| Leamon
R. Sowell is the President and Managing Partner of Sowell Law Partners. He has
practiced corporate law since graduating in 1981 from Northwestern University
School of Law and has extensive training and knowledge of the emerging business
markets involving certified minority and women business enterprises (MWBEs). Mr.
Sowell assists his client group in general corporate matters and has been licensed
to practice law in the state of Michigan since 1985. Prior
to founding Sowell Law Partners, Mr. Sowell was founder and Managing Partner of
L. R. Sowell & Associates since October 2000. As an accomplished transactional
attorney and a national thought leader on the subject of supplier diversity strategies
for corporate America, his law practice focuses on developing growth strategies
for corporations that are implementing procurement programs with their qualified
MWBE suppliers. Our corporate clients have highly developed supplier diversity
initiatives and seek to implement supplier diversity as a strategic business process. Since
the early 1990's, Mr. Sowell practice began to focus on assisting certified minority
business enterprises and women business enterprises in developing growth strategies
by working with their corporate customers who were developing substantial procurement
programs. Mr. Sowell has been influential in handling a wide range of corporate
transactions for MWBEs involving mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic
alliances and turn-around matters. His practice has evolved into servicing certified
MWBEs and major corporations committed to supplier diversity initiatives. A number
of Mr. Sowell's clients are pursuing the acquisition of middle market companies
as a means to grow and expand their business.
In 1981, Mr. Sowell began his professional career in the Office of the General
Counsel at Marathon Oil Company located in Findlay, Ohio. While at Marathon, Mr.
Sowell gained experience in the merger and acquisition activity of the company,
including the merger between Marathon Oil Company and U.S. Steel, a $13 billion
transaction. He also participated in the acquisition of several smaller oil companies
and was responsible for providing legal advice to the information technology department
of Marathon Oil Company. In 1984 Mr.
Sowell joined the law firm of Dykema Gossett, PLLC. As an associate, his practice
included corporate transactions such as acquisitions, corporate financing, initial
public offerings and negotiating complex technology contracts. In 1990 Mr. Sowell
became a partner in the Corporate and Securities Group. While a Partner at Dykema,
Mr. Sowell, specialized in the practice areas of general corporate transactions;
mergers and acquisitions; private and public offerings of securities, including
initial public offerings and rights offerings; and the representation of borrowers
and underwriters in hospital bonds issued by the Michigan Hospital Finance Authority
and other municipal authorities. From
June 1997 until Mr. Sowell founded L. R. Sowell & Associates in 2000, Mr.
Sowell joined the law firm of Lewis & Munday, P.C. where he headed the Corporate
Practice Group and coordinated corporate bond transactions, as well as a number
of other corporate acquisitions. Between
1984 and 1997, Mr. Sowell was an attorney with the law firm Dykema Gossett, PLLC.
As an associate, his practice included corporate transactions such as acquisitions,
corporate financing, initial public offerings and negotiating complex technology
contracts. In 1990, Mr. Sowell became a partner in the Corporate and Securities
Group at Dykema. While a Partner at Dykema, Mr. Sowell specialized in the practice
areas of general corporate transactions; mergers and acquisitions; private and
public offerings of securities; the representation of borrowers and underwriters
in hospital bonds issued by the Michigan Hospital Finance Authority and other
municipal authorities. From June 1997
until Mr. Sowell founded L. R. Sowell & Associates, Mr. Sowell joined the
law firm of Lewis Munday, P.C. There he headed the Corporate Practice Group and
coordinated corporate bond transactions, as well as a number of other corporate
acquisitions. Community
InvolvementMr.
Sowell is often asked to speak and he welcomes the opportunity to share his expertise
with other groups in the business community. Some of the organizations and agencies
who have heard him speak are: African
American Credit Union CoalitionAfrican
Caribbean Chamber of Commerce
Council of Supplier Diversity Professionals
Detroit NAACP Freedom Weekend
LaBelle Entrepreneurial Center of Central Michigan University
Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council Procurement Conference
Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council Education Immersion Day
Michigan Women's Business Council Conference and Expo
National Association of Minority Architects
Native American National Business Alliance
U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce
Publications
Book, Promoting
Wisdom and Wealth, an entrepreneurial handbook,
co-author, December 2010
Lectures & Speeches Financial
Considerations in Entering Into Strategic Alliances to Grow Minority Business
Enterprises, Michigan Minority Supplier
Development Council, Michigan Minority Procurement Conference, May 2004 Winning
Though Strategic Alliances to Grow Minority Joint Ventures Business Enterprises
Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council, Michigan Minority Procurement
Conference, May 2004
Capacity Building--A Win-Win Proposition for MBEs
and Corporate Members, Michigan Minority
Supplier Development Council, Michigan Minority Procurement Conference, May 2005 U.S.
