Bodman Expands Banking and Real Estate Groups with the Addition of Howard A. Lax and Glen M. Zatz
02/15/13
Bodman PLC has expanded its Banking and Real Estate practice groups with the addition of two highly experienced practitioners, Howard A. Lax and Glen M. Zatz.
Both attorneys joined Bodman as Members. Lax is based in Bodman’s Troy office and Zatz is in the firm’s Detroit office.
Lax concentrates his practice in financial institutions consumer compliance and regulatory affairs and real property law. His clients include banks, mortgage lenders, real estate developers, and title insurance companies.
Before joining Bodman, Lax practiced with other highly regarded southeast Michigan business law firms and served for 10 years with the Legal Services Division of NBD Bank where he was counsel to NBD Mortgage Company and consumer lending counsel to various other departments within the bank.
He has authored dozens of articles and presented at numerous conferences and continuing education programs on regulatory and real estate issues and on the documentation of consumer loans. Lax has been listed in Michigan Super Lawyers under Banking and Real Estate and honored by Dbusiness magazine as a Top Lawyer. He was a member of the State Bar of Michigan Real Property Law Section Council for 14 years, served as chair of the Residential Transactions Committee, and co-edits the Real Estate Section’s newsletter.
Zatz has over 30 years of in-house and law firm experience providing lending and real estate related legal services to financial institutions and other clients. He has represented purchasers and sellers in various commercial and industrial projects, including construction and development related activities. He has represented lenders and to borrowers in a wide range of real estate and other loans. He has extensive experience drafting and negotiating commercial leases for both landlords and tenants. He is skilled in drafting, negotiation, risk identification, and process development and implementation, including the development of standardized forms and procedures for financial institutions.
Before joining Bodman, Zatz served as a senior vice president and associate general counsel for Comerica Bank. During his tenure at Comerica Bank, Zatz managed various groups in the legal department, including the Transactional Group, the Real Estate Group, the Real Estate Facilities Group, and the Contract Administration Group.
Zatz is active in pro bono legal services, having acted as a volunteer lawyer for various Community Legal Resource projects, including the Community Land Trust Project, the Affordability Preservation Project, the Retention of Occupancy on Foreclosure (ROOF) Project, the Foreclosure Limitation Owner Occupancy and Recovery (FLOOR) Project, and the Detroit Works Legal Team. He serves on the board of directors and as chairperson of the Program Committee of Community Legal Resources.
Zatz is also active in the State Bar of Michigan where he serves on the Council for the Real Property Law Section and was chairperson for the Commercial Real Estate Finance Committee.
Bodman is one of Michigan’s largest business law firms with more than 150 lawyers in four Michigan offices in Detroit, Troy, Ann Arbor, and Cheboygan, and an affiliate office in Dallas, Texas. The prestigious client and peer review journal Chambers USA rates Bodman as the top financial institutions law firm in Michigan and as one of the top Real Estate law firms.
Bodman has a diverse client base that includes individuals and businesses in a variety of industries with emphasis on financial services, automotive, real estate and construction, high tech, health care, manufacturing, and other sectors.