Although, my practice emphases employment law and probate and estate planning, I offer the full range legal services that you would expect out of a neighborhood legal practice, with the exception of criminal law. I do not practice criminal law. My goal is to provide high quality legal advice and counsel to each of my clients, “backed up” with an aggressive and tenacious approach to litigation, when the occasion requires advocacy before a state or federal tribunal.
Individual Attention: I take great pride in giving each of my clients individual attention. I work very hard at learning what has happened to my client and why my client sought my help. As I grow to understand the “what” and the “why,” I explain the law and how it applies to my clients’ situation. I always seek to deliver the most beneficial result to each of my clients. I do not believe in and nor will I will give stock answers to my clients. Each person or company is different. Each client deserves individualized advice and counsel.
Experience: I have more than 36 years of legal experience, as a lawyer. I have practiced law in front of tribunals that range from the 36th District Court in the City of Detroit to the Supreme Court of the United States in Washington D.C. I have practiced before the Michigan Employment Relations Commission, the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, the U.S. National Labor Relations Board and the Labor and Employment panels of the American Arbitration Associations.
From 1973 through 1974, I engaged in the general practice of Law on behalf of the City of Detroit’s Law Department. From 1974 through 1985, I developed a specialty in labor and employment law at the City of Detroit’s Law Department, eventually becoming supervisor for the Labor Law Section of the Law Department. In supervising the Labor Law section’s 10 attorneys, who handled all of the labor, employment law and workers compensation cases for the City of Detroit. During this period, I served on the State Bar Ethics Committee and was a member of the Labor Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan. From 1986 through most of 1990, I served as Director of Litigation for the City of Detroit.
As Director of Litigation for the City of Detroit, I was responsible for all of the litigation activities of more than 45 attorneys. I was also responsible for making settlement recommendations of all litigation involving the City of Detroit. I was also charged with trying high profile litigation.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan hired me to be the Director of Employment Law for the Office of General Counsel. As Director of Employment Law, I supervised the attorneys, who provided advice and counsel to the Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Administration. I also supervised matters that were referred to outside counsel. I also served as lead counsel on most of the high exposure employment litigation from September1990 through March 2010.
I retired from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan in April 2010.