Partner since 2015Location: Suffield, Connecticut
Legal Experience:
Spellman, Kelly & Fanous LLC: March 2015-Present, PartnerBeth Fanous has been practicing law since 2003, and is licensed in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York. Beth’s practice focuses on estate planning, including wills and trusts, probate, business law, including entity formation, transactional work, and general legal counsel.
General Practice: January 2011-March 2015
Law Practice in the areas of: business law, estate planning, wills, trusts, probate, not-for-profit law
United Technologies Corporation: April 2007- January 2011
Senior Attorney, Carrier World Headquarters, April 2009 – January 2011
Served as lead counsel for Carrier global supply chain management. Regularly advised senior management on status of supplier relationships, risk factors and mitigation plans, and internal processes and controls relating to contract approval and execution. Analyzed, assessed, and managed supplier issues and claims; structured and facilitated dispute resolution. Drafted and negotiated contracts with major suppliers (e.g. for components and commodities such as steel and copper) to support worldwide air conditioning, ventilation, heat and power system manufacturing operations.
Assistant Counsel, UTC Power, April 2007-April 2009
Served as counsel for UTC’s advanced energy systems company, UTC Power. Structured and negotiated agreements for domestic and international sales of new technology/environmentally advanced products, as well as joint development, joint venture, distributorship and sales representative agreements. Researched and managed a wide range of compliance and regulatory matters (e.g. state “pay to play” laws, new European environmental legislation, Buy America requirements). Managed legal affairs of two UTC green energy consulting subsidiary companies: Dome-Tech, Inc. and Architectural Energy Corporation (e.g. drafting sales contract templates, employment matters, policy development, compliance, risk mitigation). Received three Senior Management Awards for outstanding efforts to close key strategic transactions.
International Corporate Headquarters for Habitat for Humanity: April 2005-April 2007
Staff Attorney
Served as in house counsel for parent company and over 2,000 affiliates throughout the U.S. and in over 90 countries, representing more than $1 billion in annual revenue. Provided legal counsel on a wide range of matters. Developed/drafted policies to manage and reduce legal vulnerability and risk. Managed compliance and regulatory matters (e.g. charitable solicitation registrations, lobbying disclosure, anti-terrorism certifications). Drafted and negotiated a variety of agreements (e.g. licensing and trademark agreements, leases, partnerships and various supplier agreements). Managed legal affairs specifically relating to status of parent and affiliate companies as 501c(3) not-for-profit organizations (e.g. exemption from federal income tax and state business registration filings, charitable solicitation registrations, commercial co-venture programs). Served as a staff liaison to the Board of Directors; managed corporate governance matters. Primary legal contact for all employee related issues, including terminations, litigation management, immigration, retirement plan administration. Received Award for Excellence in Service from the Chief Executive Officer.
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP – New York Home Office : October 2003-August 2004
Associate in Mergers and Acquisitions/Corporate Finance, October 2003-August 2004
Summer Associate, May 2002-August 2002
Drafted opinions, certificates, a range of other closing documents, contracts, research memos, corporate governance documents. Executed research projects ranging from large-scale due diligence investigations to researching discrete legal issues. Managed broad range of tasks to facilitate the consummation of large scale transactions.
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana: September 2002-May 2003
Judicial Extern, Academic Appointment
Researched questions of law and drafted memos regarding matters arising before the court.
Halloran & Sage LLP: May 2001-August 2001
Summer Intern
Aided attorneys in drafting various litigation-related documents.
Skilled estate planning attorney, is the
author for all State of Connecticut Estate Planning form documents and
agreements, including but not limited to Wills, Revocable and Irrevocable Trust
Agreements, Special Needs Trust Agreements, Powers of Attorney and Health Care
Instructions
Areas of Practice
Wills and Trusts
Probate
Business Organizations
General Legal Counsel and Transactional
Bar Admissions
Connecticut, 2003New York, 2004
Massachusetts, 2013
Education
Tulane Law School, New Orleans, LouisianaJ.D. cum laude - 2003
Honors: Liskow & Lewis Scholarship Recipient for Excellence in the Study of Law
Honors: CALI Award for Legal Excellence in the Future
Honors: Recognition for receiving the highest grade in Civil Procedure
Law Review: Tulane Law Review, Managing Editor
Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
B.A. magna cum laude - 1999
Honors: Society of the Cross and Crown
Honors: Golden Key National Honors Society
Honors: Psi Chi- National Honors Society for Psychology
Honors: Richard Martin Memorial Award for High Academic and Creative Achievement
Honors: Departmental Honors in Studio Arts
Honors and Awards
Excellence in Service from the Chief Executive Officer of International Corporate Headquarters of Habitat for HumanityRecipient of three Senior Management Awards from UTC Power Corporation for outstanding efforts to close key strategic transactions
Professional Associations and Memberships
Connecticut Bar AssociationSuffield Chamber of Commerce
Suffield Conservation Commission
Suffield Charter Review Commission
Past Employment Positions
General Practice, 2011 - 2015UTC, Carrier World Headquarters, Senior Attorney, 2009 - 2011
International Corporate Headquarters, Habitat for Humanity, Staff Attorney, 2005 - 2007
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Associate, 2003 - 2004
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Judicial Extern, Academic Appointment, 2002 - 2003
Halloran & Sage LLP, Summer Intern
UTC, UTC Power Corporation, Assistant Counsel, 2007 - 2009
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Summer Associate
