Michael F. Zullas
Partner
Phone
Michael F. Zullas counsels businesses at all stages of development from inventors seeking venture financing and international licensing deals for their products, to the formation and sale of investment advisory and financial services firms, to the turnaround and sale of multimillion dollar enterprises.
With over 30 years of experience as a litigator, public corruption prosecutor, and in-house general counsel to high-tech companies, Mike brings a broad range of experience to counseling businesses of all kinds. His recent clientele has included companies in the fields of healthcare, biotechnology, software services and development, behavioral health, education network application, security hardware, bookstores, and financial services.
Mike’s work as in-house counsel for high-tech businesses ran the gamut from an Internet start-up with approximately 50 employees (Why.com, Inc.) to an NYSE-listed manufacturer of electronics equipment (Manufacturers’ Services Ltd.) that was acquired by a contract manufacturer with more than $7 billion in annual revenues (Celestica, Inc.). Mike also served as in-house counsel for a NASDAQ-listed software company (Inso Corp.) and a NASDAQ-listed telecommunications company specializing in voice-over-IP infrastructure solutions (Sonus Networks, Inc.).
Prior to returning to private practice, Mike was Senior Vice President and General Counsel of m-Qube, Inc., a mobile technology company that was acquired by Verisign, Inc. for $280 million.
Earlier in his career, Mike was a business litigator with Hale and Dorr, LLP (now WilmerHale) and a prosecutor of public corruption and economic crimes with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.
Honors & Awards
Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, "Top Managing Partner," 2024
The Best Lawyers in America - Employment Law - Management, 2024-2025
Boston Magazine, "Top Lawyers" - Trusts & Estates, 2022
Massachusetts Super Lawyers, 2020-2022, 2024
John D. O'Reilly, Jr. Award for Contributions to the Law
- Massachusetts
JD, Vanderbilt Law School
BD, cum laude, Williams College
Experience
- Represented behavioral health company in asset sales totaling nearly $50 million.
- Represented financial staffing firm in $60 million leveraged ESOP consolidation of 15 entities.
- Represented eCommerce platform provider in $23 million merger.
- Represented biotech company in debt and equity financings totaling more than $15 million.
- Acted as outside general counsel for several urgent care providers.
- Represented education network application in $6 million in equity financings.
- Represented investors in $6.5 million leveraged purchase of security hardware company.
- Represented security hardware company in three add-on acquisitions.
- Represented eCommerce shopping platform in $6 million in equity financings and subsequent asset sale.
- Represented purchaser in acquisition of a digital media/web technology firm.
- Represented seller in merger of global foreign direct investment advisory firms.
- Represented temporary employee firm in asset sale.
- Represented purchaser in acquisition of a US Government and military market healthcare equipment supplier.
- President and Director, Milton Library Foundation
- Select Board, Chair, Town of Milton
- School Committee Chair, Town of Milton
- Warrant Committee, Town of Milton
- Town Meeting Member, Town of Milton
- Various Committees (School Building, Municipal Broadband, Traffic Mitigation), Town of Milton
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Recent efforts on behalf of the Town:
- Assisted in negotiating a new contract with cable provider that resulted in approximately $1,100,000 in additional payments to benefit the Town, and New England’s first dark fiber agreement for institutional broadband.
- Proposed and passed changing the name of the Board of Selectmen to the Select Board.
- Proposed and passed creation of the Youth Task Force, served on it, and negotiated the agreement for Milton’s Youth Center - the Wildcat Den.
- Proposed and passed creation of the Traffic Mitigation Committee, served on it, and assisted in preparing its report.
- Proposed and passed Milton’s first Pride Month Proclamation.
- Worked with U.S. Congressional representatives, state legislators, and Boston City Councilors to advocate for air traffic relief.
- Negotiated a new health insurance plan design for Town employees that is expected to save more than $1,100,000.
- Assisted in negotiating with cable provider for expanded cable and internet coverage in Milton.
- Drafted and negotiated the agreement for the Neponset Neighbors Together Fund, a cooperative effort of Milton, Mattapan, and Dorchester, with The United Way and Boston City Councilors Andrea Campbell and Ricardo Arroyo, to raise funds for those most in need during the COVID-19 crisis.
- Proposed and passed the COVID-19 Stay-at-Home and Face Covering Advisory.
- Proposed and passed Milton’s Proclamation of a Day of Reflection and Witness for Seeking Equity and Justice for All.
Publications
- Author, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (MCLE), “What Employment Lawyers Need to Know About Other Practice Areas”
Seminars
- Presenter, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education’s (MCLE), “Business/Corporate Law for Employment Lawyers”
- Presenter, MIT, “Forming an Entity, the Founders’ Dilemma, and Employee Equity”
