We are very pleased to announce that three attorneys have recently joined our Firm. David Kowalski is an attorney in our Clinton Township office where he focuses his practice on insurance defense, municipal law, appeals and litigation, and research. He has extensive litigation and appellate experience and has received favorable outcomes for clients before the Michigan Supreme Court and the Michigan Court of Appeals. He authors briefs for submission to […]

In this case, Plaintiffs filed a civil rights case seeking damages for the deaths of their sons who were fatally shot during an event at the Defendant membership club where minors allegedly purchased and/or were allowed to consume alcohol. CMDA defended the municipality, Director of Public Safety, and Clerk. Allan Vander Laan, a partner in our Grand Rapids office, and Jennifer Richards, an attorney in our Livonia office, handled the […]

On Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, Michigan voters elected by a margin of 56% to 42%　to have Michigan become the 10th state in the country to legalize recreational marijuana use. By mid-December, a Michigan resident will be able to grow their own marijuana plants and smoke marijuana in the comfort of their own home. But what does this mean for employers who want to guard against having employees under the influence […]

Haider Kazim and Matt Cross, both attorneys in our Traverse City office, recently successfully defended an animal control officer of a northern Michigan municipality against claims of malicious prosecution and conspiracy. The issue in was whether the officer had probable cause to issue plaintiff citations for her farm animals running at large. The focal point of plaintiff’s claim was that the first few citations were issued under a county ordinance […]

Greg Grant and Matt Cross, both attorneys in our Traverse City office, recently successfully defended a municipality and police officer against claims of false arrest/wrongful imprisonment and malicious prosecution. The key issue in the case was whether the officer had probable cause to arrest plaintiff for extortion. Finding that the officer had probable case, the Court granted summary judgment in favor of our clients, dismissing plaintiff’s federal claims in their […]

Haider Kazim and Matt Cross, both attorneys in our Traverse City office, recently successfully handled a case for a local municipality. The Court granted summary disposition dismissing plaintiff’s claims under the Whistleblower Protection Act (WPA), holding that plaintiff was not engaged in activity protected under the WPA, and, to the extent she was, the County terminated her for legitimate reasons. Although the Court allowed plaintiff to amend her claim to […]

Ken Callicutt was a great college running back, Clemson’s MVP in 1976 and 1977, and MVP of The Senior Bowl in 1977. Unfortunately though, after being drafted by Detroit, Callicutt found himself behind a stable of highly-drafted, superbly-skilled running backs like Lawrence Gaines, Dexter Bussey, Horace King and Billy Sims. Callicutt and Rick Kane–talented backs in the own right–were forced to find other ways to contribute, and contribute Callicutt did […]

Jim Acho, a partner in our Livonia office and the attorney who heads-up the NFL concussion litigation at CMDA, appeared at the Annual NFL Alumni dinner on July 16, 2018 at Tam O’ Shanter Country Club. He provided NFL retirees with an update on the concussion litigation. CMDA is pleased to have successfully recovered millions of dollars for former NFL players thus far and hope to continue to do so in […]

Recently, two separate courts agreed with CMDA that the lawsuits two former community college instructors filed against the college should be dismissed. The underlying facts showed that two full-time instructors were involved in a series of conflict resolution sessions where both parties were advised to be civil and follow the rules of the college. The evidence also showed that when one of the full-time instructors was going up for tenure, […]

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals (the Federal Appeals Court which includes Michigan) recently reviewed the firing of a male funeral home director transitioning to female. Ms. Stephens was fired after she advised the funeral home owner, Mr. Rost, that she was intending to live as a woman including utilizing a female name, dressing in women’s clothing and using the women’s restroom. Litigation was filed against the funeral home by […]