About

Don Petersen can empower you to achieve the success that you deserve.

What is standing between you and success? Are the cards are stacked against you? Do you even know what “success” is? Don can explain this (and more) to you while helping you achieve your goals.

Don achieved. He grew up in a single-parent home, surviving poverty, welfare, food stamps, and an alcoholic dad in prison. In the 10th grade, he lived alone, working the midnight shift and washing his clothes in the kitchen sink. He graduated from high school with a 1.64 GPA.

Seven years later, he was teaching economics at Harvard University and Harvard Law School. Seven short years.

Since then, he’s overcome (with the help of his doctors!) a medical issue that helped him re-prioritize his goals, and he embarked on a journey to help his clients; and he’s helped hundreds of them achieve their dreams.

With a mix of reality, business, and a little humor, Don will help you make your business a success. You’ll enjoy working with him, and you will learn.

Don isn’t your cookie-cutter lawyer. He tailors each engagement to each client’s specific needs, and he captures your attention with a mix of lessons and experiences.

Unlike most Harvard lawyers, Don doesn’t work for a huge law firm and doesn’t use Latin (unless you ask nicely). He works for ordinary, hard-working folks, like you, and helps them achieve their goals.

Don handles a wide variety of large and small legal issues, including real estate matters, loans, trials, financing, raising funds from investors, etc.

If you have a business or legal problem, call Don. He will help you, or he will find someone who can.

My Education

Harvard Law School

Degree: J.D. Law | Cum Laude

University of Chicago

Degree: B.S. Economics | General Honors | Specific Honors | Phi Beta Kappa

Lansing Community College

Degree: General Education | Phi Theta Kappa

Work Experience

Real Estate Transactions – Representative Experience

Executive Hills North: Managed the sale of multiple parcels in an Auburn Hills business condo, handling all related matters for clients.
Retail Buildings: Facilitated transactions in Sylvan Lake, Waterford, Pontiac, and other locations.
Office Buildings: Negotiated deals in Troy, Auburn Hills, Detroit, and Farmington Hills.
Hotels: Successfully brokered transactions for hotels in Auburn Hills, Detroit, and Pecos, TX.
Commercial Land: Represented clients in land deals throughout the Detroit area, including Auburn Hills, Livonia, Highland, and Macomb.
Apartment-to-Condo Conversions: Converted condos in Detroit and Birmingham.

International Experience

Russia: Completed a month-long project finalizing a $250 million line-of-credit for the City of Moscow.
China: Spent two weeks in Beijing negotiating a bio-statistics joint venture agreement.

Acquiring Existing Businesses – Representative Experience

Negotiated the acquisition of the 3rd largest fine-art auction house, covered by the WSJ and New York Times.
Oversaw transactions involving engine-rebuild and automobile-repair facilities, jewelry stores, commercial laundries, mobile-home dealerships, and bowling alleys throughout Michigan.
Facilitated the acquisition of restaurants in Dearborn, Lansing, Farmington Hills, etc.

Creating New Companies – Representative Experience in Establishing:

Meatless product manufacturing and distribution company in Bloomfield Township.
Country club and residential properties in Independence Township.
Aquarium sales and servicing business in Rochester.
Movie-production company and theatre in New Mexico.
Video-surveillance security company in Detroit.
Resale business in Royal Oak.
Hotel in Big Sky, Montana.
Residential-development company in Traverse City.
Multiple mobile home/manufactured housing dealerships and communities across Michigan.

Contracts Negotiated and Drafted – Representative Examples

Real Estate Purchase Agreements, Easements, Licenses, Right-of-Ways, and more.
Operating Agreements, Shareholder Agreements, Partnership Agreements, and Asset Purchase Agreements.
Employment Contracts, Non-disclosure Agreements, Confidentiality Agreements, Indemnification Agreements, and Non-compete Agreements.

Teaching Experience

Harvard Law School, Cambridge, MA — Adjunct Professor (Economics and Tax)
Cooley Law School, Grand Rapids, MI — Tenured Professor (Property, Secured Transactions, Negotiation, Sports Law)
Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX — Adjunct Professor (Secured Transactions)
Oakland University, Rochester Hills, MI — Adjunct Professor (Economics)
Nationwide continuing legal education courses in Secured Transactions

Additional Information

Member of the State Bars and State Bar Associations of Michigan, Illinois, and Texas.
Prepare the yearly update for Security Interests in Personal Property (Eldon Reiley, Thomson/West Publishing).
Member of the Library Advisory Board for the Commerce Township Public Library
Former Member of Cannon Township Planning Commission.
Twice recognized as Professor of the Year at Cooley Law School
Admitted to practice law in Michigan, Texas, and Illinois.
Graduate of the Second City Conservatory and Comedy Writing Program; former touring stand-up comedian.