Berkely Cobb

• Drafts, negotiates, and manages execution of various commercial agreements, including master services agreements, statements of work, and data privacy agreements for tax, audit, and consulting business lines, ensuring compliance and alignment with business objectives;
• Provides legal advice and operational support to BDO's tax, audit, and consulting business lines on business and legal risks, regulatory compliance, and contract matters, collaborating with stakeholders to develop and implement effective solutions;
• Leverages AI tools, including CoCounsel and Microsoft Copilot, to review, redline, and summarize contracts, and applies critical judgment to assess AI-generated outputs; and
• Reviews and responds to public data subject requests pursuant to California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and other applicable data privacy laws.

• Drafted and negotiated services contracts with private and public sector clients, including master services agreements, statements of work, access and release agreements, engagement letter agreements, non-disclosure agreements, business associate agreements, subcontractor agreements, data privacy agreements, and other agreements related to RSM's audit, financial, and technology consulting services;
• Reviewed and responded to business proposals (RFPs) for current and potential clients, contributing to strategic client engagement and contract opportunities;
• Provided internal guidance and legal operations support on professional standards, legal risks, business risks, and regulatory compliance, facilitating informed decision-making across the organization; and
• Collaborated with peers in RSM's 2024 Blockchain Fellowship program to explore and assess blockchain technology applications for potential business integration.

• Defended financial institutions as lead attorney in litigated matters involving bankruptcy, breach of contract, fraud, civil conspiracy, secured lending, and consumer protection statutes, including TILA, RESPA, FCRA, and FDCPA, achieving favorable outcomes for clients;
• Drafted and argued pleadings and motions, propounded and responded to discovery requests in litigated matters and performed discovery reviews and privilege logging in Relativity, Disco, and other e-discovery databases;
• Managed dispute resolution procedures, spearheaded mediation conferences, and guided clients in resolution and settlement strategies, resulting in effective dispute resolutions;
• Analyzed fraudulent accounting and income reporting in accounting investigations, internal audit reviews, anti-corruption, and tax fraud criminal matters for white collar and securities litigation groups; and
• Worked on corporate due diligence and compliance projects, extracted commercial leases, and responded to healthcare record requests pursuant to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

• Litigated matters involving consumer lending and finance violations, employment discrimination, real estate purchases, contractual and business disputes, bankruptcy, probate, defamation, fraud matters, education loan claims, and property foreclosures;
• Conducted investigations and responded to charges filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Illinois Department of Human Rights regarding violations of Title VII, ADEA, ADA, FMLA, FLSA, IHRA, and Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act;
• Drafted and reviewed employee compensation plans, nondisclosure agreements, settlement agreements, arbitration agreements, healthcare contracts, and real estate contracts, including bylaws and declarations, facilitating various residential and commercial real estate transactions; and
• Developed internal policy recommendations for clients, enhancing compliance with laws and regulations.

• Represented creditors and financial institutions in lawsuits involving breach of contract, real estate foreclosure, municipal housing, forcible evictions, and the FDCPA, RESPA, and TILA;
• Reviewed correspondence from creditors and mortgage documents to ensure compliance with consumer lending regulations before initiating foreclosure actions; and
• Led mediations with borrowers to resolve foreclosure actions and disputes.

• Calculated and recorded structural cost accounting entries for global royalty agreements and vehicle valuations, ensuring accuracy in materials accruals; and
• Drafted guidance on accounting treatment for incentive and royalty agreements, standardizing practices across the company.
• Prepared monthly financial reports for GM business leaders and plant teams.

• Audited financial accounts and reports, ensuring compliance with regulatory accounting and auditing standards across diverse industries;
• Remediated control deficiencies identified during Sarbanes-Oxley compliance testing, enhancing internal control frameworks; and
• Supervised new associates and planned audit approaches and budgets for client engagements, acting as liaison between clients and audit managers/partners to facilitate effective communication.

with Honors Bachelor of Accounting, graduated in 2003, with Honors