Aura provides strategic, financial and crisis communications counsel to companies navigating a range of special situations. She also assists clients with ongoing investor and public relations, profile-raising and corporate communications. Her areas of expertise include:

Restructuring & Bankruptcy

Aura was named "Special Situations Advisor of the Year" by The M&A Advisor in 2024. She advises companies involved in out-of-court financial restructurings and in-court reorganizations. Her Chapter 11 cases include Air Methods, Avaya, Basic Energy Services, CWT, Cyxtera, Dean Foods, EXCO Resources, FORMA Brands, FTD Companies, Global Eagle Entertainment, Ferrellgas Partners, LTL Management, Mallinckrodt, Pier 1, Rite Aid, Sabine Oil & Gas, Skillsoft and Southcross Energy.

Crisis Communications

She counsels clients across industries on crisis preparedness and response plans related to a range of issues including short attacks, cybersecurity incidents, financial restatements and accounting irregularities, regulatory inquiries and SEC investigations, unplanned leadership changes, civil and criminal litigation, facility closures and workforce reductions.

Mergers & Acquisitions

Select transactions include advising S&P Global on its merger with IHS Markit; Merck on its acquisition of Acceleron Pharma; Neenah and SWM on their merger to form Mativ; PENN Entertainment on its acquisition of Score Media and Gaming; Forma Therapeutics on its sale to Novo Nordisk; Foot Locker on its acquisition of WSS; Skillsoft on its acquisition of Codecademy; Bemis on its sale to Amcor; Johnson & Johnson on its acquisitions of Actelion and Momenta Pharmaceuticals; Array BioPharma on its sale to Pfizer; and DigitalBridge on its acquisition of AMP Capital’s global infrastructure business.

Investor Relations & Public Relations

She helps companies develop and execute ongoing investor and public relations programs, including with respect to corporate narrative and investment rationale, quarterly financial results, investor conferences and roadshows, analyst events and investor days and general profile-raising. Select clients include Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Foot Locker, Gartner, Host Hotels & Resorts, KBR, Merck, Motorola Solutions, Omnicell, PENN Entertainment, S&P Global and Victoria’s Secret.

Shareholder Activism

She advises on public and private activist situations, helping companies prepare for engagement with and defend against investors including Bow Street Capital, Elliott Management, Engaged Capital, HG Vora, Sandell Asset Management, Sarissa Capital Management, Starboard Value, Third Point and Vintage Capital Management, among others.

Aura joined Joele Frank in 2015. She was previously Vice President, Convertible and Equity-Linked Origination at RBC Capital Markets and a Director at Weston Growth Capital. She holds a JD from the UCLA School of Law and a BA in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles.