Michael G. Riley

Representative Cases/Matters

• Negotiation of employment agreement extension and incentive awards for CEO of NYSE-listed company and enforcement of rights in a subsequent hostile acquisition.
• Negotiation of separation agreement on behalf of terminated CEO of NYSE-listed company.
• Representation of founder in exit as executive, director, and shareholder of public company.
• Negotiation of retention incentive for president and CEO of tax-exempt economic development organization.
• Representation of management team in the negotiation of equity incentives in connection with a $1 billion rollup transaction and subsequent $2 billion acquisition by a public company.
• Representation of President of OEM in tax and compensation negotiations in restructuring.
• Negotiating success fee, retention plan, and deferred compensation settlement for presidents of an international market leader in $750 million dollar transaction.
• Representing controlling shareholder in three public companies with combined revenues of over $6 billion dollars in the automotive components market to negotiate senior executive agreements, including retention, change of control, restrictive covenants, and reporting issues.
• Representing successive executive directors to negotiate employment agreements and nonqualified deferred compensation plans with internationally renowned arts organization.
• Representing top management team in negotiation of stock option rights and deferred compensation compliance issues in preparation for initial public offering.
• Representing the CEO in negotiation of employment separation from national benefits consulting firm.
• Negotiating on behalf of company a separation agreement and release of publicly-traded company’s CEO.
• Advising minority shareholders of S corporation regarding management buy-out proposal of $50 million dollar aerospace supplier.
• Negotiating employment, retention, and equity participation for executive owners of investment advisory firms acquired by national bank.
• Creating performance unit program for software technology company and negotiating settlement of units in merger.
• Negotiating the president and CEO’s employment agreement with national bank and subsequent settlement of that agreement in a sale of the bank.
• Developing bankruptcy reorganization retention plans for key executives of steel company with $720 million in sales.
• Negotiating stock option conversion rights in acquisition of medical technology company by publicly-traded company.
• Designing and drafting elective deferred compensation arrangement for top executives of publicly-traded real estate company.
• Advising compensation committee of university and drafting non-qualified deferred compensation arrangement for university president.
• Advising shareholders of national accounting firm regarding partnership rights and liabilities, deferred compensation, equity interest and restrictive covenants in dissolution.