Michael J. Sussman
Of Counsel
Overview
Michael Sussman is a corporate, funding and securities lawyer representing entrepreneurs, businesses, funds and investment companies. As an experienced and trusted advisor, Michael often acts as outside general counsel for his clients’ businesses. Michael drafts and negotiates all forms of corporate agreements, such as distribution agreements, marketing agreements and consulting agreements. He also counsels on the establishment and operation of domestic, start-up, venture capital and cross-border companies. Clients look to Michael’s advice on governance and compliance matters as well as managing their litigation issues, intellectual property, employment and other similar matters. He also offers legal advice regarding critical business contracts and combinations, including:
- Drafting and negotiating corporate agreements, including distribution agreements, non-disclosure agreements, consulting agreements among others
- Entity structuring
- General outside counsel
- Investments
- Joint ventures and strategic partnerships
- Lending and other financing agreements including loans and structured finance
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Securities matters of all types, especially non-public matters and private placements and debt equity offerings
Firmly committed to getting to know each client and their business, excellent service is the driving force behind Michael’s practice. He is known for delivering practical legal services that not only resolve the matter at hand but are also forward thinking, which provides protective strategies. Michael’s work has brought him around the world, in virtually every continent, and he is therefore well versed in cross-border matters. He has lived and worked in Brussels, London and Moscow before coming back to the United States.
Representative Experience
Corporate Counsel, Citi and StormHarbour
- Advising on appropriate entities, drafting and negotiating agreements of all types and financing and securities matters of various types
- Overseeing the work of up to 80 professionals
M&A
- Merger of tech firms, the acquisition of broker-dealer by bank, the sale of a commercial real estate entity by a bank, the acquisition of one major international tire company by another and the acquisition of eastern European airline by European airline
Joint ventures and business combinations
- Joint venture of trucking firms, a joint venture of broker-dealers, a joint venture of investment firms, a business combination of shipping firms and a business combination of marketing firms
Securities and financing matters, such as:
- Attraction of capital and financing, both securities and finance, to companies, new ventures and joint ventures
- Investments in various private placements by funds and investment companies
- Establishment and operation of funds and investment companies
Community & Professional Involvement
- American Bar Association, member
- New York City Bar Association, member
- Corporation Law Committee, member
- Securities Regulation Committee, former member
- N.Y. State Bar Association, member
- Committee on Technology and Venture Capital, former member
- Committee on Attorney Professionalism, former member
- Mid-Market Committee of General Counsels and Heads of Compliance, founding member
- Pro Bono Partnership
Prior Work Experience
- Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton
- Mayer, Brown & Platt
- Squire, Sanders & Dempsey
- Citigroup Global Markets Ltd.
- StormHarbour Partners