Geaneen M. Arends

Ms. Arends assists and advises business clients with general business planning, entity formation and maintenance, mergers, acquisitions, commercial lending, woman-owned/minority-owned/disadvantaged business certification, risk management issues, and general business contracts. She also advises business clients on a variety of real estate transactions, including acquisition, disposition, development, and leasing of multi-family residential, retail, office, and industrial properties throughout the United States. She represents borrowers and lenders in multi-million dollar real estate financing transactions. Ms. Arends has been recognized for her experience in navigating notable “deals of the year” on multiple occasions over the course of her remarkable career.

Some of the most meaningful matters Ms. Arends has handled involve assisting nonprofit organizations. She has helped an organization with the intricacies involved in the construction of a health care center in Detroit that provides physical and mental health care and dental care for some of Detroit’s most disadvantaged residents, and has assisted another nonprofit organization that provides housing to refugees from 20 different countries to navigate business dealings essential to the entity’s operations. Ms. Arends also assists many clients in an external general counsel role.

Geaneen Arends is a Shareholder practicing in Butzel's Detroit office. She is a Vice President of Butzel and serves on the firm's Board of Directors. She also serves as Chair of Butzel's Diversity and Inclusion Committee and is a past Chair of the firm’s Corporate and Real Estate Practice Departments.

Prior to joining Butzel, Ms. Arends was in-house counsel for a real estate investment and property management firm and previously practiced in the real estate groups of two prominent Detroit law firms.

All Related Practice Areas

Education

Boston College Law School, J.D.

Michigan State University, B.A., History

Admissions

Memberships

• American Bar Foundation, Fellow
• Detroit Bar Association, Fellow
• Detroit Economic Club, Gold Member
• Detroit Legal News Co. (DTRL) U.S.: OTC, Board of Directors
• Detroit Public Television, Member - Executive Committee, Secretary - Board of Trustees
• Detroit Regional Chamber, Leadership Detroit, Alumna Class XXVII
• Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Classical Roots Steering Committee
• Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE), Real Property Law Advisory Board Member
• Karmanos Cancer Institute, Board of Directors
• State Bar of Michigan, Business Law and Real Property Law Sections

Awards & Recognitions

Crain’s Detroit Business - 2024 Notable Black Business Leaders

The Best Lawyers in America® - Real Estate Law, 2025-2027; International Mergers and Acquisitions, 2026, 2027; Corporate Law, 2027

Corp! Magazine – Diversity Business Leader Honoree, 2021

Crain's Detroit Business - Notable Executives in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, 2021

Crain's Detroit Business - Notable Woman Attorney, 2017

M&A Advisor - Cross-Border M&A Deal of the Year (over $50MM – $100MM), 2016

Association for Corporate Growth, Detroit - All Star Deal of the Year Over $50 Million, 2015

Michigan Lawyers Weekly - Women in the Law, 2014

DBusiness Top Lawyers in Metro Detroit - Nonprofits/Charities Law, 2014; Corporate Law, 2018, 2022, 2023; Real Estate Law, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2020-2023; Mergers & Acquisitions Law, 2018, 2020