Saminaz Akhter

Saminaz works closely with tax lawyers and accountants to properly structure deals and meet clients’ immediate and long-term needs. She encourages these professionals to adopt her mindset that the practical aspects of transactions are paramount, as an overly complicated tax or equity structure may net minimal benefits when balanced against ongoing compliance requirements or overwhelming the management team. She has also worked on leveraged acquisitions with financing teams. To prevent delays in financing a deal, Saminaz trains her deal team to flag diligence issues for the financing team so they can be handled quickly, efficiently, and well ahead of the closing deadline.

Saminaz also has experience collaborating with companies to develop stockholder agreements, employment agreements, and noncompetition and confidentiality agreements that balance the client's business needs with regulatory requirements. She has also collaborated with clients to establish bonus plans like stock options that recognize the management team's efforts while incentivizing them to achieve key thresholds. Saminaz has also worked with clients in private fund formation and has advised clients on statutory requirements for complying as a registered investment advisor under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.