Bob Wolford serves as one of the firm’s Managing Members and has been practicing law since 2001. He is a corporate lawyer who represents automotive suppliers and other manufacturers in transactions, business and supply chain matters, as well as debtors, purchasers of assets and other interested parties in turnaround and insolvency matters.
Mergers & Acquisitions/Transactions
Mr. Wolford regularly represents buyers and sellers throughout the country in mergers, acquisitions of stock or assets, MBOs, recapitalizations, reorganizations, private equity investments and other transactions. He has significant experience advising closely-held and family owned businesses, private equity funds and family offices in all sizes of transactions.
Automotive/Manufacturing Supplier Representation
Mr. Wolford has extensive experience representing suppliers in the automotive and manufacturing industries. He has successfully assisted his clients in numerous supply chain disputes to both enforce their contractual rights and ensure an uninterrupted supply to applicable OEMs. He has assisted suppliers in negotiating resolutions to various commercial issues with their customers and downstream suppliers. Mr. Wolford has also advised many clients in the negotiation of Accommodation and Access Agreements with various OEMs and Tier I suppliers, in the use of demands for adequate assurance of future performance under the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) and the enforcement of rights under the Michigan Special Tools Lien Act and Mold Lien Act.
Corporate Counseling/Commercial Contracting
Mr. Wolford also serves as the outside general counsel to many businesses and family offices, advising them on both their day-to-day and long-term business strategies and interests, including succession, growth and restructuring objectives. He regularly counsels businesses and individuals through the negotiation and drafting of contracts supporting all types of commercial transactions, including contracts for the purchase and sale of businesses and business assets, employment agreements, vendor agreements, financing agreements, business management agreements and others. He has been responsible for negotiating and drafting numerous sets of terms and conditions regarding the purchase and sale of goods and has extensive expertise in UCC Article 2 and “Battle of the Forms” issues.
Workouts and Bankruptcy
Mr. Wolford has extensive experience with all constituents, but generally debtors and creditors committees in insolvency. Given Miller Johnson’s intentional limitation of its representation of lenders, Mr. Wolford has represented and counseled many borrowers and debtors in negotiating forbearance agreements, restructuring plans, and creative solutions that preserve going concern values and opportunities. In bankruptcy situations, Mr. Wolford has represented secured and unsecured creditors, debtors, creditors’ committees, and trustees. He has also resolved hundreds of preference claims brought against creditors.
Mr. Wolford structures transactions for purchasers of distressed businesses and assets, which includes addressing successor liability issues. Mr. Wolford counsels clients on effective methods for protecting security interests that can withstand attack in future debtor bankruptcy proceedings.
Mr. Wolford has also effectively assisted many privately held businesses with distressed operations in winding down operations, liquidating and negotiating with lenders and other constituencies with respect to both the company debt and the outstanding personal liabilities of the owners.
Contact info:
- wolfordr@millerjohnson.com
- T 616.831.1726