Whether you are a small, medium or large sized business owner or human resources professional, working your way through the State of Michigan unemployment process can be daunting at best. The fact that the state recently shortened the name of its agency from the Michigan Employment Security Commission to the less unwieldy Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) has done nothing to simplify the process of dealing with former employees who apply […]

Jim Acho, attorney for former Detroit Lions Ernie Clark, is pleased to announce that after several months of negotiating, Mr. Clark is the new spokesman for Health Alliance Plan (HAP). HAP is a non-profit health plan based in Detroit that provides health care coverage to 570,000 members. Mr. Clark followed up a Big 10 run at Michigan State with a career as a linebacker with the Detroit Lions from 1961-1968 […]

By taking proactive steps to anticipate legal issues on campus, college administrators can manage risk in the area of student affairs.  Anticipating legal issues can be done in a couple ways. Firstly, many colleges belong to associations that provide updates regarding the status of pending legislation.  Typically these updates are provided to the college’s liaison to the association.  Administrators should seek out these updates as well.  By doing so, administrators […]

We are pleased to announce that attorney James R. Acho has been named 2013 dBusiness Top Lawyer in the Entertainment and Sports Field category. Mr. Acho focuses his practice primarily in the areas of labor and employment law, entertainment and sports law, commercial law and personal injury law. To select its Top Lawyers, DBusiness magazine polled more than 21,000 attorneys in Oakland, Macomb, Wayne, Washtenaw and Livingston counties among 51 […]

As a result of the recent Supreme Court ruling to uphold the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), there will be some tax effects for workers and recipients of investment income. Beginning in 2013, an additional 0.9% in Medicare taxes are assessed on wages in excess of $200,000 for single filers, and $250,000 for married, filing jointly, or $125,000 each when married and filing separately. Further, […]

Firearms:  Open Carry is Legal in Michigan  Earlier this year Nicholas Looman walked into Aderdeen Elementary School in Grand Rapids, Michigan to vote wearing his holstered pistol on his hip.  The school officials contacted the police, and Mr. Looman was arrested for bringing a firearm into a school.  Later, William Forsythe, the Kent County Prosecutor, issued a statement that Mr. Looman had done nothing illegal because he possessed a valid […]

Michigan’s Child Protection Law requires certain individuals, called mandated reporters, to report child abuse and neglect.   Mandated reporters are professionals who, in the ordinary course of their work and because they have regular contact with children, are required to report when abuse has been observed or suspected or when there has been evidence of neglect.  Examples of mandated reporters include nurses, physicians, licensed bachelor’s/master’s social workers, dentists, school administrators, school […]

Haider Kazim, a partner in the Firm’s Traverse City office, has been named by Michigan Super Lawyers & Rising Stars as one of the top up-and-coming attorneys in the state for 2012. Each year, no more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state receive this honor. The selections for this esteemed list are made by the research team at Super Lawyers, which is a service of the Thomson […]

Universities and colleges, although institutions of higher learning, must be prepared to navigate the complicated world of intellectual property, including dealing with their own trademark. A trademark is a name or symbol which identifies a product, service or institution to the general public. Trademarks, while intangible, are considered property, and the rights associated with trademarks are protected by Federal, State and common law. Generally, the first party to use a […]

CMDA is pleased to announce that Ethan Vinson, a partner in our Livonia office, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Belle Isle Conservancy. He will serve as their Vice President. The Belle Isle Conservancy’s mission is to protect, preserve, restore and enhance the natural environments, historic structures and unique character of Detroit’s Belle Isle as a public park for the enjoyment of all. Congratulations Ethan! He […]