Michigan House Bill 5598, signed into law recently as Public Act 154 of 2024, aims to strengthen the penalties for those who knowingly submit fraudulent documents related to real estate transactions. The bill amends a prior Act designed to punish individuals who file false or fraudulent conveyances of real estate with the intent to deceive. Prior to this amendment, the law primarily focused on the act of recording fraudulent documents, […]

Please join us in welcoming Corey Volmering to the Firm. He has joined CMDA as an attorney in the Firm’s Grand Rapids office where he focuses his practice on insurance defense, premises liability, municipal law, criminal defense, and other general civil litigation. He assists the Firm with conducting legal research and writing briefs for submission to state and federal courts in all areas of law handled by the Firm. Further, […]

Please join us in congratulating Jim Acho on his selection to Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s Class of 2024 Leaders in the Law. He is one of 30 attorneys in Michigan to be selected to this year’s class. Jim is only the third attorney in Firm history to receive this prestigious award. Michigan Lawyers Weekly “seeks to recognize those attorneys who are setting the standard for other lawyers. They offer a wealth […]

The latest issue of Urban Aging News features the article “Leaving Real Property to a Loved One Without a Will or Trust,” written by Norman (Gene) Richards. In this insightful article, Mr. Richards’ provides an overview of the ladybird deed, along with the benefits and challenges that come with that method of transferring property when a person dies. While the ladybird deed may be ideal in some instances, it can […]

Gabe Feldman is probably best known as NFL Network’s current on-air legal analyst, formerly sports law reporter for ESPN. However, it is because he is the chair of the nation’s top sports law program at Tulane and has intricate knowledge of how sports law cases work, that Jim Acho decided to do this specific podcast. We think it will answer any questions anybody has as to why CMDA filed this […]

The Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) was enacted by the federal government in 2021 to strengthen federal money laundering and tax fraud statutes by improving transparency in business ownership. The CTA is enforced by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). FinCEN requires reporting companies to file with the Department of Treasury a Beneficial Ownership Information Report (BOIR). This filing needs to be completed by January 1, 2025. Any entity created in […]

Dave Birkett is the award-winning Detroit Lions beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. He has been awarded Sportswriter of the Year three times. Mr. Birkett invited Jim Acho yesterday as his guest for the unveiling and first book signing for Dave’s new book on the history of the Detroit Lions at 24 Seconds Bar & Grill in Berkley. It was there Mr. Birkett surprised Jim with the news that […]

Ryan Miller, an equity partner in our Riverside office, and Daniel Ferris, an attorney in our Riverside office, recently received an extraordinarily favorable trial result in an admitted liability case. The trial involved allegations of negligent supervision by a local school district, which led to special education students engaging in multiple instances of sexual contact in a school bathroom. The trial lasted 14 days, and in closing the plaintiff asked […]

Through a series of legal wranglings, the Michigan Supreme Court has restored the Earned Sick Time Act (ESTA) and repealed the Paid Medical Leave Act (PMLA). The Court also restored the original Work Force Opportunity Wage Act (WOWA). Both laws go into effect February 21, 2025 to give employers time to make the required revisions to their work rules. The following is a summary of the more important elements of […]

The latest issue of Urban Aging News features an article on Medicaid Estate Recovery written by Norman “Gene” Richards. In this insightful article, Mr. Richards’ explains Medicaid Estate Recovery, which requires Michigan to attempt to recover Medicaid benefits paid for long-term care from a recipient’s estate after they die. This is a requirement under federal Medicaid law. This payback requirement may come as a surprise to families who do not […]