一位头发花白、戴着眼镜的中年男子,身穿深色西装、白色衬衫,系着红色花纹领带,站在一个模糊的室内环境中,这是典型的芝加哥律师事务所。

Steven H. Hilfinger

合伙人/退休

Steven H. Hilfinger

合伙人/退休

Steve Hilfinger served as a senior business counselor representing for-profit and nonprofit companies on mergers and acquisitions (M&A), finance transactions, corporate and board counseling, and government affairs matters. He represented automotive suppliers and other manufacturers for more than 30 years, helping found the firm’s Detroit office and its Automotive Industry Team and Manufacturing Sector.

Steve was a member of the firm’s Manufacturing Sector Advisory Board as well as co-chair of the Electrified Mobility & Infrastructure initiative and Smart Manufacturing initiative.

Steve formerly served as Chief Regulatory Officer for the State of Michigan and Chief Operating Officer of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

代表经验

兼并与收购

  • Closed more than 200 M&A transactions in a variety of industries, including automotive, manufacturing, business services, advanced technology, and other sectors.
  • Represents private equity firms, private and publicly held corporations, closely held and family businesses, and family offices in a variety of M&A, joint venture, and other investment matters.
  • Has extensive restructuring experience in “distressed M&A” and guided two debtors through Chapter 11 plan confirmation.

财务

  • Represents borrowers and lenders in a variety of corporate finance transactions.
  • Began his career doing extensive work for a large global bank, a large complex of mezzanine loan funds, and a complex of venture capital funds, focusing on private transactions.

Corporate Counseling

  • Serves as outside general counsel to several companies, including both for-profit and nonprofit concerns. This work includes counseling on business formation and corporate and board governance, general corporate and commercial contract counseling, and a variety of other legal and compliance matters.

Nonprofit

  • Extensive experience in representing nonprofits, and counseling and service on nonprofit boards.
  • Served as chief operating officer of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, a 501(c)(3) focused on economic development.
  • Serves as secretary, treasury, and board member of NextEnergy Center, a 501(c)(3) focused on energy and mobility.
  • Served on several Boards in his capacity as chief regulatory officer of the State of Michigan.
  • Active with other nonprofits, including Invest Detroit (member of Investment Committee) and MichAuto (co-chair of Advocacy Committee), a statewide program of the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Government Affairs

  • Assists with government and public affairs matters in Michigan as a registered lobbyist in Michigan and member of the firm’s Government Solutions Team, which assists clients with a variety of administrative and legislative matters in Michigan including in Lansing and Detroit.
  • Served as chief regulatory officer for the State of Michigan under Michigan Governor Rick Snyder. In that capacity, he served as director of the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) and its Office of Regulatory Reinvention (ORR). He later served as chief operating officer of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) under Governor Snyder.

汽车

  • Co-founded Foley’s Automotive Industry Team, focused on representing automotive suppliers and technology companies with their full range of legal needs. In that role, he has handled mergers and acquisitions, finance, and other corporate mandates for numerous automotive suppliers.
  • Served as legal counsel to a number of strategy councils of the Motor Equipment Manufacturers Associate / Original Equipment Suppliers Association.
  • Currently co-chairs the Advocacy Committee of MichAuto, a statewide program of the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce focused on growing the automotive and mobility industries in Michigan and driving automotive and mobility policy in Michigan.

奖项与表彰

  • 入选《DBusiness》顶级律师榜(2025 年)
  • Named 2023 Leading Lawyer In Michigan
  • 同行评议被评为 AV Preeminent®,这是 Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ 系统中最高的业绩评级
  • Recognized, JD Supra Readers’ Choice Awards in the field of M&A (2021)
  • Selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® in the field of Government Relations (2018-2024)
  • Named the Best Lawyers® Government Relations “Lawyer of the Year” in Detroit (2020)
  • Named a leading business law attorney in Michigan by Chambers® USA (2008-2010, 2016-2024)
  • Named as one of the “500 Most Powerful Business Leaders in Metro Detroit” by DBusiness magazine (2019-2023)
  • Recommended by The Legal 500 for his work in M&A (2015-2017)
  • “Leader in the Law” designation from Michigan Lawyers Weekly (2015)
  • Selected for inclusion to the Michigan Super Lawyers® list in the field of M&A (2006-2010)

