Obtained denial of plaintiff’s request for temporary restraining order in stop-shipment lawsuit seeking injunction for continued shipment of goods

Obtained dismissal of RICO claims and displacement of state court common law claims based on Michigan Uniform Trade Secrets Act.

Represented City of Detroit in investigation and civil litigation relating to alleged criminal enterprise, persuaded court to permit City of Detroit to intervene and rule that municipality’s tort claims against Defendants belonged to the City of Detroit, and obtained eight-figure settlement on behalf of the City of Detroit.

Persuaded federal court to dismiss Petroleum Marketing Practices Act (PMPA) claims and obtained summary judgment in state court on breach of contract counterclaim.

Successfully obtained injunction preventing disclosure of confidential information in violation of non-disclosure agreement.

Represented numerous OEM and tier automotive suppliers in stop-shipment lawsuit.

Represented Detroit Public School District in investigation and highly contested fraud lawsuit seeking to recover millions of dollars in misappropriated funds paid to various vendors without authorized contracts. Persuaded court to issue partial summary disposition on issue of whether wire payments were unauthorized, successfully obtained eight-figure settlement and multi-million dollar judgments for the school district.

Represented an applicant energy client in the successful certification of a 60 mile 138 kV electric transmission line with completion of the case within three months of its initiation before the Michigan Public Service Commission.  

Established business model and venture fund with responsibility for all aspects of business start-up.

Negotiated agreement and established joint venture with Delphi (Precon Machining Optimization Technologies LLC) to commercialize proprietary technology, and served as its chief executive officer

Served as regional counsel for Pfizer/Shiley heart valve cases

Represented a Chinese automotive OEM to dismiss the lawsuit filed in the U.S. court.

Represented a Chinese private company to win an arbitration proceeding conducted in New York.

Assisted one of the top Chinese automotive OEMs to set up its research and development center in Michigan.

Advised the U.S. clients on corporate structures in China including WFOE, FICE, EJV, CJV and representative offices.

Advised the U.S. companies on corporate, tax, labor, import/export, foreign currency and intellectual property issues in China.

Served as outside counsel to a partnership owning Midwest regional mall and assorted strip shopping centers.

Represented a healthcare CEO charged wth 128 counts of healthcare fraud, securing a not guilty verdict on all counts. 

Represented an official of the United States Department of State for allegedly committing perjury and obstruction of justice in connection with the first post 9/11 terrorism trial in the United States, securing a not guilty verdict on all charges.

Litigated multiple LLC disputes involving the Illinois and Delaware LLC Acts, including a shareholder oppression matter where he assisted to obtain a multi-million dollar judgment and attorneys’ fees for a founding LLC member.

Represented clients in patent and trade dress infringement litigation in judicial districts across the United States. Served as part of a trial team that successfully obtained a $1.2 million jury verdict in the Western District of North Carolina on theories of trade dress infringement and unfair competition.  Also served as part of a trial team that negotiated a favorable settlement for his client in patent infringement litigation in the Central District of California.

Negotiated, drafted and litigated several licensing agreements. Was part of a trial team that successfully enforced a client's multi-million dollar licensing agreement in the Southern District of New York.

Defended a client's privacy rights under the complicated Stored Communications Act.

Employed the use of a federal receivership to maintain, preserve, and sell a valuable commercial property owned by the defendant in order to satisfy a judgment in favor of his client.

Represented The Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority in its acquisition, by long-term lease, of Cobo Center from the City of Detroit.

Helped the owner of one of the best-known and valuable trademarks in world investigate and bring federal criminal charges against a counterfeiting ring and handled related civil litigation to bring the counterfeiting to an end.

Advised a large multi-state grocery chain on the process of transferring alcohol and tobacco inventory when closing a store and coordinated the transfer with the required state regulatory agencies.  

Successfully defended casino against claim for slots payout for invalid play.

Represented a frozen yogurt franchisee as tenant counsel in negotiating retail leases and as company counsel in creating a parent entity and operator/tenant entities.

Successfully represented a real estate developer in federal court litigation and related mediation of a dispute involving the construction of a luxury Caribbean hotel and resort complex.

Represented private equity fund as equity partner in joint venture involving a portfolio of five hotels.  

Defended a major retailer in a class action involving sales associates alleging age discrimination arising out of a nationwide reorganization. The Eastern District of Michigan Judge dismissed the lawsuit, avoiding potential damages claims exceeding $16 million.   

Represented governmental units on several hundred municipal bond issues totaling over $3 billion dollars for water and sewer utilities, street and road projects, drainage districts, governmental buildings and equipment, parking facilities, brownfield redevelopment and other economic development projects

Represented a municipality in connection with development agreements, incentives and bond financing for over $10 million of road, water and sewer infrastructure to facilitate development of a major automotive manufacturing facility.

