Bio

Willard S. Holt, III is an of counsel attorney in the firm’s Bloomfield Hills office who focuses his practice primarily in the areas of business law and estate planning. Mr. Holt’s corporate clients include closely held companies and non-profit organizations and quasi-public corporations, including government agencies.

As a member of Plunkett Cooney’s Business Advisory Group, Mr. Holt’s areas of expertise include mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity structure, joint ventures, shareholder agreements, succession planning, corporate contracts and strategic alliances. In addition, he is well versed in legal matters relating to the formation, structure, and operation of Minority Business Enterprises (MBE) and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (WBE). 

Mr. Holt also works with cannabis industry entrepreneurs on entity formation, business planning, licensing and applications.

Representative Client Work

  • Created and represented an automobile supplier joint venture between a domestic company and a Canadian company.
  • Represented a nonprofit client in an $8,900,000 low-income housing tax credit deal.
  • Represented corporate clients in IRS and Michigan Department of Treasury tax controversy matters.
  • Represented a nonprofit client in a $1,100,000 commercial real estate transaction.
  • Represented a nonprofit client in securing a $12,000,000 contract from the State of Michigan.

Professional Affiliations 

  • State Bar of Michigan (Business Law Section, Taxation Law Section) 
  • District of Columbia Bar Association 
  • Wolverine Bar Association

Community Business Involvement

  • ALS Center of Excellence, Michigan Medicine and affiliated Multidisciplinary ALS Clinic, Inaugural Board Member, 2018-Present
  • Leadership Detroit Graduate (Class XXXIII, 2011-2012)
  • The Midnight Golf Program (Board of Directors and Legal Counsel, 2011-Present; Governance Committee Chair, 2012 - Present)
  • Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council (Corporate Member Liaison)
  • NAACP, Lifetime Member
  • National Business League (Corporate Member Liaison)

Publications and Lectures

  • "Legal Aspects of Business Entity Selection," Presenter, New Detroit/Camp Enterprise, 2007-Present
  • "Sarbanes-Oxley: Coming to a Nonprofit Near You," Author, Plunkett Cooney Business Newsletter, November 2006
  • "Practical Steps to Business Succession Planning," Author, Plunkett Cooney Business Advisor Newsletter, March 2006
  • "Michigan Single Business Tax Replacement Proposals," Author, Plunkett Cooney Business Advisor Newsletter, December 2006

Credentials

Education

  • Georgetown University Law Center, J.D., 1982; LL.M, Tax, 1984
  • Wesleyan University, B.A., 1979

Admissions

  • Michigan, 1985
  • District of Columbia, 1994
  • U.S. Tax Court, 1985
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 1985

Honors/Awards

Honors & Recognitions

  • Leading Lawyer in Association & Non-Profit Law / Tax Law: Business / Tax Law: Individual / Trust, Will & Estate Planning Law, Leading Lawyers Magazine Michigan, 2015 - 2021

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