Representative Matters

Appellate
• • Goldstein v. Progressive Casualty Insurance Co., 218 Mich. App. 105 (1996)
  • Dohanyos v. Detrex Corp., 217 Mich. App. 171 (1996) (Holding that arbitrators involved in statutory arbitration derive their powers from the contract providing for arbitration and are bound to act within its terms).
Banking
• • As an arbitrator, presided over matters involving residents who alleged that car-title loans violated a statutory consumer finance act,state usury provisions, and the Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act, including multiple discovery issues arising from payment log determinations.
  • As a mediator and arbitrator, handled dispute involving quiet title, slander of title, and trespass claims, resulting in title being quieted and significant damages awarded against multiple defendants.
  • As a mediator and arbitrator, presided over multiple banking disputes involving claims for statutory damages and reimbursement of overdraft fees, alleging violations of Regulation E of the Federal Electronic Funds Transfer Act (EFTA) and state consumer protection laws.  
  • As an arbitrator, presided over multiple consumer banking credit union disputes involving fraudulent claims for statutory damages and reimbursement of overdraft fees, alleging violations of Regulation E of the Federal Electronic Funds Transfer Act (EFTA) and state consumer protection laws.
Business Commercial
• Breach of Contract

  • Arbitrated multiple, consumer credit disputes, including breach of cardholder agreements collections actions, Fair Credit Reporting Act dispute of debt validity and default arbitration.
  • Appointed sole arbitrator over independent service provider breach of contract dispute with multinational transportation business involving Last Mile Delivery.
  • Arbitrated breach of contract, Conversio, consumer Fair Credit Reporting Act dispute with a major national loan company.
  • Served on Neutral Tripartite Analysis evaluation of multi-billion-dollar business dispute involving tortious interference, negligence, fraudulent misrepresentation, and Elliot Larsen Civil Rights Act.  
  • Arbitrated breach of attorney fee contract dispute involving the breakdown of a high-level employee termination resolution package.
  • As a judge, presided over and adjudicated breach of employment contract of a senior marketing executive at a major consumer goods retail chain.
  • As a judge, presided over personal injury and breach of contract claims alleged because of alleged substandard roof repair resulting in emotional distress and caused toxic black mold to grow and in turn led to sinus and upper respiratory illness.

