Honigman’s Phillip D. Torrence named one of 2012 “Leaders in the Law” by Michigan Lawyers Weekly

Phillip D. Torrence, the office managing partner for Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and chair of the firm’s Financial Institutions Practice, has been named by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as one of its 25 “Leaders in the Law” for 2012. According to Michigan Lawyers Weekly, the honorees were selected by an editorial board, which chose attorneys who exemplify the noble tradition of the legal profession and are committed to practicing law in Michigan; have a record of winning cases or solving problems with the utmost integrity; possess the ability to achieve success; display strength of character; and are passionate and aggressive on behalf of clients and the legal community.

Torrence is also a member of Honigman’s Board of Directors and is a partner in the firm’s Corporate and Securities Department. Honigman has been among the top three law firms in the United States as the legal advisor for bank and thrift deals (ranked by number of deals), according to SNL Financial, a prominent source for banking data and news. This accolade is primarily due to the mergers and acquisitions handled by the Financial Institutions Practice, which Torrence chairs.

In 2008, Torrence was recruited by Honigman to open an office in western Michigan. The office opened in Kalamazoo with seven attorneys, five professional staff members and two administrative staff members. The law office, located in the Columbia Plaza building at 350 East Michigan Avenue in Kalamazoo, has more than tripled in size and now has 19 attorneys, 12 professionals, including patent agents, Intellectual Property specialists and paralegals, and an administrative staff of 15. The firm’s Kalamazoo attorneys concentrate their practices in life sciences, intellectual property and technology, venture capital, corporate law, real estate, litigation, labor and employment, and community banking.

“We knew right away when we met Phil that he was the right person to lead our efforts to establish a great practice in Kalamazoo,” said David Foltyn, Honigman’s Chairman and CEO. “He is smart, energetic and a savvy businessman. Phil knows how to motivate people and his leadership style encourages people to do their best and have fun at the same time.”

Torrence focuses his law practice on private and public securities offerings, public company representation, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital financings, various regulatory and compliance matters and other corporate matters. In particular, he advises many life science and medical device companies, as well as banks and bank holding companies.

He is a member of the Board of Directors for the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts and one of its major supporters. He is active in the Kalamazoo County Chamber of Commerce and Southwest Michigan First. Under his leadership, the firm has become supporters of the Gilmore Keyboard Festival, the Borgess Hospital Run, Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra.

Torrence is a member of the American Bar Association’s Business Law Section, its Negotiation Acquisitions Committee and its Venture Capital and Private Equity Committee. He previously has served on the Kalamazoo County Bar Association’s Board of Directors and chaired its Young Lawyer’s Division.

He received a J.D., with honors, from the University of Utah’s S.J. Quinney College of Law and a B.A. from Hope College.