Foster, Swift, Collins & Smith, P.C.

  • Established in 1902
  • Firm Size 97
  • Profile Visibility [ i ]
    • #10 in weekly profile views out of 259 Law Firms in Lansing, MI
    • #4,128 in weekly profile views out of 314,854 total law firms Overall
Attorney Awards
About Attorney Awards

General Counsel

For a business to have sustained success, trustworthy legal direction is essential. Foster Swift serves the role of general counsel for many small and mid-size businesses and associations whose present business model doesn't support a full-time in-house lawyer.  

Clients call on us to address the complete range of legal issues facing their business. Our involvement level can vary depending upon the entity's needs and goals. As the legal advisor to the management team, we offer proactive strategies that minimize risk, counsel on matters of corporate governance as well as regulatory issues and develop creative solutions when problems arise. Recognizing the profitability goals and financial parameters of our clients, we constantly strive to be as cost-efficient as possible. Foster Swift business and corporate attorneys are able to tap other legal issue experts within the firm as the situations require, which expedites our response and often reduces the cost to the client. 

The bottom line is that by providing a comprehensive team of attorneys, we are able to build long term relationships with our clients that focus on success in every phase of the business cycle. Some of the matters we routinely handle when serving as general counsel include:

  • Entity selection, formation and organization planning
     
  • Drafting start-up documentation
     
  • Complying with regulatory requirements
     
  • Ownership structure
     
  • Establishing corporate records
     
  • Employment contracts
     
  • Zoning compliance
     
  • Real estate transactions and commercial leases
     
  • Taxation
     
  • Employee Benefits
     
  • Intellectual property
     
  • Operating agreements
     
  • Shareholder agreements
     
  • Corporate bylaws
     
  • Commercial transactions, mergers and acquisitions including asset or stock acquisitions or sales
     
  • Counsel for securities offerings in compliance with federal and state securities laws
     
  • SEC reporting requirements, executive compensation issues, disclosure issues and general corporate governance matters
     
  • Contract preparation, compensation plan preparation and general corporate counseling
     
  • Succession and exit planning
     
  • International expansion, joint ventures, immigration and U.S. import/export controls
     
  • Federal and state tax planning
     
  • Shareholder dispute resolution
     
  • Construction and real estate issues
     
  • Intellectual property and information technology issues

At Foster Swift we recognize that every business is different, and each business will have different legal needs for every stage in the business cycle. For every contract and transaction our attorneys will make sure your business gets the best terms available while minimizing liability.

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE

Manufacturing Plant Acqusition

Advised client on re-negotiating purchase price of a business

Represented Oil and Gas Company for Public Offering and Reporting

$840 Million Sale of Business to Publicly-held Corporation

People (97)

0 Applied Filters
Refine Results
Shareholder
No Reviews

Alternative Dispute Resolution, Arbitration & Mediation, Criminal Law, Divorce, Environmental Law, Family Law, General & Commercial Litigation, Litigation, Negligence Law View More

Associate
No Reviews

Commercial Litigation, General &amp, Immigration Law, Labor & Employment Law, Litigation, Insurance and Indemnity Law View More

Shareholder
No Reviews

Real Estate Development, Landlord-Tenant, Real Estate Law, Environmental Law, Energy, Oil & Gas Law, Finance, Real Estate & Bankruptcy Law, Real Property Law View More

Shareholder
No Reviews

Administrative Law, Election & Campaign Finance Law, Freedom of Information Act, Government Law, Library Law, Municipal & Public Entity, Municipal Litigation, Open Meetings Act, School Law Services View More

Shareholder
No Reviews

Organization & Planning, Strategic Transactions & Alliances, Business & Corporate, Business Contracts, Business Succession Planning, Elder Law, Elder Law & Disability Rights, Entity Selection, General Counsel, Mergers & Acquisitions, Non-Profit Corporate Law, Probate, Probate & Estate Planning, Real Estate Law, Trusts, Real Property Law, Trust & Estate Administration, Trusts & Estates View More

Shareholder
No Reviews

Entity Selection, Organization & Planning, Commercial Litigation, Trade Secret & Noncompete Contracts, Environmental Law, Real Estate Development, Real Estate Law, Construction Law, Mergers & Acquisitions, Strategic Transactions & Alliances, Litigation, Business Law View More

Shareholder
No Reviews

General & Commercial Litigation, Employment Law, Real Estate Litigation, Employment Litigation, Fashion and Design Law, Startup Entrepreneurial Emerging Development (S.E.E.D), Collections / Creditor - Debtor Rights, Arbitration & Mediation, Law Practice Management & Legal Administrators View More

No Reviews

Business Law, Business Succession Planning, Elder Law & Disability Rights, HIPAA Privacy & Security Compliance, Health Care Law, Probate & Estate Planning, Real Estate Development, Real Property Law, Tax Exempt Organizations View More

Peer Reviews

4.7/5.0 (225 reviews)
  • Legal Knowledge

    4.7/5.0
  • Analytical Capability

    4.7/5.0
  • Judgment

    4.7/5.0
  • Communication

    4.7/5.0
  • Legal Experience

    4.7/5.0
  • 5.0/5.0 Review for Michael Oliva by a Partner on 07/27/14 in Administrative Agency Practice

    I've known Mike for almost 40 years. He's a first-rate lawyer and a first-rate individual.

  • 5.0/5.0 Review for Michael Oliva by a Sole Practitioner on 07/19/14 in Business Law

    An absolutely excellent attorney.

Peer reviews submitted prior to 2008 are not displayed.

Client Reviews Write a Review

Location

Contact Foster, Swift, Collins & Smith, P.C.

Required Fields

Required Fields


By clicking on the "Submit" button, you agree to the Terms of Use, Supplemental Terms and Privacy Policy. You also consent to be contacted at the phone number you provided, including by autodials, text messages and/or pre-recorded calls, from Martindale and its affiliates and from or on behalf of attorneys you request or contact through this site. Consent is not a condition of purchase.

You should not send any sensitive or confidential information through this site. Emails sent through this site do not create an attorney-client relationship and may not be treated as privileged or confidential. The lawyer or law firm you are contacting is not required to, and may choose not to, accept you as a client. The Internet is not necessarily secure and emails sent though this site could be intercepted or read by third parties.