Education

Vanderbilt University Law School, J.D., 2004

Michigan State University, B.S., 2001; Engineering Arts, with honor, Honors College

Bar and Court Admissions

Michigan

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan

U.S. Tax Court

U.S. Court of Federal Claims

Photo of Todd W. Hoppe
Grand Rapids
1700 East Beltline, N.E.
Suite 200
Grand Rapids, MI 49525-7044
T: 616.726.2246
F: 517.367.7389

Todd W. Hoppe

Shareholder

Todd worked at Foster Swift between his second and third years at Vanderbilt University Law School.  He returned to the firm in 2004, after graduating. Todd is a member and the practice group leader of Foster Swift’s Business and Corporate Practice Group.  He works primarily in the law firm's Grand Rapids office.  His areas of practice include:

  • Business Organization and Planning. Todd represents individuals and businesses in the agriculture, insurance, service, manufacturing and construction industries. He works with them on the formation and funding of new business entities as well as other organization and planning matters such as contracts with customers and suppliers.
  • Business Transactions. Business buyers and sellers retain Todd for counsel on sophisticated mergers, asset sales and stock sales.
  • Tax Exempt Organizations & Charitable Giving. Todd frequently represents corporations and individuals in establishing organizations that are exempt from federal income tax under Internal Revenue Code Sections 501(c)(3) (charities), 501(c)(4) (social welfare organizations), 501(c)(6) (trade associations), and 527 (political organizations).
  • Estate Planning and Administration. Individuals with estate planning and administration needs retain Todd on a wide range of matters including drafting of wills, revocable living trusts, charitable lead trusts, charitable remainder trusts, irrevocable life insurance trusts, grantor retained annuity trusts, and intentional grantor trusts/intentionally defective trusts.
  • Succession Planning. Todd works with family businesses on crafting and implementing succession plans that accomplish client goals. This often includes planned gifting, business sales, estate planning, and part-gift/part-sale transactions.

Todd credits the business law concentration of his undergraduate engineering degree for providing him the ability to communicate effectively with clients regarding complex technical issues they encounter in addressing their legal needs.

Highlights & Recognitions

Michigan Super Lawyers "Rising Star,"  2011

Representative Matters

  • An agricultural marketing cooperative wanted to expand services to its members by building a food processing facility.  A team of Foster Swift attorneys assisted the client in the acquisition of a former automotive manufacturing plant, and in structuring a complex financing arrangement that includes Michigan Economic Development Corporation bond financing and commercial bank loans and private equity financing to construct the facility.  Todd was involved in all aspects of the financing transactions and in the construction process.    Todd assisted the client in a private offering of securities that is exempt from registration under State and federal securities laws to partially fund the project.
  • A nonprofit housing authority discovered it had never received IRS recognition of its tax-exempt status. Todd helped this client obtain exempt recognition retroactive to 1977.
  • The younger members of a family wanted to acquire an agricultural manufacturing business from the prior generation. The business had approximately $20 million in annual sales. Todd helped with the negotiations, documentation and closing of the transaction.
  • A physician failed to file federal and state income tax returns for more than seven years in connection with an IRS audit and was assessed federal income tax on approximately $13 million of estimated income. Todd ultimately obtained substantial federal income tax refunds and a waiver of state penalties for failing to file tax returns.
  • Todd handled the formation of private family foundations and a food bank. He has also helped corporations establish tax-compliant, employee-dependent scholarship programs, represented donors creating community scholarship programs, and conducted board training to assist tax-exempt organizations comply with federal tax requirements.
  • A group of clients sought Todd’s help with the formation of a charitable remainder trust to which the clients donated certain valuable real estate. He later assisted the trustee of the charitable remainder trust in the sale of the real property to a municipality in a transaction funded in part by Michigan Department of Natural Resources Trust Fund acquisition grants. Todd further assisted the client in overcoming substantial regulatory hurdles and in dealing with post-closing regulatory and environmental issues.
  • The majority owner of multiple insurance agencies wanted to consolidate investment entities representing different investor groups. Todd prepared a series of transactions that merged substantially all of the agencies into a single insurance agency that is now among the 50 largest in the country. In addition, he restructured the agencies’ debt in a complex financing transaction and assisted the client in the sale of its interest in the resulting, merged agency to a private equity fund. As a result, the client is positioned for substantial growth through acquisitions of additional insurance agencies.

News

Speaking Engagements

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Publications

Memberships & Affiliations

Legal Affiliations:
  • American Bar Association
  • State Bar of Michigan
  • Grand Rapids Bar Association
Industry & Professional Associations:
  • Michigan Technology Network (MITN), Former Board Member
Community Involvement:
  • Grand Rapids Ballet Company
    • Member of the Board of Directors
    • Legal Compliance Officer
    • Executive Committee Member (2008-Present)
  • Pro-Bono counsel to various nonprofit organizations