Michael S. Williams

Professional Experience

Michael is a Partner with FRB’s Corporate & Securities Practice Group, and with the Cannabis Practice Group. Michael has over 15 years of experience as a corporate and securities lawyer and acting as outside counsel and a trusted advisor to private companies, entrepreneurs, investors, and investment funds.

Michael regularly counsels private companies and individuals on a broad range of corporate and transactional matters, including mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and private securities offerings, business succession and exit planning, corporate governance, and new company formation.

Michael’s broad-based transactional experience includes the following:

• Advising buyers and sellers of businesses in connection with mergers and acquisitions, asset and stock purchases and sales, business succession planning, and “business divorces.” In addition, he has substantial experience representing investors, developers, and operators in the formation of real estate and other joint ventures and co-investment vehicles, both for single-asset transactions and portfolio transactions. In these capacities, he is often involved in the preparation of limited liability company operating agreements, employment agreements, partnership agreements, stockholders agreements, and other commercial arrangements.
• Representing private companies with respect to the offering and sale of securities in exempt transactions. He represents issuers in their sale of common stock, preferred stock, debt (both with and without conversion features), and other types of securities, and also represents investors seeking to invest in such companies. He has extensive experience representing issuers in Regulation D private placements and other exempt offerings.
• Representing start-up companies in their initial formation and capitalization, and early-stage, late-stage and growth capital companies on a broad range of issues. He also represents angel and other investors with regard to various financing rounds in such companies.
• Counseling executives, boards of directors, and founders in connection with corporate governance, compliance programs, and strategic planning. He advises clients on the design and implementation of governance structures and policies to support their business objectives.
• Assisting cannabis license holders and investors in connection with the sale and transfer of cannabis licenses. As a member of FRB’s Cannabis Practice Group, Michael advises clients navigating the regulatory and transactional complexities of cannabis license transfers and related investments.

Prior to joining FRB, Michael was an associate with an AM Law 100 firm, and prior to that was an associate with a prominent Long Island based law firm.