  Automotive

  • As a judge, presided over multiple commission actions involving violation of Sales Representative Commission Act, where a sales representative for a parts supplier-maintained contracts with The Big Three automobile manufacturers to acquire bid opportunities.
  • As a judge, presided over contract dispute regarding patent and technology for a novel way of making plastic polymers called powder impression molding (PIM), licensing agreements granted exclusive rights to market PIM for product development to eastern hemisphere countries in exchange for royalties on products developed assisted in the resolution of the dispute following a finding that the license agreement had no requirement for transfer of know-how.  
  • As a judge, presided over national training center and mega union committee authorized pursuant to the Labor Management Relations Act involving a business dispute with multiple executives accused of fraud, unjust enrichment, concealment of hundreds of thousands of dollars, credit card schemes and for personal/criminal gain. (UAW=Chrysler Skill Development Program v IACOBELLI et al)
Cannabis
• • Appointed as sole Emergency Arbitrator on Cannabis manufacturing companies’ interstate contract dispute.  
  • Served as a court-appointed discovery facilitator, providing recommendations on ESI disputes between multi-state cannabis businesses at the direction of a circuit court judge.
Class Action & Mass Tort
• • Arbitrated an individual claim before the Armstrong World Industries Asbestos Trust involving allegations of mesothelioma.
  • As a mediator, managed dozens of individual banking-related mass filings alleging improper customer sales tactics.
  • As a judge, presided over mass property tax foreclosure “just compensation” case changing precedent and introduced an orderly process for future surplus proceeds from governmental entities paid to foreclosed upon property owners. (Rafaeli, LLC v Oakland County)
  • As a judge, presided over putative class action on behalf of government employees alleging negligence and public nuisance claiming they suffered various physical ailments because of exposure to toxic chemicals, including hazardous levels of methane gas and volatile organic compounds while working at the facility. (Powell-Murphy v Revitalizing Auto COMMUNITIES Environmental Trust 333 Mich App 234)
  • Advocated in Civil Rights class action involving urban dislocation and demolition of housing for Black residents under city’s governmental program of renewal. (Garrett v Hamtramck).
  • Advocated Data Processors class action involving Internal Revenue Service as AUSA.
  • As a judge, oversaw a punitive class action involving former Southfield property owners who alleged constitutional violations after Oakland County foreclosed on their homes for unpaid taxes and transferred the properties, via the City’s statutory right of first refusal, to a nonprofit redevelopment entity. Plaintiffs asserted violations of due process, equal protection, and the Michigan and federal Takings Clauses.
Construction
• • As a judge, presided over a land use dispute involving allegations that the defendant violated the plaintiff’s vested rights by refusing to lift a stop-work order and allow construction to proceed under previously approved plans.
  • As  an arbitrator, handled business dispute between National Property Rehabilitation company and business contactor involving two housing renovation contracts.   
  • As a judge, presided over case involving a federal eminent-domain dispute involving the government’s acquisition of 1.11 acres used for a trucking operation near the Ambassador Bridge U.S. Customs cargo-inspection facility, with the central issue being the amount of just compensation owed to the landowners.
  • As an advocate, handled case involving accident causing serious injury off of a monopole structure involving construction of cellphone towers.
Employment Law
• • As an arbitrator, settled multiple cases involving software developers, product representatives, service delivery managers, program managers, involving Age Discrimination in Employment Act (“ADEA”) against multinational technology company.  
  • As an arbitrator, handled  decedent employee/manager negligence, wrongful death and more involving National Food Franchise alleging a special relationship in complex death case.
  • Appointed sole arbitrator over race and national origin of discrimination involving wrongful termination and major Hospital Facility.
  • Appointed sole arbitrator in alleged Financial Co. abrupt termination of Wages and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) wage and hour employee in violation of (WARN) Act.
  • As a judge, mediated dispute involving Healthcare CEO, Physician Healthcare group and University President and Bd of Directors and wrongful retaliatory discharge, Eliott Larsen Civil Rights Act violations and ADEA and more.
  • As a judge, mediated allegations of wrongful termination, violation of Family Leave Act (FMLA), violation of Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), violation of Designated Notice requirements and retaliatory discharge involving major Auto Sub-Assembly Manufacturing Co.
  • As a judge, mediated Title VII and Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act violations including sexual harassment, quid pro quo harassment and hostile work environment against Wealth Management Retirement Planning to settlement Company CEO.  
  • As a judge, mediated wrongful discharge Whistleblower Protection Act (“WPA”), wrongful retaliation for filing complaint with Michigan’s Safety & Health Administration (MIOSHA) and in retaliation for violation of Family Leave Act (“FMLA”) involving national multi-billion-dollar hospital.
  • As a judge, mediated allegations of wrongful discharge, race discrimination and harassment in violation of Eliott Larsen Civil Rights Act (“ELCRA”), Disability discrimination and Failure to Accommodate in violation of Persons with Disability Civil Rights Act (“PDCRA), and violation and retaliation under the Workers Disability Compensation Act (“WDCA” involving national hospital.
  • As a judge, presided over multiple employment matters including Whistle Blower Protection (WPA”) harassment/hostile work environment, jury trial where municipal tax accessor terminated involving violations of State Law to the State Tax Commission.
  • As a judge, presided over cases where law enforcement alleged hostile work environment, retaliatory discharge, discrimination following unwelcome comments during training/ role-playing/    confrontational scenarios that included offensive language.
  • As a judge, presided over and adjudicated Breach of Employment contract of a senior marketing executive at a major consumer goods retail chain.
  • Advocated as Assistant United States Attorney multiple cases involving allegations of wrongful discharge, Title VII, harassment hostile work involvement and more by employees of multiple agencies including the US Postal Service, Internal Revenue Service and more.
Energy
• • As an arbitrator, handled numerous consumer actions involving solar manufacturers and solar installers for alleged damages due to improper installations, moisture intrusion, inadequate energy production, fraud, loss of use, alternate living expense, loss of rents and loss of profits.
  • As an arbitrator, managed  numerous disputes arising out of power purchase agreements between commercial and residential owners and solar energy companies.
  • As an arbitrator, handled cases involving allegations of fraud and deceptive practices by an energy reseller that arranged financing for high-cost home solar systems.
Entertainment & Sports
• • As a judge, presided over case involving Head coach suspension and subsequent termination and denial of professional team offer of employment for violations of Mi State Youth Soccer Associations rules (CHRISTENSEN V Soccer Ass’n, 218 Mich App. 37, 1996).   
  • As a judge, settled multiple cases involving claims of concussion injuries arising from a high-profile altercation between professional basketball players and fans during a 2004 NBA game.
  • As an arbitrator, handled a case involving a football player in a breach-of-contract dispute over a memorabilia agreement and a Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal, in which the players alleged they were not paid as agreed under their college contract.
Family Law
• • As a mediator and arbitrator, handle multiple complex and sensitive matters involving sexual harassment and child abuse, applying insight gained from 30 years as a judge presiding over similar matters.
  • As a judge, presided over thousands matters involving child custody, support, spousal support, paternity disputes, community property division and familial business disputes.
Governmental & Public Agency
• • As an advocate, in federal court, handled several matters involving dispute over the expansion of one of the Somerset Collection.
  • As a judge, handled multiple condemnation matters involving zoning disputes in the City of Troy and various suburban strip mall properties.
  • As a judge, presided over disputes involving multiple municipalities and the county election director concerning the annexation of a single subdivision and vacant unplatted land, which led to allegations of gerrymandering and related election issues.
  • As a judge, presided over a major condemnation and zoning case in which the government sought to acquire property for the long-term reconstruction of Northwestern Highway’s connector project, resulting in a $4.5 million jury verdict.
Insurance
• • As a judge, presided over a breach of contract case in which the defendant failed to pay coverage for a property loss under the policy, resulting in damages to the plaintiff.
  • As a judge, presided over a breach of insurance contract case involving allegations that the defendant unreasonably and inappropriately sought repayment of funds from the plaintiff through its insurance plan.
Personal Injury
• Child Abuse

