to attract U.S. listings. He has over ten years of experience in the capital markets industry.
He works with early stage companies to maximize financing and visibility opportunities afforded by Nasdaq’s resources for companies going public. Eklavya works very closely with venture capital and advisors to today’s private companies to educate them on the liquidity options Nasdaq can provide.
Senior Vice President, National Group Leader
Woodruff Sawyer
Leading Woodruff Sawyers M&A practice, Emily provides consultation and support to clients seeking to minimize their risks associated with merger & acquisition activity. This includes Representations and Warranties, Tax Opinion Liability and Litigation Buy-Out coverages. Emilys deal experience covers both American and European deals. Her clients are as diverse as their locations. She has worked with both strategic and private equity buyers and sellers over a wide range of transaction sizes and industries.
In 2019, Emily was named in Insurance Business America’s “Hot 100,” which lists top professionals whose contributions have helped shape the insurance industry. She is a frequent speaker and author on the topic of M&A transaction insurance, and has been featured in such publications as Bloomberg Law.
Co-CEO
CIIG Capital Partners
Gavin Cuneo, is currently the Co-Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of CIIG Capital Partners II. He was Chief Operating Officer and Director of CIIG Merger Corp. from its IPO in December 2019 through the closure of its $5.4 business combination with Arrival, the global technology company creating electric vehicles, in March 2021. Since 2010, Mr. Cuneo has been a partner of Cuneo & Company, a private venture investment company focused on early stage media, entertainment and consumer growth businesses. Mr. Cuneo has served and currently serves on the board of a number of private companies. From 2011 to 2018, Mr. Cuneo was the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Valiant Entertainment LLC. Cuneo & Company initially capitalized the dormant comic book publisher to relaunch the business as an IP-centric multimedia company. Under this new management, Valiant grew into one of the leading print and digital publishers in comics, established a marquee licensing businesses and built a film and television division including a multi-picture partnership with Sony Pictures. Cuneo & Co successfully sold Valiant to DMG Entertainment in 2018. From 2005 to 2009, Mr. Cuneo was an investment banker in the consumer industry coverage group at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and its predecessor Merrill Lynch & Co. where he executed debt and equity financings and advised on mergers and acquisitions for leading companies in the consumer and retail industries. From 1998 to 2004, Mr. Cuneo held a number of positions at U.S. Trust Company (now a division of Bank of America), including as an Assistant Vice President in Equity Research, functioning as an equity analyst and associate portfolio manager, and as an Assistant Vice President of corporate strategy. Mr. Cuneo holds an M.B.A. from Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, graduated with a B.A. in Economics and Business from Lafayette College and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.
Partner
Winston & Strawn
Jason Osborn is a M&A partner at Winston & Strawn. He represents SPACs and targets in business combinations. Jason served as the lead M&A partner on several significant transactions, including Diamond Eagle/DraftKings, FAST/FEI and Holicity/Astra. Jason also represents financial firms, private equity funds, founders, entrepreneurs, and other public and private companies in complex transactions and business development strategies. His experience covers a range of industries: technology, healthcare, financial services, retail and consumer products, and manufacturing.
Head of SPACs
NYSE
Jennie Dong is the Head of SPACs in NYSE’s Capital Markets Group. She is responsible for leading new business development and execution for both SPAC IPOs and business combinations. She advises SPAC sponsors and their advisers from inception through the business combination, with a focus on NYSE support through the full lifecycle. Prior to joining the NYSE, she held various roles in investment banking where she advised clients on equity financing.
Partner
White & Case
Joel Rubinstein is a partner at White & Case, and a member of the Firm's Capital Markets Practice. Joel has particular expertise in advising issuers, underwriters and investors on the IPOs of special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), as well as SPACs, target companies and investors in M&A transactions between SPACs and operating companies. He has represented clients in more than 75 SPAC IPOs, raising aggregate gross proceeds of more than US$25 billion, and in more than 30 business combination transactions with an aggregate enterprise value of more than US$35 billion.