Acted as bond counsel on the first joint recreational authority bond financing in Michigan.

Acted as bond counsel for financing and refinancing solid waste and pollution control equipment for a major investor-owned utility company.

Crafted legislation enabling financing of unfunded pension and retiree healthcare legacy costs.

Guided a large physician group through its sale to a hospital and the process of becoming part of the hospital’s integrated delivery system in a way that enabled the physicians to preserve their autonomy and, consequently, a significant degree of bargaining power and influence in hospital system decisions after the acquisition that would not have been possible had they become hospital employees.

Represented a multi-specialty physician group in its creative acquisition of an ancillary service business from another group of physicians in default with its bank,whereby the bank repossessed the desired assets and resold them to our client – at a reduced price. 

Legislation authorizing the issuance of bonds by local units to finance retiree health care costs and pension liabilities.

Legislation permitting refinancing and extension of debt for various reasons relating to fiscal stress.

Legislation creating a Next Michigan Development Corporation to provide economic development incentives across multiple cities, townships and counties.

Assisted in drafting the enabling legislation for the Michigan Higher Education Student Loan Authority (“MHESLA”) and the creation of MHESLA’s federally assisted student loan program.

Assisted in drafting amendments to Act 222 to enable MHESLA to establish a state secondary market loan program and to create an alternative MI-LOAN Program.

Served as Special Tax Counsel for MHESLA and the Michigan Finance Authority in connection with the various issuances of Student Loan Refunding Bonds.

Assisted the owner of the one of the best-known and valuable trademarks in the world investigate and bring federal criminal charges against a counterfeiting ring. We worked hand-in-hand with federal prosecutors and investigators, and instituted parallel civil litigation to shut down the counterfeiters.

Advised client as to a draft Joint Voluntary Notice filed with the Committee for Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) regarding a British Virgin Island entity purchasing a U.S. Business with ITAR-controlled assets.

Advised client as to the impact on the purchase of a U.S. business arising from defense articles transferring from the United States Munitions List (USML) to the Commerce Control List (CCL) 600 Series. 

Negotiated and implemented a Mitigation Plan with the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) regarding the ability of a Senior Financial Officer to direct and control the business affairs of the DDTC Registrant. The affected Senior Financial Officer, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China, was employed by the ultimate parent to the DDTC Registrant. 

Assisting a city with the agreements and financings to facilitate the redevelopment of an obsolete retail facility into new medical buildings and parking facilities.

Assisting a municipal client with the redevelopment of an obsolete school facility into a new residential development through the issuance of bonds to finance public infrastructure and demolition costs.

Assisting a municipality with the redevelopment of downtown facilities through the issuance of bonds to finance public infrastructure necessary for the development of a mixed-use commercial and residential development.

Serving as bond counsel to a conduit issuer to assist a major investor-owned utility with the issuance of bonds for the financing and refinancing of projects for air and water pollution control and solid waste facilities.

Serving as bond counsel to a conduit issuer to assist with the financing of manufacturing and plant improvements for a private sector qualified manufacturing project.

Assisting a city with the agreements and financings to facilitate the redevelopment of an obsolete retail facility into new medical buildings and parking facilities.

Assisting a private sports company with the agreements, legislation and public sector and private sector financing to develop a new downtown event center for a professional sports team. 

Assisting a city with amendments to its development plan and tax increment financing plan and the issuance of bonds to pay for public infrastructure relating to downtown development projects.

Assisting a city as bond counsel in connection with redevelopment of downtown facilities through the issuance of bonds to finance public infrastructure necessary for the development of a mixed-use commercial and residential development. 

Assisting in the creation of a Local Development Finance Authority and SmartZone to finance business incubator improvements.

Representing a state university in connection with the negotiation of agreements and issuance of bonds to finance new medical school facilities.

Representing a city in connection with the issuance of bonds for water supply and sewage disposal system improvements.

Representing a township in connection with the agreements and financing for new public safety and fire department equipment.

Developing multi-jurisdictional agreements for the provision of water, sewer and waste disposal services.

Drafting shared services agreements for the joint provision of police and fire services.

Developing agreements to consolidate bus services, maintenance and programs for public school districts.

Advising an Illinois nonprofit childcare organization on opportunities for collaboration and shared early childhood educational services under State law.

Drafting legislation and negotiating consent agreements between local units and the State, and advising emergency managers and the local units to which they have been appointed.

Drafting legislation and an intergovernmental agreement to create a Next Michigan Development Corporation to provide economic development incentives across multiple cities, townships and counties.

