Partner Brett Renzenbrink and Counsel Stuart Laven build on practice’s existing strengths
February 14, 2022 – Ulmer & Berne LLP is pleased to announce the addition of Partner Brett M. Renzenbrink and Counsel Stuart A. Laven, Jr., to the firm’s Business Law Practice Group. Together, the talented duo adds considerable experience to Ulmer’s robust and multidisciplinary business practice, from assisting startups and emerging companies to providing counsel on complex corporate restructuring and commercial finance matters.
Renzenbrink joins Ulmer’s Cincinnati office where he assists startups, emerging companies, and established organizations with corporate, fundraising, and governance legal needs. He often fills the role of outside Chief Legal Officer for his clients, which range from early-stage ventures to larger companies with hundreds of employees. He works with entrepreneurs, investors, and business owners to design and optimize corporate strategy for growth. Renzenbrink has extensive experience negotiating with vendors and customers to create maximum net benefit relationships and counseling on preventative litigation strategies. He also has particular skill and interest in technology/software as a service (SaaS), transportation, cannabis, and cryptocurrency law.
Renzenbrink is often recognized for his business acumen and legal talent. He was recently honored on the Cincinnati Business Courier’s 2021 list of “Forty Under 40” and is consistently named to the Ohio Super Lawyers list of Rising Stars, among other honors. He serves as President of Business Network International’s Over The Rhine chapter, a business networking and referral organization in the Cincinnati area, and previously served as Vice Chairman of the Board of Emery Federal Credit Union. He earned his undergraduate degree with honors from The Ohio State University and his J.D. with honors from the Salmon P. Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University.
“We’re thrilled to have Brett join our growing business practice in Cincinnati,” said Marie C. Kuban, Co-Group Leader of the firm’s Business Law Practice Group. “He is known for going above and beyond his clients’ expectations and helping them achieve their goals as efficiently and effectively as possible, which makes him a natural fit on our client service focused team.”
Laven joins Ulmer’s Cleveland office where he assists clients with financial restructuring, commercial finance, and mergers and acquisitions. In his practice, he leads representations of debtors, senior lenders, acquirers, and other significant stakeholders in all phases of the Chapter 11 process, as well as in non-bankruptcy and out-of-court restructuring alternatives. He has represented major constituencies in Chapter 11 proceedings across the country, and led successful out-of-court restructurings and refinancings of middle market businesses in heavily impacted industries during the COVID-19 pandemic, including live events, aerospace, automotive, and building materials.
Laven also provides skilled representation of lenders, borrowers, and sponsors in commercial financings, including senior secured loans, asset-based lending facilities, commercial real estate financings, participations, and subordinated/mezzanine credit facilities. He assists a range of clients in all types of M&A transactions, and has extensive and specialized experience with troubled company acquisitions and restructurings. He is a member of the American Bankruptcy Institute, and is a frequent writer on emerging bankruptcy related issues. He earned his undergraduate degree from George Washington University and his J.D. from the Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University.
“Stuart is a phenomenal attorney who helps his clients face their biggest business challenges,” said Douglas K. Sesnowitz, Co-Group Leader of the firm’s Business Law Practice Group. “His wide-ranging experience, and particularly the way he has helped clients resolve complex bankruptcy and restructuring issues during the pandemic, makes him a valued addition to our diverse practice.”