Robert A. Hudson is a shareholder based in Butzel Long's Detroit office and serves as Chair of the firm's Corporate Department. He is a graduate of Wayne State University (B.A. with Distinction, 1969; J.D., cum laude, 1972), and was on the editorial board of the Wayne Law Review. Mr. Hudson represents domestic and foreign public and private companies and high-technology companies in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, e-commerce and general business matters. He has extensive experience in securities matters including numerous public and private equity and debt offerings, venture capital finance, compliance, reporting requirements, going private transactions, investment management, the organization of hedge funds and corporate governance matters. He regularly assists foreign-based companies in connection with U.S. and cross-border transactions, joint ventures, distribution and sale arrangements and trade matters. His industry expertise includes manufacturing, high-technology including software, Internet and computer services, financial services, automotive and real estate investment trusts. Mr. Hudson served as general counsel for a NASDAQ listed company during its adoption of the corporate governance provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and under listing requirements and handled a wide variety of the company's general corporate and regulatory issues. He has also appeared before the United States Supreme Court, the Securities and Exchange Commission and numerous other courts and agencies. He is a trained mediator and arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association and FINRA and for private disputes. Mr. Hudson is the co-author of the BNA Corporate Series Portfolio No. 60-2nd, Initial Public Offerings, and the co-editor of the Michigan Business Formbook published by the Institute of Continuing Legal Education. He was also a contributing author to A Practical Guide to E-Business Law (ICLE). He frequently lectures on topics involving business and securities law issues. Mr. Hudson's professional memberships include the ABA's Committees on Federal Regulation of Securities, State Regulation of Securities and International Business Law, former Council Member of the Business Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan, and former Chairman of the Securities and Commodities Law Committee of the Metropolitan Detroit Bar Association. His business and community memberships include President and Board member of the Michigan Chapter of the French-American Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Business Law Advisory Board of the Institute of Continuing Legal Education. Mr. Hudson is listed in The Best Lawyers in America (Corporate, M&A and Securities Law and International Trade and Finance Law) in Michigan Super Lawyers (Securities and Corporate Finance Law), Super Lawyers Corporate Counsel Edition (International Law), Top Lawyers in Metro Detroit 2012 by DBusiness magazine (Business Law, Corporate Law, Information Technology Law, International Trade and Finance Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, and Securities Law) and is a Martindale-Hubbell featured AV Peer Review Rated Lawyer. Mr. Hudson was also among 148 attorneys nationwide who made The BTI Consulting Group's coveted Client Services All Star Team for 2007. This honor is bestowed upon individual attorneys who deliver outstanding client service according to corporate counsel interviewed at Fortune 1000 companies. Experience · Assisted Lakeshore Engineering Services Inc. in their acquisition of Toltest Inc., creating Lakeshore Toltest Corp., one of the largest federal and municipal contracting companies in the Midwest. · Represented a private equity investor in a complicated effort to purchase a major OEM's glass manufacturing operations in North America · Assisted numerous clients with international transactions involving environmental due diligence and permitting throughout South America, Asia and Europe. · Asset acquisition for a publicly traded foreign-based corporation · Asset acquisition for major international manufacturer · Acted as issuer's counsel for the initial public offering of software company. · Acted as counsel in international acquisition of software company. The transaction included multi-jurisdictional asset transfers, export controls issues and special licensing and development agreements. · Representation of company for purchase of telecommunications business in over 25 countries. · Acted as issuer's counsel for public debt offering for a financial services firm. · Representation of investment adviser for formation of hedge fund of funds. · Representation of technology company in Series A and Series B venture capital financings, including due diligence, bridge financing, investor documentation, employment agreements, etc. · Acted as issuer's counsel for initial public offering and follow on offering for real estate investment trust. · Acted as counsel for issuers and for participating broker-dealer firms in many private securities offerings pursuant to SEC Regulation D, Regulation S and various state exemptions. · Representation of French company in acquisition of troubled assets of automotive supplier with U.S. and Canadian operations. · Registration of federal only and state investment advisers including assistance with FINRA and state filings, preparation of compliance manuals, privacy policies and compliance procedures · Restructuring of European companies and their subsidiaries in numerous countries to achieve optional organizational benefits · Representation of health services company in reverse merger with a public company as means of going public. · Argued case under the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) before