Pomy Ketema is special counsel at A.Y. Strauss. She advises on corporate matters relating to transaction negotiation and structuring, contract drafting, issuance of opinions, regulatory compliance, and tax optimization.

Pomy regularly advises on lending transactions, and has substantial experience with acquisitions, divestitures, and joint ventures in both domestic and foreign markets. She served as international legal counsel on projects involving expansions outside the U.S. In that capacity, she helped clients navigate the regulatory environment in foreign jurisdictions and harmonize their operations to be in compliance with U.S. law.

Previously, Pomy served as in-house counsel to a global conglomerate in which she supported the diversification of the company’s business through acquisitions and divestitures.  In that role, she worked with business units on day-to-day issues involving regulatory compliance, tax and customs, import/export, state and local incentives as well as special zones and licensing considerations relating to market penetration, sales, procurement, and plant expansions.

Her prior roles include serving as Counsel at Baker & McKenzie, LLP, Senior Counsel at Koch Industries, Inc., and as a Senior Associate at Dorsey & Whitney, LLP.

Representative Matters

• Advised on the structure of a lending transaction with a commitment exceeding $100 million and issued an opinion regarding its treatment under U.S. federal law
• Negotiated and structured the formation and operation of a complex joint venture to commercialize a self-developed technology through the construction of pilot-stage and full-stage commercial plants where venture value was enhanced through economic development incentives negotiated with a local government
• Guided the acquisition of a publicly-traded master limited partnership that owned a petrochemical plant valued at $2.5 billion
• Navigated numerous cross-border deals involving the acquisition of gold and uranium mining companies, including a $7 billion transaction, the then-largest mining company acquisition deal in history
• Advised a medical equipment start-up as it was being acquired by one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world in a deal involving a combination of cash and earn-outs valued at $150 million
• Provided counsel to a global agri-business conglomerate on a series of acquisitions involving seed technology companies
• Provided regulatory guidance to a U.S. financial company as it established its fintech operations in a foreign jurisdiction, including through evaluating the regulatory landscape applicable to entity selection; foreign investment regulation; banking, capital controls and repatriation; direct, indirect and withholding taxes; business licenses and registrations; audits, recordkeeping, and other compliance requirements