Michael Clouser is a partner in the Jacksonville office and leads the firm’s Corporate and General Counsel Services group. He is also co-Chair of the Construction Transactions group. His current practice areas include General Counsel Services, Banking and Financial, Corporate, Construction, Real Estate and Title Insurance Transactions, Employment and Labor, Corporate and Regulatory Compliance, Business/Commercial Law, Intellectual Property, Securities, Trust and Estate Planning.  He has spent the last twenty years working as corporate counsel within Fortune 500 companies in the insurance and financial services industry. He has spent the last ten years in a general counsel role, and most recently served as SVP, Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary for Allied Solutions, LLC, a member of the Securian Financial family of companies. Michael’s transactional background includes handling complex contracts relating to IP and software development, drafting commercial agreements, forming and acquiring business entities, and advising business owners and executives on legal, compliance, and operational risks associated with their business.

Michael began his legal career at Latham & Watkins, a global law firm based in Los Angeles where he handled securities and transactional matters. He went on to build a successful sports agency practice where he represented numerous National Football League players in contract negotiations with NFL teams. He was recognized and quoted in the Wall Street Journal as one of the top NFL player agents for negotiating record setting deals on behalf of his NFL clients.

Michael holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from William & Mary where he was selected to the Beta Gamma Sigma National Honor Society for his academic achievements. He received a full academic scholarship to attend the University of Miami School of Law in Coral Gables, Florida where he earned his Juris Doctorate degree with honors and served as the Managing Editor of the University of Miami Law Review.

Michael has earned professional designations as a Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and Certified International Privacy Professional (CIPP). He is licensed in Florida, California and Pennsylvania.

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE:

• Member of the Board of Governors and Legal and Compliance Director for First Coast Worksite Wellness Council, a non-profit sponsored by Florida Blue.
• General counsel for The Bridge Eco-Village a real estate development company that acquires old properties like schools and malls and converts them to fully sustainable and self-contained mixed-use “Eco-Villages” with housing, commercial/retail space, co-working, urban agriculture, innovation/education center and entertainment.
• General counsel for Empower at the Bridge Foundation, a non-profit company whose mission is to provide opportunities and improved quality of life for the underprivileged and underserved and those suffering from systemic oppression.
• Counsel professional athletes and entertainers on negotiating Non-Fungible Token agreements with talent management companies.
• Counsel amateur athletes and talent management companies relating to Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) regulations.
• Counsel Allied Solutions, LLC on auto finance matters relating to ancillary product refund laws and pending litigation across the United States.
• Formation of 501c3 non-profit corporations on behalf of professional athletes and counsel on corporate governance and compliance matters.
• Experienced in the negotiation of M&A and Real Estate transactions.