Overview
Mr. Bell serves as leader of the Financial Institutions practice at Honigman. Considered "the most prolific deal broker in the credit union M&A arena" by American Banker, he represents financial institutions throughout the United States and has completed over 50 M&A transactions in the past five years. In 2011, he pioneered a new option for credit unions to achieve rapid growth with the first purchase of a whole bank by a credit union. For the past decade, he has completed the majority of credit union purchases of banks and has become the nationwide leader and go-to legal adviser in this space. Mr. Bell has also helped credit unions acquire other businesses, including insurance and investment companies, trust companies, real estate brokerages, mortgage originators and specialized lenders. He additionally advises financial institutions on all regulatory matters at the state and federal level. Mr. Bell has extensive experience counseling individual entrepreneurs through publicly traded companies on strategies such as non-organic growth and strategic planning.
Mr. Bell leverages his personal experience as an entrepreneur to examine the business side of the legal issues his clients encounter to provide better counsel and strategic advice. Mr. Bell is adept at fully understanding each client’s unique business model and operations, allowing him to tailor his approach to their specific needs.
Mr. Bell is also a sought after media source and has contributed to reporting in a wide range of influential publications, including The Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch, American Banker, S&P Global, Banking Dive and Bloomberg.
Services
Practice Areas
Experience
Representative Matters
- Completed the first purchase of a bank by state chartered credit union
- Completed the first purchase of a stock owned bank by a credit union
- Completed new mechanisms for financial institutions to invest capital and grow
- Completed the first purchase of a bank by a credit union
Credentials
Education
- with honors
- Political Science
Admissions
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Iowa
- Illinois
- Wisconsin
- Indiana
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan
Recognition
Awards
- Law Bulletin Media
- Leading Lawyers, Banking & Financial Institutions Law, 2014-2020, 2023-2024
- Leading Lawyers, Creditor's Rights/Commercial Collections Law, 2014-2020, 2023-2024
- Leading Lawyers, Mergers & Acquisition Law, 2014-2020, 2023-2024
- Leading Lawyers, Real Estate Law: Commercial, 2014-2020, 2023-2024
- Michigan Super Lawyers, "Rising Stars," 2013-2018
- Michigan Lawyers Weekly, "Leader in the Law," 2017
- dbusiness, "Top Lawyers," 2016
- Credit Union Times, "Trailblazer 40 Below," 2013
-
The Best Lawyers in America
- Recognized in the practice area of Financial Services Regulation Law, 2023
Professional & Community Involvement
- Adrian College, Member, Board of Trustees, 2020 - Present
- Potawatomi Zoological Society, Member, Board of Trustees, 2020 - Present
News & Insights
News
Press Releases
Events
Publications
Named by American Banker as one of 25 people who will change banking in 2025
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"Mike Bell is the most prolific deal broker in the credit union M&A arena."
American Banker, November 2024
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