James C. Bruno is a shareholder practicing in Butzel Long's Detroit office and has served on the firm's Board of Directors. He is a graduate of Georgetown University, The University of Michigan Law School, and The University of Michigan Graduate School of Business. Mr. Bruno's primary practice includes corporations and limited liability companies; the Uniform Commercial Code; sales representatives and distributorships; automotive and other industry supplier relations; international business law and foreign employment; closely held business; mergers and acquisitions; and joint ventures. This includes counseling, negotiations, drafting, and dispute resolution. His clients include large and small entities, including foreign-owned start-ups. Mr. Bruno has been active in the firm's foreign practice, including oversight of the firm's Mexican alliance office. Mr. Bruno has been the firm's representative to the automotive trade association, the Original Equipment Manufacturers Association. He was Counsel General in Detroit for El Salvador from 1973 to 1997. Mr. Bruno is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and the American Bar Association. He has served as Chair of the State Bar of Michigan's Business Law Section, Co-Chair of the Corporate Laws Committee, Council Member of the International Law Section, Co-Chair of the International Business Law Committee, and Member of the Advisory Committee for the Michigan Bar Journal. Mr. Bruno was an initial recipient of the Michigan State Bar's prestigious Stephen H. Schulman Outstanding Business Lawyer Award and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America and in The Best Lawyers in America Consumer Guide for his work with closely held business entities. He is also listed in DBusiness Top Lawyers in Metro Detroit and Michigan Super Lawyers. He has written numerous articles and been a speaker and moderator at a variety of programs on international, corporate, immigration and business topics in automotive and other industries. Mr. Bruno was the editor of the Business Problems and Planning column of The Michigan Bar Journal for many years. His articles have been cited in legal briefs and court decisions and he is asked to serve as an expert witness on business law matters. Mr. Bruno's legislative work has included assisting in the drafting of the Michigan Business Corporation Act, Michigan Professional Corporation Act, and Michigan Limited Liability Company Act. Experience · Commercial counsel for automotive companies · Negotiations of series of sales representative agreements with multi-national entities · Counsel for multi-lender for international inventory financing · Counsel for formation of Mexican joint venture · Acquisitions counsel for customs broker · Acquisition of majority joint venturer's interest · Negotiations of joint venture for automotive safety testing · Mergers of two separate groups of construction trade groups · Lead counsel in negotiating and developing extended OEM warranties and back-up insurance policies. · Restructuring of European companies and their subsidiaries in numerous countries to achieve optional organizational benefits · Asserted claims on behalf of over 50 suppliers against large automotive debtor News Media Releases 11.28.11, 68 Butzel Long attorneys named to DBusiness magazine's Top Lawyers in Metro Detroit 2012 10.28.11, Butzel Long attorneys featured during OESA Commercial Trends and Legal Strategy v.2011 program 05.06.11, Butzel Long Taxation and Succession Planning Institute plans half-day seminar on May 18 in Troy 12.02.10, Sixty-four Butzel Long attorneys named to DBusiness magazine's Top Lawyers in Metro Detroit 2011 10.25.10, Forty-two Butzel Long attorneys named to the 2010 Michigan Super Lawyers list 09.22.10, Butzel Long co-hosted a briefing recently with OESA to discuss current legal and commercial issues 09.09.10, Butzel Long attorneys named to The Best Lawyers in America® 2011 12.10.09, Butzel Long attorneys featured during Detroit Chinese Business Association seminar 11.09.09, Forty-Nine Butzel Long attorneys named to Super Lawyers 2009 listing 09.23.09, Butzel Long law firm collaborates with Original Equipment