FARAH ESMAIL B.SC. J.D. M.B.A.

Toronto, ON M5V 3Z1 (647) 295-4039 [email protected] EXPERIENCE IN HOUSE EXPERIENCE SUMMARY: 7 years experience working in house in a fast paced, highly regulated, high tech environment. Focused on corporate commercial law including drafting and negotiating contracts, intellectual property (IP) issues, regulatory compliance and corporate governance for companys multijurisdictional operations. Developed and implemented policies and procedures to address the growth of the company from start up to Initial Public Offering (IPO) ready stage. Focused on business oriented approach to law, emphasizing relationship building for achieving successful outcomes. CONNECTIONS ACADEMY, LLC (Baltimore, MD) February 2004 July 2011 A school management company providing kindergarten to grade twelve virtual educational products and services including turnkey charter school operations and course offerings in twenty three states in the United States and in China. Legal Department, Senior Counsel (promoted July 2009); Director of Legal and Regulatory Affairs (promoted July 2004); Manager of Legal and Regulatory Affairs Handled all corporate and commercial matters for the company. Assisted with the negotiation and drafting of simple to complex contracts with various third parties. Managed legal proceedings for company and liaised with outside counsel on various legal matters. Responsible for implementation of Records Retention, Information Protection and Privacy and Contract Management Programs in preparation for the IPO. Managed IP Program including compliance with contracts, managing registration of trademark and copyrights, policing infringements in social media and establishing guidelines for social media, issuing cease and desist letters, and establishing IP related policies. Advised Principals and school staff in multiple jurisdictions on education law related topics and compliance with various federal and state laws. Established scalable policies and procedures to ensure effective charter school board governance for growing number of school boards. Recruited and trained personnel to oversee these operations. Developed and conducted in person and online training for corporate and school staff on various issues including Board Governance, IP Protection, McKinney Vento and FERPA compliance. Served as Treasurer for the National Connections Academy board of directors (July 2007-July 2011). Founding member of the Connections Academy Social Team for enhancing employee morale. Supervised Junior Legal Associate, Two Corporate Paralegals and a Legal Assistant. FIRM EXPERIENCE SUMMARY: 4 years general litigation experience in diverse areas including corporate, commercial, family, immigration, estates, personal injury and administrative law. Conducted research, prepared for and attended motions, prepared pleadings, and correspondence, attended discovery and settlement negotiations and managed client relationships. ZEPPIERI & ASSOCIATES (Toronto, ON) Small family owned practice with a focus on personal injury Civil Litigation Associate, resigned to pursue MBA BEARD WINTER LLP (Toronto, ON) Private midsized litigation boutique Commercial Litigation Associate, One Year Contract April 2002 - August 2002

December 2000 - December 2001

GROIA & COMPANY (Toronto, ON) August 2000 - December 2000 Private small sized white collar crime boutique Litigation Trial Assistant hired specifically for high profile Ontario Securities Commission Bre-X Trial

MINISTRY OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (Toronto, ON) September 1998 - August 1999 Office of the Public Guardian, a public office serving incapable adults in various legal areas Articling Student, Litigation Services EDUCATION WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY (Waterloo, ON) August 2002 - August 2003 Masters of Business Administration WLU MBA Association Social Representative. Organized social and networking events for students. WLU Case Competition and Richard Ivey Business School Business Plan competition participant. ADMISSION TO THE ONTARIO BAR, LAW SOCIETY OF UPPER CANADA February 2000

OSGOODE HALL LAW SCHOOL (Toronto, ON) September 1995 - May 1998 Doctor of Jurisprudence Mediation Intern, Toronto Small Claims Court. Applied skills from mediation training program at Osgoode Hall Law School to court-annexed mediations. Achieved 30% success rate of settlement. Immigration Caseworker, Parkdale Community Legal Services. Managed various immigration applications including refugee hearings, conducted country research and drafted correspondence. Recipient of the Osgoode Hall Law School Spirit Award for Athletics. Student Mentor in Osgoode Hall Student Mentoring Program. UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO (Toronto, ON) Honours Bachelor of Science: Specialist in Environmental Science, Major in Zoology September 1990 - May 1994

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES BACK ON MY FEET BALTIMORE ADVISORY BOARD (Baltimore, MD) April 2009 Present Non-profit organization that assists the homeless with reintegration into society through running. Volunteer Board member (2009-present) and Board Chair (2009-10) ASSOCIATION OF CORPORATE COUNSEL (Baltimore, MD) January 2008 July 2011 Baltimore Chapter of international support organization for in-house counsel. Volunteer Board member (2008- July 2011) and Officer (Secretary 2010; Treasurer and President Elect 2011) Developed and conducted membership needs survey. Organized annual social event for past 3 years. Acted as Mentor for annual ACC Student Mentor Program for law students. ISMAILI LEGAL MATTERS COMMITTEE (Toronto, ON) June 1996 - August 2002 Attended meetings and provided volunteer legal services for the Ismaili Community. 10 KM RUN FOR CHARITY (Toronto, ON) December 2001- June 2002 Director, Media Relations & Marketing. Responsible for raising funds for the Junior Achievement Program through marketing initiatives. PERSONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND INTERESTS Climbed to Uhuru Peak, Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania in November 2010. Completed Introductory College Course in Spanish; continue to develop Spanish language skills. Completed the 2007 ING Miami Marathon and various other half marathons and distance races. Enjoy Latin dancing and recreational sports such as squash, soccer, golf and diving (PADI certified).