Experience

Petalfast

• United States
• Advertising Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Chief Operating Officer/General Counsel

  • Jul 2020 - Present

  Irvine, California, United States



Law Offices of Arun Kurichety

• Attorney

  • Mar 2017 - Present

  Laguna Beach, California, United States



KushCo

• United States
• Packaging & Containers
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Executive Vice President, General Counsel

  • Jul 2018 - May 2020

  Cypress, California • Executive team member responsible for all legal, compliance, corporate governance functions of publicly traded hyper-growth cannabis company • Led, advised, and negotiated significant capital markets (equity and debt) transactions • Source and lead negotiations for value-accretive strategic domestic and international merger, partnership and supply/vendor agreements • Design and implement value-generating business and legal strategies in new markets and new products •… Show more • Executive team member responsible for all legal, compliance, corporate governance functions of publicly traded hyper-growth cannabis company • Led, advised, and negotiated significant capital markets (equity and debt) transactions • Source and lead negotiations for value-accretive strategic domestic and international merger, partnership and supply/vendor agreements • Design and implement value-generating business and legal strategies in new markets and new products • 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐅𝐘𝟏𝟗 (𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐍𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫) ➝ Industry-first $50M senior secured asset-based credit facility ➝ Equity raises of $100+M during challenging circumstances • 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐜𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬/𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬 ➝ Purchase of 19.9% interest of Canadian public equipment finance company ➝ Exclusive distribution contract with large international vape hardware manufacturer ➝ Exclusive partnership with leading terpene provider ➝ Venture investment in novel cannabis technology product • Implemented compliant business strategies to triple top-line revenue from $52M to $150M • Developed “best-in-class” compliance program to comply with public company listing requirements and allow for more institutional capital • Managed large class action, shareholder derivative lawsuits and SEC subpoenas related to voluntary restatement of certain financials • Successfully oversaw full remediation of international supply chain issues including customs/tariff strategy in response to Trump tariffs, China-US trade war and COVID19 • Implement risk identification and mitigation analysis to minimize corporate liabilities • Direct resolution of human resources matters for 260-employee company • Designed employee compensation plans, including employee incentive plan Show less



McAllister Garfield, P.C.

• Of Counsel

  • Feb 2017 - Jun 2018

  Los Angeles, CA • Provided legal advice to cannabis companies on business formation, mergers and acquisitions, compliance, contract negotiations, and fundraising • Drafted and negotiated a wide range of commercial agreements implicating various legal areas including real estate, intellectual property, labor and employment, tax, corporate and regulatory compliance



Raines Feldman Littrell LLP

• United States
• Law Practice
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Of Counsel

  • Mar 2017 - Mar 2018

  Los Angeles, CA



Guild Extracts

• Manufacturing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• General Counsel

  • Apr 2017 - Jan 2018

  San Francisco Bay Area • Provided strategic advice for scaling early stage cannabis start-up as board member and in-house counsel • Executed business strategies that built vertically integrated cannabis operations and multiple award-winning cannabis brands • Raised $5.5M in equity financing for large-scale nursery and cultivation facility • Managed compliance and successful license applications for expansion



Carbon Law Group

• United States
• Law Practice
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Of Counsel

  • Dec 2015 - Dec 2016

  Los Angeles, California, United States • Provided business and corporate legal advice to start-ups in foundational and development matters such as entity and corporate formation, partnership agreements and dissolutions, and contract drafting and negotiating



Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

• Law Practice
• 700 & Above Employee

• Counsel

  • Mar 2012 - Nov 2015

  Los Angeles, California • Represented public and private companies, creditor groups, and investment funds in bankruptcy and financial restructuring matters. • Advised official and informal creditors’ committees, companies and institutional investors in formal and out-of-court restructurings, in financing and strategic transactions, and on distressed and special situations • Represented secured and unsecured creditors, debtors, and other parties in interest in both in- and out-of-court large complex… Show more • Represented public and private companies, creditor groups, and investment funds in bankruptcy and financial restructuring matters. • Advised official and informal creditors’ committees, companies and institutional investors in formal and out-of-court restructurings, in financing and strategic transactions, and on distressed and special situations • Represented secured and unsecured creditors, debtors, and other parties in interest in both in- and out-of-court large complex restructuring matters. • Appeared frequently in bankruptcy court on behalf of financial restructuring clients • Clients included hedge funds, private equity firms and financial institutions Show less



Kirkland & Ellis

• United States
• Law Practice
• 700 & Above Employee

• Associate

  • Sep 2006 - Feb 2012

  Chicago, Illinois, United States • Represented, counseled and advised publicly and privately held debtors, distressed investors and financial sponsors in special situations, out-of-court restructurings and distressed acquisitions, and in-court chapter 7, 11 and foreign insolvency processes through prepackaged, prearranged and traditional restructurings • Advised companies and creditors across industries, including real estate, retail, transportation, publishing, health services, entertainment, logistics and shipping… Show more • Represented, counseled and advised publicly and privately held debtors, distressed investors and financial sponsors in special situations, out-of-court restructurings and distressed acquisitions, and in-court chapter 7, 11 and foreign insolvency processes through prepackaged, prearranged and traditional restructurings • Advised companies and creditors across industries, including real estate, retail, transportation, publishing, health services, entertainment, logistics and shipping, energy, airline and aircraft manufacturing • Coordinated with in-house and external counsel and other professional advisors to formulate and execute complex restructuring transactions to increase company profitability and investor returns • Managed and participated in all aspects of U.S. and foreign restructuring, bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings Show less