Steve Cade is a business lawyer, representing clients in a range of corporate law and transactional matters, with a focus on mergers and acquisitions, supply chain counseling, commercial transactions, and venture capital financings. Steve is a member of the firm’s Transaction Practice and is the co-chair of the firm’s Consumer Products Team. He is also a member of the firm’s Manufacturing and Innovative Technology Sectors and the Supply Chain and Food & Beverage Industry Teams.
Steve has completed a significant number of mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and other business combination transactions for a wide variety of clients, including Fortune 500 companies as well as private equity and middle-market publicly traded, and privately held clients.
An experienced supply chain lawyer, Steve counsels clients on a full spectrum of commercial matters affecting businesses. His clients include suppliers, manufacturers, service providers, distributors, licensors, retailers, and other vendors of a diverse array of goods and services, including manufacturing, electronic and heavy equipment, food, clothing, and other consumer products, and software.
Representative Experience
- Drafted and negotiated a US$2bn global contract manufacturing agreement for a publicly traded automotive equipment manufacturer with its key component supplier.
- Led a review, audit, and analysis of all key procurement and customer contracts for a publicly-traded company in advance of a spin-off transaction of its largest parts and component business unit.
- Represents numerous quick service restaurants and CPG companies in a variety of corporate and commercial matters, including preferred equity financings between US$10m-US$120m, and the drafting and negotiation of co-packing, licensing, and distribution agreements.
- Represents a manufacturer of modular and prefabricated homes in various acquisitions, divestitures and commercial matters ranging from $50 million to $600 million throughout the United States.
- Represented a well-known global consumer products delivery platform in developing its US standard terms and conditions, including its long-term customer and procurement contracts related to its product offerings.
Steve routinely represents emerging companies and investors, including venture capital firms, corporate venture arms, and family offices in a number of investment transactions. Steve was the co-lead of the formation and founding of Catapult Chicago, a peer-sourced technology incubator co-founded by Foley, and he assisted resident companies with various capital raises, including convertible note, SAFE, and preferred equity financings.
Affiliations
- Former vice chair of the Business Law Section of the Chicago Bar Association
- Member of the American Bar Association and the National Bar Association
- Currently serves on the firm’s Recruiting Committee and is the hiring partner for the Chicago Office
- Member of the firm’s Black Attorneys Affinity Group and the Diversity and Inclusion Council
- Selected as one of The Most Influential Minority Lawyers in Chicago by Crain’s Chicago (2017)
Presentations and Publications
- Co-presenter, “Critical Terms in Supply Chain Agreements” Webinar for Lorman Education Services, July 29, 2019.
- Co-presenter, “M&A Virtual Book Camp” Webinar for the National Bar Association Corporate Leadership Forum, July 24, 2021.
- Co-presenter, “Legal and Legislative Approaches to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Initiatives in Illinois” Webinar for the Illinois Human Rights Commission, December 3, 2020.
Foley Represents CECO Environmental in Proposed $125 Million Acquisition of Profire Energy Inc.
Foley Advises Skyline Champion in Acquisition of Regional Homes
Foley Attorneys Recognized as 2023 Emerging Leaders by The M&A Advisor
The Laws of Fashion: What's Trending in 2022
Podcast Episode 24: Steve Cade, Partner
