Carol Smith, an attorney in our Livonia office, and her paralegal, Suzanne Fuhrman, recently scored an impressive trial win in federal court. The plaintiff, a family physician from Chicago, was visiting the Silver Lake State Park in west Michigan when he rented a Jeep Wrangler from Carol’s corporate client to drive on the sand dunes. Following a one-hour guided tour by the client through the dunes, the plaintiff crested a […]

In dismissing a slip and fall case that occurred in a common area, the Michigan Court of Appeals delved into the differences between a housing cooperative and a condominium. Jeffrey-Moise v. Williamsburg Towne Houses Cooperative, Inc., No. 351813, 2021 WL 650475 (Mich. Court of Appeals, approved for publication on April 1, 2021). In this case, the Plaintiff, a member and resident of the Defendant housing cooperative, cleared snow from her […]

Please join us in welcoming Ashley Garrett to the Firm. She has joined CMDA as an attorney in the Firm’s Kansas City office. She focuses her practice on insurance defense, municipal law, law enforcement defense, and employment litigation. Ms. Garrett is an experienced litigator who secures positive results for her clients through a combination of skilled advocacy, early and detailed analysis of the facts and issues, and extensive preparation. She […]

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 […]

It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that one of CMDA’s founding fathers, Gerald C. Davis, passed away peacefully on March 23, 2021. A strong and stabilizing voice in the operation of the Firm, Mr. Davis focused his practice on business law, employment and labor law, and litigation. He became an attorney in 1972 and provided guidance and mentorship to many attorneys over his lengthy and successful […]

CMDA is proud to announce that Ronald G. Acho has been selected as a member of the Michigan Lawyers Weekly Hall of Fame Class of 2021. Each year, Michigan Lawyers Weekly (MiLW) recognizes 21 legal leaders for their successful careers and valuable contributions to the community. The MiLW Hall of Fame honors lawyers over the age of 60 who have practiced law for 30 years or more. Criteria for inclusion […]

Please join us in welcoming Carol A. Smith to the Firm. She has joined CMDA as an attorney in the Firm’s Livonia office. Ms. Smith focuses her practice on insurance defense matters. She has considerable litigation and trial experience representing clients in third-party auto claims, as well as first-party no-fault and uninsured motorist claims. Additionally, she advises clients on numerous areas of law, including insurance coverage, general liability, personal injury […]

Please join us in welcoming Joseph Ramirez to the Firm. He has joined CMDA as an attorney in the Firm’s Kansas City office. Mr. Ramirez focuses his practice on business law, municipal law, insurance defense, and litigation. He writes briefs for submission to all levels of state and federal courts, argues cases in all levels of state and federal courts of appeals, and performs research for all areas of law […]

Construction agreements can often be some of the most costly expenses that condominium associations and homeowner associations (HOAs) will ever review and consider for approval regarding their common element projects. However, many associations neglect to retain legal counsel who has the expertise needed to draft and implement the most effective terms and agreements. Instead, Boards of Directors focus mostly on securing competitive bids, as most associations are required to do […]