Michael B. Hurley

Michael serves as Co-Leader of the firm's Emerging Companies and Venture Capital practice. He represents businesses on formation, governance, mergers, acquisitions and sales, and capital structuring arrangements. He provides counsel to private equity funds, private and public companies and investors in such funds and companies. This advice covers the full spectrum of business cycles – from start-up through maturation to exit strategies – and a broad range of industries, including information technology, healthcare, chemicals, construction, energy and consumer products.

Michael also serves as outside general counsel to a number of private companies where he advises on a wide variety of day-to-day matters, including commercial contract negotiation, implementation of privacy and cyber-security policies and procedures, corporate governance, organizational structuring, succession planning and ESOP transactions.

As part of Calfee’s Privacy and Data Security group, Michael has significant experience allocating transactional risks associated with data privacy and security protocols and policies, cross-jurisdiction data transfers and compliance with related laws and regulations.

Since 2022, Michael has been recognized as a Leading Lawyer in Corporate/M&A by Chambers USA in Ohio: South & Central, most recently in Band 4 (2024). Chambers USA researchers noted, "Michael Hurley is a rising star in the M&A field who regularly works on a host of transactions." Clients stated, "Michael is the best at using his intelligence and legal knowledge and applying it to real solutions for my businesses. Michael was knowledgeable, responsive, and provided sound guidance throughout the process."

Michael has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America^® for Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, and Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law (2024-2025). He also was named to the Ohio Super Lawyers, Ohio Rising Stars list (2016-2024) and to the "Cincy Leading Lawyers" list by Cincy Magazine (2018-2023).

Outside of the office, Michael is active in the community. He serves as a Board Member for the Association for Corporate Growth – Cincinnati Chapter. He also presents regularly at the Queen City Angels Boot Camp and is active with the Goering Center for Family and Private Business.

He presents regularly at seminars and has authored numerous publications.

Michael earned his B.A. degree from Yale University and his J.D. and M.B.A. degrees from the University of Cincinnati.

Michael joined Calfee’s Cincinnati office in 2014 and was elected Partner in 2019. Prior to joining Calfee, Michael worked at Blank Rome, LLP.

Honors & Recognitions

• Chambers USA, Corporate/M&A, Band 4, Ohio: South & Central (2022-2024)
• The Best Lawyers in America^®, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law (2024-2025)
• The Best Lawyers in America: Ones To Watch, Corporate Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law (2021-2022)
• Ohio Super Lawyers, Ohio Rising Stars, Mergers & Acquisitions (2016-2024)
• Cincy Magazine, "Cincy Leading Lawyers," Mergers and Commercial Law (2019-2023)

Education

J.D., cum laude, University of Cincinnati College of Law, 2011

M.B.A., Finance, University of Cincinnati College of Business, 2010

B.A., History, Yale University, 2005

Experience

Michael’s experience includes the following representative transactions and clients:

• Served as lead and sole legal counsel to a California-based consultant and broker-dealer in the sale of its subsidiaries to a publicly traded Fortune 1000 company. (2024)
• Served as lead and sole counsel to our client in its acquisition of a manufacturing company, which was in receivership at the time of the transaction and required a stalking horse bidding process and court approval in order to be consummated. (2024)
• Served as co-legal counsel to a leading wholesale distributer of sporting equipment in its acquisition of a German specialist retailer from a German private equity firm; the transaction was required to be structured contemporaneously and as a carve-out of a separate European-based acquisition of other subsidiaries by the private equity seller. (2024)
• Served as lead counsel to a global consulting and advisory firm in the acquisition of a leading UK M&A advisory firm; the transaction involved a seller rollover of proceeds into the equity of the buyer and multiple employment agreements and equity incentive arrangements were negotiated and entered into at closing. Further, this transaction included U.S. and UK broker/dealer compliance/approval, a pre-signing creation of buyer subsidiaries in the UK, and a pre-closing reorganization of the target entities that needed to be concluded in between signing and closing. (2024)
• Served as lead counsel to a multi-billion dollar private equity firm in its acquisition of a Virginia company serving customers in more than 140 countries. (2023)
• Served as lead counsel to a multi-billion dollar private equity firm in its acquisition of a Midwestern technology company; the transaction involved a seller rollover of proceeds into the equity of the buyer and multiple employment agreements and equity incentive arrangements were negotiated and entered into at closing. The transaction also included a pre-signing creation of a buyer subsidiary, a pre-closing reorganization of the target entities' structuring and ownership, and the implementation of a post-closing, cross-border IP-licensing structure. (2023)
• Served as lead and sole counsel to a multi-billion dollar private equity firm in the sale of a platform company with more than 30 locations in the U.S.; in between the signing and closing of this transaction, while parties awaited Hart-Scott Rodino clearance, Calfee represented the platform company in the acquisitions of multiple add-on businesses and effectuated the pre-closing reorganization of the sell-side structure. (2023)

Equity Offerings and Capital Raising

• Represented a direct-to-consumer food manufacturing company in its initial structuring and subsequent seed financing round.
• Represented a consulting and investment banking firm in the formation of a subsidiary and subsequent equity offering.
• Represented a direct-to-patient concierge medical practice in its Series A and subsequent follow-on offerings.
• Represented a restaurant group in the formation, and subsequent equity and debt financing of, an affiliated entity.
• Represented an investor group on multiple occasions in the formation of special purpose investment vehicles and subsequent financing rounds in conjunction with structuring the investment in operating companies.
• Represented a cryptocurrency marker maker in its initial structuring and subsequent seed financing round.
• Represented a CRM software company in multiple rounds of convertible note financings.
• Represented an investor group in the equity and convertible debt financing of a restaurant and catering group.
• Represented a hedge fund utilizing artificial intelligence for alternative asset class investments in its initial structuring and subsequent seed financing round.
• Represented a family office in multiple investment rounds in a data storage company.

Professional & Community

• Association for Corporate Growth – Cincinnati Chapter, Board Member 
• Cincinnati Yale Club, Board Member
• Cincinnati Squash Academy, Futures Board Member
• Goering Center for Family and Private Business, Member

Clients

A representative list of the privately held and public companies and private equity firms with which Michael works is:

• Align Capital Partners
• Americhem, Inc.
• Edgewater Capital Partners
• Installed Building Products (NYSE: IBP)
• Linsalata Capital Partners
• Marsh, Berry & Co., Inc.
• MCM Capital Partners
• Park-Ohio Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: PKOH)
• Timber Bay Partners
• Resilience Capital Partners
• RKCA
• RPM International Inc. (NYSE: RPM)
• Watervale Equity Partners

Client Feedback

• "Michael is an asset to our business. He has great insight and the knowledge to handle all our needs." – Chambers USA 2023 client quote
• "Michael is extremely smart with an excellent grasp of the complex details." – Chambers USA 2023 client quote
• "Michael is an outstanding client-driven attorney who is an asset to the firm. He's a very strong communicator and is highly responsive." – Chambers USA 2023 client quote