Arthur Dudley II

Arthur Dudley II is a Shareholder practicing in Butzel's Detroit and New York offices. He is a graduate of Yale Law School (J.D., 1977) and Yale University (M.A., Economics, 1977). Prior to law school, Mr. Dudley attended Harvard College as a National Merit Scholar, graduating cum laude (B.A. Economics, 1973).

Mr. Dudley has extensive experience in nearly all aspects of corporate law and has practiced law for more than 40 years. He specializes in mergers and acquisitions, representation of emerging growth companies, general corporate representation, securities law and executive compensation.

A wide variety of types of transactions are included in Mr. Dudley's merger and acquisition experience, such as asset or equity acquisitions, negotiated sales and auctions, ranging in size up to $1.4 billion. His experience also covers a variety of industries, including automotive manufacturing and IT services. He has also worked on transactions involving assets and businesses located in North, South and Central America, Europe, and Asia. Mr. Dudley has represented both public and private companies in his merger and acquisition practice.

In the course of his practice, Mr. Dudley has also had principal responsibility for or participated in a large number of sophisticated commercial transactions, including complex lending transactions. In addition, Mr. Dudley has also represented emerging "high tech" corporations in venture capital private placements and as general counsel, and has had principal responsibility for or participated in international corporate restructurings and reorganizations.

Mr. Dudley's securities law experience in representing publicly held companies has been extensive. He has had primary responsibility for public offerings of equity and debt securities (including initial public offerings), and numerous private placements of securities for publicly held and privately held corporations. He has also had primary responsibility for periodic SEC filings. His ongoing counseling of public companies has involved issues concerning corporate governance, compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, transactions in restricted securities, transactions governed by Section 16(b) of the 1934 Act and matters related to corporate disclosure. His securities law experience with public companies has also included a variety of other transactions, such as going private transactions.

In the executive compensation area, Mr. Dudley has experience in designing and drafting equity-based compensation plans as well as individual executive employment agreements. He has advised corporate employers as well as senior executives on compensation matters. He is experienced with change of control and corporate governance issues, as well as "golden parachute" issues. Mr. Dudley is also skilled in coordinating the activities of benefits, tax or other specialists, to the extent that their input may be needed in order to advise on a particular employment agreement or plan.

Mr. Dudley has served as Co-Chair of the Regulation of Securities Committee of the Business Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan and served as a member of the Securities Advisory Committee of the Division of Securities, Office of Financial and Insurance Services of the Michigan Department of Consumer and Industry Services.

Mr. Dudley has participated actively in a number of civic and charitable organizations in the Detroit area. He currently serves as a director, secretary and general counsel of the Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council, Vice Chair and a director of Southeastern Administrative Services Group and a director of the Black United Fund of Michigan. Mr. Dudley previously participated in New Detroit, Inc., where he served as a member of the Minority Economic Development Committee, the Detroit Urban League, where he served as a director and Vice Chair of the Board, the One Stop Capital Shop, where he served as a director and Chair of the Board, and the Leadership Detroit Program sponsored by the Greater Detroit Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Dudley is listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business (Corporate/M&A), The Best Lawyers in America (Corporate), Michigan Super Lawyers (Mergers and Acquisitions) and DBusiness Top Lawyers in Metro-Detroit (Appellate Law; Mergers & Acquisitions; Corporate Law; Corporate Governance and Compliance Law; Securities Law).

All Related Practice Areas

Education

Harvard College Undergraduate 1973, B.A. Economics

Yale Law School Law School 1977, J.D.

Yale University Graduate 1977, M.A.

Admissions

Memberships

• State Bar of Michigan - Former Co-Chair of the Regulation of Securities Committee of the Business Law Section
• Michigan Department of Consumer and Industry Services - Former member of the Securities Advisory Committee of the Division of Securities, Office of Financial and Insurance Services
• Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council - General Counsel, former Secretary and Director
• Legal Aid and Defender Association - Director and former Chairperson
• Black United Fund of Michigan - Former Chair of the Board and Director
• Leadership Detroit Program - sponsored by the Greater Detroit Chamber of Commerce
• New Detroit, Inc. - Former member of the Minority Economic Development Committee
• Detroit Urban League - Former Vice Chair of the Board and Director
• One Stop Capital Shop - Former Chair of the Board and Director

Awards & Recognitions

Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, Corporate/M&A, 2009-2012, 2016-2023

The Best Lawyers in America® - Corporate Law; Securitization and Structured Finance Law, 2005-2025, Mergers and Acquisitions law, 2025

Michigan Super Lawyers, Mergers and Acquisitions, 2006-2022

DBusiness Top Lawyers in Metro Detroit, Corporate Law, 2011 & 2012, 2014-2023;  Appellate Law, Mergers & Acquisitions, Corporate Governance, and Compliance Law Securities Law, 2011 & 2012, 2016-2023