
We represent the general interests and litigation needs of large and small Michigan businesses and their principles. This includes a broad range of banks and lenders, restaurants, franchisee/franchisors, manufacturers, technology companies, distributors, automobile dealers, boat dealers, marinas and real estate developers and investors. Whether you need expert advice on structuring, planning, assistance with contracts, or even need to utilize our Litigation Team, our attorneys can deliver the results you need.
Business Organization & Mergers
Our firm works as outside general counsel for small to large sized Michigan businesses assisting with all of their legal issues including business organization, contracting with other businesses, suppliers, contractors or employees, real estate needs, and when purchasing or selling a business.
Our mergers and acquisitions team has experience in dealing with acquisitions and dispositions of business interests, mergers, consolidations, share exchanges, stock and asset purchases, and joint ventures. When you hire our firm you will also have access to all our firm’s attorneys from their specific field to handle issues beyond business law, such as labor and employment, employee benefits, banking, real estate and intellectual property.
Commercial Litigation
Our team of litigators has successfully represented its business and government clients in virtually every type of civil dispute—from zoning and land use to trade secret theft and unfair competition. Our litigation team represents clients large and small, private and public, in arbitration, before administrative tribunals and regulatory investigators, and in state and federal trial and appellate courts throughout Michigan. Many of our clients turn to us to pursue cases that other firms handled previously, including appeals. Given our wealth of experience practicing in these all of these venues, we are also routinely retained as local counsel by out of state clients and their attorneys who seek expert counsel on applicable Michigan law, local court procedure and best practices before specific judges here in southeast Michigan.
We have extensive experience in the following business and commercial litigation areas:
- Business torts and unfair competition;
- Contract, insurance, and employment disputes;
- Commercial and Residential property disputes;
- Land use and zoning;
- Business ownership and management conflicts;
- Commercial collections;
- Commercial landlord-tenant and lease disputes; and
- Intellectual property and trade secret claims.
Our litigation team is mindful that litigation consumes client time and impacts the bottom line. While litigation often involves managing many uncertain variables, our team strives to manage costs predictably and ensure our time and our client’s time is spent efficiently and productively. Through experience, we have found that aggressively proactive litigation strategies produce the best results, such as early dismissals, favorable settlements, and winning verdicts and awards. To this end, throughout litigation, we explore with clients the benefits and risks of various cost-effective strategies, such as early mediation, aggressive pretrial motions to narrow claims, and use of alternative fee arrangements. Moreover, while only a small percentage of cases are eventually tried, we prepare our clients and our litigation strategies as if trial is certain. Time and time again, this preparation enables us to achieve the best results at trial or the most favorable settlements from opposing parties who understand that we are well prepared for, and are not afraid of trial.
Our relationships with our clients is not limited to the courtroom, we also provide counsel on ways to prevent and avoid future liability and litigation and, best practices for recordkeeping should future litigation arise.
Contract Shareholder & Member Disputes
Shareholder and member disputes arise due to alleged financial reasons, management and employment decisions, economic reasons, or dislike for one another. These matters involve corporations and limited liability company. Each such dispute is emotionally charged like a divorce. We have the experience needed to assist in resolving these disputes, or litigating them to the end. These disputes end up in the specialized business court, and we are the local attorneys you need to help you navigate through it.
Banking Law
We represent a broad range of banks and lenders as outside counsel for their litigation and other needs. We have knowledge of banking laws, rules and regulation and assist banks with their collection of delinquent accounts and to workout alternative resolutions.
Insurance Defense
We are local, frequently practicing in the state and federal courts, and are familiar with the Judges in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne Counties. Our skilled attorneys have garnered a solid reputation for aggressively and honestly representing insurance carriers, self-insured entities and insured persons in all areas of insurance litigation. We work to meet our clients’ interests in minimizing costs and decreasing liability and exposure. When we take assignment of a claim, we develop a customized litigation plan and advise the client about the possibility for settlement or early dispute resolution. If litigation is necessary, we will work closely with the client, keep the client informed about all aspects of the case and provide realistic case assessments. Our attorneys will always strive to meet the needs and objectives of our clients in a cost-effective manner by adhering to the client’s litigation, discovery and billing guidelines. We have represented clients in the following areas of insurance litigation:
- First and Third Party Automobile Insurance Disputes
- First-Party Auto Benefit Priority Disputes
- Medical Coverage Priority Disputes
- Homeowner Liability
- Commercial and General Civil Liability Matters
- Indemnity Contract Disputes
- Civil Rights Liability
- Police Officer Liability
- First Amendment Actions
- Highway/Sidewalk Liability
- Public-Property Liability
- Emergency Services Provider Liability
- Zoning Disputes/Unlawful Taking Claims
- Termination of Employment Actions
- Employment Discrimination Cases
Our representative list of clients include the City of Warren, Charter Township of Shelby, Harrison Township, Trident Insurance, Specialty Claims Management, Berkley Specialty Underwriters and Catlin Insurers. We have also been retained by the following insurance companies and adjusters:
- Argonaut
- Broadspire
- Direct Insurance Group
- Citizens-Hannover
- CNA
- Hartford
- Specialty Claims Services
- Trident
Insurance Coverage Disputes
We represent insurance carriers and insured, in the public and private sectors, against lawsuits claiming an injury on an insured premises, on government-owned premises, in a public building, as a result of an insured’s negligence, arising out of an automobile accident, asserting a violation of local, state or federal law or resulting from a defective product. We also pursue claims on behalf of an insured for indemnity and/or contribution. We have extensive experience in the following areas of insurance litigation:
- Civil Rights Liability
- First Amendment Actions
- Highway/Sidewalk Liability
- Public-Property Liability
- Automobile Negligence
- Police Officer Liability
- Emergency Services Provider Liability
- Zoning Disputes/Unlawful Taking Claims
- Termination of Employment Actions
- Employment Discrimination Cases
- Indemnity Contract Disputes
- First-Party Auto Benefit Priority Disputes
- Medical Coverage Priority Disputes
- Homeowner Liability
Our representative list of clients in such arenas include the City of Warren, Charter Township of Shelby, Harrison Township, Trident Insurance, Specialty Claims Management, Berkley Specialty Underwriters, Catlin Insurers, Argonaut, Broadspire, Direct Insurance Group, Citizens-Hannover, CAN and Hartford.