Services
Education
Wayne State University Law School, J.D., 1977
University of Michigan, B.A., 1973
Bar Admissions
- Michigan
Leo handles all areas of general corporate and commercial law including liquidations, reorganizations, creation of corporations and LLCs, professional corporations, the purchase and sale of corporate assets or stock, mergers, consolidation, reorganization, seller-financed sales of property, shareholder disputes, health care and secured transactions.
In particular, he specializes in counseling nonprofits and charitable organizations on obtaining and maintaining their tax-exempt status and complying with state registration and charitable solicitation laws.
In addition, Leo handles such real estate matters as land divisions, farm sales and purchases, leasing, and environmental due diligence and works with wholesale and retail automotive parts manufacturers.
Representative Matters
Leo represented a nonprofit arts organization that had been told by other attorneys that it would not qualify for a 501(c)(3) tax exemption. Without this exemption, the nonprofit faced losing the grants it had been promised and would have to cease operations. After doing research, Leo determined that the nonprofit should indeed qualify for a tax exemption, then prepared an application and submitted it to the IRS. Not only did the IRS approve the tax exemption, it “fast tracked” the application for approval and granted the exemption within 60 days.
In a complicated and innovative transaction, led an interdisciplinary team to create a new medical school in Michigan. The project involved forming a not for profit corporation involving a university, two hospitals, and a privately funded donation of $100 million.
Honors
State Bar of Michigan Pro Bono Honor Roll, 2020-present
Michigan Community Resources, Pro Bono Partner Brick Award, 2019
John W. Cummiskey Pro Bono Award, 2016
John N. Vlachos Award for Pro Bono Service, 2006
Wayne State University Law School, magna cum laude, Note and Comment Editor, Wayne Law Review
Law Clerk, Honorable Noel P. Fox, Chief Judge, U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan
Professional Activities
American Bar Association
State Bar of Michigan, Venture Capital Subcommittee
Kalamazoo County Bar Association, Real Estate Committee, Pro Bono Committee
Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association
Kalamazoo Loaves and Fishes, Board of Directors; HR Committee, 2015-present (Chair, 2015-2019); Governance Committee, 2018-present