Overview

The Business Practice Department at Butzel is distinct among firms of our size. We provide creative solutions, prompt and effective communication, and a level of service that extends beyond the routine. Building upon decades of experience, and by taking time to learn the complexities of our clients’ operations, we work every day to tackle issues that can keep business owners up at night—from highly complex to those that businesses face day-to-day.

We advise on a broad variety of business matters for a range of organizations, from Fortune 500 companies to regional enterprises and smaller owner-operated businesses. We count a broad cross-section of manufacturing, health care, publishing, real estate, and financial entities as clients. Team members collaborate closely with attorneys in other practice areas throughout the firm to ensure a sophisticated breadth of legal analysis. Butzel’s membership in Lex Mundi, a global organization of over 160 independent member firms, enables us to provide access to legal assistance throughout the world.

The business, economic, and often public concerns that drive many transactions in today's challenging marketplace are always top of mind. We possess the experience and insight to structure and consummate deals of ever-increasing complexity. Our experience encompasses advising and assisting clients to ensure compliance with federal and state securities laws in matters of capital formation, mergers and acquisitions, and structuring sophisticated finance transactions and relationships for corporate and public entities. We handle matters involving multi-tiered, multi-lender relationships, counsel clients in structuring, restructuring, and liquidating corporate and non-corporate entities, and assist with entity formation issues such as drafting start-up documentation and negotiating and preparing commercial documents.

We counsel and represent clients in a broad variety of sectors in securities regulation and compliance, corporate governance, corporate investigations and white-collar crime, employment law, estate planning and asset protection, and corporate litigation.

More than 20 years after its enactment, compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) remains essential to financial markets and financial reporting. We advise company officers, directors, and employees on a variety of SOX matters, including Section 302 and 906 financial disclosure certifications, Section 404 internal control over financial reportings (ICFR), audit committee matters, limitations on credit to directors and officers, whistleblower claims, and restrictions tied to employee benefit plan blackout periods.

Our team is comprised of experienced attorneys, some of whom have held positions at the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO). Others have served as Chairs to the State Bar of Michigan’s Securities Regulation Committee, Corporate Laws Committee, and Business Law section.

Butzel attorneys have assisted in the creation and growth of several of the largest corporations in the world. We help entrepreneurs and small businesses build a sound foundation for long-term success. Many of our corporate relationships are decades old—a testimony to the deep commitment we bring to the success of our clients' enterprises.

