Linda Davis Friedland is an attorney in our Livonia office where she concentrates her practice on elder law, guardianships, conservatorships, wills, trusts, estate planning, probate administration, trust administration, and litigation in probate court. She also handles matters involving business law, business succession planning, commercial litigation (UCC), contract disputes, shareholder disputes, employment and labor law.
Linda Davis Friedland is an attorney in our Livonia office where she concentrates her practice on elder law, guardianships, conservatorships, wills, trusts, estate planning, probate administration, trust administration, and litigation in probate court. She also handles matters involving business law, business succession planning, commercial litigation (UCC), contract disputes, shareholder disputes, employment and labor law. As part of her business law practice, she defends creditors against lawsuits filed by aggressive bankruptcy trustees.
Ms. Friedland is a member of the Probate & Estates and Elder Law sections of the State Bar of Michigan, and she provides continuing education training to attorneys, accountants, and financial planners in the areas of estate planning, probate, trust administration, and tax law.
University of Detroit Mercy, J.D., 1992
Michigan State University, B.A., 1988
Top Lawyer in Trusts and Estates, DBusiness magazine, 2014 
Lorman Educational Services, Distinguished Faculty 
State Bar of Michigan
– Business Law Section
– Probate & Estates Section
– Elder Law Section
Oakland County Bar Association
Wayne County Bar Association
“Elder Law Essentials,” Westland Friendship Center, April 4, 2019 and October 25, 2018; Livonia Civic Center, August 23, 2018; Livonia Senior Center, August 27, 2018.
“Guns in the Workplace,” CPCU-RIMS, regarding the rights of business owners, employers and employees with respect to firearms in the workplace, from a risk management perspective, January, 2017.
“Factors to be Considered when Determining Whether to Use Credit Shelter Trusts in this New Era of Portability,” Lorman Educational Services, September 2014.
“Conduit Trusts as Beneficiaries to Retirement Assets,” Lorman Educational Services, September 2014.
“Guns on Campus,” Michigan Community College Management Authority, regarding Michigan firearms laws and best practices for public safety officers, March 2013.
Signs of Identity Theft and How to Dispute Errors on your Credit Report; CMDA On Law Newsletter, October 2014
Eleven Estate Planning Mistakes to be Avoided; CMDA On Law Newsletter, September 2014
New Tools for Consumers in the Fight Against Identity Theft; CMDA On Law Newsletter, July 2014
Contributing to a Roth IRA Through a Backdoor Option; CMDA On Law Newsletter, June 2014
Firearms: Open Carry is Legal in Michigan; CMDA On Law Newsletter, June 2013
U.S. Supreme Court Has Ruled That Pharmaceutical Representatives are Not Entitled to Receive Overtime Pay; CMDA On Law Newsletter, July 2012
U.S. Supreme Court Upholds the Health Care Act as a Tax, and Places a Cap on the Commerce Clause; CMDA On Law Newsletter, July 2012
Tax Effects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; CMDA On Law Newsletter
Insurance Companies May Now Avail Themselves of the Traditional Legal and Equitable Remedies when Faced with Fraud; CMDA On Law Newsletter
Don’t Let the IRS Take 35% of your 401(k); CMDA On Law Newsletter
Are You Ready To Be A Landlord?; CMDA On Law Newsletter, August 2010
Small Businesses Beware: New Records Retention and Tax Reporting Requirements Under Section 9006 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; CMDA On Law Newsletter, May 2010
The Darker Side of Bankruptcy: Adversary Proceedings Against Creditors; CMDA On Law Newsletter, March 2009
Liars Beware, Courts’ Use of Contempt Powers to Punish Perjury; CMDA On Law Newsletter, March 2006
Think Carefully Before Cashing Checks on Disputed Accounts; CMDA On Law Newsletter, March 2006
The Top Ten Estate Planning Mistakes Well-Intended Parents Make; CMDA On Law Newsletter, June 2005
CMDA congratulates Attorney Linda Davis Friedland on a successful five-day bench trial in the Oakland County Business Court. Ms. Friedland and her team represented a company that was sued by…
The Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled that e-mail communications between an employee and his personal lawyer may be discoverable, if those communications were made through his employer-provided e-mail, the…
Konschuh v. Turkelson, et al. (Lapeer County Circuit Court No. 17-050850-CL(H); Oakland County Circuit Court No. 17-SC0045-SC; Michigan Court of Appeals No. 349041) is a unique and highly-contentious case that…
On June 22, 2016, the Sixth District Court of Appeals unanimously issued a decision and order affirming the United States District Court’s dismissal of a firefighter’s two count retaliation complaint…
Many high income earners believe that they cannot contribute to a Roth IRA. This is because they are unaware of the loophole they can use by contributing through the backdoor….
