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Sean H.
Cook

  • Partner
scook@wnj.com
Detroit
T 313.546.6058
M 248.915.0213
F 248.603.9658

My admin

I’m a practical, reasonable guy — and I approach my legal practice the same way. I think my clients appreciate that I bring real life solutions given the legal issues involved. They don’t want any unnecessary drama or difficulty in their lives, and so I do my best to shield them from those things. I listen to them, try to understand what they really want and need and then remove those obstacles that are getting in their way.

Sean Cook offers knowledge and versatility in many diverse practice areas, including tax, mergers and acquisitions, closely held businesses and the unique needs of their owners, trusts and estates, as well as general corporate and charity law. He works with companies on a variety of complex tax matters, and also represents both buyers and sellers in mergers and acquisitions, providing due diligence counsel all the way through structuring and closing the sale agreements. He is well versed in the application process for tax-exempt status for startup organizations and has also converted many for-profit organizations to nonprofit status. Sean practiced as a Certified Public Accountant for nearly 9 years and brings his knowledge of the complexities of accounting, auditing, financial statements and tax compliance when solving client issues.

“The only thing constant in the tax and estate areas is that there is no constant.”

— Sean H. Cook

industries

practices

  • Counsels many businesses on the buy and sell side of acquisitions.
  • Assists businesses with tax issues in a variety of transaction, including choice of entity issues, issuance of incentive ownership to employees, capital formation and cross-border transactions.
  • Assists clients in purchase or sale of businesses, from structuring the deal to handling due diligence, closing and post-closing matters.
  • Lead attorney in several successful acquisitions and divestitures of closely held businesses in a variety of industries which focus on automotive, ancillary waste management and healthcare.
  • Lead attorney in successful sale of Mount Brighton Ski Resort to Vail Resorts in 2012.
  • Lead attorney with restructuring U.S. entities
  • Counsels many businesses on the buy and sell side of acquisitions.
  • Assists businesses with tax issues in a variety of transaction, including choice of entity issues, issuance of incentive ownership to employees, capital formation and cross-border transactions.
  • Assists clients in purchase or sale of businesses, from structuring the deal to handling due diligence, closing and post-closing matters.
  • Lead attorney in several successful acquisitions and divestitures of closely held businesses in a variety of industries which focus on automotive, ancillary waste management and healthcare.
  • Lead attorney in successful sale of Mount Brighton Ski Resort to Vail Resorts in 2012.
  • Lead attorney with restructuring U.S. entities as part of an international restructuring of a global auto supplier.
  • Assisted auto supplier in a joint venture arrangement with another supplier.
  • Structured the post-bankruptcy legal organization for an auto supplier.
  • Represented several business owners in negotiated separation agreements.
  • Engages with individuals to address their estate planning needs.
  • Assists in succession planning, through generation wealth transfers, traditional gifting, family partnerships, recapitalization and other methods.
  • Represents private foundations, assisting with tax or corporate governance issues.
  • Handled several applications for tax-exempt status for new organizations; helped organizations come into compliance and converted a for-profit organization to nonprofit status.
  • Local counsel for national retailer in successful claim for refund of sales tax.
    • “A Practical Approach to the Centralized Partnership Audit Regimen,” Michigan Tax Lawyer, Winter 2018
    • “What’s the Word…’Personal Goodwill’ – 2014 Transfer Tax Cases Recognizing Personal Goodwill,” Michigan Tax Lawyer, Fall 2014
    • “The Rich Poor: Planning for estates under $10,680,000 and Counting (or repurposing the current plan),” ICLE presentation, February 2014
    • “Federal Income Tax Consequences of Same-Sex Couple Marital Status After U.S. v. Windsor and Rev. Rul. 2013-17,” Michigan Tax Lawyer, Fall 2013
    • “Tax Provisions
    • “A Practical Approach to the Centralized Partnership Audit Regimen,” Michigan Tax Lawyer, Winter 2018
    • “What’s the Word…’Personal Goodwill’ – 2014 Transfer Tax Cases Recognizing Personal Goodwill,” Michigan Tax Lawyer, Fall 2014
    • “The Rich Poor: Planning for estates under $10,680,000 and Counting (or repurposing the current plan),” ICLE presentation, February 2014
    • “Federal Income Tax Consequences of Same-Sex Couple Marital Status After U.S. v. Windsor and Rev. Rul. 2013-17,” Michigan Tax Lawyer, Fall 2013
    • “Tax Provisions of Health Care Reform: Whether a Cure or a Catastrophe, It Is Here,” Bloomberg  Law Reports – Health Law, July 2, 2010
    • “Federal Tax Forum,” Michigan Tax Lawyer, Fall 2006
    • “Are Intermediate Sanctions on Tax-Exempt Organizations a Slippery Slope to Termination?,” The Michigan Business Law Journal, Spring 2006
    • “New Like Kind Regulations Highlight Old Planning Opportunities,” Michigan Tax Lawyer, Fourth Quarter 1994
    Image for Sean H. Cook

