Practice Expertise

  • Corporate Finance
  • Corporate Governance
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Private Equity, Venture Capital & Mezzanine ...

Areas of Practice

  • Corporate Finance
  • Corporate Governance
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Private Equity, Venture Capital & Mezzanine ...
  • Business Services
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Mergers & Acquisitions Annual Survey
  • Private Equity, Venture Capital & ...
  • Securities
  • View More

WSG Practice Industries

WSG Leadership

  • WSG Board of Directors - Chair Emeritus 2020-2021
  • WSG Board of Directors - Chair 2019-2020
  • WSG Board of Directors - Chair Elect 2018-2019
  • WSG Board of Directors - Director 2014-2017
  • WSG Regional Council - Member 2014-2017
  • Strategic Planning Committee 2020 - Group Leader
  • DealMaker Group - Member
  • Automotive Group - Member
  • Mergers & Acquisitions Group - Member
  • Private Equity Group - Member
  • View More

Profile

Mike Bernard is a member of the Corporate Finance Group and his practice focuses primarily on business counseling and planning, with an emphasis on:

  • Mergers and acquisitions (representing both buyer and sellers);
  • Capital raising transactions (including private placement, private equity and seed and venture financings);
  • Corporate formation matters (including shareholder control and buy-sell arrangements);
  • Corporate governance (for profit and nonprofit entities); and
  • Executive employment agreements and related matters. 

Mr. Bernard has experience in a variety of industries, including automotive, dental service organizations, manufacturing, services and technology.

Mr. Bernard is a former member of Dykema’s Executive Board and is the former leader of the Firm’s Corporate Finance Practice Group.

Bar Admissions

Michigan, 1985

Education
University of Cincinnati, J.D. Law Review, Co-Chair Student Articles Editor University of Notre Dame, B.B.A. (Accounting)

Areas of Practice

  • Corporate Finance
  • Corporate Governance
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Private Equity, Venture Capital & Mezzanine Finance
  • Business Services
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Mergers & Acquisitions Annual Survey
  • Private Equity, Venture Capital & Mezzanine Finance
  • Securities

Professional Career

Significant Accomplishments
Notre Dame Club of Detroit, Award of the Year, 2003

Recognized in Michigan Super Lawyers for Mergers & Acquisitions, Business/Corporate, Securities & Corporate Finance, 2006-2014

Named a Leading Corporate/M&A Lawyer by Chambers USA, 2005-2014

Named Detroit "Lawyer of the Year" for Mergers & Acquisitions Law by Best Lawyers 2014

Recognized in The Best Lawyers of America, Mergers & Acquisitions Law, 2007-2015.

Named a Top Lawyer by dbusiness Magazine for Mergers & Acquisitions and Corporate Law, 2010-2014

Recipient of an AV Preeminent Rating by Martindale-Hubbell


Professional Associations
World Services Group, Board of Directors and past Chair, North American Regional Council



Blogs

Cannabis Law Blog

The cannabis industry presents unprecedented opportunities for businesses and entrepreneurs. Yet, entities looking to engage in this emerging industry face daunting levels of legal complexity and uncertainty. Moreover, state and local governments are constantly tasked with regulating an ever-evolving industry. Dykema's Cannabis Law Blog discusses important cannabis-related legal developments, reviews the practical implications of those developments, and provides valuable insight for anyone...

NextGen Financial Services Report

NextGen Financial Services Report is published by the Financial Industry Group at Dykema. The Financial Services Industry has gone through a tremendous amount of regulatory and operational IT change in recent years, and with a new presidential administration more changes and developments are on the way. Fast-paced changes are also being driven by rapid technology developments, big data, mobile banking/payments, privacy and data security, and social media technologies affecting banks and credit...

The Firewall

The Firewall keeps you up to date on the hottest legal topics in the ever-changing world of data security and privacy. As information security becomes a critical facet of all businesses and industries and the target of many regulators, it is important to stay apprised of new legal developments. The Firewall provides insightful legal analysis of the emerging issues in data privacy and cybersecurity law to help businesses stay ahead of the curve.

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