Matthew E. Maltz

Matthew E. Maltz

Practice Areas

Education

University of Chicago Law School
Chicago, Illinois
J.D., with honors, 2012

University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
B.A., with distinction, 2008

Bar Admissions

Michigan

Court Admissions

All Michigan state courts

Corporate Attorney

Matt is a corporate attorney with a broad range of transactional experience focused on public and private mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, equity investments and private equity transactions. He also provides general corporate and day-to-day legal advice to public and private companies and entrepreneurs at all stages of growth.

Matt serves on Varnum’s Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) Taskforce, which specializes in CTA compliance, guidance and analysis. Visit our CTA Resource Center for more information.

Jordan C. Valentine

Jordan C. Giles

Practice Areas

Industries

Education

Michigan State University College of Law 
East Lansing, MI 
J.D., magna cum laude, 2020

Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, MI
B.A., summa cum laude, Political Science and Philosophy, 2016

Bar Admissions

Michigan

Court Admissions

All Michigan state courts

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan

United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan

Litigation Attorney

Jordan is a skilled litigator and researcher working with a variety of clients including individuals and companies. She has experience in shareholder disputes, breach of contract cases, real estate and zoning disputes, as well as privacy and mobility issues and trademark opposition matters. She represents clients throughout the litigation process, including at hearings, depositions, trials, and appellate proceedings. Jordan also has experience in drafting and consulting on giveaway and sweepstakes compliance.

In addition to supporting the Litigation team, Jordan assists the Privacy and Mobility team with regulatory compliance consulting, drafting memorandums, assisting the IP team with trademark oppositions, and researching for autonomous and connected vehicle clients.

Prior to joining as a full-time associate, Jordan spent two summers with Varnum as a Summer associate. She also spent time as a judicial intern to Chief Judge Sean Cox of the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Michigan. During law and undergraduate school, Jordan received valuable advocacy experience competing on Moot Court and Mock Trial, achieving national recognition.

As an Associate, Jordan has successfully represented Varnum’s clients in various matters. For example, she assisted in the successful defense of a Detroit-based beverage manufacturer in a breach of contract dispute resulting in a dismissal of a $650,000 alleged claim and successful countersuit settlement. Most recently, she also won a jury trial and negotiated a swift $99,000 settlement.

Experience

Served on the team securing a win for Varnum client in Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) matter,  successfully defending client through extensive appeals process and ultimate ruling by U.S. Supreme Court.
 

Assisted in the defense of three entities against $1.5 million in claims in a shareholder dispute.

Assisted in the representation of an individual in a multimillion-dollar real estate dispute between siblings over shared ownership of property. The complicated matter involved several unusual aspects, including multiple trusts, a secret will and a 70-year-old oral agreement.

Assisted in the successful defense of an emerging cosmetics company threatened with a class action alleging violation of the Biometric Information Privacy Act.

Assisted in the defense of several partnership agreement disputes, which were successfully settled in the client’s favor.

Successfully assisted in the settlement of several trademark opposition matters.

Professional Affiliations

State Bar of Michigan

Community Involvement

Ele’s Place, Community Board Member

Eastern Michigan University, Mock Trial and Moot Court Team Judge

Michigan State University College of Law, Mock Trial and Moot Court Team Judge

Hillman Advocacy Clinic held by the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan, 2022

Thomas W. Forster

Forster Tom Web

Practice Areas

Industries

Education

Wayne State University Law School
Detroit, Michigan
J.D., cum laude, 2000
Associate Editor, Wayne State Law Review
Order of the Coif

University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
B.G.S., Philosophy and Psychology, 1996

Bar Admissions

Florida

Michigan

Court Admissions

All Michigan state courts

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Real Estate and Corporate Attorney

Tom is a real estate and corporate attorney. He counsels clients on complex transactional, corporate and real estate matters, including the acquisition, financing, sale, leasing and subleasing of commercial property; the negotiation of joint ventures; asset and stock purchase transactions; the syndication of membership interests; and the acquisition, financing, exchange (1031 exchange), preservation and sale of multifamily, office, industrial, retail shopping center, condominium and mixed use developments. Tom represents a range of clients from publicly-held companies to closely-held family businesses, individuals, investors, builders, developers, lenders, real estate brokers, family officer and property managers.

