Pico hires new Legal Chief after the failed SPAC merger
Pico Quantitative Trading Holdings announced Lauren Goldberg to serve as general counsel and corporate secretary. With former General Counsel roles at VEREIT and Revlon, Goldberg will lead firm’s global legal function
Pico provides technology, software, data and analytic services for the financial markets. It was set to go public in August 2021 through a merger deal with FTAC Athena Acquisition Corp that failed. The fintech firm has swapped top lawyers in the wake of its failed attempt to go public through a $1.75 billion merger with a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC merger).
Based in New York office, Goldberg will support global operations and growth efforts and oversee corporate governance, compliance and risk management programs. She succeeds Kristen Keller, who had served as Pico’s legal chief.
“I look forward to continuing Pico’s strong legal function that supports corporate growth and meets the robust assurance demands of clients, investors, and other key stakeholders,” Golberg stated.
Earlier in her career, Goldberg worked for nine years as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York following a short stint as an accountant for Coopers & Lybrand, which is now PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Following, Goldberg led Revlon’s legal department as GC and chief compliance officer overseeing the global cosmetic company’s legal and regulatory affairs. She was also the board of director’s primary contact for corporate governance issues. Most recently served as general counsel at Phoenix-based real estate investment trust Vereit Inc., which she joined in 2015 after an accounting scandal. Goldberg parted ways with Vereit in November 2021, when the company merged with Realty Income Corp.
Pico chairman, founder and CEO Jarrod Yuster trumpeted his new legal chief as a “highly adept, commercially oriented attorney with deep experience in corporate governance, risk management and M&A transactions.”
“As we accelerate the execution of our corporate strategy, Lauren will play a crucial role and I look forward to working closely with her,” he added.
