Winter 2020

Thomas R. Behm

Gruel Mills Nims & Pylman PLLC

On December 16, 2020, the Michigan Supreme Court issued Administrative Order No. 2020-23 setting forth the following twelve Professionalism Principles.

In fulfilling our professional responsibilities, we as attorneys, officers of the court, and custodians of our legal system, must remain ever-mindful of our obligations of civility in pursuit of justice, the rule of law, and the fair and peaceable resolution of disputes and controversies. In this regard, we adhere to the following principles adopted by the State Bar of Michigan and authorized by the Michigan Supreme Court...

Todd Tennis

Capitol Services

As of this writing, the Legislature is wrapping up the last few days of the 2019-2020 Legislative session. It has been a year dominated by a pandemic, and the Legislature has spent much of its energy on addressing the deadly COVID-19 outbreak. Amongst the legislation that provided relief for front-line workers and people who lost their jobs due to the pandemic were several bills that sought to protect employers against civil liability claims related to COVID-19...

Todd J. Stearn

Law Offices of Todd J. Stearn PLC

A long time ago, in what seems like a galaxy far, far away, Michigan law actually recognized at least two separate and distinct duties that premises owners owed to invitees :(1) a duty to maintain the property in a reasonably safe condition and (2) a duty to warn of hidden or latent defects. Ackerberg v. Muskegon Osteopathic Hosp., 366 Mich. 596, 599–600, 115 N.W.2d 290 (1962) and Samuelson v. Cleveland Iron Min. Co., 49 Mich. 164, 13 N.W. 499 (1882) If conditions were known to, or discoverable by, the premises owner through the exercise of reasonable care, the premises owner had the obligation to exercise reasonable care to protect the invitee from the danger. The defendant’s failure to warn of defects could also indicate a breach of the legal duty owed plaintiff.  Quinlivan v Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co., Inc. 395 Mich 244, 260-261, 235 NW2d 732 (1975)...

Jenna Wright Greenman

Kitch Drutchas Wagner Valltutti & Sherbrook

As 2020 draws to a close, it is difficult to describe what type of year we have had as humans, let alone as trial attorneys. For the past nine months, we have been barraged by news that has often been contradictory and politicized. We have faced fears regarding our own health, and that of our family and friends. There have been so many uncertainties this year on a day-to-day basis, and those appear likely to continue well into 2021. The impact of the pandemic has also affected innumerable aspects of our profession. I want to reflect on how this has affected us, as negligence attorneys, and how we can anticipate it may affect us going forward for the foreseeable future...

Please submit recent civil cases (within the past six months) where you prevailed - whether in a jury verdict or a settlement -- so MLW may publish them.

Questions about Lawyers Weekly's Verdicts and Settlements policy may be directed to the editor at (800) 678-5297 or editor@mi.lawyersweekly.com.

The SBM Lawyer Referral Service (LRS) currently receives more than 500 calls each week from people looking for lawyers. Many of these are unable to find a match because there are not enough attorneys in some geographic areas or in some practice areas. For more than a year we have been revising and improving the LRS. The result is a system that produces better matches for attorneys and consumers alike. We are ready to begin a significant marketing initiative to consumers and we need more lawyers to participate as panel members.

Here are few examples of concrete improvements: Better matches mean a higher likelihood of securing paying clients than ever before. The new online platform now automates much of the tracking and reporting that attorneys had to do in the past. In addition to traditional cases, LRS has added Modest Means panels for family law and bankruptcy, and opportunities for attorneys to market Limited Scope practice.

Thank you very much. We are excited about these new opportunities for your section members to expand their practices and to enhance access to quality legal services throughout Michigan.

Click here to learn more about LRS

Click here to learn more about joining one or more of our LRS panels

Click here to learn more about Limited Scope practice

Did you recently attend our "The Art Of the Courtroom" webinar with William Barton? It's been determined that it qualifies as 6 hours of Continuing Legal Education in Ohio! For the activity code, please email Valerie at valerieneglaw@sharedresources.us.

Jalal Hussein Abdallah

Anisa Allen

Jason S. Barrix

Bruce M. Bieneman

Rachel Bissett

Mark Thomas Budzinski

Nicholas John Caponigro

Lynn L. Corgan

John Clarence Cusmano

Michele P. Fuller

Christine M. Greig

Steven Craig Haehnel

Henry M. Hanflik

Irene Bruce Hathaway

Jeffrey Lloyd Hayden

Brandon Mark Hewitt

Hon. James S. Jamo

Matthew Roman Kaczmarek

Hon. Kirsten Frank Kelly

John A. Klarr

Ali H. Koussan

David John Linehan

Arthur Y. Liss

James H. Lockwood

Robert D. Mannor

Jared I. Matz

Clifford Daniel Neubauer, Jr.

Aristidi Demetrios Papaioannou

Alexis Rose Plumaj

Bradley J. Smith

Joshua J. Tanis

John Allen Vinson

Mark J. Warba

Phillip K. Yeager

Joel F. Yono

Ahmad Mohamed Zaher

Did you know that the Negligence Law Section has a LinkedIn page? We share lots of information, including when events are taking place, interesting articles from both our own members and other pages. We encourage you to follow our page! Click the link below and then click the follow button in the upper left corner.

Mark Kosieradzki, Kosieradzki Smith Law Firm LLC, Plymouth, MN 

For more information and to register go to www.icle.org/nf-reform

as of 4-24-2020

Riley & Hurley, PC

Kathleen Macdonald PLLC

Daniel P. Makarski-

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Ringler Associates - Mark R. Vogel

Wolcott ADR PC - Roger L. Wolcott

Brian E. Fischer, Mediator/Facilitator

David A. Kanaan Attorney & Counselor

Charles Trickey III - Facilitator & Arbitrator

Nash & Nemier, PLLC - Kathy Contos Nash

Judge Daniel A. Hathaway, Ret. Mediations and Facilitations

Hanson Renaissance Video and Court Reporting - Gerald Hanson

Judicial Resource Services PC - Circuit Judge James J. Rashid, Ret.

Circuit Court Judge Peter J. Maceroni, Retired - Arbitrations & Facilitation Services

Dykema Gossett PLLC - Chief Judge William B. Murphy, Retired - Mediator

Ruggirello, Velardo, Novara, Burke & Reizen, PC - Peter Ruggirello & Jennifer Reizen

Michigan Judicial Alternative Dispute Resolution PC - Circuit Judge Daniel Ryan, Ret.

Mark R. Granzotto

Council Member

Mark Granzotto PC

Deborah A. Lujan

Council Member

Collins Einhorn Farrell PC

Donna M. MacKenzie

Council Member

Olsman MacKenzie Peacock & Wallace

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