Corporate counseling and contract negotiations involving joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers/acquisitions, and related agreements, including, e.g., joint venture relationships involving the design, development and supply of various automotive systems and components, such as seating systems, recliners, and tubing, as well as other technologies such as thin-film solar/photovoltaic cells and nickel-metal-hydride batteries.
Drafting and negotiating broad spectrum of contracts and related documents, with extensive experience concerning automotive supply relationships at all levels, including, e.g., nondisclosure/nonanalysis agreements, product/technology development agreements, quotations, letters of intent/early sourcing agreements, tooling agreements, supply agreements, terms and conditions of purchase/sale, warranty agreements, licenses, data agreements (e.g., with after-market/specialty equipment suppliers/associations), agreements for design/fabrication of prototype vehicles, agreements/software licenses relating to vehicle diagnostic systems, service/testing agreements, usage agreements for testing facilities including test tracks, and related matters.
Antitrust and trade regulation counseling.
Drafting and negotiating intellectual property (IP) licensing agreements and IP provisions in joint venture, asset sale and other agreements, including, e.g., IP provisions in agreement for sale of $1 billion line of business, in troubled supplier/workout situations including accommodation/license agreements, and in agreements with universities, USCAR and certain technology development agreements with the government.
Regularly counsel international and domestic clients concerning wide range of corporate issues regarding U.S.-based business.
REPRESENTATIVE CLIENTS
Advics North America, Inc.
Johnson Controls, Inc.
Lawrence Technological University
Magna International, Inc.
Meiden America / Meiden Technical Center
Niles America Wintech, Inc., and affiliates
Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems, and affiliates
Tachi-S Engineering U.S.A., Inc.
Usui International Corporation
AREAS OF PRACTICE EMPHASIS
Antitrust & Trade Regulation
Automotive
Business Technology
Corporate
Intellectual Property
International
Joint Ventures
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Martindale-Hubbell Rating: A/V (peer review for ethical standards and legal ability)
Michigan Super Lawyers 2006, 2007
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Member, Board of Trustees, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (Evanston, Illinois) (2006 to date); First United Methodist Church, Birmingham, MI (Seminary Relations Committee; StreetThreads)
Youth Soccer Coach, 1985 - 2002
PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS
American Bar Association, Section of International Law & Practice, Co-editor (with David Goldsweig, formerly of General Motors and Delphi Automotive Systems), International Joint Ventures: A Practical Approach to Working with Foreign Investors in the U.S. and Abroad (2nd Edition), 1990. |