Michael Robinson

Michael Robinson is currently Counsel to Commerce Advisors, LLC and Commerce Holdings, LLC. Michael advises on business, estate and trust matters and related income, estate and gift tax issues and the coordination of such matters with trusted advisors of clients.

 Mr. Robinson was a partner with the Memphis Law Firm of Glankler Brown, PLLC. During his 32 years at Glankler Brown, Mr. Robinson served as the head of the Tax Department where he was involved in both Civil and Criminal Federal Tax matters. As a part of the tax department, Mr. Robinson, focused on both State and Federal taxation compliance, planning and disputed matters involving income, estate and gift taxation.  While at the Firm, Mr. Robinson’s practice evolved to assisting clients of the firm on business matters such as finance and succession planning and engaging in acquisitions and dispositions on behalf of firm clients. In this regard, Mr. Robinson handled transactions involving several of the City’s oldest and well-known Companies.

 In March 1990 Mr. Robinson negotiated and financed the repurchase of Consulting Services Group, L.P. (CSG) by its founders from Xerox Financial Services and became a Limited Partner of the Firm. CSG was a successful Institutional Investment Consulting Firm that prior to its sale had over $20 billion dollars under advisement. Commerce Holdings, LLC was founded to acquire the Wealth Management and Asset Management start up created by CSG.   

 In 2003, Mr. Robinson became of Counsel to Glankler Brown in order to accept the position of President and CEO of D. Canale & Co., the investment Company of the Canale Family which was founded in 1866. While at D. Canale & Co., Mr. Robinson oversaw the investments for the firm in Public and Private Companies in financial services, real estate, timberland management and venture capital. Further, Mr. Robinson was responsible for hiring and firing investment managers and conducting continuing due diligence on managers utilizing the assistance of investment consultants. Mr. Robinson was involved in the sale of the food and beverage entities that had been owned and operated by the Canale  family for several years. Mr. Robinson retired from D. Canale in 2013 and joined Commerce Holdings, LLC as a partner.

• Graduated from Memphis State University with a B.B.A. in Accounting and Memphis State University School of Law with a J.D.
• Member of the American, Tennessee and Memphis Bar Association.
• Listed in The Best Lawyers in America including the inaugural edition.
• Received a Martindale-Hubbell’s highest rating of (AV) in the area of Taxation and Employee Benefits.
• Christian Brothers College – Served on the Board of Trustees and the Finance Committee for 5 years.
• Memphis and Shelby County Drug Court Foundation – Founding Board Member, served on the Board for 20 years and inducted into the Foundation Hall of Fame.