Hardy, Michael S.

PERSONAL PROFILE:

Decisive, articulate legal and mediation professional with advisory, negotiating, writing and administrative skills; able to quickly assimilate new concepts, handle complex high-stakes transactions and work comfortably in a variety of cultures and business settings. Creator and leader of non-profit and for-profit organizations, who conceptualizes, articulates and implements a vision involving others and benefiting society.

Areas of Practice

• Commercial Contracts
• Business Organizations
• Nonprofit Organizations
• Mediation, Especially Cross-Cultural
• International and US Trade Law
• Real Estate
• Wills, Trusts and Estates
• Environmental Law

SERVICES

• Defining business, nonprofit organization and project objectives and strategies.
• Domestic and foreign investment, company & non-profit organization start ups, mergers, acquisitions/divestitures, joint ventures, foreign exchange, reorganizations.
• Commercial contracts, intellectual property, manufacturing, construction, etc.
• Wills, Trusts and Estates; Real Estate; Foundations; Environmental Law-SEQRA.
• Planning and implementing negotiation strategies and liaison between parties.
• Mediation services for family or business and preparation of related agreements.
• Cross cultural negotiations; government relations.
• US and international trade law including WTO; competition and anti-trust law.
• Shareholder and board relations, meetings, records and documentation.

EXPERTISE IN PRIVATE PRACTICE:

PRIVATE PRACTICE IN NEW YORK STATE (2000 to present)
Attorney at Law, Mediator
Ms. Hansen utilizes extensive global business development and liaison experience, expertise in nonprofit organizations and in commercial and trade law to assist corporate, business, non-profit, municipal, high-tech, entrepreneurial clients and individuals facing a variety of needs.

HANSEN INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD., Taiwan (1988 - 1999)
President, Attorney at Law (U.S.A.)
Founded and managed this firm, which advised clients concerning international law/business development involving the Asia-Pacific region.

Clients: U.S., Canadian and European multinational companies in consumer products, the futures industry, insurance, pharmaceutical, medical device, biotech and other industries; entrepreneurs; Taiwanese companies involved in international business; the Development Center for Biotechnology; Taiwan government entities including the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Fair Trade Commission.

EARTHPLACE TAIWAN, (1993-1999)
Founded and chaired membership association operating under the motto "A Practical Catalyst for Sustainable Development;" one of the first to bring that concept to Taiwan; utilized creative methodology. Arranged publishing in Chinese of Worldwatch Institute books. Undertook joint programs with industry to promote sustainable practices.

BUSINESS COUNCIL FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT-TAIWAN (1995-1999)
Founded the organization, served first as Executive Director and then Honorary Advisor of this affiliate of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Geneva, Switzerland. Corporate members are among the largest companies in Taiwan.

EXPERTISE AS CORPORATE COUNSEL:

RALSTON PURINA COMPANY, St. Louis, MO, United States (1986-1988)
Responsible for managing the law department for the $1 billion international division of Ralston Purina Co., then a $5.8 billion multinational company. Counseled U.S. and foreign management, supervised and selected in-house and outside counsel. Senior manager and advisor to the division president.

SCHERING-PLOUGH CORP., Kenilworth, NJ, United States (1979-1986)
Counsel and Senior Counsel representing this Fortune 200 company and over 100 foreign subsidiaries in a wide variety of international business activities, reporting to Director or Vice President.

JOHNSON WAX: A FAMILY COMPANY, Racine, WI, United States (1973-1979)
Advised and functioned as attorney for international operations, reporting to Director/Vice President. Counseled headquarters and 17 domestic subsidiaries on state and federal labor and employment laws.

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION EXPERIENCE:

Ms. Hansen, has extensive experience in the U.S. and overseas in establishment of non-profit entities, development planning, program planning, administration and fundraising. She is counsel to local, national and international non-profit organizations. Some examples follow:

The Red Hook Rotary Foundation, Counsel (current) established to provide funding for community service projects of the Rotary Club of Red Hook, NY.

Ralph Waldo Emerson Institute (current), Counsel for this web based organization intended to the most complete repository for Emerson's writings and related scholarship.

World Affairs Council of the Mid-Hudson Valley (current) Counsel for this affiliate of the World Affairs Council.

World Sound Foundation; (current) Counsel to this entity designed to preserve sound recordings of humans, human activity, historical recollections, animals and nature in the Hudson Valley and elsewhere.

Visit of Lester Brown to the Mid-Hudson Valley (2004), Events Chairperson for the two-day, 12-event visit by Brown, founder of Worldwatch Institute and the Earth Policy Institute; numerous awards.

Worldwatch Institute, Washington D.C., (1996-1999) Agent for Taiwan; launched Chinese language publication of the Worldwatch Institute books Vital Signs (1996) and State of the World (1997). Arranged visit to Taiwan by Lester Brown including a national conference, book launch and other events.

Taiwan Business Council for Sustainable Development: Founder (1995), Executive Director (1996), Honorary Advisor (1997-1999); launched it in five months with 13 major corporations as members. In 1996, arranged for it to sponsor the Chinese language edition of Worldwatch's Vital Signs and to initiate a corporate recycling program among its members.

Earthplace, Taipei, Taiwan (1992-1999) Founder and Chairperson; lead in bringing sustainable development to Taiwan; created methodology of citizen participation, best technologies.

MEDIATION TRAINING AND EXPERTISE

• Mediator training through the New York State program of Community Dispute Resolution Centers in February 2001.
• Completed trainings by Ulster Sullivan Mediation, Inc, the Dispute Resolution Center and the New York State Dispute Resolution Association (NYSDRA) in techniques of mediation facilitation, developing a mediation practice, family law (separation/divorce) mediation, child custody and parent/adolescent mediation. Completed Law Guardian training.
• Member of the Board of the New York State Dispute Resolution Association, which overseas mediation training in New York State, 2002 through 2005.
• Extensive experience in commercial law, both domestic and international, skilled in cross-cultural communication.
• From 1994 to 1999 participated in several 3-day workshops and trained as facilitator in the community building techniques of the Foundation for Community Encouragement founded by M. Scott Peck.
• Graduated June 2003 from the Barbara Brennan School of Healing, a four-year college emphasizing psychology and the human energy system. Graduated in 2005 from its two-year Advanced Studies-Education program and in 2008 from it's two-year advanced program in psychology.