DETROIT, October 5, 2009 — Detroit-based Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP (Honigman) and Minneapolis-based Faegre & Benson LLP have formed an International Automotive Legal Team spanning the U.S., China and the U.K. The collaboration is an outgrowth of the China-related work the firms have been doing together and reflects their focus on assisting automotive companies with strategic cross-border transactions involving these three critically important jurisdictions.
“Faegre & Benson and Honigman have a remarkably talented cross-functional team of attorneys dedicated to handling complex automotive deals involving these three countries. We share high standards for legal excellence, client service and value. This is a great fit for both firms,” said Honigman Chairman and CEO David Foltyn.
Honigman brings more than 50 years of experience in the automotive industry, including acquisitions, purchasing, insolvency and troubled supplier legal services. Faegre & Benson supports clients in China-related transactions through a dedicated group of lawyers with more than 40 collective years of experience in China. These lawyers work in collaboration with the firm’s lawyers in the U.S. and London.
Thomas G. Morgan, Chair of the Faegre & Benson Management Committee, observed that “Our combined industry experience, China market knowledge and collaborative working styles help our clients take full advantage of the significant automotive industry growth involving China.”
The International Automotive Legal Team will be led by Robert B. Weiss, Commercial Law, Bankruptcy and Reorganization Department Chair for Honigman, and George D. Martin, Head of Faegre & Benson’s Corporate Group and Co-chair of its Greater China Practice, based in Minneapolis.
Other legal team members include from Honigman:
David Foltyn, Chairman, CEO and Partner, Corporate and Securities Department ; John P. Kanan, Partner, Corporate and Securities Department ; Jonathan P. O’Brien, Intellectual Property Practice Group Chair ; Artis M. Noel, Of Counsel and former Chief of Export Compliance for General Motors (joining Honigman on November 1, 2009)
From Faegre & Benson:
John V. Grobowski, Co-chair of the firm’s Greater China practice and Managing Partner of its Shanghai office ; Yiqiang Li (Lee), Partner, Corporate Practice, Shanghai ; Wendy Yan, Special Counsel, Shanghai ; Melanie Wadsworth, Solicitor, Corporate Practice, England ; William K. Weimer, Partner, Intellectual Property Practice
About Honigman
Celebrating its 60th year, Honigman is a leading Michigan-based business law firm with an international practice. Headquartered in Detroit with offices in Lansing, Oakland County, Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo, the firm has attorneys practicing in more than 40 different areas of concentration. Honigman’s highly-credentialed attorneys and staff, along with its customer-service focus, provide clients in a wide variety of industries timely and cost-effective counsel.
In 2009, Honigman received a No. 1 ranking within the state of Michigan from Chambers USA in three key practice areas. In addition, 76 of its attorneys have been named in the 2010 edition of Best Lawyers®, a respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. Honigman also received recognition for 59 of the firm’s attorneys in the 2009 edition of Michigan Super Lawyers, leading for the third consecutive year with more attorneys in the “Top 100” than any other law firm in the state of Michigan. The publication also recognized 39 of the firm’s attorneys under the age of 40 as Rising Stars. Honigman also was named in 2008 and 2009 as one of the “50 Best Law Firms for Women” by Working Mother magazine and Flex-Time Lawyers, LLC. For more information, visit www.honigman.com.
About Faegre & Benson:
Faegre & Benson LLP offers a full complement of legal services to clients ranging from emerging enterprises to multinational companies. Its 500 lawyers handle complex transactions and litigation matters throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. Established in Minneapolis in 1886, the firm is one of the 100 largest law firms in the United States. From its offices in Minnesota, Colorado, Iowa, London and Shanghai, Faegre & Benson has served clients in more than 60 countries. For more information, please visit www.faegre.com.
