I build strong, trusting relationships that lay the foundation for companies to grow. When clients hire me, they get so much more than they initially expected. My extensive network of connections and my diverse skills and experience have made me a bit of a Swiss Army knife of an attorney - someone who can capably complete almost any necessary task.

Retired Major General, U.S. Army

Serves on numerous community, military and veterans service boards

Mike Stone is a Warner partner and government contracts attorney who chairs the firm's Aerospace + Defense Industry Group and specializes in Government Contracting. He guides businesses through the intricacies of federal government contracts and draws on his military background to enable organizations to take full advantage of their commercial opportunities. A skilled facilitator, collaborator, federal fiscal officer, former litigator and corporate General Counsel, Mike provides highly adept counsel at a reasonable rate, adding great value to clients' bottom lines.

With a national clientele, Mike provides strategic insight with federal and state contracts for Small Disadvantaged Businesses and large global corporations. He assists companies looking to secure agreements as a sub or prime contractor and helps them work through Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and other compliance issues. Additionally, Mike advises on the federal bid submission process and provides networking and other relationship opportunities to organizations seeking government affiliation. A passionate advocate of veterans' employment, Mike finds it highly gratifying to help corporations secure large federal contracts and awards. In 2023, Mike led a team of Warner attorneys to secure more than $50M in federal and state incentives for a Defense project. And, Mike works closely with the firm's Government Affairs team to help clients with Defense Appropriations requests.

Mike's ability to walk clients through the complicated federal budget process serves as an essential component of his practice. Right out of the gate he quickly gets to know the goals of corporate leadership so he can provide important business recommendations and get clients on track to contract procurement. His expertise helps ensure clients find the quickest route to profitability and that resources align with the intended objectives.?As a retired U.S. Army Major General with more than 30 years of service, Mike is forever a military man. As such, he's knowledgeable about logistics and operations and is comfortable stepping into a chaotic environment, providing essential triage and then bringing in any needed "reinforcements" from the rest of the Warner team.

Because he's been on both sides of the contract bidding process, Mike understands the broad scope of the ever-evolving federal acquisitions regulations. He adroitly translates and explains their complexities, so clients know what they need to do to gain and maintain compliance.

In addition to his military service, Mike contributes a decade of experience as in-house counsel for privately held manufacturing companies. For seven of those ten years he was a general counsel - one who succeeded in the unusual feat of turning the company's legal department into a profit center. Prior to that, he honed his trial advocacy skills representing automotive manufacturers in crash-worthiness cases and handling warranty claims as litigation counsel for an automotive OEM. While Mike is not a patent attorney, he has managed many intellectual property portfolios.

In addition, Mike served as a Deputy Director in state government for more than eight years, supporting two governors. While working for the National Guard in this capacity, he sat on Governor Rick Snyder's Cyber Executive Team and teamed up with the National Governor's Association and National Security Staff on cyber policy matters. Mike also has an extensive background in energy and sustainability from his time Commanding Military Installations and working on the U.S. Army staff, where he filled in for the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Energy and Sustainability in 2015-16.

Mike is active in supporting Military Veterans and Defense Industry Associations.

Mike also serves on the firm's Corporate Practice Group, Automotive Industry Group, Autonomous and Connected Mobility Practice Group, Supply Chain Practice Group, Cybersecurity and Privacy Practice Group, Agribusiness and Food Practice Group as well as the Resources, Energy & Environmental Law Practice Group.