Daniel Sweeney
Executive | General Counsel
Chief Legal Officer | Corporate Secretary
A highly trusted and analytical adviser with extensive experience representing private and public companies. Well-versed in delivering enterprise strategic advice and counsel, including IPO, securities, corporate, real estate, M&A, finance, governance, compliance, risk management, regulatory, privacy, employment, insurance, operations, litigation, and ESG matters. Skilled in program execution, entity management, policies, and ongoing reporting per federal, state, and local laws. Known as a highly approachable leader that excels in prioritizing heavy workloads, task management, decision-making, and meeting varying deadlines. Strong ethics and integrity enable relationships fostering and fortification with owners, key stakeholders, leadership, and the Board of Directors.
EXPERIENCE
Jun 2018 - May 2022
Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary
Sole legal adviser to the Board, executive management, key employees, and departments for a $1.8B company. Managed Legal Department daily activities and assisted with negotiations for corporate finance activities (bonds and credit facility). Co-led the company insurance program and governmental relations. Responsible for providing legal strategy in all matters affecting the company’s interests. Assisted the various departments with setting their legal budgets for the year. Corporate Secretary for all board and subcommittee meetings. Managed the company's parent and nine subsidiaries.
Apr 2013 - May 2018
Director, Assistant Secretary, and Associate General Counsel
Primary attorney for all departments, including IT, finance, HR, business development, and administration of the parent and eight subsidiary companies. Assisted the General Counsel in managing the Legal Department. Handled all large and complex acquisitions, divestitures, and corporate finance activities. Compiled minutes at the Board of director and subcommittee meetings and arranged, planned, and coordinated the annual meeting of stockholders. Maintained the company share count and the employee stock program. Served as the Board of directors' primary contact concerning board management and administration.
Nov 2010 - Mar 2013
Associate Division Counsel – Eastern Division
Primary advisor for all Eastern Division departments and states, including Ohio, Pennsylvania, Alabama, New York, and Virginia, representing the Eastern Division Legal Department for the Fortune 200 company. Advised the acquisition of approximately 1 million acres in the Utica Shale play. Frequently advised the Acquisitions and Divestiture Department. Drafted and successfully negotiated hundreds of agreements relating to business development, IT, and operations. Responsible for reviewing and signing off on all high-level contracts and agreements for the legal department.
Sep 2010 - Nov 2010
Director, Legal & Corporate Secretary
Interim General Counsel managed the Legal Department and advised the c-suite as the Corporate Secretary. Reviewed, drafted, and filed all SEC periodic reports and filings and managed all litigation.
Apr 2010 - Sep 2010
Corporate Attorney
Promoted to assist the General Counsel in all areas, including SEC filings, primary contact for Land, and insurance. Attended Board meetings, handled purchase and sale negotiations and closings, and assisted with joint ventures.
Apr 2008 - Mar 2010
Staff Attorney
Conducted legal research, reviewed contracts, and proposed agreements. Assigned legal work and projects by the General Counsel.
RESULTS
Defeated major litigation with alleged damages in excess of $250M for violation of the Clean Air Act, with prejudice.
Reduced Legal expenses, saving ~$2.4M annually, by streamlining negotiations, simplifying the form of MSA, and creating a system to store and track documents for each company's insurance minimums.
Led the legal turnaround for the successful IPO, defeating 55 lawsuits filed by a recent acquisition, Oxford Oil Company, and collaborating with the General Counsel handling the lawsuit and the IPO with regular reporting, hiring legal counsel and energy experts, and research.
EXPERTISE
BUSINESS STRATEGY
CORPORATE LAW
M&A
GOVERNANCE
CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
CONTRACT MANAGEMENT
MULTI-SITE OPERATIONS
POLICY DEVELOPMENT
NEGOTIATION & COMMUNICATION
SKILLS
IMPLEMENTING CHANGE
SECURITIES
BUSINESS GROWTH
BUILDING ORGANIZATIONS
EMPLOYMENT LAW
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
REGULATORY COMPLIANCE
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
GOVERNANCE
LITIGATION
MEET DANIEL
EDUCATION
JD - Doctor of Jurisprudence Law
TESTIMONIALS
Richard Frommer, CEO, Great Western Petroleum
While CEO of Great Western, I worked closely with Dan on a daily basis. Dan was a key member of the company’s senior management team. He was a trusted business and legal adviser to the company, its ownership, and the executive management team. Dan was instrumental and led several key projects and transactions for the company, including the successful exit with the sale of the company to PDC Energy in May 2022. Dan is a skilled counselor, strategist, and business leader who possesses the necessary skill set to execute on a wide variety of business, corporate and legal matters. He builds enduring and authentic relationships with ease and is highly regarded with his peers, as well as the public. It is with confidence that I endorse him professionally and personally.
David J. Miller, Latham & Watkins, LLP
Dan Sweeney is a strategically minded, pragmatic general counsel who is at home in the boardroom and the c-suite. His singular focus on excellence benefits both his c-suite colleagues, who can sleep well at night knowing Dan has the legal strategy well in hand, and his shareholders, who know that their interests are first and foremost in his priorities.
Matthew DeNazza, CFO, Caruso Energy
I spent five years working with Dan Sweeney while we were both at Eclipse Resources. As the CFO, I constantly was involved with Dan as he helped to negotiate marketing deals, coordinated much of our public company sec compliance requirements, and took on various tasks across the organization. Dan always showing himself to be hard-working, energetic, positive, and detail-oriented. While he is well-versed in a number of legal areas, he is highly versatile and capable. He has no issue learning and taking on new needs and quickly comes up to speed and becomes an expert. I highly recommend him as someone with a ton of horsepower that gets stuff done and done well.
Q & A
Why did you choose your profession?
My Uncle is a general counsel. I thought it would be a great profession, having observed his career when I was younger.
Who are your main influences?
My mother, father, and uncle have been my main influences in my life. My moral character and family-first mentality are certainly tied to my parent's upbringing. My uncle, on the other hand, has played a huge part in my professional life, as he is a general counsel and really opened the door to the possibility of a career as a lawyer.
Which recent projects are you proud of?
I ride my road bike a lot on the weekends as a way to get back to neutral before the start of the next work week. Living in Colorado provides some pretty stellar bike routes. I recently participated in the Texas MS 150 two-day bike ride in Houston in April 2022 and raised donations for my ride in excess of Ten Thousand Dollars. I am really happy to be a part of an organization that is really making an impact on such a horrible disease.
Do you live by any piece of advice or motto?
I used to say, "tomorrow is not guaranteed." I now say, "the afternoon is not guaranteed."
I try to do my best in every aspect of my daily life, whether that means taking on more responsibility at work or perhaps going a bit out of my comfort zone on a project. I also try to be in the moment when spending time with family and friends. We live in a crazy world right now. You just never know.
What behavior or personality trait do you most attribute to your success, and why?
First and foremost, I really enjoy being a lawyer. But most importantly, I want to be the best lawyer I can be. That means constantly learning and reading up on new cases, participating in conferences, and spending an hour a week on professional development. I spend an hour every Friday reading a new case, white paper, journal article, etc., on an area of the law. It's important that I stay updated in order to provide the best possible legal service I can provide.
Do you have a favorite season?
Probably summer. The weather is great here in Colorado and you can get out and explore this world we live in. The days are longer, and there is so much to do, whether in the city or up in the mountains. It is also cycling season, which always puts a smile on my face.
INTERESTS & HOBBIES
