We are extremely pleased to announce that Kristen Rewa has been elected a partner at CMDA. Ms. Rewa is a key member of the Grand Rapids office, has won numerous motions for summary judgement, and is a very effective litigator and communicator. She joined CMDA in 2020 and focuses her practice on law enforcement defense and litigation, municipal law, employment and labor law, and insurance defense. Christopher Schultz, managing partner […]

Jim Acho, a partner in our Livonia office, successfully represented the City of Detroit in a lawsuit filed by Detroit Police Commissioner Board Member Willie Burton. The U.S. Court of Appeals upheld a federal judge’s decision to dismiss the lawsuit last month, and yesterday denied the petition for rehearing rendering the case over. Burton was removed from the July 11, 2019 Board of Police Commissioners meeting at the Durfee Information […]

Please join us in welcoming Kevin J. Campbell to CMDA. An attorney in the Firm’s Livonia office, he is an experienced defense attorney with a diverse background that includes the litigation of complex commercial disputes, premises liability and no-fault cases, real estate disputes, constitutional controversies, cases involving alleged noncompliance with the Michigan Open Meetings Act, disputes pertaining to the Michigan law regarding personnel decision-making based on teacher evaluations (MCL 380.1248 […]

United States District Court Judge Douglas Harpool granted Summary Judgment in a case handled by attorney Joseph Ramirez. The case was based on allegations of 42 U.S.C. §1983 civil conspiracy claims arising from an alleged unlawful arrest, unlawful search and seizure, unlawful use of excessive force, unlawful imprisonment, and excessive bail. Plaintiff alleged her injuries involved three Sheriff Deputies’ conspiracy to commit constitutional rights violations against her through alleged acts […]

The lawsuit against the City of Saginaw for “chalking” tires as part of the City’s parking enforcement continues. Previously, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit held that using chalk to mark the tire of a parked vehicle was a search under the Fourth Amendment. And now, the court has held that no warrantless search exceptions apply, so the case can still go forward. The City of […]

The Michigan Defense Trial Counsel (MDTC) hosted the first annual Regional Judicial Award Ceremony on May 21, 2021. Greg Grant, a partner in our Traverse City office and Regional Chair of the MDTC, was honored to present Hon. Kevin A. Eisenheimer with the Judicial Award. MDTC states, “13th Circuit Court Judge Kevin Elsenheimer has been a source of calm, pragmatic leadership to the northern Michigan bar. Judge Elsenheimer has managed […]

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 Firm through their professional skills, client relations, and work effort. “Doug has demonstrated excellence in the area of appellate law and has a very strong work ethic,” said Chris Schultz, managing partner. “With his academic approach, pragmatic writing style, and […]

Kristen Rewa, an attorney in our Grand Rapids office, was a presenter at the 35th Annual Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys (MAMA) Advanced Institute Virtual Conference. She spoke to MAMA members on the complaint response process used by the Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR), Michigan Civil Rights Commission and shared some best practices for municipal attorneys when assisting a municipality with a civil rights’ complaint. The participants enjoyed the […]

Access to state and local government meetings has been a hallmark of American democracy for most of our country’s history. All states have enacted open meetings laws that generally require municipalities and local agencies to provide advance notice to the public of meetings held by commissions, boards, tribunals, and councils. This includes a broad spectrum of entities, such as unemployment commissions, tax tribunals, and school boards. These statutes permit any […]

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 involved a circuit court judge who filed suit against Lapeer County and several of its officials. Judge Byron Konschuh – who remains a sitting judge at the Lapeer County Circuit Court – was charged with embezzlement related charges for depositing […]