Our Team

Ellisa Opstbaum Habbart, Esq.

Overview

Ellisa Habbart is a founding partner of The Delaware Counsel Group LLP (the “Delaware Counsel Group”), a Delaware firm that exclusively represents Delaware corporations and Delaware alternative entities in national and international business transactions. The Delaware Counsel Group’s clients range from U.S. and international law firms to businesses such as Accenture and LaSalle Bank. Ms. Habbart is rated "AV" by Martindale-Hubbell and is included in Chambers USA as one of "America's Leading Business Lawyers" in Delaware Corporate/Mergers and Acquisitions Law". Ms. Habbart has been described in Chambers as "bright and businesslike with a dynamic presence in front of a room of people". In addition to her juris doctor and bachelor of business administration degrees, Ms. Habbart has a Masters degree in taxation.
Prior to founding The Delaware Counsel Group, Ms. Habbart was an associate (1988-1993) and partner (1993-1999) with Prickett Jones & Elliott, Wilmington, Delaware and was the Partner in Charge of the Delaware office of Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young (1999-2004).

Industry Leader

Ms. Habbart is the Vice Chair of the International Bar Association (the “IBA”) Corporate/M&A Committee on Private Equity;

Ms. Habbart has been a member of the Executive Committee of the American Bar Association (“ABA”) Committee on Partnerships and Unincorporated Associations since 1995.

Ms. Habbart, along with partner Jim Strum, have participated as members of Delaware Bar Association Committees responsible for the creation and amendment of the Delaware limited partnership, limited liability company and statutory trust acts.

Ms. Habbart is the ABA Advisor to the NUCCSL Drafting Committee on Statutory Trusts.

Ms. Habbart is the co-author of the legal text “Delaware
Limited Liability Companies Forms and Practice” and co-
author of “Delaware Limited Partnership Law” each of which are updated annually.

Ms. Habbart is a member of the steering committee of the
Delaware Bankers Association.

Ms. Habbart chairs the ABA committee responsible for the global activities of the LLCs, Partnerships and Unincorporated Entities Committee of the Section of Business Law.

Representative Work Highlights
References Available Upon Request

Accenture, Inc.
Advise on the reorganization, merger, conversion, and operation of Delaware alternative entity affiliates of Accenture, Inc

Federal-Mogul Corporation
Advised on issues of Delaware law and provided Delaware legal opinions to Federal-Mogul Corporation, with respect to a US$3.5 billion exit facility agreement in connection with its emergence from bankruptcy.

Hendrix Genetics B.V.
Represented Hendrix Genetics B.V., a Netherlands company and one of the largest layer breeding operations in the world, in connection with the sale of its subsidiary to Tyson Foods, Inc.

Babcock & Brown
Provide Delaware legal advice to a subsidiary of Babcock & Brown Limited, a global investment and specialized fund and asset management, in connection with the review and revisions of its corporate and alternative entity governance forms and agreements.

Capmark Financial Group, Inc.
Advise on Delaware law issues and rendered Delaware legal opinions to Delaware limited partnerships affiliated with Capmark Financial Group, Inc., a leading global real estate financing company, in connection with the sale of its general partner interests in Delaware limited partnerships.

MMA Renewable Ventures LLC
Advise on Delaware law issues relating to investments in Delaware limited partnerships and limited liability companies.

WestLB AG
Advise on Delaware law issues regarding Delaware limited partnerships and render opinions in connection with same.

Bachmann Trust Company Limited
Advise Bachmann Trust Company Limited, part of The Bachmann Group, on Delaware law issues and render Delaware legal opinions in connection with the formation, domestication into Delaware, restructuring, merger, conversion and operation of Delaware corporate and alternative entities.

AEGON USA
Advise on issues of Delaware law and render Delaware legal opinions to affiliates of the U.S. investment arm of AEGON N.V., a Dutch company, in connection with alternative entity transactions.

SunTrust Delaware Trust Company
Advise SunTrust Delaware Trust Company, an affiliate of SunTrust Banks, Inc, on Delaware law issues relating to Delaware alternative entities.

Bank of Scotland Plc
Advise Bank of Scotland Plc on Delaware law issues relating to limited partnerships and limited liability companies involved in private equity transactions.

LaSalle National Trust Delaware
Represent LaSalle National Trust Delaware, an indirect affiliate of Bank of America, on issues relating to Delaware statutory trusts.

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
Advised on Delaware law issues and rendered Delaware legal opinions for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development with respect to purchase of equity interests.

Deustche Bank
Advise Deustche Bank on Delaware law issues relating to the purchase by Deustche Bank of interests in a Delaware alternative entity.

EcoChina Investments LLC
Advised EcoChina Investments LLC (“EcoChina”) on issues of Delaware law and provided legal opinions in connection with the sale of EcoChina’s shares in ChinaEdu Corporation, a publicly traded company based in Beijing that provides services to the online degree programs of leading Chinese universities.

Motcomb Estates Limited
Advise on Delaware law issues and in connection with private equity transactions involving Delaware alternative entities.

