Michigan bond counsel powerhouse Miller Canfield is aiming to snare more Illinois-based business with the one-two-punch hiring of Lance Tyson and Glenn Weinstein in its public finance group.
Tyson joins the firm Feb. 3 as a principal/partner. He comes from Kutak Rock LLP, where he was a partner. Weinstein started this month as a principal/partner, coming from Pugh, Jones & Johnson PC.
Tyson brings both transactional work and a political pedigree to the firm while Weinstein is known as a veteran nuts-and-bolts bond lawyer with a wide range of clients.
“We’ve had a Chicago bond practice for some time, but we have been looking to expand our existing practice and looking at quality candidates that can do that,” Patrick McGow, a principal and public finance group leader, said in an interview. “The nice thing is that we got the two of them. They know each other well and they are excited to work together and we think they will complement each other’s skill set well.”
“We’ve been making an effort to increase the size and scope of the Chicago office” in public finance and other industries the firm considers strategically important, McGow said.
The Detroit-based law firm first opened a Chicago office in 2007, but the bulk of its Midwestern public finance work continues to flow from Michigan. The firm ranked seventh in the Midwest working on 200 transactions totaling $2.2 billion last year with 89 of those deals totaling $2.1 billion based in Michigan. It ranked first in Michigan, according to data from Refinitiv.
The two join Darryl Davidson, Chicago resident director, and Arthur Turner in the Chicago public finance group. The hires bring to 26 the number of lawyers in the firm’s public finance group. They work out of the Chicago, Detroit and other Michigan offices.
Tyson’s practice at Kutak focused on public finance, real estate, banking, tax credits, private investment funds and government affairs. Tyson’s experience spans transactional work for most local issuers including Chicago, the housing and transit authorities and the Illinois Finance Authority to the political sphere.
Tyson worked on legislative initiatives for the city and county and held positions as chief of staff to former Cook County, Ill. Board President Todd Stroger and legislative counsel to former Mayor Richard M. Daley.
Tyson returned to Kutak in 2013 after a 10-year absence and was named a partner in 2016. During the 10-year absence Tyson operated his own law firm and then worked for county government, took a position at Freeborn & Peters LLP and took another stab at operating his own firm.
Weinstein joined Pugh Jones in 2009 after spending more than nine years at Chapman and Cutler LLP. Before that he spent five years at Schiff Hardin LLP. At Pugh Jones, Weinstein served in roles as bond, underwriter’s and disclosure counsel to state agencies and local governments in Illinois and New York including transactions for Chicago, Cook County, the water reclamation district, Illinois Finance Authority, Illinois toll agency, and the New York State Housing Finance Agency.
While Weinstein’s work spans most sectors, McGow said the firm's specialty areas include housing and transit, which the firm sees a boost to his practice overall.
The firm dates back to 1852 and employs more than 240 lawyers and paralegals in 18 offices in six countries. The firm is led by bond attorney Mike McGee, who serves as chief executive officer.
