Manufacturing
Representing hundreds of manufacturers around the world
Industry, contracting and product knowledge are at the heart of our relationship with our clients. Varnum lawyers have tremendous experience guiding manufacturers through legal issues in ways that support their current goals and future opportunities.
We represent hundreds of manufacturers operating across the United States and more than a dozen international locations on matters related to compliance, supply chain management, global sourcing, employment, tax and intellectual property. Our client base is diverse, including automotive suppliers, parts manufacturers, foundries, food processors, medical equipment and industrial machinery. Whether dealing with labor negotiations, contractual matters, or compliance with state or federal regulations, clients count on Varnum for the right mix of legal experience to stay competitive.
“Varnum is in my opinion the best in the state. They are a well-rounded firm with many facets of expertise to the benefit of their clients. I have worked with them for over 15 years and they have provided our company and myself with great service and advise that has allowed our company to grow and give excellent service to our customers.”
Client, US News – Best Lawyers® Best Law Firms
As a full-service law firm with deep multidisciplinary bench strength, we regularly provide trusted legal counsel for manufacturers in sophisticated areas of the law
- Corporate – antitrust and trade regulations, contractual relations, business, and finance services
- Employee benefits – pension and retirement plans, The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 matters, profit sharing and Employee Stock Ownership Plans.
- Environmental – air quality, land use permitting, regulatory compliance, waste management and water law
- Finance – equity financings, venture capital, private equity, mezzanine financing, angel investment and bank loans
- Immigration – visas, employment-based permanent residence applications and dealings with Immigration and Naturalization Service regional service centers and district offices
- Intellectual property – patents, trademarks, copyrights, licensing, trade secrets, unfair competition and technology transfers
- International trade – import and export concerns, cross-border supply chain questions, foreign agreements, joint ventures and patent licensing
- Labor and employment – employment litigation defense, union negotiation and grievances, wage and hour matters and workers’ compensation
- Litigation – commercial matters, intellectual property, environmental, real estate, product liability and internal investigations
- Mergers and acquisitions – corporate asset and stock purchases and divestitures, mergers, tax-free reorganizations and joint ventures
- Real estate – acquisitions, land use, development, zoning, commercial and industrial leasing, licensing and financing
- Tax – corporate mergers, reorganizations, tax-exempt status, assessment and abatement
Meet the Team
Our attorneys are routinely recognized for their excellence and ability to litigate, negotiate and advise clients by Top Lawyers, Best Lawyers, Chambers USA and more.
Legal Practices Related to Manufacturing
For over a century, Varnum attorneys have served the manufacturing community with a full lineup of corporate services and specialties.
Whatever the nature of your company – publicly traded or privately held, multinational or local, corporation or sole proprietorship – our attorneys provide experienced guidance. And whatever your business goals and legal needs, we have the skill and knowledges to help you manage them.
Employers strive to offer attractive employee benefits in addition to competitive salaries and wages.
Varnum's employee benefits attorneys are ready to help our clients design, draft, implement and administer a wide variety of employee benefit and executive compensation plans. We help you comply with complicated laws that affect your plans, correct mistakes and other problems with your plans under voluntary compliance programs, and we can represent you in audits and other proceedings before the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Labor and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. In addition, we can represent you in mergers, acquisitions, reorganizations and liquidations involving employee benefits plans.
Learn more about Varnum’s Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Practice
Varnum helps clients understand and operate successfully in the changing landscape of federal, state and local environmental requirements.
We have developed deep experience in representing clients in judicial and administrative environmental enforcement proceedings at the federal, state and local levels – including alternative dispute resolution (ADR). Our focus on regulatory compliance and problem avoidance emphasizes early planning and preventative action.
Learn more about Varnum’s Environmental and Natural Resources Practice
Companies rely on us to handle the strategy and details of immigration issues so that they can get down to business.
We navigate the laws and procedures of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of State (DOS), Department of Labor (DOL) and state workforce agencies (SWAs) to place key personnel within U.S. operations and to facilitate relationships with overseas affiliates and partners. In addition, we counsel employers concerning work authorization issues, and compliance with immigration and labor laws.
In today’s market, intellectual property is one of your most valuable assets.
Your company may have developed the newest technology and the most innovative products, but if they are not properly protected you may as well invite your competitors to help themselves to the profits. Varnum's intellectual property lawyers do what it takes to protect clients’ ideas and products.
Good business sense combined with good people sense is perhaps the best way to describe our approach to labor and employment law at Varnum.
Our labor and employment attorneys understand the importance of human resource management and development in your business strategy. We have built a practice that responds quickly to your needs, looks for practical, cost-effective business solutions and holds to sound human resource principles.
Experience. Client-focused results. Trusted advice.
For years, these have been the keys to success for Varnum’s Litigation Team. Our trial lawyers have the skill and experience to provide clients with effective, high-quality, cost-conscious representation.
Pick up any newspaper today and you'll see headlines about corporate mergers.
What you will not read about are the behind-the-scenes legal activities. The mergers and acquisitions team at Varnum has a wealth of experience in dealing with complex matters, including acquisitions and dispositions of business interests, taxable and tax-free transactions, mergers, consolidations, tenders, share exchanges, stock and asset purchases, joint ventures, leveraged buyouts, acquisitive reorganizations, ESOP acquisitions and sale and redemption combinations.
Acquisition, financing, development, management, leasing, sale – Varnum’s Real Estate Practice Team counsels clients on all matters relating to real estate.
Whether a property is commercial, industrial or residential development, our real estate attorneys know the issues and the law.
Varnum’s tax team unites the tax compliance, planning and litigation skills of one of Michigan’s oldest law firms with one of the Midwest’s premier tax boutique practices.
We are respected throughout the region for our ability to assist clients in all matters relating to federal and state tax audits, litigation and planning.
Learn more about Varnum’s Tax Planning, Compliance and Litigation Practice