Butzel Long opens office in Macomb-OU INCubator in Sterling Heights to meet record growth of industry startups and emerging businesses
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DETROIT, Mich. – Butzel Long is onsite in Macomb County with the opening of an office in the Macomb-OU INCubator at the Velocity Collaborative Center in Sterling Heights to meet the escalating demands of emerging businesses in key growth sectors. Butzel Long is part of the new Executives-in-Residence program offered through the Macomb-OU INCubator. Butzel Long is supporting incubator clients with certain free services and consultation.
“Our Executives-in-Residence program evolved based on our clients growing needs,” said Julie Gustafson, Executive Director, Macomb-OU INCubator. “They asked for onsite guidance in core areas including legal, financial and accounting, general business consulting and defense. This is our pilot year and the feedback so far has been fantastic. A key goal is for the Macomb-OU INCubator to help startups grow by providing them with important business resources.
“I’m excited about the depth of legal resources that Butzel Long brings onsite to our Executives-in-Residence program,” added Gustafson. “Startups have varying needs at different stages. One client may require professional guidance from a patent attorney while another may need insight from a labor and employment attorney.”
“We have worked extensively with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), Macomb County and Automation Alley in the defense arena,” said Beth S. Gotthelf, Attorney, Executive-in-Residence and Director of Innovation and External Relations, Butzel Long. “For us, it is critical to be onsite and accessible to incubator clients. We’ve provided counsel to several incubator clients. In one instance, a client needed counsel on compliance. Another sought our expertise on intellectual property funding.
“Butzel Long has a long and strong history in this region for more than 150 years. From what drove this region in the 1900s to what drives it in the 21st century, we believe in growing the region and being a partner as it grows and diversifies,” added Gotthelf. “When people come together as a team and collaborate there is great synergy.”
“Our role is to provide advisory and consulting services including the review of contracts for early stage businesses that need assistance, but don’t have the budget or funds yet to pay for these services, “said Butzel Long Senior Attorney Jeremy Cnudde, who is one of the Butzel Long Executives-in-Residence. “The Macomb-OU INCubator is similar to TechTown Detroit and Ann Arbor SPARK, but with a greater focus on the thriving defense industry in Macomb County. This program has a lot of potential to help small and second stage businesses become viable during their critical first few years.”
About the Macomb-OU INCubator
The Macomb-OU INCUubator provides comprehensive development and support to startup and emerging businesses with a focus on the defense, homeland security, advanced manufacturing and technology sectors. For more information, visit www.oakland.edu/macombouinc.
About Butzel Long
Established in 1854, Butzel Long is a leading law firm with offices in Detroit, Bloomfield Hills, Lansing and Ann Arbor, Michigan, New York City, and Washington, D.C., as well as Alliance offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Mexico City and Monterrey. The firm is also a member of the Washington D.C. law firm, Butzel Long Tighe Patton. Butzel Long represents clients from diverse industries on regional, national, and multi-national levels and is a member of Lex Mundi, a global association of 160 independent law firms. Visit the Butzel Long website at www.butzel.com.
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Media Contact: Maribeth Farkas at Caponigro Public Relations Inc.,
(248) 353-3030, ext. 2114.
