Miller Canfield to Provide Free Legal Services to Winner of PitchMI Competition
Miller Canfield partnered with the Michigan Growth Office and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to provide certain complimentary legal services to the winner of PitchMI, a statewide pitch competition for startups. The winner, Detroit-based Civilized Cycles, was announced by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Oct. 24 at the inaugural Mobility Conference at Newlab in Detroit.
This collaboration aims to support innovative entrepreneurs by addressing their legal needs and helping them navigate the complexities of starting and growing a business.
PitchMI is a commitment by the state to spur entrepreneurial problem solving, connect innovators with capital and create a ripple effect to accelerate more innovation. This year’s inaugural competition focused on generating mobility solutions that transform the way Michiganders get from point A to point B safely, affordably and efficiently.
Civilized Cycles designs and manufactures ultra-light electric vehicles, including the Semi-Trike, which offers the cargo capacity of a van at a much lower cost, making it affordable, practical and sustainable.
Headquartered in Detroit, Miller Canfield is Michigan’s oldest law firm and is a leader in the mobility space. The firm will provide a host of free legal services to Civilized Cycles, including certain corporate, intellectual property, and employment services.
“We are excited to work with Civilized Cycles. We have a long history of representing a wide array of automotive and mobility companies and their suppliers, from new startups to large and well-established companies,” said Miller Canfield CEO Mike Palizzi. “Our firm was a ‘Michigan startup’ over 170 years ago, and we see this an opportunity not only to assist a new startup company, but also to support this worthwhile competition, which aims to build a more prosperous future for Michigan by supporting and investing in local innovators and entrepreneurs.”
