STEPHEN R. SERRAINO, ESQ.

Toledo, Ohio
419-262-9898 | serrainolaw@hotmail.com

Corporate Counsel Legal Strategy

Strategic, tactical, and highly trusted advisor to senior management within demanding corporate environments.
Innate and developed legal expertise honed across broad spectrum of legal/business functions, including:
product safety; products liability; regulatory compliance; litigation; discovery methods; investigations;
negotiation skills in conferences, agency actions, facilitations, mediations, and arbitrations; regulatory
compliance; supply chain; commercial issues; and contracts, among others. Engaging communicator skilled
in consulting closely with C-suites and management teams to devise, implement, and deploy successful, legal
and business strategies.
Legal Counsel & Support
Functional Expertise
Strong Analysis/Writing
Compliance Consulting
Organizational Agility
Key Requirements Gathering
Issue Training & Coaching
Managerial Courage
Colleague Sounding Board
Adept With Investigations
Relationship Builder
Strategy Development & Goals
Corporate Ethics & Privacy
Business Unit Partner/Resource Government Relationships
Litigation & Claims Strategies
Cross-Team Collaboration
Maintain Knowledge Base

Professional Experience
GENERAL COUNSEL, CORPORATE SECRETARY, AND CHIEF ETHICS OFFICER
2014 Present
Upper Peninsula Power Holding Company (UPPHC) and
Marquette, MI
Upper Peninsula Power Company (UPPCO)
Executive authority over law department staff, budget, research, and processes in advising and consulting all
levels of corporate board and management about potential and continuing legal and governance issues pertaining
to regulated energy utilities. Draft, refine, and integrate corporate governing contracts with clients, investors,
vendors, suppliers, and service providers. Facilitate, negotiate, and implement contemplated agreements to
acquire additional utility entities in all energy sectors. Negotiate and assure compliance with energy purchase
contracts to provide energy from the grid and elsewhere to meet demand above generation capabilities. Identify,
ameliorate, and/or mitigate legal issues spanning: risk management; energy development; safety & liability;
regulatory compliance; government relations; litigation; employment; commercial; contracts; real estate;
construction; energy; and supply chain. Resolve all court actions, litigation, administrative proceedings, workers'
compensation, arbitrations, mediations, facilitations, hearings, settlements, and other disputes. Manage and
coordinate use of external legal counsel. Act as point of contact with local, state, and federal government
agencies. Deliver collaborative information training on legal processes and ramifications. Continuously assess
compliance due to complex regulatory framework.
Key Achievements
Established new/stand-alone law department in entity divested from a large energy holding company.
Responsible for establishing new corporate headquarters facility for executive and administrative staffs.
VICE PRESIDENT LAW, GENERAL COUNSEL & CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER
2011 2014
Temperance Distilling Company
Temperance, MI
Executive authority over law department staff, budget, research, and processes in advising and consulting all
levels of management on potential and continuing legal issues. Draft, refine, and integrate corporate governing
contracts with clients, vendors, suppliers, and service providers. Identify, ameliorate, and/or mitigate legal issues
spanning: risk management; product development, safety & liability; regulatory compliance; government
relations; litigation; employment; commercial; contracts; real estate; construction; energy; and supply chain.
Resolve all court actions, litigation, administrative proceedings, workers' compensation, arbitrations, mediations,
facilitations, hearings, settlements, and other disputes. Manage and coordinate use of external legal counsel. Act
as point of contact with local, state, and federal government agencies. Deliver collaborative information training
on legal processes and ramifications. Continuously assessed compliance due to complex regulatory framework.
Key Achievements
Resolved numerous critical matters, including supply chain, real estate, construction, and energy by
implementing strategic process improvements resulting in reduced risk exposure, expenses, and loss.

