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 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 was awarded nothing. Plaintiff, who is of Asian descent and a part-time firefighter with the municipality’s fire department, submitted […]

On August 17, 2015 the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) blocked a historic bid by Northwestern University football players to form the nation’s first college athletes’ union, dealing a blow to a labor movement that could have transformed amateur sports. It cites the fact that labor law only allows the NLRB to look at private-sector work places, but that most college football programs are at state schools. Of the 125 […]

Jim Acho, a senior attorney in our Livonia office, was interviewed by Law360 Magazine regarding the Tom Brady Deflategate issue and professional athletes’ options in federal court. The article, Even in Deflategate Pro Athletes’ Court Protection Limited, outlines how federal courts have recently played a large role in professional athletes’ employee disputes as NFL players Tom Brady and Adrian Peterson have both appealed league discipline to the courts. Brady is […]

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 the cost of time, energy, and resources (financial and human) of the litigation process itself. Even the defendant who avoids judgment by “winning” his case will still have expended resources that the law generally affords no avenue to recover. The […]

Communication with your attorney is the key to a successful litigation outcome. The following are some tips to follow that will help your attorney to be a more effective advocate on your behalf. These tips will not only save you time and money, but will also certainly result in a more positive outcome for you in your case. Follow your attorney’s instructions carefully. When your lawyer provides you with any […]