Speakers

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  Dilshat Erkin Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Halo Partners
  

  Dilshat Erkin

  Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Halo Partners

  Mr. Erkin co-founded Halo in 2025. In addition to his investing responsibilities, Mr. Erkin is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Firm. Prior to Halo, Mr. Erkin spent eleven (11) years as a senior investment professional at Clearlake, where he played a significant role in scaling the firm and leading investments in the technology, industrials and consumer sectors. Before joining Clearlake, Mr. Erkin was a member of the investment team at H.I.G. Capital, focusing on middle-market buyouts across a broad range of industries. Prior to H.I.G. Capital, Mr. Erkin worked in the Global Technology Group at Morgan Stanley, advising software and technology clients on M&A and capital markets transactions. Mr. Erkin currently serves on the board of directors of W.O. Grubb. He has previously served on the board of directors of ten (10) portfolio companies and served as a board observer on eleven (11) other investments throughout his career. Mr. Erkin holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the Walter A. Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.

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  K.C. White Chief Legal Officer & Head of People, a.k.a. Brands
  

  K.C. White

  Chief Legal Officer & Head of People, a.k.a. Brands

  KC White is a.k.a. Brands’ (NYSE: AKA) Chief Legal Officer & Head of People and has served in that role since June 2023. Mr. White joined a.k.a. Brandes in June 2022 as Vice President, Head of Legal and Human Resources and served in that role until June 2023. Mr. White is a strategic leader with over 18 years of experience providing legal, operational and strategic advice to business leaders and colleagues. Prior to joining a.k.a. Brands, Mr. White served as Vice President, Legal at Viant, a publicly traded digital advertising company, from February 2022 to June 2022. Before Viant, Mr. White served as VP, Business & Legal Affairs at Ethika, a leading San Clemente-based lifestyle brand, from March 2018 to February 2022. Mr. White holds a J.D. from the Michigan State University College of Law and a B.A. in Communications from California State University, Fullerton.

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  Tara McGrath Partner, Morrison Foerster San Diego
  

  Tara McGrath

  Partner, Morrison Foerster San Diego

  Tara McGrath is a partner in Morrison Foerster’s Investigations + White Collar Defense practice and a former U. S. attorney for the Southern District of California. She advises companies, boards, nonprofits, education institutions, and executives on high-stakes investigations, enforcement actions, and crisis situations.

  Tara is a trusted advisor in complex, multidimensional matters, with particular strength in navigating parallel civil, criminal, and regulatory proceedings. She counsels clients facing investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as companies managing internal investigations, enforcement exposure, and critical decision-making, with a particular focus on national security concerns, regulatory risk, and environmental enforcement.

  Drawing on her experience as U.S. attorney, Tara brings a leadership and strategic perspective to advising clients on how enforcement actions develop, escalate, and resolve. She regularly engages with senior leadership and boards to assess risk, respond to government inquiries, and manage high-stakes situations where legal, operational, and reputational considerations converge.

  Tara also advises companies on climate and ESG-related enforcement risk, including compliance, disclosure obligations, and emerging areas of regulatory scrutiny. Her approach reflects a broader view of climate as a public safety and accountability issue, particularly for companies operating in regulated industries or critical infrastructure sectors.

  As a U.S. attorney, Tara led one of the Department of Justice’s largest and busiest offices, overseeing enforcement across a wide range of criminal and civil matters, including organized crime, fraud, cybercrime, corruption, environmental violations, and national security violations. She played a key role in DOJ-wide initiatives addressing emerging threats and coordinated complex, multi-agency investigations.

  Earlier in her career, Tara served for more than a decade as an assistant U.S. attorney and DOJ trial attorney in San Diego and Washington, D.C., where she handled numerous high-profile investigations and trials and argued multiple times before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

  Tara also served on active duty in the United States Marine Corps and has held leadership roles in various civic and professional organizations. She has received multiple awards from the Department of Justice and the Department of Defense recognizing her work in enforcement, litigation, and national security. Tara earned her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and received her B.A. cum laude in political science from Boston College.

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  H. Thomas Felix Moderator: Partner, Morrison Foerster
  

  H. Thomas Felix

  Moderator: Partner, Morrison Foerster

  Tommy Felix is a partner in the firm’s Capital Markets and Public Company Advisory & Governance practices.

  Drawing upon a wealth of experience advising public and private companies, private equity and venture capital firms, and investment banks, Tommy guides clients through complex transactional matters, including initial public offerings, debt and equity offerings, leveraged buyouts, mergers and acquisitions, SPAC transactions, and cross-border deals.

  Tommy’s deep understanding of securities law issues and transactions, coupled with his ability to navigate intricate regulatory frameworks, enables him to provide strategic and practical solutions that align with his clients’ business objectives.

  Tommy’s experience extends to advising on preferred stock issuances, private placements of debt and equity securities, public mergers and acquisitions, and innovative restructuring and liability management transactions, and spans diverse industries, including life sciences, biotechnology, gaming, industrials, healthcare, retail, technology, telecommunications, and transportation.

  Tommy is a member of The Century Club of San Diego, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the local community and youth programs through San Diego’s annual PGA TOUR golf tournament.