Washington, D.C.—The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) has awarded Michael  Tobak, Senior Vice President and General Counsel at GE Healthcare Financial Services, the Edward A. Groobert Award for Legal Excellence. Tobak received the award at the ELFA Legal Forum, May 4-6 in Fort Worth, Texas. ELFA Legal Committee Chair Dominic Liberatore, Deputy General Counsel at De Lage Landen Financial Services, presented the award to Tobak in recognition of his significant contributions to the equipment leasing and finance industry, and the association’s Legal Committee.

Tobak has been an active member of ELFA for over a decade.  He served on the association’s Legal Committee from 2009 to 2011.  In 2009, he chaired the Legal Committee’s Subcommittee on Financial Services at the height of the Dodd-Frank rulemaking activities, and continues to serve in this role.  He oversees and helps direct ELFA’s response to various federal agency rules impacting the financial services industry in general, and the equipment finance business in particular.  Mike has also assisted ELFA in conducting an aggressive state government relations program, providing legal expertise in drafting amendments to various legislative proposals, and engaged in direct negotiations together with association staff on behalf of the industry to inform state officials of the association’s position on various legislative matters of concern to ELFA members.  Mike has made numerous presentation at the annual ELFA Legal Forum and authored articles in association publications.   

The award is named for ELFA’s long-time Secretary and General Counsel Edward A. Groobert, who was active in the legal affairs of the association from the mid-1960s until his retirement in 2010.  

About ELFA
The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) is the trade association that represents companies in the $827 billion equipment finance sector, which includes financial services companies and manufacturers engaged in financing capital goods. ELFA members are the driving force behind the growth in the commercial equipment finance market and contribute to capital formation in the U.S. and abroad. Its 580 members include independent and captive leasing and finance companies, banks, financial services corporations, broker/packagers and investment banks, as well as manufacturers and service providers. For more information, please visit www.elfaonline.org.