Michael R. Ford, Shareholder/Director

Mike Ford is a multi faceted, transactional lawyer with extensive experience in all aspects of mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, banking, business, commercial and real estate law.

He was principal outside general counsel, handling all legal aspects of one of the largest financial receiverships ever conducted and handled the sale of its more than $2 billion in assets. He has conducted extensive due diligence and director and officer liability projects for major hedge funds as well as the sale of a $300 million portfolio of real estate and loans of all types located throughout the U.S. He has been outside general counsel for a publicly held bank and handled bank regulatory matters with all federal regulatory agencies.

Mike has represented both buyers and sellers in the acquisition and sale of assets and stock of major companies involved in a broad range of businesses, including: federal and state banks, gelatin plant, oil and gas well servicing companies, coal mining joint venture, oil and gas wells and equipment, rural telephone company, an equine embryo transfer company, insurance agencies, gas transmission company, automobile dealerships, energy trading companies and medical technology companies. He has represented both landlord and tenants in major commercial real estate leases and developers of large residential projects. He is currently serving as principal outside counsel for a major agricultural company which owns large farming acreage in four different states.

Practices

• Administrative and Regulatory Practice
• Commercial Real Estate
• Construction Industry
• Corporate and Securities
• Equine, Bovine and Agricultural Law
• Estate Planning, Probate & Trusts
• Financial Institutions and Finance
• Taxation

Education

• George Washington University National Law Center (LL.M in Taxation, 1974)
• United States Army Judge Advocate General School (Commandant List) 1970-1971
• University of Oklahoma (J.D., 1970) Order of the Coif; Phi Delta Phi. Article and Book Review Editor, Oklahoma Law Review (1969-1970); Honor Council Representative Senior Class (1969-1970)
• Northwestern University/University of Oklahoma (B.A. in Letters, 1967)

Related News & Events

• Fellers Snider Attorneys in 2013 Edition of Best Lawyers
• Fellers Snider Attorneys Recognized In the 2011 Edition of Best Lawyers in America
• Michael R. Ford Completes Term as Chair of the Professional Services Committee of the Section of Taxation
• Shareholder/ Director Michael R. Ford co-authors article in the November issue of the ABA Journal: The Bad-Debt Blues.
• Fellers Snider Attorneys Recognized In the 2010 Edition of Best Lawyers in America

Bar Admissions

• Admitted to Bar, 1970, Oklahoma
• Admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court 1974—the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit and for the Fifth Circuit
• Admitted to practice before the United States District Courts for the Northern District and Western District of Oklahoma
• Admitted to practice before the United States Court of Federal Claims
• Admitted to practice before the United States Tax Court

Representative Matters & Clients

• Represented several oil and gas well servicing firms including Shebester of Hennessey Inc. and Collins Well Service Company
• Represented the receiver of the Federal Land Bank of Jackson in receivership and liquidated all of the assets of that entity
• Represented Resurgence Properties LLC in liquidating a $300,000,000.00 real estate investment trust portfolio
• Served as principal outside counsel to Local Oklahoma Bank and continues to represent on selective matters its successor by merger International Bank of Commerce, represented on corporate matters and acquisitions and dispositions, major car dealerships including John Smicklas Chevrolet
• Currently serving as principal outside counsel for Caliber Development Company, a commercial and residential real estate development company, Stampede Farms and Redwolf Farms, owner of major agricultural properties in four states and their related entities, and as counsel on certain selected matters to Wexford Capital LP. and its related entities.

Articles & Publications

• "Choice of Entity for Oil and Gas Activities Under the Tax Reform Act of 1986," Oil and Gas Taxes Natural Resources, Prentice-Hall (1988)
• "The Whys and Wherefores of Revocable Trusts," Successful Estate Planning Ideas and Methods Service, Prentice-Hall (October/November 1983)
• “Clifford Trusts Attractive Vehicles for Gifts of Oil and Gas Interests,” Oklahoma Bar Association Journal (1983)
• "Estate Planning for Oil and Gas Interests," Oil and Gas Taxes Natural Resources, Prentice-Hall (1982)
• “Section 22 Rates: Unregulated Rates in a Regulated Industry,” ICC Practioner’s Journal (1974)
   

