Carla J. Garrett

Ms. Garrett is a corporate lawyer that specializes in corporate, securities and contract law. She has over 19 years of experience advising companies and individuals on corporate law matters and agreements.
Currently, Ms. Garrett runs her own legal practice where she acts as outside general counsel to a number of small businesses, provides corporate legal services for large and small companies, and advises individuals on business matters. Her recent legal work includes representing a purchaser of a small business in an asset acquisition, representing the issuer in an angel round financing, and representing the issuer in the issuance of convertible promissory notes. In addition, Carla routinely reviews and negotiates all types of contracts for her clients, including vendor agreements, operating agreements, independent contractor agreements, employment agreements, licensing agreements, and intellectual property assignment agreements.
Carla is the former General Counsel of CoStar Group, Inc., a publicly-traded company on the NASDAQ Stock Market. She created and managed the company’s legal department and was a member of the company's senior management. During her time there, CoStar grew from a domestic company with 400 employees and $20 million in revenues to an international company with over 1,000 employees and over $100 million in revenues. Carla was responsible for all of the legal matters of the company and worked closely with senior management and the board of directors to accomplish the company’s objectives.
Specifically, Carla managed numerous acquisitions at CoStar, including the acquisition of a U.S. public company, a London company, and many small private companies. She was responsible for compliance with all securities laws, filing all SEC documents, and implementing and ensuring compliance with all Sarbanes-Oxley rules. Carla also served as Corporate Secretary for CoStar and its subsidiaries and managed all of the corporate governance and board matters for the company.
Before working at CoStar, Carla was a corporate attorney with Sullivan & Cromwell (S&C). At S&C, Carla participated in a wide range of corporate transactions, including acquisitions, public and private equity and debt offerings, and numerous structured finance transactions. She lead extremely complex transactions involving numerous parties and agreements, and strategically negotiated deal terms favorable to her clients. Before joining S&C, Carla was a corporate attorney with Wilson Sonsini Goodrich& Rosati (WSGR) in Palo Alto, CA. Carla joined WSGR in 1994 during a period of extreme growth in Silicon Valley. She worked with many small and large technology companies as their outside general counsel, advising them on all aspects of corporate and securities laws.
Carla attended Stanford Law School, where she graduated with Distinction and served on the Stanford Law Review as a Notes Editor. Carla received her B.A. in mathematics from Vanderbilt University. She graduated summa cum laude and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
In addition to serving as an independent lawyer, Carla has served as a Listing Qualifications Panel Member for The NASDAQ Stock Market. She is also a co-author of the book Lawyers Guide to Formulas in Deal Documents and SEC Filings, published in 2008.
Experience:
2009 - Present: Member, Carla J. Garrett, PLC
1999 - 2005: CoStar Group, Inc., General Counsel & Corporate Secretary
1996 - 1999: Sullivan & Cromwell, Corporate Attorney
1994 - 1996: Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati, Corporate Attorney
Education:
1994: Stanford Law School, JD with Distinction, Stanford Law Review
1990: Vanderbilt University, BA Mathematics, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa
Bar Memberships:
Virginia, District of Columbia, California (inactive)
Currently, Ms. Garrett runs her own legal practice where she acts as outside general counsel to a number of small businesses, provides corporate legal services for large and small companies, and advises individuals on business matters. Her recent legal work includes representing a purchaser of a small business in an asset acquisition, representing the issuer in an angel round financing, and representing the issuer in the issuance of convertible promissory notes. In addition, Carla routinely reviews and negotiates all types of contracts for her clients, including vendor agreements, operating agreements, independent contractor agreements, employment agreements, licensing agreements, and intellectual property assignment agreements.
Carla is the former General Counsel of CoStar Group, Inc., a publicly-traded company on the NASDAQ Stock Market. She created and managed the company’s legal department and was a member of the company's senior management. During her time there, CoStar grew from a domestic company with 400 employees and $20 million in revenues to an international company with over 1,000 employees and over $100 million in revenues. Carla was responsible for all of the legal matters of the company and worked closely with senior management and the board of directors to accomplish the company’s objectives.
Specifically, Carla managed numerous acquisitions at CoStar, including the acquisition of a U.S. public company, a London company, and many small private companies. She was responsible for compliance with all securities laws, filing all SEC documents, and implementing and ensuring compliance with all Sarbanes-Oxley rules. Carla also served as Corporate Secretary for CoStar and its subsidiaries and managed all of the corporate governance and board matters for the company.
Before working at CoStar, Carla was a corporate attorney with Sullivan & Cromwell (S&C). At S&C, Carla participated in a wide range of corporate transactions, including acquisitions, public and private equity and debt offerings, and numerous structured finance transactions. She lead extremely complex transactions involving numerous parties and agreements, and strategically negotiated deal terms favorable to her clients. Before joining S&C, Carla was a corporate attorney with Wilson Sonsini Goodrich& Rosati (WSGR) in Palo Alto, CA. Carla joined WSGR in 1994 during a period of extreme growth in Silicon Valley. She worked with many small and large technology companies as their outside general counsel, advising them on all aspects of corporate and securities laws.
Carla attended Stanford Law School, where she graduated with Distinction and served on the Stanford Law Review as a Notes Editor. Carla received her B.A. in mathematics from Vanderbilt University. She graduated summa cum laude and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
In addition to serving as an independent lawyer, Carla has served as a Listing Qualifications Panel Member for The NASDAQ Stock Market. She is also a co-author of the book Lawyers Guide to Formulas in Deal Documents and SEC Filings, published in 2008.
Experience:
2009 - Present: Member, Carla J. Garrett, PLC
1999 - 2005: CoStar Group, Inc., General Counsel & Corporate Secretary
1996 - 1999: Sullivan & Cromwell, Corporate Attorney
1994 - 1996: Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati, Corporate Attorney
Education:
1994: Stanford Law School, JD with Distinction, Stanford Law Review
1990: Vanderbilt University, BA Mathematics, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa
Bar Memberships:
Virginia, District of Columbia, California (inactive)