Partner
KPMG
John is a Partner in KPMG’s Capital Markets team of Accounting Advisory Services serving a global client base primarily involving transactions such as IPOs, acquisitions and divestitures. Prior to joining the Advisory practice in 2017, John was a partner in KPMG’s audit practice for over 10 years, serving primarily global public companies.
National Director – SPAC Segment
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
John C. Marchisi is National Director – SPAC Segment and Area Senior Vice President of Gallagher’s Financial Institutions Practice, focusing on insurance and risk management for Directors & Officers Liability, Cyber Liability, and Transactional risk. John has over 15 years of experience with SPAC transactions, which began on the American Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange, where he led businesses and SPAC IPO listings and trading as a Managing Director and Exchange Official. John has developed proprietary analytics and resources to assist insurance carrier partners with the underwriting of SPAC insurance programs, and is responsible for numerous national publications including The Life Cycle of a SPAC – A Strategic Risk Management Perspective.
Partner
Sidley Austin
Josh DuClos is a partner in Sidley’s office in Century City. He concentrates his practice on representing private equity sponsors, public and privately held companies, and their respective stakeholders and advisors in de-SPAC transactions, mergers, buyouts, investments and divestitures. Josh was named to the Daily Journal’s “Top 40 under 40” list, which celebrates the achievements of California-based lawyers under the age of 40 for 2020.
Partner
Latham & Watkins
Recognized as a 2020 Dealmaker of the Year by The American Lawyer, Justin Hamill represents clients in a range of complex corporate matters, with a focus on high-value M&A and private equity deals.
Mr. Hamill provides sophisticated transactional counsel to diverse clients, including public and private companies, investment funds, and financial institutions. He regularly advises on multibillion-dollar mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures, drawing on his substantial experience across a broad array of industries, such as media, sports, and entertainment, as well as technology, financial services, consumer products, healthcare, and real estate. His practice also encompasses a range of corporate governance and emerging companies matters.
Mr. Hamill regularly advises clients on leveraged buy-outs, negotiated and contested M&A transactions, public and private investments, restructuring transactions, joint ventures, corporate governance matters, and emerging companies matters.
Mr. Hamill is the former secretary of the New York City Bar Association Committee on Mergers, Acquisitions and Corporate Control Contests. He is also a published author and frequent speaker on corporate matters.
Vice President of Institutional Equity Sales
Citadel Securities
Katie Stiner is Vice President of Institutional Equity Sales at Citadel Securities. Katie leads the team responsible for advising real-money clients on execution strategy and instrument selection for both strategic asset allocation and tactical portfolio management, and she specifically works with asset managers who use Citadel Securities as a liquidity provider for executing ETF block trades and programs.
Prior to joining Citadel Securities in 2018, Katie spent nine years on the synthetic equity sales desk at Deutsche Bank, focused on index and custom basket swaps.
Partner, Americas FAAS Transactions Accounting Advisory Leader & SPAC Transactions Leader
Ernst & Young
Karim has more than 23 years of experience serving clients in a variety of industries. He has extensive knowledge of special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) mergers covering accounting, reporting, regulatory, operational and integration matters. Karim has lead 50+ SPAC transactions in the past 10 years. Karim advises clients on numerous accounting and financial reporting matters including: mergers and acquisitions, registration statements’ complex accounting matters, policies and procedures, IPOs, debt offerings, purchase accounting, spin-outs, divestitures, valuation-related matters associated with purchase accounting, carve-out accounting, consolidation matters, fresh start and bankruptcy accounting, and other complex accounting matters, as well as compliance with SEC financial reporting requirements for US domestic and foreign private issuers. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in the state of California; and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).
Senior Director
Morrow Sodali
Kevin Kelly, a Senior Director, joined Morrow Sodali in October 2003. Kevin leads our SPAC (Special Purpose Acquisition Company) services and is responsible for new business development.
Prior to joining Morrow Sodali, Kevin held a number of senior roles in the transfer agent business including positions in sales, marketing, administration, product management, and operations. Kevin’s career included transfer agent and corporate trust roles with Computershare, Harris Bank, Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company, and Chase Manhattan Bank.
