December 2010
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Chair's Letter from
Robert T. (Bob) Wilson
Winston Churchill once famously remarked following the Allied victory at El Alamein: "This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. It is perhaps the end of the beginning."
As we draw to the end of 2010 and enter the second decade of a new millennium, there are signs the struggles our business clients have been enduring may be easing in certain quarters. An IPO for a major automotive company, new investments in technology to support existing and emerging industries, and an extended period of recovery in certain equity markets are all encouraging developments for both our clients and for business lawyers in Michigan. Many battles, however, remain to be fought and won. Volatility persists in multiple sectors, and even the most positive pundits speak only with guarded optimism. Earlier this Fall I challenged our members to think proactively about how we can work to improve the climate for businesses in Michigan. I've received helpful suggestions from a number of you. Please keep up the good work as we move into the holiday period and the New Year. To paraphrase another favorite author, at this festive season of the year it is more than usually desirable that we reach out with generosity to our clients, colleagues, employees, family, friends, and those less fortunate than us.
I wish each of you Happy Holidays and all the best in 2011.
Corporate Division Update
From time to time, we provide information you may find useful concerning the operations and practices of the Corporation Division of the Bureau of Commercial Services. G. Ann Baker has provided us this timely information:
The Bureau of Commercial Services website will be updated on or about December 17. Final testing on the new website is being completed this week. All online services should be available during this transition. Any issues regarding the Corporation Division's website may be reported to Corporation Division by sending e-mail to CorpsMail@michigan.gov or by calling (517) 241-6470.
The Division's office will be closed on Thursday and Friday, December 23 and 24, and on Thursday and Friday, December 30 and 31, 2010. For assumed name and name registration renewals due December 31, 2010, the deadline is extended pursuant to MCL 8.6 to January 3.
January 11—Debtor/Creditor Rights Committee meeting (Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP, Bloomfield Hills)
January 27-28—Business Boot Camp Two-day seminar (Inn at St. John's, Plymouth)
March 10—Council Meeting (State Bar, Lansing)
March 21—Commercial Litigation Committee meeting (Brooks Wilkins Sharkey & Turco, Birmingham)
May 6-7—Business Law Institute (Inn at St. John's, Plymouth)
January 12—Law School Committee panel presentation (Cooley Law School, Grand Rapids)