Chambers USA, which ranks top lawyers and law firms, notes Tom’s “ability to advise on the full gamut of real estate transaction work” makes him “a deal maker and tough negotiator.” A client concluded that “whatever comes up, I have confidence he can handle it.”

Experience

Represented client in the acquisition and financing of a seven shopping center portfolio with properties in four states.

Advised client regarding an equity investment in a portfolio of 21 student housing projects valued more than $500 million.

Represented client in an office building refinance loan of $92 million with multiple lender participants.

Represented joint venture investor with respect to a $65 million senior housing project.

Sale of investment in a regional chain restaurant portfolio.

Counseled client on acquisition, preservation, financing and tax credit syndication of four projects with a value in excess of $40 million.

Represented client with joint venture involving more than 30 properties relating to concrete and sand and gravel operations.

Advised client regarding portfolio of industrial leases, with combined matter value in excess of $400 million.

Guided client in development of a shopping center with more than 400,000 square feet of leasable area.

Served as intern to the Honorable Justice Patricia Boyle of the Michigan State Supreme Court.

Honors and Recognitions

Best Lawyers in America®, Real Estate Law, since 2017

Chambers USA©: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business as a Leader in the field of Real Estate

Community Alliance Star Award, 2012

DBusiness© Top Lawyers, Real Estate Law, 2013, 2020, 2021, 2022

Michigan Super Lawyers® since 2008

Michigan Super Lawyers® Rising Star, 2008 – 2012

Professional Affiliations

American Bar Association

State Bar of Michigan, Real Property Section

The Florida Bar, Real Property Section

University of Michigan Alumni Association

Wayne State Law School Alumni Association

Community Involvement

Leadership Ann Arbor, Class of 2009

Steven T. Buquicchio

Steven T. Buquicchio

Practice Areas

Industries

Education

Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School
Lansing, Michigan
J.D., 1997
American Jurisprudence Award Winner
Dean’s List

City University of New York, Queens College
New York, New York
B.A., Political Science, 1993
Dean’s List

Bar Admissions

Michigan

Court Admissions

All Michigan state courts

United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware

United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Michigan

United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Michigan

United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit

United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan

United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan

United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio

Business, Creditors’ Rights, Credit Union, Banking and Finance Attorney

Steve is a trusted business lawyer, advisor and strategist who provides counsel and advice to individuals and companies on business and operational issues and serves as outside general counsel to a variety of businesses and organizations with an emphasis in credit union, financial services, agriculture and business representations. He routinely represents credit unions, agri-finance/farm credit institutions, banks, finance companies and businesses in:

  • commercial disputes and litigation
  • breach of contract actions
  • note defaults
  • collection actions
  • UCC disputes
  • claim and delivery/replevin actions
  • loan documentation and workouts
  • regulatory and compliance issues
  • contract negotiation
  • strategic planning

Steve, a board certified creditors’ rights attorney, also serves as national creditors’ rights counsel to small and large companies doing business throughout the United States and abroad.

Steve’s litigation practice is focused primarily on creditors’ rights and business litigation including federal and state receiverships, fraud litigation, loan workouts, collections and foreclosures, commercial litigation and consumer protection/Fair Debt Collection Practices Act/Fair Credit Reporting Act defense litigation. Steve also has extensive experience in asset tracing and recovery, judgment enforcement and judicial liquidations.

Experience

Serves as outside general counsel to credit union clients in a variety of representations including mergers and bank acquisitions, contract review and negotiation, regulatory compliance, contract disputes, regulatory actions and approvals, due diligence, CUSO creation and development, operational matters, strategic planning, field of membership expansion, litigation, claim and delivery, foreclosure and collection.

Served as lead counsel to a multibillion dollar in assets credit union during the merger due diligence process with another multibillion dollar in assets credit union.

Served as lead counsel to multiple credit unions of all sizes in multiple completed mergers with other credit unions.

Represented credit unions in statewide field of membership expansions.

Served and serves as lead counsel to multiple debt recovery and accounts receivable management companies in both individual and class action consumer protection/FDCPA/FCRA defense litigation as well as regulatory compliance review.