附属机构

Steve serves or has served on the boards of directors of the:

  • Michigan Strategic Fund
  • Michigan Economic Growth Authority
  • Michigan Emergency Loan Management Board
  • Michigan Land Bank Fast Track Authority
  • Michigan Governor’s Talent Investment Board
  • Investment Advisory Committee to the Michigan State Treasury overseeing the state’s pension funds
  • Forgotten Harvest, Inc.
  • NextEnergy Center
  • Investment Committee of Invest Detroit
  • He is also a member of the following legal organizations:
    • Member, Business Law, Administrative Law, Government Law and International Law Sections of the State Bar of Michigan
    • Member, American Bar Association, Business Law Section

Firm Leadership

  • Co-chair, Foley’s Electrified Mobility & Infrastructure (EV) initiative
  • Co-chair, of the Smart Manufacturing initiative,
  • Member, Manufacturing Sector Advisory Board
  • Two terms as managing partner of the Detroit office (2002-2006, 2009-2011)

思想引领

  • Instructor, American Counsel of Corporate Attorneys (corporate, M&A, economic development, and government affairs topics)
  • Instructor, “The Board’s Role in M&A” and “The Board’s Role in Talent Development and Site Selection,” National Directors Institute
  • Co-founder and Instructor, Wayne State University Commercial Law Clinic
  • Lecturer, “Drafting Asset Purchase Agreements and Related Documents” and “Formation and Initial Operation of Business Enterprises-Financing Issues,” Michigan Institute of Continuing Legal Education
  • Participated in numerous programs focused on advanced automotive technologies in Detroit, Palo Alto, Boston, New York, and London, including:
    • Presenter, update on U.S. autonomous and electric vehicle legal developments, Financial Times’ “Future of the Car Summit” (May 2019)
    • Co-chair, I “Concordant Crossroads” program, New York, NY (October 2018)
大型汽车制造厂,生产线上的机械臂正在组装汽车,让人联想到律师事务所或诉讼支持团队的精确度;多个未完成的车身沿着自动化组装线高效移动。
2024 年 11 月 21 日 制造业顾问

MEMA 原始设备供应商年会 - 展望小组对汽车行业经济和增长的预测

在全球市场面临诸多挑战、汽车行业受到冲击的一年里,11 月 12 日和 13 日在密歇根州诺维市举行的 MEMA 原始设备供应商年会对汽车行业的现状和未来前景进行了详细分析。
An electric car is plugged into a charging station, sunlight reflecting off the vehicle and charger—just outside a busy office of Chicago lawyers specializing in intellectual property law.
November 13, 2024 Blogs

EV and EV-Infrastructure Deployment Encounters Regulatory, Political, and Market Challenges in 2024: Hitting Speed Bumps or Shifting into Reverse?

The road to electrified mobility has been a tumultuous one for automakers, battery-electric vehicle infrastructure developers, and their supporting industries.
2024年11月12日 活动

MEMA原始设备供应商年度大会2024

11月12日至13日,欢迎参加MEMA原始设备供应商年会,与Foley共聚一堂。
2024 年 6 月 6 日 新闻发布

富理达在 2024 年《钱伯斯美国》杂志中名列前茅

Foley & Lardner LLP 很高兴地宣布,在 2024 年版《钱伯斯美国》(Chambers USA, America's Leading Lawyers for Business)中,Foley & Lardner LLP 再次被钱伯斯律师事务所评为全美领先律师事务所之一。
February 27, 2024 Honors and Awards

Steven Hilfinger Named to Hall of Fame, Michelle Freeman as Up & Coming Lawyer by Michigan Lawyers Weekly

Foley & Lardner LLP partner Steven Hilfinger and senior counsel Michelle Freeman are honored by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.
2024年1月17日 交易与胜利

Foley Represents Barnes Group in Sale of Associated Spring™ and Hänggi™ Businesses

Foley & Lardner LLP served as legal advisor to Barnes Group Inc., a global provider of highly engineered products, differentiated industrial technologies, and innovative solutions, in its entering into a definitive agreement to sell its Associated Spring™ and Hänggi™ businesses to One Equity Partners.