Kevin is a member of National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) and the Society for Corporate Governance. He holds an M.B.A. degree from Fordham University and a B.A. degree from St. Anselm College.
Managing Director
Morgan Stanley
Kristin Zimmerman-Sorio is a Managing Director with Morgan Stanley’s Mergers & Acquisitions division based in New York and leads the firm’s SPAC M&A practice. In her capacity as an M&A practitioner, Kristin has predominantly focused across the Industrial, Chemical and Consumer/Retail sectors. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley in 2007, Kristin worked for Cherokee Investment Partners, a private equity fund based in Raleigh, NC and London, U.K. Kristin received a B.A. in Political Science from North Carolina State University (awarded class Valedictorian) and an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business with concentrations in Finance and Accounting. She is also a senior board member of Read Ahead, a non-profit organization geared towards providing mentorship opportunities for underprivileged children in New York City elementary schools.
Partner
HTFL
Louis Taubman is a partner in the New York office of Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li. Mr. Taubman’s practice concentrates on securities law, corporate finance and corporate governance. Mr. Taubman represents issuers, broker dealers and investors in connection with private and public financing transactions, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and SEC compliance. Mr. Taubman currently provides advice to various issuers with regard to their continued Securities Exchange Act of 1934 reporting requirements, as well as related issues of corporate compliance and governance. Mr. Taubman also assists issuers with regard to initial listing on the Nasdaq, NYSE-MKT, OTCQX and other markets and exchanges, as well as ongoing compliance with exchange listing requirements.
CEO
Golden Falcon Acquisition Corp.
Makram Azar, our Chief Executive Officer and a member of our board of directors, has over 30 years of investment banking and private equity experience. Mr. Azar is Chief Executive Officer and director of Full Circle Capital Limited, a private investment and advisory group, which he founded in 2019. Previously, from 2010 to 2019, he was at Barclays Bank PLC, where among other roles, he served as Chairman of Banking EMEA and Chairman of Barclays Bank PLC, MENA. Since 2019, he has continued his relationship with Barclays Bank PLC, serving as Senior Advisor. Before this, Mr. Azar served as Managing Director and Head of MENA for Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co (“KKR”) from 2008 to 2010. Prior to joining KKR, Mr. Azar had spent 18 years at Lehman Brothers, latterly as Global Head of Sovereign Wealth Funds and Chairman of Media Investment Banking EMEA. Previously he led the Media, Consumer & Retail Investment Banking businesses of Lehman Brothers in EMEA. Mr. Azar has completed over 200 M&A, equity capital markets, debt capital markets and private equity deals with an aggregate value in excess of $350 billion, across a broad spectrum of geographies and industries, including TMT, consumer, sustainable energy, retail, hospitality, financial services, industrials and real estate. His clients have included some of the largest institutional investors, multinational corporations, sovereign wealth funds and governments. Mr. Azar holds a BA in Applied Economics from the University Paris-IX Dauphine and a Master’s degree in Management and Finance from École des Hautes Études Commerciales (HEC) in Paris.
Partner
Swiss Financiers
Marc Deschenaux is a world expert in Corporate Finance from private offerings to Initial Public Offerings (IPO’s). He raised private and public, equity and debt, for companies internationally. He also financed various types of operations, from import/export transactions to Real Estate Investment Trusts and organized government loans.
Co-Editor
The Deal
Michael is co-editor, overseeing overall strategy and coverage of M&A, private equity, activism and restructuring for The Deal’s subscribers. He is editorial director of events, awards and daily coverage and manages product development and direction. Before being named to his current role, Michael was the assignments editor for The Deal and its former parent, TheStreet Inc. Michael also has held roles as senior reporter, researcher and associate and covered topics including financial services, sports and media and leisure.
