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Michael Silverman, Esq.

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Michael SilvermanMichael E. Silverman, Esq. is a business attorney and Chair of Cohen & Grigsby’s Tax Group.  He advises clients in negotiating, structuring and documenting mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, and with respect to tax and estate planning matters.  Mike provides general business, estate planning and tax advice to individual and institutional investors, tax-exempt organizations and start-up businesses.  Mike also has significant experience in representing individuals and businesses in federal, state and local tax audits.

Mike was chosen by Philadelphia Magazine as a "Pennsylvania Super Lawyer" (2006, 2009, and 2010).

Education and Certifications:

LL.M. (Masters of Law Degree) in Taxation, New York University School of Law, 1990
J.D., Order of the Coif, Magna Cum Laude, Law Review, Robert M. DeBroff Award), University of Pittsburgh School of Law, 1989
B.S., honors, Materials Science Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, 1986

Professional and Community Affiliations

Board Member, the University of Pittsburgh Alumni Association Leadership Council
Member, Pennsylvania Bar Association
Member, Pittsburgh Tax Club
Member, Association for Corporate Growth
Member, Allegheny Tax Society
Member, District of Columbia Bar Association

www.CohenLaw.com

Read Articles by Michael Silverman

Recent articles

  Caveat Emptor: The Significance of Due Diligence in Acquiring a Business
By Jennifer M. Novotny and Michael E. Silverman, Attorneys at Law

Throughout the lifecycle of a business, it is important for a business owner to remain focused on increasing the profitability, competitive advantage and market reach of the business. An entrepreneur typically accomplishes these objectives by (i) reinvesting the profits of the business to increase its workforce, customer base and cash flow and (ii) using business profits (along with other financing) to acquire competing businesses. Such business acquisitions typically serve two purposes by eliminating competitors and increasing the growth rate, product and service offerings, and market share of a business.

This article focuses on the critical nature of the due diligence process in connection with a business acquisition.

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  Protecting a Seller in the Face of a Buyer’s Due Diligence Investigation
By Jennifer M. Novotny and Michael E. Silverman, Attorneys at Law

The many years of hard work and long days at the office may be about to pay off—you have just received an offer from a potential buyer to acquire your business. Just as you developed and followed a detailed business plan to build your business, now you need to develop a well-thought out plan covering the sale of your business, paying proper attention to the due diligence process.

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  How a Well-Drafted Letter of Intent Can Save Time and Money in Completing a Transaction
By Jennifer M. Novotny and Michael E. Silverman, Attorneys at Law

Whether you are buying or selling a business, negotiating the terms of a letter of intent (an “LOI”) is one of the first and most critical steps in the process of completing the transaction.  A well-written letter of intent provides a valuable foundation for a potential transaction as it captures the parties’ intentions with regard to the structure, timing and material terms of the transaction. An LOI often imposes significant obligations on each of the parties, and consequently is typically the product of fairly intense negotiations between the parties.

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  Confidentiality Agreements: Protecting the Keys to the Kingdom
Share our PassionBy Jennifer M. Novotny and Michael E. Silverman, Attorneys at Law

A typical entrepreneur invests a tremendous amount of time, effort and money in building a business. That is why it is so important for entrepreneurs to make sure employees and third parties who work with the business are prohibited from improperly using or disclosing any confidential or proprietary information of the business(e.g. customer lists, trade secrets and financial statements).  Similarly, and in connection with selling a business, it is critical for the owner of the business not to provide any confidential information to a prospective purchaser until that party has signed a well-written confidentiality agreement.
  
Confidentiality agreements are designed to protect one of the most valuable assets of a business— proprietary information. Confidentiality agreements are used for many different purposes (e.g. engaging employees and independent contractors, and negotiating a contract such as a supply and distribution agreement). However, this article focuses on the use of confidentiality agreements in connection with selling a business.

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