Top Rated Business Litigation Attorney in Troy, MI

Representative Clients

• CBRE, Inc.; DCP Midstream Partners; JPMorgan Chase, N.A.; Universal Music Group, Inc. (and related companies and artists)

Verdicts/Settlements

• Fully prevailed in a six week “bet the company” AAA arbitration in Chicago defending FTD Florists’ Association against corporate partner, including an award of attorney and expert fees to our client; Defended FANUC Robotics North America, Inc. in a $30 million complex commercial arbitration after which the panel awarded only de minimis damages (less the 0.5% of the amounts claimed); Obtained full damages for breach of contract, fraud and tortious interference in two week Oakland County jury trial; Represented numerous clients in “business divorce” and shareholder/partner disputes, including securing summary judgment dismissing a $100 million minority shareholder oppression claim; After bench trial, obtained a 5 year injunction and more than $2 million in damages for celebrity chef’s violation of non-compete and conversion; As lead counsel for Universal Music Group and related entities and associated artists (including Lady Gaga, Sheryl Crow, Mary J. Blige and Dr. Dre), prevailed in copyright claims, commercial disputes and defamation actions in Louisiana, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan. Victories include dismissal of copyright infringement action and award of over $500,000 in sanctions for “campaign of fraud” committed by plaintiffs and their counsel.

Scholarly Lectures/Writings

• Presenter, Navigating the World of Non-competes (ICLE, 2015); Unmoored: How Minority Shareholder Oppression Litigation has Gone Too Far, Stout Risius Ross Journal (Spring 2015); The Defend Trade Secrets Act/Trade Secret Protection Act – Finally, Federal Protection for Trade Secrets, Bloomberg BNA’s Corporate Counsel Weekly (October 2014); The Tyranny of the Minority, The Litigation Newsletter (Winter 2014) (republished by the ABA Commercial and Business Litigation Committee, Vol. 15, No. 2); Presenter, State Bar of Michigan Business Law Institute, Minority Shareholder Litigation (June 2014); Contributing Author, Business Torts (ABA 2014); Barring the Door: The International Trade Commission as a Means to Prevent Importation of Goods Utilizing Misappropriated Trade Secrets, 32 Mich. B. Law J. 1 (2012); Moderator, ABA Annual Meeting, International Litigation Committee CLE Presentation (2012); Moderator, ABA Regional CLE, New Issues in Copyright Litigation (Chicago, 2012); Presenter, When Attorney’s Attack: Analyzing Strategies for Defeating Expert Testimony, MACPA Annual Meeting (2012); Stolen Moments: Copyright Law Shifting Tremendously as Internet Becomes Wilder Wild West, 26 Mich.L.W. 833 (June 25, 2012); Through a Glass, Darkly: Back to Basics to Eliminate Speculative Damages Claims in Commercial Litigation, 91 Mich. B. J. 2 (2012)

Pro bono/Community Service

• The Community House (Birmingham, MI), Board Member (2010-present)

Bar/Professional Activity

• Local Rules Advisory Committee, U.S. District Court, E.D. Mich. (Chair, 2015-2016); American Bar Association; Intellectual Property Litigation Committee (Chair, 2012-2015), Intellectual Property Subcommittee of the Commercial & Business Litigation Committee (Chair, 2013-present); State Bar of Michigan, Board of Commissioners (2013-2016), Fellow, State Bar Foundation, Committee on Civil Procedure and Courts (Chair, 2011-2014), Representative Assembly (Chair, 2015-2016); Oakland County Bar Association, Sustaining Member, Board of Directors (2011-present); Oakland County Inns of Court, Executive Committee Member & Master; Oakland County Bar Foundation, Fellow and member of Board of Trustees (President, 2013-2014); Federal Bar Association, U.S. District Court, E.D. Michigan, Board of Directors & Executive Committee (2013-2015)

Honors/Awards

• Member, Litigation Counsel of America; Chambers USA, Commercial Litigation; Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation and Litigation-Banking & Finance and Intellectual Property; DBusiness Top Lawyers, Litigation – Commercial; IP All Star (2015); Honoree for pro bono work by U.S. District Court, E.D. Michigan; Oakland County Bar Association, Distinguished Service Award (2009) and the Frances R. Avadenka Community Service Award (2014)

Educational Background

• University of Michigan, B.A. 1990 (with honors); University of Michigan, J.D. 1992.

Industry Groups

• Automotive Litigation
• Commercial & Business Litigation
• Copyrights
• Intellectual Property & Trade Secrets Litigation
• Middle Market Business Breakups & Owner Disputes
• Music Sports & Entertainment Litigation
• Non-Compete & Anti Solicitation Agreements