Partner
Ogier
Michael advises on a broad range of corporate transactional matters, with particular emphasis on capital markets work (both equity and debt), mergers and acquisitions and complex corporate restructuring. Michael’s BVI law practice also encompasses cross-border joint ventures and emerging market investment, structured finance and financial reconstruction, and he is a trusted advisor on general BVI corporate matters to Intel, TPG, Hyatt Hotels and United Airlines as well as a number of other major financial and commercial institutions and enterprises.
Having joined Ogier in January 2012 after ten years in the Corporate and Securities Group of Sidley Austin LLP's London Office, where he also trained, Michael quickly established himself as a key member of the firm’s BVI Practice. Michael is recommended by Chambers and IFLR while Legal 500 cites Michael as an 'excellent deal counsel, who knows BVI corporate law inside-out and gives pragmatic, commercially-orientated advice'. Michael is also becoming increasingly sought after as a BVI based expert on the use of BVI companies as listed Special Acquisition Companies (SPACs).
Vice Chairman; Co-Chair, Capital Markets & Corporate
Loeb & Loeb
Mitch Nussbaum is the vice chair of Loeb & Loeb and serves as co-chair of the firm’s Capital Markets and Corporate Department. His practice focuses on representing emerging growth companies and investment banks in initial public offerings, follow-on public offerings, shelf takedowns, registered direct placements, PIPEs and other private placements (144A, Reg D, Reg A, Reg S, etc.). Mr. Nussbaum also regularly represents public companies regarding their SEC and NYSE or Nasdaq listing compliance and has acted as outside general counsel, including corporate, securities, M&A litigation and business counseling, to hundreds of private and public companies as well as their officers and directors. He also negotiates and documents acquisitions, mergers, going-private transactions, reverse mergers, proxy contests, tender offers, control contests, fund formations and secured lending financings and has represented issuers and underwriters in more than 100 SPAC public offerings and business combinations. Mr. Nussbaum was responsible for developing the groundbreaking IPAC, which features many of the benefits of the SPAC, but offers increased flexibility on pricing and deal structure, along with a more rapid transaction cycle.
Senior Vice President & Partner
Woodruff Sawyer
Priya Cherian Huskins is partner at Woodruff Sawyer, a full-service commercial insurance brokerage. Priya is a recognized expert in D&O liability risk and its mitigation.
Priya is the author of the popular D&O Notebook blog. There she writes about current issues effecting directors and officers of public and large private companies in the areas of D&O liability, insurance and corporate governance.
Priya service on the board of a public company and a private company board.
Chairman & CEO, Alpha Healthcare Acq Corp.
SPAC Alpha
Mr. Rajiv Shukla has an extensive track record of buyouts and equity investments spanning over twenty years. He has served as Chairman & CEO of two Nasdaq-listed Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs): the first SPAC acquired DMTK which is one of the most successful healthcare SPAC transactions of all time. The second SPAC is in the process of closing on the acquisition of Humacyte, an Industry leader in bioengineered human tissues for applications exceeding $150 billion per annum. Earlier in his career, Rajiv led global M&A for Pfizer R&D where he was involved with nearly $65 billion in acquisitions and then subsequently worked as a hedge fund PM at Morgan Stanley and a private equity investor at CVCI before leading a 4000-person team at a leading publicly listed engineering company as CEO. Rajiv has a Masters in Healthcare Management from Harvard University and a Bachelors in Pharmaceutics from the Indian Institute of Technology.
