Kurt Carlson

Fractional General Counsel | Business & Restructuring Advisor Fractional GC Focus: I help businesses access senior, real-world legal judgment without hiring a full-time general counsel. I partner with leadership teams to identify risk early, simplify complex issues, and make decisions before legal problems become costly or disruptive. I don’t just answer questions—I help executives anticipate what’s coming next. Experience & Advisory: With 30+ years as in-house counsel, restructuring lawyer, and business owner, I guide companies, their creditors and business partners through complex commercial challenges, distressed situations, and high-stakes decision-making. My approach is practical, proactive, and outcome-focused. Firm Leadership: I am the Founder & Managing Partner of Carlson Dash LLC, a multi-state commercial law firm launched in 2011. Previously, I chaired a practice group at a midsized Chicago firm and served as Vice President & Counsel at Comerica Bank. My practice covers Chapter 11 restructurings, creditors’ rights, workouts, and complex commercial disputes for financial institutions, private lenders, fiduciaries, and operating companies across Illinois, Wisconsin, and beyond. Restructuring & Distressed Business Expertise: I have guided clients through some of the Midwest’s largest restructurings, including Kmart, National Steel, Conseco, United Airlines, and Kimball Hill, across real estate, manufacturing, healthcare, and middle-market businesses. I work inside distressed companies, collaborating with owners, lenders, boards, and advisors to stabilize operations, manage risk, and move organizations forward. Entrepreneurial Perspective: As Managing Member & Co-Founder of Top Shelf Ice Arena and Founder & President of Frozen Floor Inc. (501(c)(3)), and other businesses, I experience firsthand the capital, compliance, growth, and operational decisions business owners face—insights I bring directly to my clients. Nonprofit & Trade Advisory: I serve as a trusted advisor to nonprofits and trade organizations, including Matthias Academy, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, the American Malting Barley Association, and the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, among others, providing strategic, governance-focused legal counsel. Professional Philosophy: The most effective legal advisors understand how businesses operate, sit at the executive table, and measure success by outcomes—not billable hours.