STEPHEN R. SERRAINO, ESQ. PAGE 2

GENERAL COUNSEL LITIGATION, HUMAN RESOURCES, LABOR
2010 2011
Lucas County Auditors Office
Toledo, OH
Resolved all legal issues across litigation, real estate, human resources, workers' compensation, commercial,
contracts, regulatory compliance, supply chain, and labor (4 labor contracts - 3 unions). Oversight, research, and
control of court actions, litigation, administrative proceedings/hearings, arbitrations, mediations, facilitations,
other dispute resolutions, contract negotiations and drafting, fact finding, and grievance management. Conducted
training in areas of litigation, government relations, real estate, construction, commercial, contracts, HR,
employment and labor.
Key Achievements
Reduced disruptive grievance process and its backlog by training management team in effective use
of labor contract provisions resulting in successful management team grievance process experiences.
GENERAL COUNSELLITIGATION, COMPLIANCE
2007 2010
Dold Companies
Perrysburg, OH
Advised executives and leadership teams across 12+ affiliated real estate investment/development corporations
in public & government relations, construction, energy, contracts, commercial, advertising & marketing, human
resources, employment relations, workers compensation, OSHA, litigation, dispute resolution, risk management,
real estate, financing, and claim prevention. Continuously assessed compliance due to complex regulatory
framework.
Key Achievements
Enhanced profitability by guiding companies through mitigation of recurring legal issues
Reduced potential liabilities via restructuring of advertising programs, eliminating risk exposure
GENERAL COUNSEL
2006
MAQ Group
Boca Raton, FL
Managed and controlled litigation and dispute resolution for commercial real estate investment/development
firm. Delivered strategic counsel enhancing investment and corporate objectives, ensuring full compliance with all
applicable regulations and other legal requirements.
Key Achievements
Reduced areas for dispute and eliminated risk exposures.
PARTNER / SHAREHOLDER
2005 2006
Dean & Fulkerson, P.C.
Troy, MI
Responsible for business, construction, products liability, employment, labor, transportation, risk management,
and environmental law matters. Specialized in commercial, regulatory compliance, contracts, restructuring, and
acquisition cases. Analyzed and mitigated marketing and antitrust challenges for top-tier auto parts
manufacturers and other high-profile clients.
Key Achievements
Explored opportunities with major auto manufacturer, resulting in firms inclusion on approved counsel
list.
PARTNER
1987 2004
Anspach, Serraino, Meeks & Nunn, LLP
Toledo and Tiffin, OH & Buffalo, NY
Directed operations, budgeting, and caseload management for multi-office firm experiencing rapid revenue
growth and expansion from 3 to 25 attorneys. Hired, trained, and led large legal service teams. Represented
clients (including Whirlpool Corporation, CSX Transportation, and Mercy Health Partners) across litigation in
business, medical, occupational, transportation, manufacturing, construction, real estate, toxic tort, products
liability, employment, regulatory compliance, and insurance areas.
Key Achievements
Prevented application of novel Ohio employer intentional tort law to major manufacturer, eliminating
and/or mitigating continuous long-term legal and financial exposures and claims.
Associate Positions: Eastman & Smith, Ltd., Toledo, OH; Knipmeyer, McCann, Fish & Smith, PC, Kansas City, MO;
and Miller & Glynn, PC, Kansas City, MO. Focus as an associate was construction contracts, construction litigation,
real estate, commercial contracts, medical liability, toxic tort, products liability, and HR issues.

STEPHEN R. SERRAINO, ESQ. PAGE 3

Additional Engagements
VICE-CHAIRMAN, LAWYERS' FUND FOR CLIENT SECURITY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Supreme Court of Ohio
Appointed by Justices of Ohio Supreme Court to decide fee claims by aggrieved clients in Ohio.

2013 Present
Columbus, OH

MEMBER, SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT ADVISORY BOARD

2010 Present
University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation
Toledo, OH
Consult with University students, administration, faculty, and staff to drive supply chain education excellence.
LEGAL CONSULTANT
2007 Present
SerrainoLaw (pro bono)
Toledo, OH
Pro bono counsel provided to individuals and small businesses in real estate, environmental, government
relations, construction, business, and HR matters.
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, SOCIAL MEDICINE
2008 2011
Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Toledo, OH
Devised/delivered instruction to medical students/interns/residents about intersection of medicine/law/business.

Education
Juris Doctor/JD, Ohio State University College of Law, Columbus, OH
Law Intern Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, MI: Devised and implemented research survey evaluating
sales management attitudes and capabilities regarding legal aspects of marketing, advertising, antitrust, HR,
employment, and EEOC issues. Analyzed and reported results to corporate executives responsible for functions.
Bachelor of Science Business Administration/BSBA, with Distinction, Management and Marketing/Dual Majors,
Ohio Northern University College of Business, Ada, OH
Awarded 4-yr. Whirlpool Foundation Scholarship

Licensure & Affiliations

LAW LICENSES : OHIO, MICHIGAN, NEW YORK, MISSOURI
AFFILIATIONS : OHIO STATE BAR ASSOCIATION , STATE BAR OF MICHIGAN , NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION , MISSOURI BAR
ASSOCIATION , TOLEDO BAR ASSOCIATION , NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF RAILROAD TRIAL COUNSEL