Chairman
Novus Capital I & II
Robert J. Laikin co-founded Novus Capital Corporation and served as its Chairman from its inception in March 2020 until it merged with AppHarvest, Inc (NASDAQ:APPH) in February 2021. He has served as a director of AppHarvest since the merger. Mr. Laikin also has served as the Chief Executive Officer and a director of Novus Capital Corporation II (NYSE: NXU.U), a special purpose acquisition company, since its inception in September 2020. Mr. Laikin currently serves as the non-executive Chairman of the Board of Washington Prime Group Inc. (NYSE:WPG), where he has held a director role since May 2014. Additionally, he held the Lead Independent Director role at Washington Prime Group Inc. until the position was eliminated and he was subsequently named Chairman of the Board. Mr. Laikin also has been the managing member of L7 Investments LLC, a closely held company that invests primarily in multi-family apartments as well as single-purpose buildings, hotels, divestitures and single-family homes, since January 2015. Mr. Laikin served as Executive Advisor to the CEO and Government Relations Executive of Ingram Micro Inc. (NYSE:IM), a wholesale technology distributor and supply chain management and mobile device lifecycle services company, from November 2012 to December 2019. Previously Mr. Laikin served as the founder, Chief Executive Officer and member of the board of directors of Brightpoint, Inc. (NASDAQ:CELL) from August 1989 until it was acquired by Ingram Micro Inc. in November 2012. Mr. Laikin holds a Bachelor of Science from Indiana University.
Partner, Capital Markets and M&A
Vinson & Elkins
Scott Rubinsky advises public and private companies, investment banks, private equity firms and management teams on capital-raising transactions, including initial public offerings and public and private offerings of equity and debt securities. Scott also counsels public and private companies and private equity firms on mergers and acquisitions, strategic investments and spin-offs, and has substantial experience in initial public offerings and business combination transactions involving Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs).
CFO
Ignyte Acquisition Corp.
Mr. Kaplan joined Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. as a Managing Director in September 2004 and was promoted to Head of Capital Markets in December 2011. Mr. Kaplan co-heads the investment banking group at Ladenburg Thalmann which focuses on blank check companies or SPACs. Prior to joining Ladenburg Thalmann, Mr. Kaplan had substantial experience advising companies in the healthcare services industry. From 1999 to 2004, Mr. Kaplan was a Co-Founder and a Partner of River Capital Partners, a healthcare services focused M&A advisory firm. From 1996 to 1999, he was a Vice President in the Healthcare Investment Banking Group of Prudential Securities. From 1993 to 1996 he was an associate at Jefferies & Company, primarily focused on Healthcare M&A. He previously worked at auditing firms Pricewaterhouse and Deloitte & Touche. Over the course of his career, Mr. Kaplan has managed over 500 public offerings including but not limited to IPOs and follow-on offerings as well as advising on numerous merger and acquisition transactions. Mr. Kaplan received a BSBA from Babson College and an MBA from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.
President & Chairman
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
With more than 30 years of industry experience, Steven is heavily involved in Continental Stock Transfer & Trust’s day-to-day organizational and administrative issues, and in the overall management of client initiatives. An attorney with a background in public as well as private practice, he is a member of the New York State and Federal Bars. He has practiced at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, and as a federal prosecutor. Steven is a member of the Securities Transfer Association Board, and chairs its Legal Committee, which is active in promoting important changes within the industry. A magna cum laude graduate of Brandeis University, he received Law Review honors from NYU Law School.
Partner
Ellenoff Grossman & Schole
Stuart Neuhauser, a member of EG&S, is a corporate/securities attorney with a focus on business transactions and corporate financings. Mr. Neuhauser has represented public companies (both domestic and foreign) in connection with their public offerings and other financings, as well as general corporate governance matters. Mr. Neuhauser has also represented investment banking firms in connection wtih financings and general advisory engagements, and has counseled both public and private companies in mergers and acquisitions (including "reverse mergers" and SPAC M&A transactions). Mr. Neuhauser has extensive experience in the public offerings of SPACs (on behalf of issuers and underwriters) and has played an important role in drafting and formulating the structural changes of the new generation of SPACs. Led by Mr. Neuhauser (and other members of the Firm), EG&S has been one of the most active firms in the world in both SPAC IPOs and SPAC M&A transactions. In addition, EG&S has acted as special SPAC counsel in connection with numerous Canadian SPACs.