Australia Broadcasting Corporation
Advised on issues of Delaware law in connection with litigation brought by a dissolved Delaware corporation against Australia Broadcasting Corporation (“ABC”), Australia’s national public broadcaster.

James C. Strum, Esq.

Overview

Jim Strum’s practice focuses on Delaware corporate and alternative entity advice and governance issues. He works extensively with law firms, banks and financial institutions, both nationally and internationally. Mr. Strum previously served as counsel in significant cases litigated in the Delaware Court of Chancery. Many of these cases involved the exercise of fiduciary duties by directors, managers and general partners.

Mr. Strum is an appointee to the Delaware State Bar Association Alternative Business Entities Subcommittee of the Corporation Law Section. This committee is responsible for recommending legislative amendments to the statutes that govern limited liability companies, general partnerships, limited partnerships and limited liability limited partnerships.

Mr. Strum served as an associate member of the Delaware Board of Bar Examiners from 1996 through 1999 and as a member of the Delaware Bar Association Nominating Committee.

Mr. Strum devotes substantial time coaching youth baseball teams throughout the community. He had the privilege of being drafted as a pitcher by the Texas Rangers, a major league baseball franchise.

Bar Admissions
Delaware, 1986
Third Circuit Court of Appeals
District Court of Delaware

Memberships
American Bar Association
Delaware Bar Association

Education
J.D., Marshall-Wythe School of Law, College of William and Mary, 1986
B.A, Brown University, 1982

(302) 576-9600 Ext. 14
(302) 576-9608 Fax
Suite 200
300 Martin Luther King Boulevard
Wilmington, DE 19801

Judith T. Kaiser

Overview

Corporations and Business Entities Analyst
After nearly two decades in the Delaware legal community, Ms. Kaiser interacts with clients to manage time sensitive transactions involving Delaware entities. She prepares documents involved in these transactions and coordinates the completion and filing of the deal documents with the Delaware Secretary of State, Division of Corporations. Ms. Kaiser also calculates franchise tax and filing fee tax for our clients. She is our key liaison with the office of the Delaware Secretary of State.

Through our computer link with the database of the Division of Corporations located in our office, all documents such as filings, good standing certificates, certified copies and Uniform Commercial Code information are processed in house, enabling us to expedite transactional documents to better serve our clients.

Ms. Kaiser is the Director of DCG Services, LLC, an affiliate of The Delaware Counsel Group LLP. DCG Services offers registered agent services for any Delaware entity formed for our clients.

Ms. Kaiser is a member of the Strategic Planning Committee of the Delaware Department of State. The committee works closely with the Administrator of the Division of Corporations and Assistant Secretary of State on legislative issues and suggests revisions to Delaware corporate and alternative entity legislation prior to submission to the State Legislature.

Education
-Paralegal Certificate, National Center for Paralegal Training, Atlanta, Georgia
-B.A., University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina

Memberships
-Strategic Planning Committee, Delaware Department of State

(302) 576-9600 Ext. 16
(302) 576-9608 Fax
300 Martin Luther King Boulevard Suite 200
Wilmington, DE 19801

Heather D. Jefferson, Esq.

Overview

Heather D. Jefferson combines a Delaware corporate and alternative business entities practice with experience in business development, client service and law firm operations. She works directly with the firm’s national and international client base.

Ms. Jefferson is responsible for the strategic planning, development and identification of client-related enhancement activities. This includes everything from client intake and billing, to matter management, retention and expansion issues. As part of the client service process, Ms. Jefferson visits with clients to gain feedback and develop new projects based on industry and market trends.

A 1995 graduate of Widener University School of Law, Ms. Jefferson clerked for the Honorable William T. Quillen of the Superior Court of Delaware. While in law school, she served as a judicial extern for the Honorable E. Norman Veasey, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Delaware.

An active American Bar Association member, Ms. Jefferson is active in the Section of Business Law. She was one of five young lawyers to participate in the Section’s Business Law Fellows Program. As an appointed Fellow, Ms. Jefferson was appointed to the Venture Capital and Private Equity Committee, responsible for various substantive assignments, and assigned a mentor who is in Section leadership. In addition, she is active in the Section’s Partnerships and Unincorporated Business Organizations Committee. Ms. Jefferson is a former Chair the ABA Women Rainmakers, served on the Law Practice Management Section’s governing Council and was a member of the Section’s Nominating Committee.

Ms. Jefferson was recently appointed by the Delaware Supreme Court to serve as an Associate Trustee of the Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection of the Bar of Delaware. As an Associate Trustee, Ms. Jefferson participates in the investigations of claims by individuals who have suffered financial losses as a result of the dishonest conduct of lawyers. The fund is created by the Delaware Supreme Court to provide monetary relief such individuals.
hjefferson@delawarecounselgroup.com

(302) 576-9600 Ext. 15
(302) 576-9608 Fax
300 Martin Luther King Boulevard Suite 200
Wilmington, DE 19801