Jeffrey C. Soza, Attorney

Jeffrey Soza was born in 1962 in Castro Valley, California. He received his Bachelor of Science degree (magna cum laude) in Business Administration / Finance from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles in 1984. He received his Juris Doctorate degree (magna cum laude) from Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco in 1987. At Hastings he served on the Hastings Law Review and was a member of the Order of the Coif.

After law school, Mr. Soza joined Latham & Watkins, a large international law firm, and worked in their Corporate Department from the fall of 1987 until he joined the Firm in the summer of 1992. He became a partner in 1996.

Mr. Soza has a wide range of experience in corporate matters, including emerging company/venture capital issues, private equity transactions (including the formation of limited partnerships), public offerings, private placements, mergers and acquisitions, syndicating limited partnerships and general corporate matters for public and private companies.

Since 1995 Mr. Soza has represented the California Public Employees' Retirement System in the formation of over 100 private equity entities involving investment commitments of more than $3.0 billion. He also has represented, among others, the Los Angeles Employees Retirement Association, Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund, Colorado Fire and Police Pension Association and the New Mexico State Investment Counsel in private equity investments.

Mr. Soza has also represented investors of all kinds making private investments in operating companies, including investments in Zone Labs, Inc., a developer of secure email products, Zhone Technologies, the entity formed by the founders of Ascend Communications and Relax the Back Corporation, a retailer of ergonomic products.

Mr. Soza has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, representing both acquiring companies as well as targets, in all industries. For example, he represented MGM MIRAGE in its acquisition of Mandalay Resort Group.  He also represented a franchisor of Mexican fast food restaurants in its acquisition by another fast food franchisor. In addition, he represented Gores Technology Group, a private equity firm, in its acquisition of Veritone, a subsidiary of Hewlett Packard. Mr. Soza represented Nigro, Karlin & Segal and Philpott, Bills & Stoll, local business management firms in connection with their acquisitions by Assante Corporation, a Canadian financial services firm. He then represented Assante in its acquisition of Steinberg & Moorad, a professional athlete representation firm. He has also represented clients in the healthcare, veterinary supply, entertainment, financial services and insurance.

Mr. Soza has represented clients in public offerings of debt and equity securities, including debt offerings by MGM MIRAGE and an equity offering by Youbet.com., Inc., a company providing the ability to make legal online horse race wagers.

Los Angeles Magazine included him as one of its "Super Lawyers" in 2006 and 2007.

Mr. Soza is married and has a son and a daughter.

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