Partner
Deloitte
Will is a partner with Deloitte &Touche LLP and offers more than 16 years of experience providing advisory and audit services to clients. He leads Deloitte’s Central Region IPO and SPAC Execution Group for the Accounting, Reporting and Advisory practice. He has extensive private equity experience including auditing and/or advising portfolio companies regarding public exit strategies. He has extensive experience leading IPO engagements including reverse mergers, special purpose acquisition companies, recapitalizations, Up-C Structures, predecessor accounting, and SEC pre-clearance filings. He is a certified public accountant in Texas and has a Masters in Professional Accounting from the University of Texas.
Vice President, Transactional Insurance
Woodruff Sawyer
Yelena is a corporate finance and securities attorney and a member of Woodruff Sawyer’s transactional insurance brokerage and SPAC teams. She advises clients on M&A- and IPO-related insurance solutions, including representations and warranties insurance and D&O insurance. Yelena is a frequent author of articles and serves as the M&A managing editor of the American Bar Association’s Business Law Today. Prior to joining Woodruff Sawyer, Yelena was a senior capital markets associate at Clifford Chance.
Managing Director
Riveron
Zac’s 19 years of global experience in accounting advisory and audit roles include capital raising assistance, carve-out and pro forma financial statements, business combination and divestiture matters, IPO readiness, SPAC mergers, GAAP change and IFRS conversions, and audit assistance. Zac has served clients in a variety of industries, focused primarily in energy and including multi-national publicly traded companies, private-equity portfolio companies, and privately-held institutions. Zac is based in Houston and has spent the majority of his career in Houston, Tokyo and Amsterdam.
SPAC Market Outlook Through 2021
Experts prognosticate on the year ahead
Why SPACs Have Continued to Thrive in a Choppy Public Market
Analysis of why investors view SPACs as “investing ahead” of current market trends
Anatomy of a SPAC Deal
What investors new to SPACs should know about the basics of deal structure
Legal & Accounting Trends
Comprehensive presentations featuring in-depth discussion of legal and accounting issues
Hedge Funds as SPAC Sponsors
Understanding the move hedge funds are making from SPAC investors to SPAC sponsors
Changes to SPAC Structure Resulting from COVID-19
The latest tweaks to SPACs including extended deadlines, ditching warrants, and other changes
Popular Private Company Targets
Trends on SPAC mergers in tech, mobility, e-commerce, gaming, food, and other sectors
Best Practices for Investor Communications
The latest tactics to keep investors updated on transaction progress
PIPE Financings
Everything you ever wanted to know about private investments in public equity and why PIPEs are integral to the SPAC market
The Pros & Cons Private Companies Should Consider When Contemplating a SPAC
A rundown of reasons companies should – or shouldn’t – pursue a SPAC combination
Analysis of IPOs
Overview of the latest IPOs and a look at how SPACs perform in the registered offerings market
Serial Sponsor Roundtable
A discussion with the industry’s most active deal sponsors
Deals that Performed (and Deals that Didn’t)
Comprehensive analysis and explanation of recent deals that have performed, and those that have not
Insuring SPAC Deals
Discussion of insurance products designed to protect SPAC investments
Our sponsors are thought-leaders in the industry. Corporate sponsorship provides unmatched exposure during a lengthy promotional campaign and the conference itself. Benefits include pre-conference publicity, logo and literature placement, exhibit space, online ad placement, and complimentary registration.
To become a sponsor, contact Charlie Napolitano at (516) 876-8006 ext 20 or charlie@dealflow.com.
We are committed to providing a safe environment for all attendees. Since we expect a large turnout, we have moved our venue from the more typical indoor hotel to the spacious Westchester Country Club, where we have contracted to use the entire facility.
This facility includes a large outdoor area where we will conduct the general session underneath a tent so that we are protected from the elements. Networking and dining will also be conducted largely outdoors, although attendees will also have the option to utilize indoor meeting space.
99 Biltmore Avenue
Rye, NY 10580
Phone: (914) 967-6000
The Westchester Country Club is one of the premier country clubs in America. Its extensive amenities include a historic residence with three restaurants and two banquet rooms, two eighteen hole golf courses, one nine-hole course, an indoor swimming pool, squash courts, grass tennis courts and a stand-alone beach.