- Canadian Joint Venture Involving Minority Business Enterprises,
University of Detroit Mercy Law School, April 2005
Business Succession Planning,
Michigan Department of Transportation, Twenty-Sixth Annual Small Business Development
Conference, March 2006
Legal Ramifications of Supplier Diversity,
Council of Supplier Diversity Professionals, March 2006
Joint Ventures - Doing the Deal, Native
American National Business Association Business Conference, Santa Ana Pueblo Indian
Reservation, Albuquerque New Mexico, April 2006 I
AM NOT SO SURE THE WORLD IS FLAT, BUT.....Doing
Business in Asia Series Part Two: Partnering for Asian Business, U.S. Pan Asian
American Chamber of Commerce Conference, Atlanta, Georgia, June 2006 How
Set Asides & Affirmative Action Have Served As A Foundation for Innovative
Minority Business Enterprise Business Models,
Western New England College and Business Center for Advancing Entrepreneurship,
Second Annual Conference on Issues in Community Economic Development, March 2007
Understanding the Business Case for Supplier Diversity,
Beaumont Hospitals, Corporate Buyers Symposium, June 2007
Women's Business Joint Ventures & Strategic Alliances,
Eighth Annual Michigan Women's Business Conference and Expo, Michigan CEED, October
2008 Joint
Ventures and Strategic Alliances as Tactics to Thrive in the Global Economy,
Summa Health and Greater Akron Supplier Diversity Conference 2010, May 2010 Legal
Initiatives Creating Business Opportunities for Supplier Diversity - L3C
Legislation
Council of Supplier Diversity Professionals,
May 2012 Entrepreneurs
are Key to Thriving Michigan Communities,
Perspectives on Economic Development for Detroit with Respect to Minority Owned
Businesses, The Prosperity Agenda hosted by Dan Gilmartin with Co-host Melissa
Andres representing the Michigan Municipal League, , MLive Radio Show June 2012 L3C
Entities, Henry Ford Health System Attorneys
and Paralegals Brown Bag Series, October 2012 Lien
Filings to Protect Unpaid Receivables, National
Association of Minority Architects 40th Annual Conference, October 2012 Social
Entrepreneurship and the Low-profit Limited Liability Company (L3C) as a Legal
Form of Business Entity, Panelist at the
Vanguard Community Development Corporation Annual Entrepreneur Week Conference,
February 2013 Legal
Aspects of Organizing Your Business, ProsperUs
Detroit Entrepreneur Cohort, April 2013. How
Credit Unions Benefit as a Nonprofit, African
American Credit Union Coalition Annual Conference, August 2013 Sports
Law: Assisting Professional Athletes to Transition to Entrepreneurship,
West Virginia University College of Law, Sports & Entertainment Law Society
and the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Law Clinic, March 2014. "Making
MBE Strategic Alliances and Joint Ventures Truly Strategic Sourcing Options in
the Global Marketplace", Michigian
Minority Supplier Development Council, Combined Project ONE Module, August 2015 "Tools
for Growth: A Preview of the New JV Guidelines for MWBEs and Corporate Members",
Minority Business Women's Conference,
Panel Discussion, July 2016
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Areas
of Practice
Mergers & Acquisitions
Venture Capital
Institutional Financing
Certified Minority Joint Ventures
and Minority Strategic Alliances
Commercial Loan Transactions
Commercial Transactions
Counseling of Closely Held Businesses
Computer Equipment and Software Contracts
Franchisee and Franchisor Representation
Corporate Securities Filing Honors
and Awards
2005 Caleidoscope of Culture
Award, Dedication and Commitment to Inclusion and Diversity 2015
ACE Award, Supplier of the Year Class I, Ambassadors Championing Excellence in
Minority Supplier Development, Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council,
October 2015 2016 Central Region Class
I Regional Supplier of the Year Award, Finalist for National Supplier of the Year
Class I Award, National Minority Supplier Development Council, August 2016 2016
National Supplier of the Year Class I Award, National Minority Supplier Development
Council Conference, October 2016
Publications
"Promoting Wisdom and Wealth," an entrepreneurial
handbook, co author, December 2010 Education
Northwestern University School of Law, Juris Doctorate,
1981 Goshen College, Bachelor of Arts, 1977 Bar
Admissions
Admitted to Ohio Bar, 1981
Admitted to Michigan Bar, 1985 |
