Michael Kling Email & Phone Number

Grand Rapids, Mi, Us

Grand Rapids, Us

Founding member of the Mergers and Acquisitions (“M&A”) team – handling M&A deals almost exclusively in-house – which has closed multiple deals adding over $1 billion in top line revenue growth, including the two largest deals in the company’s historyCounsel C-suite and business unit leaders on strategic decisions for all phases of M&A dealsSole lawyer for all domestic M&A deals and assists the VP of International Investments with foreign deals as neededCreate and improve processes, templates, and protocols for the identification, acquisition, and integration of targets that significantly streamlined the process, eliminated redundant work, and improved integration outcomesEvaluate the impact of due diligence results from all functional areas, identify risks, develop practical solutions, work with the M&A team and business unit leaders to determine the preferred resolutions, and negotiate the incorporation of the selected resolutions into the dealDraft and negotiate all M&A documents, including engagement letters, indications of interest, letters of intent, definitive agreements, ancillary agreements, and closing documentsResponsible for or oversee legal, compliance, intellectual property, import/export, real estate, and environmental due diligence for all acquisitionsManage outside counsel when engaged for specific deals, which occurs only in an overflow capacity or in large deals

Grand Rapids, Us

Draft and negotiate major and/or complex customer, vendor, and operational contracts, including: supply chain, distribution and service arrangements, intellectual property licensing, software agreements, cloud solutions (SaaS), research and development, prototype development, lease agreements, pre-litigation disputes, strategic alliances, and additional corporate activitiesTrain attorneys on contract policies and assist in the development of negotiation and drafting skillsRevise key contract templates to streamline their execution and to reflect lessons learnedLead legal compliance function (other than environmental matters), including obtaining executive support for various programs, drafting policies, coordinating implementation across departments and locations, vetting and engaging third-party service providers, and revising programs to ensure continuous improvementLaunched and lead privacy program, including compliance with GDPR and CCPA, after self-education on privacy laws, regulations, and guidelinesEstablished as expert in many regulations affecting UFP’s businesses through self-education, including labeling, federal and state formaldehyde rules, human trafficking and slavery regulations, conflict minerals, California’s Proposition 65, bed foundation laws, timber regulations, and antitrust mattersCo-lead for real estate transactions (purchases, sales, leases, easements, and construction agreements) after self-education on real estate matters, including structuring deals, managing the due diligence process, and drafting and negotiating letters of intent and definitive agreementsCounsel corporate departments and domestic and international business units in complex commercial matters, including: Treasury, Marketing, IT, Product Development, and domestic and international operating unitsEngage in all aspects of M&A as the legal lead Counsel with respect to and draft documents for corporate governance matters

Grand Rapids, Us

Draft and negotiate customer, vendor, and operational contracts, including: multi-phase contracts, supply chain agreements, licenses, cloud solutions, joint development agreements, utility purchasing agreements, aircraft repair contracts, and a wide variety of other contract typesCo-lead for real estate transactions (purchases, sales, leases, easements, and construction agreements)Structure, negotiate, and draft nationwide distribution agreements for new product launchesAdvise marketing group on legal matters for advertising, packaging, and labeling issuesManage compliance with the conflict minerals rule and CARB formaldehyde emissions rules Structure, negotiate, and draft agreements for acquisitions and divestures of businesses, and participate as the legal lead for due diligence, negotiation, and closing purposesCounsel with respect to and draft documents for corporate governance matters, including international joint ventures and subsidiariesManage outside counsel on various claims and litigation matters, including: wrongful contract termination cases, employee claims, foreclosure actions, copyright claims, construction defect claims, and bond claims

Grand Rapids, Mi, Us

Counsel domestic and international clients in complex commercial matters, including supply chain, distribution and service arrangements, intellectual property licensing, software agreements, cloud solutions (SaaS), research and development, prototype development, lease agreements, pre-litigation disputes, corporate governance, strategic alliances, and additional corporate activitiesDraft and negotiate commercial contracts of all kinds Structure, negotiate (typically opposite national firms in Chicago and New York), and draft agreements for a broad range of merger and acquisition transactions generally in the $10 million to $500 million range for clients both public and private and domestic and internationalLead due diligence teams on both sell-side and buy-side of transactionsManage specialists involved with transactions, including environmental, labor, employee benefits, intellectual property, real estate, and tax specialistsResearch and analyze the impact of various laws and regulations with respect to various legal questions important to the strategic advancement of clients' businessesAdvise clients concerning securities law exemptions; assist with private placement of securitiesOffer direction to public clients regarding securities law compliance for reporting companies and contribute to required reports for filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

Juris Doctor, Magna Cum Laude

Ms, Natural Resources Policy

Bs, Physics, Magna Cum Laude