Successfully represented an appliance manufacturer in a 12-fatality explosion and fire

Successfully represented a school district in an asbestos premises liability class action case

Successfully represented school district in a fraud, negligence and breach of contract action against school district contractors and vendors and obtained a sizable settlement.

Successfully represented utility in gas pipeline explosion.

Successfully represented several clients in food adulteration cases.

Represented the CEO of mortgage securities company in one of the largest mortgage securities fraud trials in Michigan history. The multi-week jury trial was the culmination of over three years of litigation that included more than 50 individual and institutional plaintiffs, 20 defendants, and parallel criminal investigations. 

Successfully represented former officers for two of the world’s largest makers of auto parts in securities actions and parallel investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission.

Represented broker-dealers, investment advisers, and their adviser and registered representatives in an array of SEC, FINRA, and state-agency examinations, investigations, and enforcement actions. Examples include:

Handling a multi-year, bet-the-company regulatory examination and investigation of an SEC-registered investment adviser with operations and offices around the country. Miller Canfield helped our client through the process, worked with and effectively communicated with the SEC examiners, investigators, and accountants, and through this work helped the client improve its compliance operations and avoid an SEC enforcement action.Represented audit committee of foreign private issuer involved in major SEC accounting fraud investigation in several countries resulting in a reported declination.Represented municipal issuer in municipal securities fraud investigation by the SEC.Represented former executive of Fortune 50 chemical company in SEC insider trading investigation involving merger with another international chemical company.Successfully represented major banking client in resolving SEC enforcement action over disclosure and documentation of loan loss reserves and a restatement of earnings.

Represented Goldman Sachs investment fund in federal litigation with a business development company alleging dilution of corporate ownership interests as a result of various share issuances, sales, and transfers.

Represented Kaydon Corporation in state and federal litigation that sought to block a proposed acquisition by a foreign corporate buyer.

Represented Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Smith, Inc. against multi-million dollar claims in arbitration and obtained a dismissal by the panel after a lengthy hearing.

Represented IBM in a Multistate Tax Compact appeal, one fo the most important state tax case in the U.S. in 2014, dealing with the question of the effect of the Compact on specific state tax legislation.

Represented Ford Motor Co. in a Michigan Supreme Court appeal, dealing with the fundamental question of what constitutes a refund claim.

Represented KMart Corp. in a landmark Michigan tax case regarding tax status of a disregarded entity.

Defended an international certified public accounting and business advisory firm against professional liability claims brought by a telecommunications industry client that hired the firm to advise them about their individual tax situation, and about certain business transactions.

Represented a national law firm against claims brought by a sports manufacturer alleging it was responsible, under a successor liability theory, for supposed legal malpractice committed by certain lawyers prior to the time the lawyers became members of the firm. 

Represented an international intellectual property law firm against a company that claimed the firm failed to file patent fees, resulting in the alleged loss of a patent. 

Represented a leading law firm against a professional liability claim brought by individuals who had hired engaged it to prepare documents to advertise and sell investment interests in an oil and gas exploration and extraction project in California. 

Represented an intellectual property law firm in a declaratory judgment action that it pre-emptively filed after being threatened with professional liability claims by an owner of several trademarks in the fitness industry. 

Represented the lead defendant in a putative class action alleging that automobile “repossession forwarders” violated state law by failing to be licensed. The trial court dismissed plaintiffs’ claims and the state Court of Appeals affirmed.

Representation of a major Michigan bank and defending purported derivative claims relating to its lending practices.

Represented a large multi-specialty medical organization against claims of mismanagement by a group of member physicians.

Assisted a major automotive manufacturer in asserting a multi-million dollar property damage claim against its insurance carrier, resulting in a victory at trial in Federal Court.

Won an acquittal in a federal jury trial for a former State Department employee charged with obstruction of justice.

Won an acquittal in a federal jury trial for a professor charged with violating federal laws prohibiting trade with Iraq.

Won acquittals in a state jury trial for a health care administrator charged with multiple counts of health care fraud.

Defeating a power equipment dealer’s claim that it was protected from termination by the Wisconsin Fair Dealer Law.

Defeating a terminated distributor’s claim under the Illinois franchise statute.

Successfully resolving a furniture dealer’s price discrimination claims under federal and Oklahoma law.

Successfully resolving a furniture dealer’s encroachment claims under California law.

Defeating a terminated beer distributor’s claims under the Illinois Beer Industry Fair Dealing Act.

Successfully representing a home decorating franchisor in breach of contract, termination and de-branding disputes.

Successfully defending a farm equipment dealer’s termination claim.

Successfully representing a master pizza franchisee in a series of high-profile tort cases.