Represented international furniture maker in the design, implementation and maintenance of credit procedures and training program which resulted in the reduction of millions of dollars in bad debt write-offs to virtually zero.

Represented one of the country’s largest agricultural lenders in multiple multimillion dollar securitized transactions.

Served and serves as regional legal counsel to one of the country’s largest farm equipment financing companies in connection with loan defaults and workouts.

Honors and Recognitions

Business Review West Michigan, Business Leader Under 40

Grand Rapids Business Journal©, 40 Under Forty Business Leader

Grand Rapids Magazine’s Top Lawyers, Construction Law, since 2021; Bankruptcy and Creditor/Debtor Rights Law, 2023

Leading Lawyers: Banking & Financial Institutions Law; Commercial Litigation; Creditor’s Rights/Commercial Collections Law

Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated

Michigan Lawyers Weekly, Leaders in the Law

Michigan Super Lawyers®, Top Rated Business Litigation Attorney (including Creditor Debtor Rights: Business; Business/Corporate)

The Best Lawyers in America®, Banking and Finance Law, 2024

Professional Affiliations

American Bar Association: Litigation Section; Business Section; Committee on the Uniform Commercial Code; ABA Advisory Panel

American Board of Certification: Board Certified in Creditors’ Rights; past Board of Directors

Federal Bar Association, Michigan

Grand Rapids Bar Association: Litigation Section, past chair

Michigan Lawyers Weekly, past Board of Editors

State Bar of Michigan: Litigation Section; Business Section

Community Involvement

American Red Cross, past Board of Directors

Heart of West Michigan United Way – Project Blueprint/Schools of Hope

March of Dimes – Michigan Chapter, Grand Rapids Division, past Board member

Matthew W. Bower

Bowermatt Web

Practice Areas

Industries

Education

Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
New York, New York
J.D., cum laude, 2002

University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
B.F.A., Theatre, 1995

Bar Admissions

Michigan

New York

Court Admissions

All Michigan state courts

Business Law Attorney

Matt serves as outside general counsel to a wide range of emerging and middle market companies across a variety of industries, as well as private equity, venture capital, family offices, real estate syndications, entrepreneurs and investors. Matt represents clients with respect to:

  • Corporate formation, organization, and governance, including shareholder agreements and operating agreements, restricted stock agreements, and equity incentive plans;
  • Corporate conversions, mergers, and reorganizations;
  • Securities offerings, including debt and equity offerings;
  • Mergers and acquisitions;
  • Complex commercial transactions, including joint ventures, joint development agreements, and corporate structuring and succession planning;
  • Intellectual property development, ownership, licensing, and commercialization;
  • General contract matters, including contract negotiations with vendors, suppliers, customers, and licensors; and
  • Outside general counsel representation.

Matt advises emerging companies on capital fundraising, including SAFE financing, convertible debt, preferred equity financing, as well as securities law compliance. He works closely with companies from cradle (formation and organization) to liquidity (sale or merger) and all stages of development in between. Matt’s experience in the early-stage capital markets includes fund representation, fund formation and investments.

Representative industries include software, SaaS, information technology, IoT, data analytics and other technology-based companies, as well as manufacturing, automotive, advanced materials, pharma, medical devices, publishing, digital advertising and media, retail, and food and beverage.

Matt also has a specialty in real estate development syndications, including fund formation and structure, and state and federal securities law compliance and related issues. Matt creates investment vehicles for syndication sponsors for their specific investment goals, whether the fund is for a single asset or multi-asset transaction.

He is a member of Varnum’s Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) Taskforce, which specializes in CTA compliance, guidance and analysis. Visit our CTA Resource Center for more information.

Matt is a member of the Business and Corporate Practice Team, and participates in the Intellectual Property, the Data Privacy and Cybersecurity, and the Venture Capital and Emerging Companies practice teams. He is also the lead partner of the firm’s Ann Arbor office.

Experience

Emerging Companies

$7 million Series A financing for SE Michigan pharmaceutical company.

$8 million Series A financing for SE Michigan enterprise XR company.

$2 million Series Seed financing for Detroit SaaS company.

$2 Series A financing for West Michigan SaaS company.

