Michael S. Ben

Mike Ben is the leader of Honigman’s Public Company, Securities and Governance Practice Group. He primarily partners with in-house legal, C-suite executives and Board of Directors of numerous publicly traded companies headquartered across the U.S., offering counsel on general corporate matters. In his issuer-only practice, Mike serves as a strategic advisor and problem solver that provides practical and tailored advice on a wide spectrum of matters. He serves clients across a wide range of market capitalizations and has a broad range of industry experience, including manufacturing, retail/consumer products, automotive, technology, retail REITs and media and entertainment.

Mike has an integral role in SEC reporting and NYSE/Nasdaq regulatory compliance, Board and Committee governance, executive and director compensation, investor relations and stockholder engagement, and ESG reporting and strategy. He has a deep knowledge of best and reasonable practices regarding corporate governance and compensation matters, as well as securities laws generally. He has significant experience in drafting and reviewing proxy statements, periodic filings and other Exchange Act reports, ESG reports, investor strategic presentations and key corporate and governance policies. In 2020, 2022 and 2024, he was the lead drafter of proxy statements selected as a finalist for Governance Intelligence’s national award for Best Proxy Statement (2020 – small cap, winner; 2022 – mid-cap, finalist; 2024 – small-cap, TBD). Mike further counsels private companies in preparation for initial public offerings, and implementing certain governance, compensation and general compliance practices of publicly traded companies. He also regularly advises public and private clients on strategic planning, enterprise risk management, securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, commercial contracts, compliance and general corporate matters.

Mike serves as an informal mentor to numerous in-house attorneys, financial reporting accountants and Board directors, including through basic and advanced training.

Practice Areas

Representative Matters

• Advises a global market leader in the development and manufacturing of innovative thermal management technologies, primarily automotive (HQ - Michigan; Nasdaq listed)
• Represents a retail chain  that is leading destination for home décor products (HQ - Texas; formerly NYSE listed)
• Advises a value-based retailer of quality, name-brand consumables and fresh products sold through a network of independently operated stores (HQ-California; Nasdaq listed)
• Serves as counsel to a radio, digital media, entertainment and digital marketing solutions company (HQ - New York; NYSE listed)
• Counsels a leading vertical software company addressing the home services and insurance industries (HQ - Washington; Nasdaq listed)
• Represents as secondary counsel an independent personal lines insurance agency (HQ - Texas; Nasdaq listed)
• Represents as secondary counsel a company delivering cloud-based tax compliance solutions (HQ - Washington; NYSE listed)
• Serves as secondary counsel to a tech-driven real estate, mortgage and eCommerce business (HQ - Michigan; NYSE listed)
• Acts as secondary counsel to a global wholesale and retail consumer goods company (HQ - New York; NYSE listed)
• Advises a global advanced materials company in aerospace (HQ - New York; NYSE listed)
• Represents a number of private clients throughout the U.S., including in the software/SaaS, healthcare, private equity, real estate, entertainment and non-profit industries
• Leads the firm’s representation of Palace Sports & Entertainment, including the Detroit Pistons’ move to downtown Detroit, including its new practice facility and related matters
• Other relevant experience:
  • Represented a retail REIT that owns, manages and leases regional, super regional and outlet malls in the US and Asia (HQ - Michigan; formerly NYSE listed)
  • Counseled a national specialty pharmacy (HQ - Michigan; formerly NYSE listed)
  • Served as special counsel to a global wholesale and retail fashion company (HQ - New York; NYSE listed)
  • Advised a global plastic packaging films manufacturer (HQ - New Jersey; formerly NYSE listed)
  • Represented a global omni-channel retail company (HQ - New York; formerly Nasdaq listed)
  • Represented two retail REITs (HQ - Michigan; NYSE listed)
  • Represented a developer of internet search tools and technologies (HQ - Washington; formerly Nasdaq listed)
  • Counseled a fully integrated provider of residential and commercial high-speed data, video, and telephony services (HQ - Colorado; formerly a high-yield voluntary SEC reporting company)

Recent Issuer Transactions

• Oversight of Honigman M&A team regarding numerous private acquisitions for public company and private company clients
• Co-lead counsel for Taubman Centers, Inc. (NYSE), and The Taubman Realty Group Limited Partnership in a $9.8 billion merger and joint venture with Simon Property Group, Inc., and Simon Property Group, L.P.
• $145 million sale of electronics division of NYSE-listed company to a buyer headquartered in Japan
• Co-lead counsel on $785 million sale of Nasdaq-listed plastic packaging films manufacturer through merger with an NYSE-listed company
• $65 million common stock rights offering and backstop commitment for leading contemporary fashion brand listed on NYSE (represented the independent directors)
• $285 million follow-on offering of common stock for an NYSE-listed specialty pharmacy
• $199 million initial public offering of common stock for an NYSE-listed specialty pharmacy
• $1.1 billion A/B exchange offer of senior notes and senior subordinated notes of a high-speed data, video, and telephony company
• Six underwritten public offerings of common and preferred stock for an NYSE-listed REITs ($79 million to $219 million)
• $102 million selling stockholder shelf registration statement for an NYSE-listed REIT
• $48 million selling stockholder shelf registration statement for a Nasdaq-listed manufacturing company
• $200 million Rule 144A offering of senior notes and A/B exchange offer for a Nasdaq-listed manufacturing company
• $99 million asset acquisition in a Section 363 sale of a formerly public manufacturing company in Chapter 11

Prior Experience

• Latham & Watkins LLP, Associate, 2000-2005

Education

Admissions

Awards

• Co-led proxy statement project receiving Corporate Secretary’s 2020 national Corporate Governance Award for Best Proxy Statement (small cap) 
• The Best Lawyers in America
  • Recognized in the areas of:
    • Securities/ Capital Markets Law, 2022-2025
    • Corporate Law, 2023
    • Securities Regulation, 2022-2025
• Michigan Super Lawyers, 2013-2018, 2023-2024
  • Recognized as a Rising Star, 2009-2012
• DBusiness, Top Lawyers, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2021, and 2022-2024
• DBusiness 2015 “Legal Eagles” as one of the Top Young Lawyers in Metro Detroit

Professional & Community Involvement

American Bar Association

State Bar of Michigan

Society for Corporate Governance

• Detroit Chapter
  • Board of Directors
  • Membership Chair

The Children’s Foundation

• Board of Trustees
• Nominating and Governance Committee, Vice Chair

The ChadTough Foundation, Board of Directors (previously Board Advisor)

University of Michigan, Mentoring Program and 30-Minute Mentors

News

Press Releases

Events