Professional Memberships

• Vice Chair (2001-2003), Chair (2003-2005), Closely Held Businesses Committee of the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Taxation; Vice Chair (2005-2008); Chair (2008 to Present) of the Professional Services Committee of the ABA Section of Taxation, Member of the Negotiated Acquisitions Committee of the ABA Section of Business Law
• Member: American Law Institute (since 1992); Oklahoma County Bar Association, Member of the International Council of Shopping Centers; Member of The Group, Inc.; Member of the Fellows of the American Bar Foundation; Sustaining Fellow of the Oklahoma Bar Foundation; Member of Small Business Council of America; Member of the Oklahoma Fellows of the American Bar Foundation; Member of the Supreme Court Historical Society
• Master of Luther Bohanon American Inns of Court
• Vice President (1982 1983), President (1983-1984) of the Enid Estate Planning Council, Enid, OK
• Vice Chair (1982-1983), Chairman (1983-1984) of the Oklahoma Bar Association Section of Taxation

Community Leadership & Activities

• Board of Trustees of the Oklahoma City Community College Foundation
• Greater Enid Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors (1983-1985)
• Kiwanis Club of Enid, Oklahoma, District 16 Texas-Oklahoma: Lieutenant Governor (1986), President (1984-1985), First Vice President (1981 1983), Second Vice President (1979-1981)
• Deacon, Trustee, Vice Chairman of the Board of Central Christian Church, Enid, OK (1981-1985)
• Deacon, Member of Deacon Executive Committee, Choir Officer, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Oklahoma City, OK (2001 to present)

Awards & Honors

• Selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® in the specialty areas of Banking Law, Corporate Law and Mergers & Acquisitions Law (2007-2013)
• Oklahoma Super Lawyers® 2006
• The Journal Record Leadership in Law Honoree (2008)
• Who’s Who in America (2008-2009 and several previous years)
• Who’s Who in the World (2009 and several previous years)
• AV Peer Rating Martindale-Hubbell (since early 1980s)
• U.S. Army—Meritorious Service Medal 1974; Joint Service Commendation Medal 1973

Speaking Engagements

• Taxation and Securities Aspects of Oil and Gas Businesses for Oklahoma Bar Association Continuing Legal Education Seminar (1982)
• Basic Estate Planning for Elderly Clients for the Legal and Financial Problems of the Elderly, Oklahoma City University School of Law (February, 1982)
• 18th Annual University of Oklahoma Estate Planning Institute (1983)
• Drafting of Wills and Trusts, Oklahoma City University School of Law CLE (1984)
• Choosing the Entity in Which to Conduct the Small Business presented to the Enid Estate Planning Council, Enid, OK (1984)
• Incorporating Under the New Oklahoma General Corporation Act, presented to an Oklahoma Bar Association CLE Seminar (October, 1986)
• Estate Planning for Interests in Closely Held Businesses presented to an Oklahoma Bar Association CLE Seminar on Estate Planning (October, 1989)
• Estate Planning Issues presented to the Oklahoma Bar Association CLE Seminar entitled "Representing Clients Planning for Retirement or Already in Retirement" (September/October, 1991)
• Oklahoma Current Developments in Intestacy, Wills, Trusts, Estate Taxation and Guardianship Law and a second presentation on Legal Ethics in Oklahoma: Recent Developments in Oklahoma Ethical Disciplinary Proceedings, both presented to Boatmen's First National Bank of Oklahoma City Seminar (November, 1991)
• Choice of Entity for Small Businesses presented to the Oklahoma County Bar Association Seminar in Aspen, CO (1992)
• Tax Considerations for Each Business Entity; presented to an Oklahoma Bar Association CLE Seminar (Fall, 1995)
• Current Tax Considerations in Choice of Business Entity, OBA-CLE Seminar (February, 1996)
• Panel Participant ABA Tax Connection Teleconference on the Low Income Housing Tax Credit/Housing Assistance Tax Act of 2008 (Fall, 2008)
• Will Co Author in the Summer of 2009 the ABA Connection Article on behalf of the ABA Section of Taxation and will be Co-Moderator of an ABA Connection Teleconference based upon that Article (November, 2009)

Pro Bono

• Represented numerous individuals on a gratuitous basis over the years who would not otherwise have been able to afford counsel.
• Have performed legal work for church and other civic organizations at various times