BACK TO RESULTS

James M. Alexander, Retired Judge, Oakland County Circuit Court

In-person
Virtual

Home Office: Detroit, Michigan View More

Contact Case Manager

Schedule a Case

James M. Alexander, Retired Judge, Oakland County (Michigan) Circuit Court, is a highly regarded mediator, arbitrator, court-appointed neutral and neutral evaluator with more than 35 years of legal and judicial experience resolving sophisticated business and commercial disputes. Recognized for his practical, business-minded approach, Judge Alexander helps parties efficiently navigate complex matters involving closely held businesses, corporate governance, automotive supply chains, real estate, construction, professional liability and other high-value commercial issues.

During nearly two decades on the Oakland County Circuit Court, Judge Alexander served in every division of the court, including nine years in the Family Division, where he served as presiding judge, and seven years on the Oakland County Business Court. There, he managed one of Michigan’s busiest commercial dockets, overseeing approximately 500 complex business cases annually and resolving the vast majority of matters before trial. His docket included a significant volume of automotive industry disputes involving manufacturers and Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 suppliers throughout the supply chain, resolving the vast majority of matters before trial.

Before joining the bench, Judge Alexander maintained a diverse litigation practice representing businesses, healthcare organizations and public entities. He served as counsel to the business division of one of Michigan's largest health care systems, including Henry Ford Hospitals, and as a special assistant attorney general representing the Michigan Department of Transportation in condemnation proceedings.

Drawing on decades of experience as both a litigator and judge, Judge Alexander is a trusted neutral for complex commercial disputes, combining sound judgment, practical insight and a collaborative approach to help parties reach efficient, durable resolutions.

ADR Experience and Qualifications

On the Business Court, Judge Alexander handled a wide array of litigation, settling most matters short of trial, including the following:

Partnership and business dissolutions
Shareholder oppression
Breach of contract
Noncompetition and non-solicitation agreements

Court-Appointed Neutral (Referee/Special Master) and Neutral Evaluator

(complex business, commercial, construction, real estate, automotive and product liability matters)

Conducted neutral case evaluation to assist counsel with pretrial witness preparation and trial strategy
Served as discovery master in complex commercial litigation involving noncompete agreements and trade secret claims
Served as an appraiser in insurance matters involving fire and water damage claims

Representative Matters

Accounting/Finance

Presided over the judicial dissolution of one of Detroit's largest accounting and corporate turnaround firms

American Indian Tribal Law

Presided over a commercial contract dispute involving tribal sovereign immunity and the enforceability of an agreement between a state corporation and a federally recognized tribe

Banking

Presided over complex commercial banking and lender-liability disputes involving financial institutions, commercial loans and related business claims

Business Commercial

Mediated a commercial contract dispute between a major railroad logistics provider and an international automotive logistics company involving warehouse services, unpaid invoices, breach of contract and unjust enrichment claims
Arbitrated a banking and financial services dispute involving overdraft and non-sufficient funds (NSF) fees, alleged Regulation E violations, breach of contract and unfair business practices
Mediated a consumer finance dispute involving alleged breach of contract, credit reporting, debt discharge and title release obligations
Arbitrated a multimillion-dollar business dispute involving financing for a development project and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on contractual obligations
Presided over a dispute arising from the purchase agreement between two of the nation's largest shopping mall owners involving pre- and post-pandemic valuation issues
Presided over numerous trials involving alter ego and corporate veil-piercing claims
Presided over multiple statutory and common law conversion actions involving business assets and fiduciary disputes
Authored the trial court opinion that led to a Michigan Supreme Court decision clarifying uncertainty surrounding automotive supplier contract terms and conditions
Authored an opinion in an indemnification dispute between a major automobile manufacturer and Tier 1 supplier arising from alleged product defects

Cannabis

Presided over a cannabis business dispute involving shareholder oppression, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and ownership disputes

Construction

As a mediator, settled a construction contract dispute involving payment claims for work performed under a subcontract agreement and competing breach of contract claims
Presided over a multimillion-dollar shareholder dispute involving one of Michigan's largest construction companies, including claims of shareholder oppression, breach of fiduciary duty and breach of contract

Employment Law

As as a mediator, settled an employment discrimination and retaliation dispute involving claims of age and sex discrimination under the Michigan Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act
Arbitrated an employment discrimination dispute involving alleged disability discrimination, failure to provide reasonable accommodation and withdrawal of an employment offer under Ohio law
Arbitrated employment disputes involving claims of race, religion and age discrimination; wrongful discharge; and other employment-related claims

Family Law

In his time on the Family Court bench, Judge Alexander heard thousands of matters, including those involving the following:
- Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements
- Property divisions
- Child custody and parenting time
- Categorization of assets
- Business valuation
Presided over a complex family law dispute involving the interpretation of a prenuptial agreement and the characterization of noncompete proceeds from the sale of a business for purposes of marital property division
Presided over numerous disputes involving closely held family businesses, including ownership, fiduciary duty and dissolution issues among family members

Franchise and Distribution Law

Mediated a franchise dispute involving the sale of a franchise and the parties' rights under an existing franchise agreement

Governmental & Public Agency

Presided over a real estate dispute involving state law preemption and challenges to local zoning ordinances under the state's Zoning Enabling Act

Health Care

Presided over a business dispute between a home health care provider and its management company involving Medicare compliance and contractual obligations
Mediated a dispute between a hospital and medical school involving the allocation of endowment funds after the hospital changed its academic affiliation

Insurance

Mediated an insurance coverage dispute involving subrogation claims arising from a commercial warehouse fire and resulting property damage

Personal Injury

Presided over a personal injury dispute involving a public school district, alleged gross negligence and injuries arising from a school-sponsored athletic program

Professional Liability

Presided over professional liability disputes involving allegations of malpractice against architects, attorneys, accountants, health care professionals and other licensed professionals
Presided over a dispute between attorneys regarding entitlement to a referral fee; the matter resulted in a Michigan Supreme Court decision establishing that an attorney must have an existing attorney-client relationship to recover a referral fee

Real Estate and Real Property

Presided over a broad range of commercial and residential real estate disputes involving listing and purchase agreements, ownership interests, lease disputes and property valuation
Presided over real estate disputes involving foreclosure of condominium association liens, mortgage priority and the determination of title transfer
Presided over the judicial dissolution of Michigan's largest apartment ownership and management company
Presided over numerous cases regarding real estate listing agreements, both commercial and residential

Securities

Arbitrated numerous consumer financial services disputes involving alleged violations of the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), overdraft fees and credit card account closures