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Experience

  • Defended national health care certifyng board in action alleging antitrust and false advertising violations; one of the leading 6th Circuit cases on false advertising law
  • Representation of company for purchase of telecommunications business in over 25 countries.
  • Represented global polymers manufacturer in acquisition of assets of Hydro Components Research and Development Corporation.
  • Marketing antitrust and sales advice to consumer electronics company; product recall advice
  • Represented a large consumer products company with respect to multiple threats of litigation from competitors, alleging that the client's distribution and discount agreements with retailers supported claims of monopolization
  • Represented Greek Government interests in variety of matters involving public and private international law
  • Represented an international media conglomerate in connection with the European Commission's investigation into Google's actions in the online search market
  • Represented an infrastructure investment fund with the acquisition of port facilities and in proposals to acquire other infrastructure assets
  • Obtained not guilty verdict at criminal antitrust trial for President of concrete company
  • Lead counsel for global polymers manufacturer in multiple acquisition and disposition transactions, including complex, multi-continent acquisitions, numerous acquisitions of U.S. based distributors and disposition of operations in Canada and the U.S.
  • Acted as interim general counsel for publicly-held technology company and supervised company’s adoption of Sarbanes-Oxley compliance procedures and insider trading policy.
  • Prepared marketing presentations for advisory services
  • Representation of French company in acquisition of troubled assets of automotive supplier with U.S. and Canadian operations.
  • Marketing antitrust and sales advice to consumer electronics company
  • Represented a multi-national engineering and infrastructure services firm in the acquisition of engineering businesses in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
  • Worked with client to obtain $1 million Single Business Tax Credit.
  • Represented an automotive fasteners company in a disposition merger
  • Represented attorney in federal antitrust.-related investigation
  • Represented publicly-held utility holding company in proposed $3 billion acquisition by private equity investors.
  • Asset acquisition for publicly traded foreign-based corporation
  • $75 million acquisition of US and non-US assets; complex deal involved acquisition of stock and assets located in North America, Europe, Asia and South America
  • Negotiation of a Complex Supply Agreement for major Tier I Automotive Supplier with an OEM; included subsidies and exit provisions
  • Sold a U.S. based defense subcontractor to a subsidiary of an Israeli defense contractor; project involved a CFIUS filing, notifications and filings under ITAR
  • Counsel and represent several large corporations with respect to antitrust issues implicated by a wide variety of licensing, pricing and distribution arrangements as well as proposed transactions and combinations
  • Provided due diligence for large acquisition
  • Complex, multi-continent acquisitions of companies for an international polymers manufacturer
  • Representation of a multinational engineering and infrastructure services company as major shareholder in consortium formed to tender a proposal for the build-operate-transfer concession for the $2.0 billion Tel Aviv Red Line light rail project.
  • Defended a major issuer of credit and debit cards against a class action of merchants claiming that its rule constituted a tie in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act as well as a monopolization of the alleged market for debit cards.
  • Commercial counsel for automotive companies
  • Represented U.S and German subsidiaries of Japan-based manufacturing company in acquisition of aerospace and defense company from subsidiaries of U.K.-based manufacturer, which included CFIUS and ITAR filings
  • Restructuring of European companies and their subsidiaries in numerous countries to achieve optional organizational benefits
  • Represented a Mexican corporation in the purchase of the exhaust system business from a major Tier 1 auto supplier in a Section 363 bankruptcy sale; facilities located throughout the world
  • Represented auto supplier in major US and foreign antitrust investigation
  • Lead counsel for asset purchase transaction of Aerospace and Medical Devices manufacturers
  • Represented one of Greece's largest business enterprises in the $650 million acquisition of the United States operations of a major multinational construction materials company.
  • Negotiated a settlement agreement for a major auto supplier with an OEM resulting in $40,000,000 in payments to the supplier, deal also included commitment by OEM to provide significant additional future business to supplier
  • Represented multiple Corporations in federal antitrust investigation re highway contracts
  • Represented Greek Government interests in variety of matters involving public and private international law
  • Analyzed antitrust risk of pending transactions for hedge funds and financial institutions.
  • Represented Corporation in federal antitrust civil class action re automotive products
  • Counsel an international consumer electronics company with respect to pricing and distribution issues, including minimum and maximum resale price maintenance, MAP programs, and Robinson-Patman compliance.
  • Asset Purchase in industrial furnace industry
  • Represented a private equity investor in the lengthy and complicated effort to purchase all of Ford Motor Company's glass manufacturing operations in North America
  • Asset sale for automotive supplier
  • Defense of major regional hospital system in an anti-trust case alleging conspiracy among hospital and physicians to exclude a cardiologist from the hospital staff
  • Preparing operating agreements for joint ventures and start-ups
  • Represented the sellers in connection with the sale of the build-operate-transfer franchise for a state highway in California.
  • Prepared sales representative agreements for garment distributor
  • Represented LG Chem in the acquisition of land, obtaining various government grants and tax incentives and the drafting and negotiating of the construction contract for a $303 million advanced lithium ion battery manufacturing facility.
  • Purchase and sale of portfolio companies for PE firm
  • Assisted Lakeshore Engineering Services Inc. in their acquisition of Toltest Inc., creating Lakeshore Toltest Corp., one of the largest federal and municipal contracting companies in the Midwest.
  • Represented a publicly-traded diversified resources company in the acquisition of more than 40 construction materials, construction and other businesses since 1997 for a total of more than $900 million.
  • Successfully defended national media client in claim for violation of Sarbanes-Oxley Act before the United States Department of Labor.
  • Successfully negotiated dispute with large shareholder including redemption of shares and related tax and financing issues
  • Lead counsel for major auto supplier in numerous M&A transactions, both those based solely in the US and those with US and foreign components
  • Representation of Fortune 500 company in disposition of two health care subsidiaries. Issues included structuring for tax and regulatory considerations, state licensing transfer requirements and filings.
  • Represented President of Corporation in federal antitrust investigation re compressors
  • Worked with client to obtain $1 million Single Business Tax Credit, approval of brownfield plan and negotiation of brownfield agreement with city
  • Represented Company in federal antitrust investigation re transportation industry
  • Negotiation of complex Settlement Agreement with an OEM of claims arising under long-term Supply Agreement
  • Representation of French company in joint venture with Japanese company including negotiations and preparation of joint venture agreement, structuring joint venture capital contributions and addressing governance issues.
  • Asset acquisition for major international manufacturer
  • Represented private equity firm in connection with recapitalization of engineering business.
  • Represented multiple employees/ executives/ officers in major US and international antitrust investigations
  • Product liability and general corporate advice to OEM manufacturer
  • Assisted a large IT consulting company in a disposition merger with a major industry participant
  • Representation of engineering services client in acquisition of other engineering services company structured share exchange.
  • Counsel and represent several large corporations with respect to antitrust issues implicated by a wide variety of licensing, pricing and distribution arrangements as well as proposed transactions and combinations.
  • Lead counsel in defense of a US subsidiary of an international cement and concrete company against civil price fixing and related Section 1 conspiracy claims.
  • Acted as counsel in international acquisition of software company. The transaction included multi-jurisdictional asset transfers, export controls issues and special licensing and development agreements.
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