Eric T. Mikkelson, Partner

Eric is a business lawyer with a tax background.  His practice primarily focuses on structuring, negotiating, drafting and closing business transactions in accordance with client goals. 

He leads acquisitions, mergers, divestitures, joint ventures and financings.  His clients include individuals, corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, private equity funds, governments and other entities. 

Eric also advises business clients on choice-of-entity, formation, offerings, contracts, licensing, restructurings, redemptions, buy-sell/shareholder agreements, exchanges, governance, audits, controversy, liquidations, fund formations, venture capital, angel investment, dissolutions and similar matters. 

He also advises tax-exempts and charities on transactions and compliance.  Eric has litigated several matters, obtaining judgments in clients’ favor in jury and bench trials.

Recent Successful Client Representations (deal sizes ranging from $1 to $440 million):

• A NYSE-listed corporation in its cross-border acquisition of a group of companies (2010)
• A privately-owned manufacturer in its acquisition of substantially all of its assets of a competitor (2010)
• A global manufacturing company in its acquisition of domestic manufacturing facilities (2009) 
• Two private equity funds, and a publicly-held corporation, in several separate real estate development financing investments and joint ventures (2008) 
• Three new private equity fund formations (2009 and 2008) 
• A global construction materials company in multiple acquisitions and divestitures of businesses and properties, with related leases, supply agreements, options and rights of first refusal (2004 through 2010) 
• An entrepreneur/founder in sale of technology business (2008) 
• A national retail company in its purchase of a division from a competitor (2008)

• Chairman, Business Law Committee, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, 2010 
• Metro Ambassador, United Way of Greater Kansas City, 2009 campaign
• The Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, Kansas City Tomorrow Class of 2008-2009 (civic leadership academy) 
• Heart of America Tax Institute (Chairman 2005) 
• Kansas Bar Association Ethics Grievance Committee (2001-2004) 
• Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, Tax Law Committee (Co-Chairman 2005, Vice-Chair 2007) 
• Economic Advisory Board, Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce 
• Editorial Board, ABA Tax Section NewsQuarterly (2002-2005) 
• Bar Associations:  American, Kansas, Missouri and Wisconsin 
• Municipal Judge, 1996-1997

• Strategic Acquisition During Uncertain Economic Times, Kansas City Business Journal (Oct. 27, 2006) 
• Recent Code Changes Favorable to REITs, ABA Tax Section NewsQuarterly (Spring 2005, Vol. 25.3) 
• Capital Gain from Selling Computer Software:  A Few Bugs, ABA Tax Section NewsQuarterly (Winter 2003, Vol. 22.2) 
• MultiState Guide to S Corporations, ABA Tax Section online version, co-author of Kansas chapter 
• Inc., L.P. or L.L.C.?  Considering Business Ownership Structures,  Kansas City Small Business Monthly, Entrepreneur’s Guide (1999-2000) 
• Earning Green for Turning Green: Executive Order 12,291 and Market-Driven Environmental Regulation, 42 Kan. L. Rev. 243 (1993)

• Speaker, “The Art of the Deal: Best Practices for the Acquisition of a Private Business”, SNR Continuing Legal Education seminar (2010)
• Adjunct Faculty Professor, The Bloch School of Business and Public Administration, University of Missouri-Kansas City, 2007-2008 (Venture Capital Finance and Investment)
• Association for Corporate Growth, Private Equity Forum Panel Moderator (2008) 
• Legal Pitfalls for Business Entrepreneurs, Corporate Presenter, Entrepreneurship Week USA, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation (Feb. 28, 2007) 
• Tax Aspects of Real Estate Transactions  Guest Lecturer, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law (2004) 
• Limited Liability Companies in Missouri, National Business Institute Seminar Presenter (2002 and 1999)