In 2001 the State of Michigan enacted Public Act 222 (MCL 691.1416 seq.) to provide a statutory exception to governmental immunity for sanitary sewer backups onto real property. Prior to Act 222, the legal theory used by plaintiffs to recover for sewer backup events was the Trespass-Nuisance exception. That common law action carried strict liability for property damages upon a simple showing that sewage or water in a basement came […]

Many municipalities throughout Michigan are still reeling from the affects decreased housing values have had on tax revenues. Counties, Cities, Townships and Villages have all been forced to adjust budgets and, in many situations, cut back on services provided to residents. One of the few good things that have resulted is the increased intergovernmental cooperation in providing services. Many municipalities are entering into intergovernmental agreements between two or more entities […]

On Saturday January 3, 2015, Jim Acho, a senior attorney in our Livonia office, received a letter signed by numerous retired NFL players, including Hall of Famers, informing him that he was their nominee to challenge DeMaurice Smith for the NFL Players Association Executive Director position. A conference call followed and, with time of the essence, Acho accepted within 24 hours and declared his candidacy to the Executive Committee of […]

Gregory R. Grant, an attorney in the Firm’s Traverse City office, obtained dismissals of two cases on behalf of a Northern Michigan County building official and electrical inspector.  In June 2011, the decedent, a 17-year-old male, and his friend were walking along a floating dock at a busy City-owned marina.  The decedent jumped off the dock and into the marina water and was immediately electrocuted.  His best friend, and plaintiff […]

Timothy Young, a partner in our Livonia office, successfully defeated an environmental nuisance claim presented on behalf of 13 homeowners.  The homeowners alleged that daily noise and diesel fumes from the property of Mr. Young’s client interfered with the peaceful and quiet enjoyment of their property. The depositions of each of the plaintiffs and their noise expert revealed that the plaintiffs did not sustain personal property damage, real property damage or […]

In December, 2014, Jim Acho, a senior attorney in our Livonia office, defended a sitting Circuit Court Judge and her predecessor, a now-retired Circuit Court Judge, as well as the County Prosecutor, in a case brought by a Plaintiff who was found guilty and sentenced on a charge of providing false information to police officers.  The Plaintiff alleged his guilty verdict stemmed from his polygraph results in his pre-sentence report being […]

On September 14, 2006, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled that morbid obesity, unless caused by a physiological disorder or condition, was not a defined disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Title I of the ADA was intended to eliminate disability discrimination in employment. The Act prohibits employers from discriminating against a qualified individual with a disability regarding job application procedures, hiring, advancement, […]

We are pleased to announce that Kevin Hirzel, William Kolobaric, and Joe Wloszek have joined our Firm’s Livonia office in our Community Association, Construction and Real Estate Law practice group.  All three attorneys are extremely detail-oriented and will apply their 30+ years of combined legal experience to represent our clients’ interests while striving to obtain the best possible results. The group represents condominium associations (both residential and commercial), cooperative associations, […]

CMDA is pleased to announce that the following attorneys have been named by Michigan Super Lawyers & Rising Stars as the top up-and-coming attorneys in the state for 2014: Andrew Brege, Partner, Grand Rapids office Gregory Grant, Associate, Traverse City office Lindsey Kaczmarek, Associate, Livonia office Kali Lester, Associate, Livonia office Each year, no more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state receive this honor.  Christopher G. Schultz, […]

We are pleased to announce that the following attorneys from CMDA have been named Michigan Super Lawyers for 2014: T. Joseph Seward, Jeffrey Clark, Allan Vander Laan, and Haider Kazim. Each year, no more than five percent of the lawyers in the state receive this honor. Christopher G. Schultz, managing partner of the Firm, explains, “Having numerous highly-skilled and experienced attorneys at CMDA named as Michigan Super Lawyers comes as […]