In a case recently won by Linda Davis Friedland and Elizabeth Rae O’Donnell, a firefighter sued a local municipality, five former and current Trustees, and the Fire Chief, under Title…
Both private and public employers are subject to the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which allows eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave from their employment…
We have all heard the probate horror stories. Someone’s last will and testament took five years to be probated, generating hundreds of thousands of dollars in attorneys’ fees. All of…
Identity theft is occurring more often, due in part to the recent data breaches with merchants, hospitals, and various websites. Identity theft also results from so-called “phishing scams,” in which…
In the wake of the Great Recession, which, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, began in December 2007 and ended in June 2009, a flurry of federal legislation was…
Many high income earners believe they cannot contribute to a Roth IRA because of the income limitations imposed by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). There is a backdoor route high income earners…
As a result of the recent Supreme Court ruling to uphold the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), there will be some tax effects for workers…
Firearms: Open Carry is Legal in Michigan Earlier this year Nicholas Looman walked into Aderdeen Elementary School in Grand Rapids, Michigan to vote wearing his holstered pistol on his hip. …
U.S. Supreme Court Upholds the Health Care Act as a Tax and Places a Cap on the Commerce Clause The United States Supreme Court has upheld the Patient Protection and…
U.S. Supreme Court Rules that Pharmaceutical Representatives are Not Entitled to Receive Overtime Pay At first glance, the recent decision of the United States Supreme Court seems to be fairly…
The Michigan Supreme Court has discarded the 36-year-old doctrine that once prevented insurance companies from denying claims based on fraudulent statements made in an insured’s application. Previously, the law stated that…
We have all heard the probate horror stories. A Will took five years to be probated, generating hundreds of thousands of dollars in attorneys’ fees. All of the assets from someone else’s…
Pension plans are quickly disappearing in both the public and private sectors. As a result, traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) and defined contribution plans under Section 401(k) of the Internal…
Konschuh v. Turkelson, Lapeer County, et als. (Lapeer County Circuit Court Case No. 17-0508520-CL(H), Oakland County Circuit Court Case No. 17-SC0045-SC, May 15, 2019; Michigan Court of Appeals No. 349041, July 23, 2020). Plaintiff, Hon. Byron J. Konschuh was investigated by the Michigan State Police for placing public money into his personal bank accounts. He was then charged with five felony counts of embezzlement. A plea deal was reached, and Judge Konschuh plead “no contest” to a sixth misdemeanor count, for failure to account for public money, under MCL 750.485. The presiding judge found Judge Konschuh guilty of the misdemeanor, and then issued a delayed sentence. Judge Konschuh then sued clients, Lapeer County and several employees and elected officials of Lapeer County, for 1) Malicious Prosecution, 2) Abuse of Process, 3) Invasion of Privacy, 4) Libel / Slander, 5) Tortious Interference, 6) Gross Negligence, 7) First Amendment Violation, 8) Equal Protection Violation, and 9) Fourth Amendment Violation. Plaintiff sought $1,500,000.00 in damages. Result: Motion for Summary Disposition was granted, and the clients paid zero.
Estate of Ensor Doone v. Walsh (Wayne County Probate Court, Case No. 2014-794655-DE, January 17, 2018). Personal Representative sued client, the recipient of an annuity under a beneficiary designation for $91,352.38, claiming fraud, undue influence, conversion and breach of fiduciary duty. Previous counsel had offered $40,000.00 to settle, which the Personal Representative had fortunately rejected. After taking over the case, aggressive discovery was employed, and then a Motion for Summary Disposition was filed, which was granted by the Court. Amount demanded by Personal Representative: $91,352.38; Amount paid by client: Zero.
Siegner v. Salem Township et als, (Case No. 14-11579, U.S. District Court, E.D. Mich. 2015). Plaintiff, a Salem Township firefighter, sued Salem Township, five former and current Trustees, and the Fire Chief, under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA). Plaintiff sought $1,020,000.00 in damages and had two witnesses testifying on his behalf. Salem Township’s Motion for Summary Judgment was granted.
Amount claimed by Plaintiff: $1,020,000.00; Amount paid by Salem Township and individual Defendants: Zero
In the Matter of: The Khyria Kashat Living Trust, Oakland Probate Court, Case No. 2004-295527-CZ (July 14, 2015). Represented client, who was one of five siblings who were disinherited by the sixth and youngest sibling. Mother and Father owned millions of dollars worth of real estate in their Trusts. Father died, and then youngest child convinced Mother to transfer title to most of the income-producing properties into the name of his real estate holding company, promising her that he “would do the right thing.” He then kept his siblings’ inheritance for himself. Twelve years of litigation ensued, and a settlement agreement was executed in 2014, which the youngest sibling promptly breached, resulting in more litigation. A Judgment was obtained on behalf of client, and then aggressive collections efforts were employed, including the use of judgment liens and notices of lis pendens. Eventually, client’s inheritance was recovered. Amount collected: One-Sixth of a multi-million dollar estate.
