DLA Piper Commendation

1. February 2, 2012
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing this letter to personally recommend Jon Karlin as a business and technology executive and
leader. My name is Trent Dykes and I am a corporate and securities partner at DLA Piper who works
with emerging growth companies and venture capital firms. My practice focuses on securities offerings,
mergers and acquisitions and general corporate law.
Throughout the years, I have worked with a myriad of entrepreneur and C-level officers, and Jon is one of
the most well-rounded entrepreneurs and operating officers I have had the pleasure of working with. I
began working with Jon back in 2006 in connection with Caliber Data, Inc. I could see early on that Jon
brought clear vision, leadership and business experience together with industry knowledge and a real
passion for emerging market opportunities. During the course of my legal practice – which focuses on
technology startups – I have come to see this combination of business acumen, deep market and
technology knowledge and as a hallmark for success. This contributed to my confidence in Jon’s
leadership and my recommendation that our law firm take a share in the future of the company while
helping it to grow by deferring a substantial portion of our fees.
During meetings with board members, investors, business partners and other legal professionals, Jon
consistently demonstrated strong analytical, communication and leadership skills. He was always well
organized and prepared for meetings and presented relevant issues and desired outcomes in a way that
encouraged others to contribute their ideas and perspective. This resulted in well informed decisions and
strong consensus even on the most challenging issues. It also ensured that viable alternatives and risk
mitigation strategies were carefully considered.
Jon is a persistent and diligent manager of business and legal process. His skills in this area reflect an
excellent sense of when to engage legal counsel as well as how to manage an efficient process for
reaching conclusion. For example, at board meetings when a complex or controversial issue would arise
that required a deeper level of analysis and discussion before calling for a decision or vote, Jon would
often seek to have a well-qualified board member appointed to work offline with him. When the meeting
would reconvene, his joint presentation of conclusions and recommendations would typically result in
rapid buy-in and consensus, often eliminating contentious and time consuming debate.
Jon always demonstrated a commitment to honesty and transparency and carried this through very clearly
in his relationships with a range of private investors that provided equity and debt financing to the
company – and able to earn their trust by proactively updating them and keeping them well informed.
If helpful, I would be happy to answer any questions regarding Jon. My contact information is below.
Regards,
Trent
Trenton C. Dykes
DLA Piper LLP (US)
701 Fifth Avenue, Suite 7000 | Seattle, WA 98104-7044
[O] 206.839.4834 [F] 206.494.1776 [E] trent.dykes@DLApiper.com
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