Since 1996, Michael Ciesla has spent his legal career representing small and mid-sized companies and their executives across various industries.

Michael currently acts as chief outside legal counsel for several corporate clients, and provides advice and counsel to executives, boards of directors, in-house counsel, human resources professionals and business owners in the areas of business formation, corporate governance, capital restructuring, debt restructuring, business succession planning, employment practices, policy development, board of director training and civil litigation.

His experience in the area of transactional law and securities law is vast and includes: preparing private placement memorandums, Initial Public Offerings (IPO's), conducting due diligence in preparation of mergers and acquistions, preparing and closing on mergers, and SEC filings.

Michael also has extensive experience in the area of post-secondary education law, representing Colleges and Universities throughout the United States, before the United States Department of Education, regional accrediting bodies and in Federal and State Courts.

Michael has frequently lectured on the topics of Stark Laws, ethics in the workplace, e-commerce fraud, electronic signatures and other internet and e-commerce related issues. He has spent a great amount of time training Boards of Directors and Trustees on fiduciary responsibilities and issues of protocol. He has been interviewed by Bloomberg.com relative to planning for loved ones with disabilities in the long term.

Michael was born in Newport News, Virginia and grew up in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. He currently lives in Northbrook, Illinois with his wife and two children.