Kohner Mann & Kailas, S.C. - A Business Commercial & Litigation Law Firm

Back to Attorneys Listing

Stephen Taylor brings a wealth of experience in international commerce and strategic and financial management. He spent almost two decades involved in the development and implementation of business strategy in various industries. He has conducted financial, market and operational analyses on many investment opportunities for venture and development capital, negotiated investment and financial restructuring arrangements and complex transactional arrangements. He has operated as a consultant, diagnosing barriers to organizational growth, and establishing the means to overcome these. Stephen has worked with individuals and companies from around the world and has served on the boards of a number of companies in addition to advising boards on issues as diverse as country risk, exit strategies, strategic partnerships, exploiting assets and matching financial structures to corporate objectives.

Stephen brings real world transactional and transnational business and corporate experience to KMKSC. While in law school he enlarged his expertise with a number of unique research undertakings relating to the intersection of business and the law. He works closely with our business and international clients to assist them in all areas of transactional law and particularly matters involving parties from or commerce with different countries and assisting with the development of new and emerging businesses.

Practice Areas:

Business Law
Corporate Law
Energy Law
Intellectual Property
International Trade
International Law
Mergers and Acquisitions

Education:

Marquette University Law School
Juris Doctorate, Cum Laude, 2007.
Externship: Hon. Judge John L. Coffey, 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, spring 2006.
Surrey European Management School, Guildford, UK.
Masters Degree in Business Administration, 1997.
University of Kent, Canterbury, UK.
B.A., with Honors, in Politics and International Relations, 1987.
The Institute of Export, London, UK
Diploma in International Trade, 1997.
U.K. professional qualification in management, mechanics and law of international trade, granting the right to the suffix MIEx (Grad).
Various professional courses related to transactional, banking, and corporate regulatory law, accounting and financial analysis, treasury management and software design and implementation.

Selected Academic Honors/Awards:

ABA-BNA Award for Excellence in the Study of Intellectual Property Law, 2005 – 2006.
Cameron-Luce Scholarship for Academic Achievement, 2006 – 2007.
CALI Excellence for the Future Awards in International Business Transactions, Negotiating Business Transactions and International Arbitration and Litigation.
Wrote the bench brief used by Honors Moot Court Panel of Seventh Circuit Judges.
Elected by peers to serve on the Surrey University Senate and the board of the Business School 1996-1997.

Individual Directed Legal Research:

Developments in, and enforcement of, antitrust, and IP law in China and Japan.
Procedural rules governing commercial litigation involving US and foreign parties.
Impact of the Foreign Corrupt Practices act on Sino-American business relationships.
Non-economic pitfalls of foreign direct investment in less developed nations.
The critical role of cultural understanding in Sino-American commercial negotiations.
Transnational legal advice and professional competence standards from a professional ethics perspective.
The law relating to unfair competition through misappropriated information in Wisconsin.

Representative Published Works:

“Cross-Cultural Differences: A Crucial Consideration in Transnational Business and Dispute Resolution,” co-author, ABA Section of Business Law Global Business Law Conference, Frankfurt, Germany, program on “When Different Cultures Meet: Mastering Cross-Cultural Considerations in Business and Litigation,” May 29, 2008.
“Wisconsin Discovery Law and Practice,” State Bar of Wisconsin (2008), co-author of supplements to chapters on Introduction to Discovery, Scope of Discovery & Judicial Supervision and Enforcement.
“Collecting Commercial Debt In The US Need Not Be Daunting,” News from the Credit Services Association, April 2008 (Great Britain).
“When Your Electronic Information May Become Your Enemy,” special supplement to Creditors’ Edge magazine, January 2008.
“Be Prepared for the Burden of Digital Discovery,” Small Business Times, September 28, 2007.
“Why the Ability to Bridge Cultural Differences is Essential for Counselors to Transnational Businesses,” presented by co-author to the 2007 ABA Annual Meeting in association with the program: “When Different Cultures Meet: Mastering Cross-Cultural Considerations in Business and Litigation.”
“Cross-Cultural Understanding: An Essential Skill in International Advocacy,” in International Arbitration and Mediation—From the Professional’s Perspective, Yorkhill Law Publishing, ISBN 978-1-4303-2526-0 (2007).
“Electronic Discovery and the Amended Rules of Civil Procedure,” Wisconsin Lawyer (Dec. 2006).
“Annual Survey of Wisconsin Law, Business and Securities Law,” acknowledged contributor, State Bar of Wisconsin CLE Books, 2007 ed. (April 2007).
“Corporate Preparations for European Monetary Union: Reactions to a Pre-Flagged Externality,” University of Surrey School of Business (1997).

