Antone Johnson
Professional Status Consultant
Job/Career Open to opportunities
Founding Principal at Bottom Line Law Group
Business lawyer and executive with more than 13 years experience advising entrepreneurs, investors, lean startups and growth companies in the full range of legal matters. Training at top-tier Wall Street and Silicon Valley law firms, followed by in-house roles at market leaders in social media, online dating, digital media and entertainment content, ranging from $100 million to $1 billion in annual revenue. Drawing on 5+ years experience as an in-house lawyer and executive at pioneers MySpace and eHarmony, I offer clients unparalleled expertise in legal and business issues that are unique to social media/Web 2.0. With offices in San Francisco and Santa Monica, we are well positioned to bridge the gap between Silicon Valley and Hollywood business and legal cultures.Professional Experience
Founding Principal
Bottom Line Law Group(9 months)
- Bottom Line Law Group provides business-critical legal services to emerging growth companies in a wide range of corporate, commercial and intellectual property matters. We offer the accessibility and pragmatism of experienced in-house counsel, coupled with the subject matter expertise of top-tier international firms, all delivered with the personal touch and flexible pricing of a small law office.
BLLG is a different kind of firm, built from the ground up and optimized to serve lean startups and other high-growth, IP-intensive companies in the technology and digital media sectors. Having represented pioneers and leaders in the broadband Internet access, new media content, online advertising, community, Web search, e-commerce, social networking and online dating categories since 1998, we have developed unparalleled breadth and depth of experience in legal and business issues that are unique to social media/Web 2.0, location-based services and similar innovation-driven enterprises.
Like our clients, we are focused on innovation, speed to market, and value. As startups seek partners to help them launch, cultural fit and a shared vision for success is imperative. Our goal is to provide high value to businesses who require that a small investment in legal services generate a large return.
Publisher
Mashtag(January 2010 - April 2010)
- A "blawg" observing social media, Web 2.0, entrepreneurship, and all things at the intersection of people, capital, technology, and creativity. And what a busy intersection it has become! http://masht.ag
VP, Legal Affairs and Corporate Secretary
eHarmony.com(August 2006 - August 2009)
- General counsel and corporate secretary to eHarmony, Inc., the Internet's #1 trusted relationship service, with more than 20 million registered users and $200+ million annual revenue. Member of the senior management team responsible for the company's legal, regulatory and government affairs, privacy/data protection, risk management and stock administration, reporting to the CEO. Built the company's legal function from scratch. Led a combined in-house and external team including three direct reports and more than a dozen outside law firms across five countries with a budget in the $3 million range.
Asst. General Counsel
Fox Interactive Media(July 2004 - July 2006)
Asst. General Counsel
Intermix Media(July 2004 - July 2006)
- Advised senior management team at online entertainment and marketing company ($100+ million revenue, the publicly traded parent company of MySpace.com) with respect to a broad variety of legal matters, with emphasis on complex transactions (M&A, joint ventures, strategic alliances), public company governance and securities compliance, technology and content licenses and commercial agreements. Helped execute the company's $650 million sale to Fox Interactive Media, a News Corporation company.
Asst. General Counsel
MySpace, Inc.(July 2004 - July 2006)
- Represented MySpace.com, the premier online social networking site and lifestyle portal and most highly trafficked site on the Internet (with more than 45 billion monthly page views), in corporate and business development, entertainment and technology licensing transactions, policy enforcement, international expansion and related matters. Helped execute the parent company's $650 million sale to Fox Interactive Media, a News Corporation company.
Director, Legal Affairs
Gemstar-TV Guide(July 2002 - July 2004)
- Corporate counsel to publicly traded publishing and broadcast media and technology leader in television guidance and home entertainment ($1 billion revenue), a News Corporation company. Responsible for corporate legal matters with emphasis on securities and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, financial reporting, corporate governance and M&A.
Director, Corporate Counsel
Excite@Home(May 2000 - March 2002)
- In-house counsel to publicly traded pioneering broadband Internet content and access provider ($600 million revenue). Advised the corporate and business development teams in strategic transactions (M&A, joint ventures, equity investments, content partnerships). Responsible for corporate governance, securities compliance and stock plan administration, reporting to the General Counsel.
Attorney
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati(May 1998 - April 2000)
- Corporate attorney at the world's leading technology law firm, headquartered in Palo Alto. Represented a broad variety of emerging growth technology companies in the Internet, IT and life sciences industries, as well as venture capital funds and underwriters. Emphasis on start-up, general corporate and intellectual property matters, private equity and debt financing, IPOs, mergers and acquisitions.
Attorney
Stroock & Stroock & Lavan(June 1995 - April 1998)
- Served as outside corporate/securities counsel to major NYSE and Nasdaq-traded corporations and financial institutions in strategic transactions including M&A, public offerings and private placements of equity and debt securities, asset securitizations and syndicated credit facilities.
Skills
Other
- Business formation and structuring
- lean startups
- social media
- user-generated content
- corporate and business development transactions
- Internet advertising and marketing
- angel and venture capital financing
- M&A
- joint ventures
- IPOs
- Sarbanes-Oxley
- corporate governance
- stock option plans
- employment and executive compensation matters
- litigation management
- legal department management
- government affairs
