More than 20 years ago, Jim Acho was introduced to Howie Schwab of ESPN through his friends, Randy and Jason Sklar who were hosting the show “Cheap Seats” on ESPN. Early on, a transaction started friendship that morphed into a professional relationship. Howie had indicated his favorite sports movie of all time was “Paper Lion,” starring Alan Alda and a number of CMDA clients, including Mike Lucci. Howie asked for […]

Kevin Campbell, an attorney in the Firm’s Livonia office, agreed to take on the plight of Gary Cooper (the ballplayer, not the actor) who is one game short of qualifying for his pension under MLB’s vesting requirements. Falling one game short was due to something unforeseen as you will see in this piece in today’s AndScape, an ESPN substack. CMDA partner Jim Acho, who heads up CMDA’s sports law section, […]

Former Detroit Lions’ Ernie Clark, a longtime CMDA client, passed away on March 10, 2024 at 86 years old. Mr. Clark was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1963 and was the team’s first Black linebacker. He played five seasons with the Lions and was defensive co-captain with another late CMDA client, Mike Lucci, in 1967. Mr. Clark went on to a successful teaching and coaching career and later was […]

Jim Acho and Gary Klein represented a terminated CFO with a tech company in a racial discrimination case. The client is based in San Francisco, and the tech company is based in Los Angeles. CMDA’s client was fired by a new CEO, and CMDA believed his ouster was discriminatory. The case settled without the necessity of filing a lawsuit. Jim Acho handled negotiations with the company’s general counsel. Jim says […]

Randy Gradishar is one of the most dominant inside linebackers in the history of pro football. A 9-time All Pro selection, and a man many experts feel should have been in the hall many years ago. Last year, one of Jim Acho’s longtime clients, Ken Riley, was posthumously inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This year it is Randy Gradishar, giving CMDA back-to-back clients to be inducted into […]

CMDA is proud to announce that several attorneys from our Firm have been selected for inclusion in the 2023 Michigan Super Lawyers & Rising Stars list. The following attorneys have been selected to the 2023 Michigan Super Lawyers list: Jim Acho, Top Rated Civil Litigation Defense Jeff Clark, Top Rated State, Local & Municipal Tim Ferrand, Top Rated State, Class Action & Mass Torts Haider Kazim, Top Rated State, Local […]

Jim Acho and the work he does representing retired players was mentioned today on The Jim Rome Show by hosts Randy and Jason Sklar. The show is simulcast on syndicated national radio and on TV via the CBS Sports Network. Scroll to the 20 minute mark to listen. The Jim Rome Show- July 13, 2023

The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) Research Committee Chair Rod Nelson interviewed CMDA Partner Jim Acho for his take on the recent class action lawsuit filed by former MLB scouts for age discrimination against Major League Baseball. Jim has been legal counsel on the two largest class action lawsuits in sports history: the MLB pension lawsuit in 2022 and the NFL Concussion lawsuit in 2015. As a result, he […]

On Thursday, February 9, 2023 the NFL announced its newest class of inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Among them is the late Ken Riley, who passed in 2020. Mr. Riley was a longtime client of CMDA. Jim Acho successfully handled his concussion claim and other matters for a man affectionately known as “The Rattler.” When he left the NFL, Ken was the all-time leader in interceptions. After […]

Jim Acho, a partner in our Livonia office, is representing a current Prosecutor in a unique employment case. Matt Wayne, an associate in our Livonia office, wrote the brief in this case and carved out a new public policy exception when USDC Judge Gershwin Drain found in favor of Acho/Wayne’s client on this issue. Had the argument failed, the case would have been lost. Said Mr. Acho: “We pride ourselves […]