The lawyers in Dykema’s Private Company and Corporate Counseling Practice are not narrow specialists. We are experienced business lawyers who understand the wide range of challenges that face every business. We have experience and expertise in all stages of the life cycle of a business, from its initial organization to its final disposition, whether through a public offering, sale, or transition to the next generation of leadership. We understand securities law, corporate law, and commercial law, but more importantly, we understand business.

Our clients are family-owned businesses, start-ups, entrepreneurial businesses, and other privately-held businesses, as well as publicly-held companies that need legal resources beyond their in-house counsel. Our clients include sole proprietorships, corporations, partnerships, limited partnerships, and limited liability companies. Typically, we work directly with the owners and managers of these businesses.

Our Private Company and Corporate Counseling Practice services include:

• Organizing the business, including advice on choice of entity and structure, and designing, negotiating, and drafting shareholder agreements, buy-sell agreements, LLC operating agreements, and other corporate governance, control, and exit arrangements
• Corporate housekeeping, including preparing resolutions, keeping minute books and making state filings
• Financing assistance with structuring and documenting initial and subsequent debt and/or equity financing
• Regulatory assistance with licensing and regulatory matters peculiar to the particular business or industry
• Contracts and commercial matters, including contracting and other commercial and operational matters, such as drafting and reviewing purchase and sale agreements, consulting agreements, sales representative agreements, and similar contracts
• Disputes among owners, including helping the owners implement measures designed to reduce the possibility of disputes and counseling the company or its owners in dealing with disputes when they arise

Because we provide a broad range of services, our role generally includes coordinating the involvement of other practice groups, such as employment, employee benefits, tax, litigation, and real estate.

Dykema’s Private Company and Corporate Counseling Practice can help you with a specific project, act as an extension of your in-house counsel’s office, or act as your primary counsel. We have the experience and the expertise that produce excellence and sound, practical advice.

For more information about our Private Company and Corporate Counseling Practice, please contact:

Aleksandra A. Miziolek, Director 313-568-6762
J. Michael Bernard,, Leader 313-568-5374
Brendan J. Cahill, Assistant Leader 248-203-0721