CMDA Wins MSD for Utility Client
CMDA is pleased to announce that on behalf of our client, a large Michigan utility company, the Firm received an order from the Court of Appeals affirming summary disposition in…
Overview
Douglas Curlew is a partner in our Livonia office where he concentrates his practice on appellate law, law enforcement defense, and insurance defense. He focuses on writing briefs for submission to all levels of state and federal courts, arguing cases in both the state and federal courts of appeals, and performing research for all areas of law handled by the Firm.
Education
Wayne State University, J.D., 1986
University of Michigan, Ph.D. in History, 1991
University of Michigan, B.A. in History and Political Science, 1983
Memberships and Associations
State Bar of Michigan
– Appellate Practice Section
– Master Lawyers Section
Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys (MAMA)
Insurance Alliance of Michigan (IAM)
Presentations & Articles
“Insureds and Insurers Must Carefully Read their Insurance Policies,” CMDA On Law, May 2014
Published Articles
Roe v Wade Overturned: Observations from CMDA Attorney and Ph.D. Historian
On June 24, 2022, the United States Supreme Court issued its opinion in Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturns Roe v Wade. Even as Supreme Court opinions go,…
Doug Curlew and Shane Nolan Named Partners of the Firm
We are pleased to announce that Douglas Curlew and Shane Nolan have been elected partners at CMDA. Both attorneys are recognized for their ability to lead, manage, and develop the…
Sixth Circuit Holds that Police Must Protect Free Expression of Unpopular Views
The “freedom of speech” protected by the First Amendment encompasses both actual speech and expressive conduct. R.A.V. v. City of St. Paul, Minn. (S.Ct. 1992). Embodied within the concept of…
In the Wake of Two Recent Rulings, Attorneys Offer Advice to Law Enforcement on Avoiding Liability
Jim Acho, Doug Curlew and Jennifer Richards, all attorneys in our Livonia office, co-wrote an article highlighting two recent cases that impact law enforcement agencies. The article was published in…
Litigation: How to be Better Prepared
Under the American legal system, there is no realm of human activity that fails to spawn litigation. The financial cost of a potential judgment is easily recognized. Less understood is…
Officer and Public Safety Justify Force Against Recklessly Fleeing Motorists
Recent decisions issued by the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals have clarified the law regarding the force police officers may use to stop a…
Insureds and Insurers Must Carefully Read their Insurance Policies
In two seminal opinions, Wilkie v Auto-Owners Ins. Co. and Rory v Continental Ins. Co., the Michigan Supreme Court emphatically confirmed that insurance contracts are to be enforced by the courts “as written.” The parties…
Jurisdiction and Court Admissions
Admitted In:
Michigan Courts
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
United States Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
United States Supreme Court
Education
Wayne State University, J.D., 1986
University of Michigan, Ph.D. in History, 1991
University of Michigan, B.A. in History and Political Science, 1983