Biography

Michael D. Thompson is an associate practicing corporate and securities law in Seyfarth Shaw’s Chicago office.  He concentrates his practice in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and public company securities law matters.  He also dedicates a significant portion of his practice to commercial transactions and general corporate matters.

Mr. Thompson’s M&A clients range from publicly-traded companies making strategic acquisitions or divesting non-core assets, to family-owned businesses seeking to transfer wealth to the succeeding generation.  His representative transactions include a $70 million acquisition of a U.S.-based private company by a UK-based public company which involved Exon-Florio approval.  He also acted as U.S. counsel for a UK-based public company in its acquisition of a majority stake in a U.S. publicly-traded company, and contemporaneous initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange.  He represented the seller in a two-step tender offer/short for merger, and represented the buyer in a $300 million life insurance company acquisition that included complex regulatory filings and approvals. 

His securities experience includes assisting public companies in their periodic reporting requirements, advising clients on new developments in securities law and facilitating private placements. Mr. Thompson drafted and facilitated a Form S-1 registration statement under the SEC’s new securities offering reform rules that went effective in December 2005.  He has represented the buyer/majority shareholder in a Schedule 13e-3 going-private transaction and has teamed with other attorneys to represent a large public company in its $17.6 billion combined euro. dollar and sterling bond offering, which, at the time, was the largest corporate bond offering in debt capital markets history.

Mr. Thompson advises clients on a litany of corporate governance issues and has helped clients form new business entities and implement a sound corporate governance structure.  In addition, Mr. Thompson dedicates a portion of his practice to general contract issues, such as supply, distribution and marketing agreements, and also assists his clients to obtain financing and conduct other commercial transactions.

Realizing the increasing globalization of business in the United States, Mr. Thompson has traveled to China for a survey of Chinese Law. 

Mr. Thompson is actively involved in Chicago’s pro bono community.  He has assisted non-profit organizations and emerging businesses with their entity formation and contractual matters, as well as helping pro bono clients with financing transactions.

Education

J.D., University of Iowa, with distinction (2001)

Note & Comment Editor, Iowa Law Review

B.B.A., University of Iowa (1997)

Admissions

• Illinois