    Sean H.
    Cook

    • Partner
    scook@wnj.com
    Detroit
    T 313.546.6058
    M 248.915.0213
    F 248.603.9658

    My admin

    Biography|
    Credentials

    I’m a practical, reasonable guy — and I approach my legal practice the same way. I think my clients appreciate that I bring real life solutions given the legal issues involved. They don’t want any unnecessary drama or difficulty in their lives, and so I do my best to shield them from those things. I listen to them, try to understand what they really want and need and then remove those obstacles that are getting in their way.

    Sean Cook offers knowledge and versatility in many diverse practice areas, including tax, mergers and acquisitions, closely held businesses and the unique needs of their owners, trusts and estates, as well as general corporate and charity law. He works with companies on a variety of complex tax matters, and also represents both buyers and sellers in mergers and acquisitions, providing due diligence counsel all the way through structuring and closing the sale agreements. He is well versed in the application process for tax-exempt status for startup organizations and has also converted many for-profit organizations to nonprofit status. Sean practiced as a Certified Public Accountant for nearly 9 years and brings his knowledge of the complexities of accounting, auditing, financial statements and tax compliance when solving client issues.

    “The only thing constant in the tax and estate areas is that there is no constant.”

    — Sean H. Cook

    industries

    practices

      • “A Practical Approach to the Centralized Partnership Audit Regimen,” Michigan Tax Lawyer, Winter 2018
      • “What’s the Word…’Personal Goodwill’ – 2014 Transfer Tax Cases Recognizing Personal Goodwill,” Michigan Tax Lawyer, Fall 2014
      • “The Rich Poor: Planning for estates under $10,680,000 and Counting (or repurposing the current plan),” ICLE presentation, February 2014
      • “Federal Income Tax Consequences of Same-Sex Couple Marital Status After U.S. v. Windsor and Rev. Rul. 2013-17,” Michigan Tax Lawyer, Fall 2013
      • “Tax Provisions
      • “A Practical Approach to the Centralized Partnership Audit Regimen,” Michigan Tax Lawyer, Winter 2018
      • “What’s the Word…’Personal Goodwill’ – 2014 Transfer Tax Cases Recognizing Personal Goodwill,” Michigan Tax Lawyer, Fall 2014
      • “The Rich Poor: Planning for estates under $10,680,000 and Counting (or repurposing the current plan),” ICLE presentation, February 2014
      • “Federal Income Tax Consequences of Same-Sex Couple Marital Status After U.S. v. Windsor and Rev. Rul. 2013-17,” Michigan Tax Lawyer, Fall 2013
      • “Tax Provisions of Health Care Reform: Whether a Cure or a Catastrophe, It Is Here,” Bloomberg  Law Reports – Health Law, July 2, 2010
      • “Federal Tax Forum,” Michigan Tax Lawyer, Fall 2006
      • “Are Intermediate Sanctions on Tax-Exempt Organizations a Slippery Slope to Termination?,” The Michigan Business Law Journal, Spring 2006
      • “New Like Kind Regulations Highlight Old Planning Opportunities,” Michigan Tax Lawyer, Fourth Quarter 1994