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Tuesday, August 4th, 2009
August Breakfast Meeting - "Taking advantage of the CleanTech upswing"
7:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Speaker(s):
MONTHLY BREAKFAST MEETING
"Taking advantage of the CleanTech upswing"
RSVP by Noon, Monday, August 3rd, 2009
Online Registration: Click "Register for the Event" here or just above.
Members & Guests $30
Non-Members $50
Additional $10 for payments at the door
Guest Speakers:
Aaron L. Enz, CFA
Partner,
Wood Warren & Co. |
Allan Smith
Director
State & Local Tax
Grant Thornton, LLP |
Tessa Schwartz
Partner,
Co-Chair Cleantech Practice
Morrison & Foerster, LLP |
"Taking advantage of the CleanTech upswing"
A comprehensive update on investment activity, navigating the Cleantech stimulus package and carbon-related transaction opportunities.
Cleantech is showing signs of coming back to life with a global deal value reaching $803M in May 2009 after a weak first quarter of Cleantech investment. (Source: ZEPHYR published by BvDEP). Come hear from industry experts about:
- Cleantech investing trends – The credit crunch slowed Cleantech financing to a halt and consolidation in the sector was widely expected. However, with the stimulus package and recent rise in oil prices, Cleantech is set to retake the throne as the most venture-invested sector.
- Opportunities in carbon-related transactions – Understand the implication of possible cap-and-trade legislation and what that means in terms of transaction opportunities.
- Navigating the Cleantech Stimulus – The recent Stimulus Bill provides significant grants, tax incentives and policy initiatives that should stimulate the Cleantech sector. The wide variety of available programs creates opportunities for many businesses.
Location:
Bankers Club, Pacific Room
555 California St. 52nd Floor
San Francisco
Speaker Bios:
Aaron L. Enz, Wood Warren & Co.
Mr. Enz is a Partner at Wood Warren & Co., a San Francisco Bay Area investment banking firm serving emerging growth and middle market companies. He brings over 12 years of experience in corporate finance, investment banking and strategic financial advisory, and conceived and initiated Wood Warren’s cleantech practice area. Mr. Enz has over three years of cleantech experience and has worked with clients in the following areas: advanced water treatment, energy efficiency, wind, solar, biomass, industrial efficiency, recycling and environmental services. Mr. Enz has served as a cleantech seminar panelist, as an advisory board member of a water technology company and is active in cleantech organizations, such as the Cleantech Group, the Berkeley Energy & Resources Collaborative (BERC), and Imagine H2O.
Mr. Enz holds a B.A. in Mathematics and Economics from Western Washington University and an M.A. in Business Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst and a member of the Association for Corporate Growth, San Francisco.
Tessa J. Schwartz, Morrison & Foerster LLP
Tessa is a Partner in Morrison & Foerster’s Technology Transactions Group and co-chair of the firm’s Cleantech practice. She counsels Cleantech and other companies on big-picture intellectual property strategy and negotiates complex intellectual property and commercial agreements, from key patent licensing and technology procurement agreements to complicated development, joint ventures, and distribution deals. She also provides intellectual property expertise for mergers, acquisitions, and asset sales.
Tessa’s strong background in the wireless, hardware, and software industries informs her work with industry leaders in the Cleantech sector, particularly in the solar energy, carbon, energy efficiency and intelligence, battery, and sustainable organic industries.
Cleantech clients include, among others, Ausra, a leading utility-scale solar thermal company; Carbonetworks, a provider of software tracking for carbon emissions and a trading platform for credits; Agilewaves, an electronic residential control systems manufacturer; and ElectraTherm, a provider of technology that captures waste heat and pressure to provide zero emissions electricity. Tessa regularly speaks on Cleantech-related issues and has a strong interest helping entities maximize the value of carbon in their business. In 2009, she was named one of the top 20 under 40 attorneys in California by the Daily Journal. Tessa is based in San Francisco – one of the epicenters of Cleantech activity.
Allan Smith, Grant Thornton LLP
Allan is Director of State and Local Tax, and is based in the Greater Bay Area office. Allan has over 18 years of experience in serving clients on state and local tax matters including income/franchise tax, sales tax, payroll taxes, and credits/incentives. Allan has provided advice and service to clients related to transactions, pro-active planning, audit defense, taxability studies, nexus, and compliance. In addition, Allan has designed and implemented organization structures resulting in significant income and sales tax savings.
Allan has represented a number of bay area clients in their application for Cleantech related government grants, incentives, credits and rebates. He is a thought leader within Grant Thornton on the subject matter and contributor to "Navigating the Cleantech Stimulus: An Executive Checklist". Allan speaks at both external conferences and training events. Allan has also served clients in financial services, retail, construction, biotechnology, software, electronics manufacturing, waste management, and others.
Allan holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in Tax Specialty from the University of Georgia. He is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Special Thanks to our Breakfast Sponsors:
ACG SAN FRANCISCO
For further Details contact:
Rich Brown | SF Chapter Executive
415. 595-4589 tel | 415 520-0582 fax
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