Owning a small business and living in the land of “entrepreneurial bliss” can prove rewarding, yet challenging. I have counseled many small business owners and advise them of three areas of their business that need constant attention: insurance, accounting and marketing. These areas should not be delegated to an employee or independent professional without the owner’s consistent oversight. Being educated, informed and pro-active in these areas can protect the owner, […]

Jeff Clark, a partner in our Livonia office, was recently selected as a 2013 Top Rated Lawyer in Land Use and Zoning by American Lawyer Media and Martindale-Hubbell. According to Martindale-Hubbell, “attorneys recognized as ‘Top Rated Lawyers’ have achieved significant leadership status and are highly regarded by their peers for both their legal ability and high ethical standards.” Mr. Clark concentrates his practice on municipal law, land use and zoning, […]

This is a follow-up to the “2012 Tax Planning for Fiscal Cliff” article published in CMDA’s On Law newsletter (December 2012) and on our website. On January 1, 2013 Congress passed the American Tax Relief Act extending many of the individual and business tax breaks reviewed in the article. As a supplement to the Article, below is a list of some of the significant tax changes. Individual Income Taxes Federal […]

Congratulations to Tim Ferrand, a partner in our Clinton Township office, who has been selected as a 2013 Top Rated Lawyer in Labor & Employment by American Lawyer Media and Martindale-Hubbell. Furthermore, Mr. Ferrand has achieved the AV Preeminent® peer review rating, which is the highest rating in legal ability and ethical standards. Mr. Ferrand is a senior trial attorney specializing in municipal liability defense. He has counseled and defended […]

Issue: An employee has provided a Return to Work Authorization Form from their physician following approved leave pursuant to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).  FMLA requires the employee to return to their original position. Question: Can the employer require the employee to take additional medical and/or work functionality tests before reinstating the employee to their original position? as a condition of restoring employees whose need for leave under the […]

2012 Tax Planning for Fiscal Cliff Now that the election is over, our federal government has to address the “Fiscal Cliff” created by the Budget Control Act of 2011.  The Fiscal Cliff involves several tax increases, the expiration of the Bush Era tax cuts, along with cuts in government spending. Unless the Senate and the House come to a resolution, there are several tax provisions that will expire or be […]

Greg Grant of the Firm’s Traverse City office recently 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 in […]

A high school secretary is charged with statutory rape of a student. Another teacher is found with a student in his motel room. A middle school teacher is convicted of molesting three students. What is happening in our schools? How can school districts protect students, as well as prevent false claims and civil lawsuits? In California, a school district can be found liable for sexual abuse committed by an employee […]

As Michigan’s largest private employers try to cut back, they have been addressing the promises they made in more prosperous decades to fund retiree health care costs and defined benefit pensions. The results have uniformly led to cuts to or elimination of those benefits. Now comes the turn of state and local governments. The Government Accounting Standard Board is set to implement new rules next year that will require states, […]

Changes were recently made to the Michigan Statute governing recovery of damages for theft. The Conversion Statute now allows a person to get three times the amount of actual damages sustained from a person who stole or embezzled property for their own use. To support a claim, the defendant must have obtained the property without the owners consent and must have an obligation to return the property to the rightful […]