Harris v. Peterson Machine Products Corp., et als, Case No. 07-13638, U.S. District Court (E.D. Mich 2007); (Matter spanned from 2007 to 2014). Obtained a default judgment on behalf of the plaintiff, a retired former employee, under ERISA in the amount of $80,804.18, against defendant company and its owner, who had absconded with the defendant company’s pension assets. Drained the owner’s bank accounts three times, collecting a significant portion of the default judgment, while working with the FBI to find the pension assets. Once the pension assets were found, worked with the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation to obtain pension benefits for plaintiff, who was then made whole.
McTevia & Associates v. DTE Energy Company, (In Re: Blue Water Automotive Systems, Inc., Case No. 08-43196-MBM; U.S. Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Mich 2010). Successfully defended DTE Energy against a bankruptcy preference action filed by an aggressive liquidation trustee. Result: DTE’s Motion for Summary Judgment was granted.
Amount Demanded By Trustee: $948,524.91; Amount paid by DTE: Zero
Van Conant v. Yolanda Bastianelli Trust, (Case No. 2008-727481-CZ, Wayne County Probate Court 2008). Successfully defended the Trust against a lawsuit by a creditor seeking $252,000.00 for alleged caregiver fees. After a year of extensive litigation, the Trust’s Motion for Summary Disposition was granted.
Amount claimed by creditor: $252,000; Amount paid by Trust: Zero
N.M. Holdings Company, LLC v. First Energy Solutions Corp, (U.S. Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Michigan 2006). Successfully defended First Energy against an avoidable preference lawsuit filed by the Trustee. First Energy was allowed to keep all funds received during the 90-day preference period, a savings of over $126,000.00.
N.M. Holdings Company, LLC v. Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company, (U.S. Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Michigan 2006). Successfully defended Cleveland Electric against an avoidable preference lawsuit filed by the Trustee. Cleveland Electric was allowed to keep all funds received during the 90-day preference period, a savings of over $202,000.00.
Numerous Bankruptcy Matters for DTE Energy Corporation. Successfully defended DTE Energy against avoidable preference claims, allowing DTE Energy to retain the funds it received during the 90-day preference period. Prevented Bankruptcy Court from pulling invoices for post-petition electric service into then pending Chapter 13 Plans. Obtained Orders of Non-Dischargeability for fraud claims, so that DTE Energy could continue to pursue its claims after bankruptcy.
Weber and JEVIC Enterprises, Inc. v. Dodge County Planning and Development Department, 231 Wis. 222; 604 N.W. 2d 297 (1999). Successfully represented developers Jeffrey Weber and JEVIC Enterprises, Inc. before the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. Obtained a reversal of adverse decisions from the Dodge County Circuit Court and the Dodge County Planning and Development Department regarding a final subdivision plat.
Landscaping Company v. Insurance Agency, Wayne County Circuit Court (2012). Filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Landscaping Company against its insurance agency, for having misrepresented the terms of its Commercial General Liability policy. Obtained witness testimony from other landscaping companies who had been provided the same misrepresentation by this insurance agency. Fully prepared for Case Evaluation, and obtained a very favorable result. Settled for the amount of the Case Evaluation award in a confidential settlement agreement. Result: Client made whole without the necessity of a trial.
Harris v. Peterson Machine Products Corp., et als, Case No. 07-13638, U.S. District Court (E.D. Mich 2007); (Matter spanned from 2007 to 2014). Obtained a default judgment on behalf of the plaintiff, a retired former employee, under ERISA in the amount of $80,804.18, against defendant company and its owner, who had absconded with the defendant company’s pension assets. Drained the owner’s bank accounts three times, collecting a significant portion of the default judgment, while working with the FBI to find the pension assets. Once the pension assets were found, worked with the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation to obtain pension benefits for plaintiff, who was then made whole.
Michigan State Courts
Wisconsin State Courts
Virginia State Courts
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Illinois
United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
United States Tax Court, Michigan
United States Tax Court, Virginia
United States Tax Court, Wisconsin
University of Detroit Mercy, J.D., 1992
Michigan State University, B.A., 1988
Top Lawyer in Trusts and Estates, DBusiness magazine, 2014
Lorman Educational Services, Distinguished Faculty