  • As a mediator, handled a national daycare negligence case involving allegations that a caregiver abused a toddler, resulting in serious injury, with additional concerns related to the child’s underlying medical condition.
  • As a mediator, handled a case involving allegations of elementary school teacher negligence and claims that the school failed to provide proper training and a safe environment, resulting in student injury.
  • As a judge, presided over multiple cases regarding allegations of physical and severe sexual abuse against minors.  
  • As a judge, presided over jury trials and settled multiple cases with sex crimes involving adults and children.
  • As a judge, presided over a case involving allegations that an elementary teacher engaged in sexual assault with two young boys and later granted a new trial following a high-profile wrongful conviction.
  • As an investigative social worker, conducted hundreds of investigations for child abuse and neglect.

  Elder Abuse 

  • As a judge, presided over wrongful death case with survival actions by family against nursing home regarding allegations of physical abuse and neglect leading to emotional distress and death, misrepresentations by nursing home on nature and quality of goods and services and standard of care failures.
  • As an investigative social worker, investigated allegations of adult abuse and neglect cases including matters involving seniors, individuals with disabilities, rape victims, and nursing home residents.
  • As an advocate handled numerous senior abuse cases at a nursing home involving physical and sexual abuse.

  Medical Malpractice  

  • As a judge, oversaw cases including wrongful birth and severe birth trauma claims, cases involving physicians and multiple hospitals resulting in multi-million dollar verdict.
  • As a judge, oversaw a medical-malpractice claim involving a certified gastroenterologist asserting negligent performance of a colonoscopy on a patient with a complicating health issue.
  • As a judge, presided over nursing malpractice cases involving nurse technicians, nurse assistants, and registered nurses, including matters where the cause of injury centered on whether a PEG tube was improperly dislodged during a patient transfer.
  • As a judge, managed case involving failure to comply with the neurosurgical standard of care, resulting in neurogenic shock.
  • As a judge, presided over several jury multi-day trials involving a broad range of medical malpractice disputes.

  Sexual Harassment/ Misconduct

  • As a a judge, presided over and handled hundreds of cases involving allegations of sexual abuse against children.
  • As an investigative social worker, investigated thousands of allegations of child abuse and neglect cases including matters involving minors, children with disabilities and rape victims.

  Wrongful Death and Catastrophic Injury  

  • Served as chair arbitrator on a tripartite panel with a complex third-party auto negligence dispute involving a collision between a passenger vehicle and a commercial bus, including allegations of catastrophic personal injuries and competing accident-reconstruction analyses.
Product Liability
• • As a judge, presided over a six-week jury trial involving a defective toaster-oven sold by a major national retailer, addressing allegations of design and manufacturing defects that resulted in significant residential fire loss and extensive damages.
  • As a n arbitrator, settled  a premises liability case involving a plaintiff who sustained injuries due to an allegedly unsafe and negligently maintained store premises.
  • As a litigator, Represented a major automotive company in products liability cases involving seat belt and brake failures.
  • As a litigator, represented a manufacturing company in snowmobile litigation involving alleged safety defects and injuries, as well as disputes with manufacturers and dealerships.
Real Estate & Real Property
• • As a judge, presided over numerous contract sales commission cases over 23 years, including those now overseen by the Michigan Business Court, involving a wide range of real property matters, including disputes over vested rights, stop-work orders, construction and renovation contracts, and other land use and property issues, construction renovation , condemnation and zoning disputes.
  • As a mediator and arbitrator managed complex real property cases involving sales and purchase agreements, construction, commercial leases, and foreclosures of commercial and residential buildings.