Professional Associations and Memberships:

State of Wisconsin
ABA, Section of International Law (Member: Asia/Pacific, China and Transnational Legal Practice Committees)
Eastern District of Wisconsin Bar Association

Business Experience - Highlights

Advised on accounting control requirements including drafting mandatory Accounting Procedures Manual after fraud by former CFO. Created new chart of accounts and framework for disaster recovery plan.
Participated in formulation of the strategic section of the successful tender for a four-year extension of multi-million dollar contract to operate as one of the largest Regional Behavioral Health Authorities in the USA.
Researched, identified, initiated and negotiated opportunities for venture capital, development capital and merchant banking relationships.
Prepared strategic plans covering international expansions including financial, distribution and managerial requirements and benchmarks
Established and negotiated funding for a consultancy company specializing in the identification of new business opportunities for products and technological assets of emerging businesses.
Defined new applications and markets for technological assets and identified practical means to exploit these through licensing, or partnering.
Assisted with strategic planning and negotiation of mechanisms required to bring plans to fruition, including raising capital and distribution arrangements.
Developed innovative contractual frameworks and pricing structures to support business involved in leading-edge markets such as ASP software applications and mobile data.
Facilitated stock and assets business transfers.
Devised management reporting functionality for new intermediary management software application.
Arranged initial commercial beta test installation for web performance metrics application.
Prepared business assessments of companies seeking venture and development capital investment for consideration by the investment committee, including market evaluation, business plan, financial projections, internal skill resource, exit timescale and strategy, and anticipated ongoing management support requirements.
Monitored investee companies for performance issues and developed solution strategies and operational changes necessary to remedy them.
Persuaded an investment company to alter investment criteria for a particular opportunity resulting in shares in a listed company being acquired for $0.0025 and sold between $1.30 to $1.80 within 2 years.
Experience of board and cost-center managerial responsibilities, including performance, client acquisition and retention targets.
Analyzed numerous corporations’ current financial status and business planning projections.
Conducted due diligence for disposals, acquisitions and joint venture arrangements.
Successfully implemented change in culture in small and blue chip organizations, both general and related to new technology, including overcoming strong union objections.
Negotiated the removal of the risk of bankruptcy facing corporations by negotiating with existing lenders and/or establishing alternate financial arrangements.
Restructured the finances of viable businesses to remove constraints on growth.

Speeches & Presentations:

Mr. Taylor is an accomplished speaker and presenter, who is available and has spoken frequently on many business issues, including:

Business strategy
-Strategies for realizing business potential in developing market sectors.
-Securing a foothold in overseas markets.
Corporate Finance
-Securing Equity Investment.
-Managing investor and lender relations.
International Trade
-Political risk in international business decision making.
-Entering emerging markets.
-Cultural obstacles to success in international business and management.
Exploiting Technological and IP Assets
-The importance of management reporting to maximizing return on IT investments.
-Reaping the rewards of intellectual property assets.

Leadership Positions:

Appointed as a Judge for the 2008 Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest, focusing on technology related business propositions.
Mr. Taylor formerly served in both executive and non-executive capacities on the board of UK venture/development capital and consulting companies focused on finance and emerging businesses and technologies, in both executive and non-executive capacities. He has also held a number of officer positions in corporations and had final responsibility for operational departments and projects.
He served as a Parliamentary Secretary to a member of the U.K. Parliament. Drafted several documents and speeches on economic and business policy issues.
He was elected to the Board of Surrey European Management School by his fellow students, and to be their representative on the University of Surrey Senate.