Eva Davis (Moderator)

A nationally recognized dealmaker, Eva is a seasoned business leader who has advised and led public and private companies through transformative business transactions, ranging in deal value from tens of millions of dollars to over $5.0 billion.

With over three decades of experience, boards of directors, management teams and private equity funds rely on Eva to address their most critical and complex business issues and projects. Eva has advised boards of directors at public and private companies across a range of industries and issues, including M&A, capital markets transactions, shareholder activist matters, corporate governance best practices, compensation matters, crisis management, internal investigations, international expansion and strategy.

Eva has spent considerable time in the board room as an advisor. She is knowledgeable in board governance and process, as well as sensitive to the unique relationship between the board and management. Eva is known for her ability to think strategically, quickly identify key issues, diplomatically ask thought-provoking questions and work collaboratively with others to provide solutions to a company’s biggest challenges.

Through her experience representing private equity funds, Eva is skilled at addressing the complex issues that face serial acquirors and serial sellers across the globe, including matters relating to business integration, divisional carve-outs, transition services, and the minimization of unexpected liabilities. Through her transactional experience that has expanded domestic business operations of her clients into the European Union, United Kingdom, Chile, China, Columbia, Iceland, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Peru, Singapore, and Uruguay, Eva is adept at bridging domestic and foreign regulatory issues and cultural differences in order to maximize deal and shareholder value. Eva has significant “in country” experience in Europe and regularly transacts business in London and Paris on firm and client matters.

Eva is comfortable and facile with financial statements, projections, valuation methodologies, bank financing agreements and audit committee responsibilities. Known for her sound business judgment and strong interpersonal and problem-solving skills, Eva excels at creating trust by cultivating long-term relationships while mitigating business and legal risk. She is adept at managing crises with integrity – ranging from corporate compliance infractions to reputational and operational risks – with the goal of maximizing shareholder value.

The breadth and depth of her experience also come from having served in various leadership positions at three of some of the largest law firms in the world. Eva currently serves on the Global Executive Committee (or board of directors) of the international law firm of Winston & Strawn with annual revenues in excess of $1.0 billion and is one of only three Managing Partners supporting the Chairman in the management, growth and strategic leadership of the firm.

Eva is a frequent lecturer and author on topics relating to market trends, fiduciary duties of board members, corporate governance matters, private equity, M&A, leadership and diversity. Eva regularly uses her network to promote other women internally within their organizations and externally by identifying new roles and opportunities in legal departments, within the C-suite and on public and private company boards of directors. Eva served as Chair of the board of directors of Read to a Child Los Angeles for 20 years and has served on the boards of several other non-profits.

Eva graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School and summa cum laude from Duke University where she double majored in Economics and Political Science and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.