the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of commodity customer with resulting favorable opinion ruling that implied right of action exists under the CEA. · Preparation of numerous dividend reinvestment and share repurchase plans for public companies including all required filings with SEC. · Representation of Fortune 500 company in disposition of two health care subsidiaries. Issues included structuring for tax and regulatory considerations, state licensing transfer requirements and filings. · Acted as interim general counsel for publicly-held technology company and supervised company's adoption of Sarbanes-Oxley compliance procedures and insider trading policy. · Representation of French company in joint venture with Japanese company including negotiations and preparation of joint venture agreement, structuring joint venture capital contributions and addressing governance issues. · Representation of public company in connection with SEC investigation. · Counsel for public companies in manufacturing, bio-medical, technology and real estate industries in going private transactions including all filings with SEC. · Representation of broker-dealer firm in SEC receivership proceedings under SIPC resulting from net capital violations. · Successfully closed a complex, $50 million private equity financing including a reincorporation merger and a myriad of difficult pre-closing transactions · Assisted with purchase and sale of investment advisory businesses · Assisted with preparation of investment management agreements, solicitor agreements and other agreements relating to investment advisory business · Provided regulatory advice for fee structures, advertising activities and other operations matters · Organized hedge funds including hedge fund of funds · Organized private equity and venture capital funds News Media Releases 11.28.11, 68 Butzel Long attorneys named to DBusiness magazine's Top Lawyers in Metro Detroit 2012 09.06.11, Butzel Long attorneys Robert A. Hudson and Robert H. Schwartz are contributors to ICLE's Michigan Business Formbook 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 09.09.10, Butzel Long attorneys named to The Best Lawyers in America® 2011 11.09.09, Forty-Nine Butzel Long attorneys named to Super Lawyers 2009 listing 09.09.09, Butzel Long attorneys named to The Best Lawyers in America® 2010: Forty-nine attorneys recognized in national listing 10.22.08, Butzel Long attorneys named to The Best Lawyers in America® 2009 11.01.07, Butzel Long attorney Robert A. Hudson featured at MACPA 2007 Personal Financial Planning Conference on November 13 10.04.07, Butzel Long attorneys named to The Best Lawyers in America® 2008 06.11.07, Robert A. Hudson co-authors treatise on Initial Public Offerings News in brief 10.04.11, Butzel Long attorneys named to The Best Lawyers in America® 2012 10.14.10, Butzel Long attorney is president of French-American Chamber of Commerce Michigan Chapter Publications Client alerts 12.23.11, Client Alert - Investment Management - SEC Adopts Final Dodd-Frank Definition of Accredited Investor 11.01.11, Client Alert - Investment Management - SEC Approves Form PF for Reporting by Private Fund Advisers 07.20.11, Client Alert - Investment Management - SEC Adopts Inflation Adjusted Definition of "Qualified Client" Under The Investment Advisers Act 07.05.11, Client Alert - Investment Management - SEC Adopts Significant Implementing Rules For Investment Advisers Under Dodd-Frank Act 11.29.10, E-news: Investment Management 07.23.10, E-news: Investment Management 07.12.10, E-news: Investment Management 03.01.10, Automation Alley Newsletter - SEC Approves Money Market Fund Reforms 02.08.10, E-news: Investment Management E-news - 02/08/2010 09.01.09, Automation Alley Newsletter - September 2009 08.11.09, E-news: Investment Management - 08/11/09 08.07.09, E-news: Investment Management - 08/07/09 02.20.09, E-news: Investment Management - February 20, 2009 01.13.09, Article: Automation Alley's 2008 Technology Industry Report 08.01.08, E-news: Investment Management - August 1, 2008 07.23.08, E-news: Investment Management - July 23, 2008 07.21.08, E-news: Investment Management - July 21, 2008 02.19.08, Alert: Investment Management - February 2008 01.01.08, Alert: Investment Management - January 2008 08.31.07, Alert: Investment Management - August 2007 06.28.06, Alert: Investment Adviser - June 2006 Memberships American Bar Association - Committees on Federal Regulation of Securities, State Regulation of Securities and International Business Law State Bar of Michigan - former Council Member of the Business Law Section Metropolitan Detroit Bar Association - former Chairman of the Securities and Commodities Law Committee Michigan Chapter of the French-American Chamber of Commerce - President and Board member Institute of Continuing Legal Education - Business Law Advisory Board Recognitions The Best Lawyers in America, Corporate Law; International Trade and Finance Law, 1997-2012 Michigan Super Lawyers, Business/Corporate Law, 2006-2011 Super Lawyers Corporate Counsel Edition - International Law Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rated AV Preeminent Mr. Hudson has been included in The BTI Consulting Group's coveted Client Services All Star Team. This honor is bestowed upon individual attorneys who deliver outstanding client service according to corporate counsel interviewed at Fortune 1000 companies. DBusiness Top Lawyers in Metro Detroit, Business Law; Corporate Law; Information Technology Law; International Trade and Finance Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Securities Law, 2012 Published Works Co-Author, BNA Corporate Practice Series Portfolio No. 60-2nd, "Initial Public Offerings" (IPOs) Editor, Michigan Business Law Formbook (The Institute of Continuing Legal Education) |