Suppliers Association on 2009 OESA Comparative Analysis 09.09.09, Butzel Long attorneys named to The Best Lawyers in America® 2010: Forty-nine attorneys recognized in national listing 07.06.09, Butzel Long attorneys James C. Bruno & Marie Alsace Galindo featured at Int'l Conference of Mexico Automotive Industry July 13-15 in Mexico City 10.22.08, Butzel Long attorneys named to The Best Lawyers in America® 2009 09.08.08, Butzel Long law firm collaborates with Original Equipment Suppliers Association on 2008 OESA Comparative Analysis 06.26.08, Butzel Long attorney James C. Bruno inducted into the Litigation Counsel of America 10.04.07, Butzel Long attorneys named to The Best Lawyers in America® 2008 News in brief 10.04.11, Butzel Long attorneys named to The Best Lawyers in America® 2012 Publications Client alerts 04.29.09, E-news: Mexico Update - April 29, 2009 01.06.09, E-news: Immigration Law - January 6, 2009 12.16.08, E-news: Immigration Law - December 16, 2008 08.14.08, Enews: Immigration Law - August 14, 2008 Memberships State Bar of Michigan American Bar Association Michigan Bar Association Recognitions Stephen H. Schulman Outstanding Business Lawyer Award The Best Lawyers in America, Corporate Law; International Trade and Finance Law, 1995-2012 Best Lawyers in America Consumer Guide DBusiness Top Lawyers in Metro Detroit, 2011-2012 Michigan Super Lawyers, Business/Corporate Law, 2006-2011 Published Works Checklist for Formation of Foreign Subsidiary," 24 Business Lawyer, 493. "Controlling the Controllers in Parent-Subsidiary Relations," 3 Prospectus 333. "The German Law of Affiliated Enterprises," American Business Law Journal 157. "Corporations in Default," 51 Michigan Bar Journal 170. "Easing Into Automation," 62 Michigan Bar Journal 1060. "Survey-Business Associations," 29 Wayne Law Review 329. "Do Reciprocal Restrictive Hiring Agreements Violate Antitrust Law?" 64 Michigan Bar Journal 717. "Sales of Goods by Corporations in Foreign States - State Tax and Qualification Problems," 65 Michigan Bar Journal 208. "Book Value Defined," 65 Michigan Bar Journal 470. "CISG's New Year's Day Triumph Over UCC," 66 Michigan Bar Journal 1206. "Organizing a Close Michigan Corporation," Michigan Basic Practice Handbook. "Wither the Whereas - The Legal Implications of Recitals," 67 Michigan Bar Journal 634. "Seller's Risk and Benefit in Continuing to do Business With a Plaintiff Buyer," 69 Michigan Bar Journal 946. "Michigan Professional Service Corporation Act - 1990 Amendments," 70 Michigan Bar Journal 78. Book Review, Corporation Law & Practice, 70 Michigan Bar Journal 86. "The Battle of the Forms - Encouraging News From the Front," 70 Michigan Bar Journal 341. "Best Efforts - More or Less," XIV Michigan Business Law Journal 1 (No. 2). "Reasonable Expectations - A Primer on an Oppressive Standard," 71 Michigan Bar Journal 434 and 566; cited in Baks v. Mouron, 227 Mich. App. 412, Kirakides v. Atlas Food Systems & Services, Inc., 343 S.C. 587, Franchino v. Franchino, Mich. App., and 19 Am. Jur. 2d., Corporations, §2766. "Refusals to Deal with Chapter 11 Debtors or Third Party Maintenance Providers," 71 Michigan Bar Journal 1088. "Free Transferability of Interest Under the Michigan Limited Liability Company Act," 73 Michigan Bar Journal 962. "Negotiating Private Label Agreements," 74 Michigan Bar Journal 1292. "Legal Implications of ISO 9000 Under the UCC," 75 Michigan Bar Journal 1076. "Shareholder and Joint Venture Agreements under Section 488 of the Michigan Business Corporation Act," 78 Michigan Bar Journal 72. "Current Status of Oppression and Other Minority Rights under MBCA §489 and Other Theories," 48 Michigan Bar Journal 1408, cited in Estes v. Cuellar, 245 Mich. App. 328. "Enforcement of Non-Disclosure Agreements," 81 Michigan Bar Journal 58. "Construction and Supplier Joint Ventures," 82 Michigan Bar Journal 50. "Following the Better Path: The Duties of Directors of Insolvent Corporations Under MBCA Section 834(a)," 82 Michigan Bar Journal 54. "Compliance with the European Union Directive in the Transfer of Employee Personal Data to U.S. Affiliates," 83 Michigan Bar Journal 11. "Ironclad Contracts," Detroiter, March 2007. |