$1 million Series Seed financing for Ann Arbor-based Y Combinator company.

$2.5 million convertible debt financing and $2 million equity financing for Detroit-based customer relationship management (CRM) company.

Formation of $30 million Michigan-based, seed-stage investment fund.

$2 million convertible debt financing for Detroit-based, minority-owned and woman-owned cosmetics company.

$1 million financing for S.E. Michigan cannabis business (Class C Grower).

$1 million SAFE financing for SE Michigan, women-owned fintech company.

Real Estate Syndications

$15M investment fund for multiple boutique hotel properties in California.

$5.5M fund for retail center purchase and development in southern California.

$250k+ pooled investment in multiple fractional vacation properties in Mexican resort.

Multiple real estate funds for properties in the Midwest, including multi-family complexes, single-family residential complex, and self-storage facilities.

Honors and Recognitions

Arts, Communications, Entertainment, and Arts Section of the State Bar of Michigan: Hensel Award Recipient, 2020

Michigan Lawyers Weekly, Leaders in the Law, 2020

Professional Affiliations

State Bar of Michigan: Arts, Communications, Entertainment and Sports (ACES) Section (past chair); Business Section; Intellectual Property Section

New York State Bar Association

Copyright Society of the U.S.A.

University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, Arts and Entertainment Law Clinic, Adjunct Professor and Co-Director (2022-2024)

Community Involvement

TechTown Detroit, Board of Directors

Ann Arbor Art Center, Board of Directors, Chairman

Detroit Regional Chamber, Leadership Detroit, Class XXXVIII

The Ronald McDonald House of Ann Arbor, The Red Shoe Affair Host Committee

Presentations

Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE), “Help a Start-up Prepare for Seed Funding,” 34th Annual Business Law Institute (2023)

Christopher P. Baker

Christopher P. Baker

Practice Areas

Industries

Education

Wayne State University Law School
Detroit, Michigan
J.D., 1988

Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan
B.S., Political Science, 1985

Bar Admissions

Michigan

Court Admissions

All Michigan state courts

Licensed Beverage Control and Real Estate Attorney

Chris is a member of the firm’s Real Estate Practice Team. He has significant experience representing retail license holders, including resorts, hotels, restaurants and retail developers. Chris also works with licensed suppliers, including brewers, distillers and wineries in all areas of alcoholic beverage regulatory matters, including licensing, enforcement and trade practice issues. He is well versed with the wholesale, distributor and importer provisions of the Michigan Liquor Control Code and regularly represents clients before the Michigan Liquor Control Commission in enforcement actions. 

Chris routinely represents and counsels developers and property owners in all aspects of commercial real estate transactions, including acquisitions, sales, like-kind exchanges and leases. His work includes land use such as site plan review and zoning.

Experience

Represented Entente Spirits (Round Barn Winery, Free Run Cellars and Round Barn Public House) in acquisition of Tabor Hill Winery, including 25 acres of vineyards, a restaurant and three retail locations. Drafted purchase agreement and coordinated filings with Liquor Control Commission.

Obtained first brew pub permit issued by the Michigan Liquor Control Commission and the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau for a Michigan community college’s craft brewery program.

Represented a Michigan licensed brewer with state and local permits required for a supplemental taproom with brewery operations.

National coordinator for multistate licenses and permits for a western United States distillery applicant.

Successful development and creation of a multi-unit condominium project within a B-Hotel resort licensed hotel in Michigan, with approval from the Michigan Liquor Control Commission.

Represented multiple location retailers with statewide off-premises and secondary permits for gas pump operations.

Handled the permitting and related land development planning for MiSpringboard clientele, including zoning approval and the required federal, state and local license requirements.

Professional Affiliations

Academy of Hospitality Industry Attorneys

American Mead Makers Association

Global Alliance of Hospitality Attorneys

Michigan Brewers Guild

National Licensed Beverage Association

State Bar of Michigan: Business Section, Alcoholic Beverage and Hospitality subcommittee, past chair

State Bar of Michigan: Real Property Section, Real Estate Ownership and Investment Entities, Mortgages and Related Security Devices subcommittees

Presentations

Panelist, West Michigan Brewers Discuss Changing Craft Beer Industry, MiBiz April 29, 2019