Best Lawyers in Michigan, United States for Banking and Finance Law
Steve Howell has been practicing for over 40 years as a bankruptcy and insolvency lawyer providing a broad range of services in the distressed business context. A significant part of Steve’s practice is spent counseling lenders in troubled loan matters throughout the workout process, including exit strategies, refinancings, restructures, sales, out-of-court and court proceedings, bankruptcy and liquidation. Steve has also represented borrowers, creditors’ committees, creditors and...
Melissa K. Bridges represents banks and other financial institutions in a broad range of operational, regulatory compliance, and lending matters. She represents depository institutions and other financial companies in matters before regulatory and licensing agencies. She also assists financial services clients in connection with the development of new products and the implementation of new technologies. Her clients include national, regional, and community banks, credit unions, and mortgage c...
Bonnie Sherr represents financial institutions in lending transactions, including the structuring, negotiation, and documentation of commercial and real estate facilities. She has particular expertise in asset-based loan originations, including loans secured by aircraft, acquisition financing, construction and land development loans, end mortgage loans, and multi-currency, multi-rate loans. She also advises financial institutions on lender liability issues. Ms. Sherr has significant experienc...
Ms. Zelenock represents national and regional lenders, mortgage bankers and loan servicers, with emphasis on capital markets, conduit and bank financing, including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac multifamily and manufactured housing lending. Ms. Zelenock has served as closing or supervising counsel for several billion dollars in commercial mortgage loans destined for securitization, including a variety of loan sizes and property types (multifamily, office, manufactured housing communities, nursing...
Adam Norlander represents national and regional financial institutions in the structuring, negotiation, and documentation of commercial, agented and syndicated lending transactions. His experience encompasses leveraged buyout and leveraged recapitalization loans, asset-based loans, real estate financing, letters of credit and bankers acceptance facilities, and multi-rate, multi-currency loans and facilities. He has particular experience in transactions involving borrowers in the environmental...
Harvey Koning is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group and is active in the firm’s Financial Institutions Industry group. He works with a wide variety of businesses, from start-ups to public companies. He represents companies involved in mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and also initial and secondary public offerings. Harvey’s corporate practice also includes private equity, venture capital, securities regulation and executive compensation. He works extensively with a numbe...
Ms. Hickey represents lenders in loan originations. Her practice encompasses secured transactions, loan workouts, and counseling lenders on lender liability and loan structure issues. Ms. Hickey’s practice also includes middle market lending, asset based loans, healthcare, educational institution and religious organization financing, international lending, captive insurance financing, private lending, real estate financing, multi-rate, multi-currency loans and facilities, agented and sy...
Brian P. Foley represents financial institutions, companies, and individuals in real estate matters, with an emphasis on commercial real estate secured financing transactions. He also regularly advises clients, as both lead and local counsel, in purchases and sales of real property (including sales of lender owned property), real estate workouts and foreclosures, loan sales (both performing and distressed), leasing transactions, and other general real estate matters.
Brian Kersey concentrates his practice in aviation law and commercial finance matters. He brings nearly 30 years of wide-ranging experience as a lawyer and as a banker to bear in providing practical solutions and guiding his clients to successful outcomes quickly and efficiently. Mr. Kersey is Co-Chair of Bodman's Aviation Law and Finance Practice Group. His aviation law practice encompasses a wide variety of areas, including purchase and sale transactions, regulatory compliance, risk managem...
Daniel R. Kubiak received his bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan and obtained his law degree from Wayne State University in 1980. Dan's practice areas include commercial, secured transactions, lien laws, real property, foreclosures, bankruptcy, creditors' rights, corporate and real estate law. He is a member of the Real Property Section of the State Bar of Michigan, Business Law Section of the American Bar Association, and Bankruptcy Section and Steering Committee of the Federa...
Colin Darke is Founder, President & CEO of CompliSun, Inc. and Managing Attorney of CompliSun Legal PLC, where he leads a fractional compliance and legal practice serving fintechs, banks, and registered investment advisors. A Best Lawyers® 2026 honoree in Corporate Law and 2027 honoree in Corporate Law and Banking & Finance Law, Colin brings more than 20 years of experience at the intersection of banking law, compliance, and financial technology. Colin previously co-founded Rocket...
Mr. Kochanek represents lenders in secured and unsecured loan originations, including multi-currency loan facilities, syndicated credit arrangements, and loans secured by stock and other assets located outside the United States, principally in Europe, Mexico, South America, and the Pacific Rim. He also has substantial experience in commercial mortgage financings, both construction and end loans, and other real estate transactions, and in commercial financing and real estate transactions in no...
Robert J. Diehl, Jr., represents clients in complex business law matters and commercial transactions with a focus on debtor-creditor rights and bankruptcy.He represents lenders in out-of-court workouts and in bankruptcy proceedings involving all types of businesses and collateral, especially automotive-related businesses and real estate and construction businesses. Mr. Diehl has special expertise in matters relating to postpetition financing, lifting the automatic stay and maximizing realizat...
Kimberly A. Baber is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law. Kimberly A. practices law in Grand Rapids, Michigan Best Lawyers has recognized Kimberly A. Baber since 2019. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Kimberly A. Baber is held by other lawyers.
Jessica Davis represents regional and national lenders in commercial loan originations, including single-lender, agented, and syndicated loans, as well as debt offerings and private placements. She also represents banks and equipment finance companies on equipment loan and lease originations, leveraged leases and lease acquisitions. Her commercial lending practice encompasses a wide variety of transactions, including multibank/ multi-borrower loans, senior and mezzanine financings, secured an...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.
