An attorney in Dickinson Wright's Fort Lauderdale office, Michael Gnesin focuses on providing comprehensive legal counsel across various domains, including corporate law, banking and finance, employment law, business representation, and commercial real estate law. With a wealth of legal experience and a keen business sense, Michael has successfully navigated hundreds of commercial transactions ranging from $1MM to $900MM+.
His approach involves meticulous analysis of intricate deals, where he identifies pertinent policies and precedents to shape merger and acquisition (M&A) strategies (i) in compliance with regulatory requirements at the local, state, and federal levels and (ii) with respect to cross-boarder transactions. Michael actively manages and mitigates legal risks through due diligence, ensuring business continuity, compliance, and fostering bottom-line growth.
As a dedicated leader, Michael has a proven track record of analyzing complex deals, providing insightful recommendations to inform M&A strategies, safeguarding business continuity, organizational good standing, and market performance. His experience includes entity formation, drafting and reviewing complex commercial agreements, corporate governance, intellectual property protection, and offering day-to-day legal advice and support on multifaceted business issues to business owners, employees, officers, and board of directors.
Education & Credentials
Education
DePaul University College of Law
J.D., 2008University of Illinois at Chicago
BSc, Economics & Finance, 2004Bar Admission
Spoken Languages
- Russian
- Spanish
Acknowledgements
- CALI Excellence for the Future Award – Equities and Remedies
Prominent Assignments
- Represented a national application provider company that powers billing and back-office operations for wireless communications companies in its sale to a large U.S.A./Canadian software investment holdings company
- Advised a national leader in traffic incident solutions in its sale to a large US.-based private equity firm.
- Handled international and cross-border transactions involving over 20 countries and over 55 alliance partners.
- Facilitated alliances and resale for M&A and post-merger integration of acquired companies both domestically and internationally.
- Assisted with joint venture and manufacturing and supply transactions involving several distributors.
- Facilitated the sale of a commercial skylight company to private equity firm.
- Negotiated several retail leases and the $59 million acquisition of corporate headquarters.
- Assisted with the sale of a cable television company, in complex transaction involving several lenders and mezzanine financing in $250 million.
- Assisted with the sale of a hot tub manufacturer worth $33.5 million and a bedding retailer in excess of $60 million.
- Structuring transactions in order to provide ease of transfer of business through equity sale while maximizing tax benefits and asset protection for clients.
- Represented a client in a $48 million M/Astock sale sold to a publicly traded company.
- Facilitated the sale and purchase of several staffing and recruiting companies, both local and national, ranging from $2.5 to $10 million.
- Facilitated the sales of an injection molding manufacturing company valued in excess of $6 million, food industry business valued in excess of $5 million, investment advisory company valued in excess of $7 million, environmental recycling company and related real estate valued in excess of $10 million, commercial security company valued in excess of $3.5 million and a commercial construction company valued in excess of $7.5 million.
- Assisted in the purchase of a technology installation company and related real estate valued at more than $2.5 million.
- Represented multiple clients in the purchase and sale of tutoring, daycare, and educational businesses and related real estate in excess of $3.5 million.
- Assisted mclients in purchasing and selling commercial real estate investment properties (office, retail, multifamily, industrial, mixed-use) ranging from $3.3 million to $50 million.
Professional Involvement
- Group Leader, Executive Committee Chair & Member, ProVisors
- Member & Director, Florida Lawyers Network
- Member & Director, Russian Speaking Business Connections
- Member, Russian American Chamber of Commerce of South Florida
- Member, Association for Corporate Growth
- Member, Broward County Bar Association
- Member, American Bar Association
- Member, Illinois State Bar Association
- Member, Chicago Bar Association
- Member, Jewish United Fund – Young Lawyers Group
- Member, Jewish Federation of Broward County
Community Involvement
- JUF Young Lawyers Group
- Community Legal Services Program and Hillels of Illinois
Court Admissions
- US District Court for Northern District of Illinois
Publications/Presentations
- Under Pressure: Evolving Legal Landscape of the Russia-Ukraine Conflict
- Liquidity Planning For Private Business Owners
- Florida Sued Over New Law Restricting Foreign Citizens From Buying Land
- Update On Exit Tax And Divestment From Russia
- Exit Tax and Divestment From Russia