Municipal Law by gmhlaw

MUNICIPAL LAW MUNICIPAL LAW ATTORNEYS MUNICIPAL LAW EXPERTISE

JOHN C. CLARK

Annexation and Boundaries (Act 425, annexation, consolidation)

Mr. Clark concentrates his practice in the areas of labor and employment law, servicing clients in both the public and private sector. He represents a variety of public and private sector clients, including several high profile Metro Detroit cities and townships, private sector manufacturing companies, non-profit organizations, as well as public and charter schools. Mr. Clark is a certified employment arbitrator through the American Arbitration Association.

Chair, Municipal and Government Sections

Bankruptcy and Creditor’s Rights (Collections, priority of claims, claim protection) Charter and Ordinance (Drafting, amendment, interpretation, revision)

Municipal, Employment and Labor Law

Civil Rights (ADA, Elliott-Larsen, First Amendment)

Mr. Hitchcock concentrates in the areas of municipal law, litigation, employee benefits and business transactions. He has extensive experience in municipal matters over the past twenty six years, handling municipal government and school board issues. Mr. Hitchcock also represents a number of insurance companies in litigation defense, fringe benefits, disability and other employment-related litigation.

Code Enforcement (Prosecution, building codes, zoning) Condemnation and Eminent Domain (Environmental, MDOT/USDOT/Oakland County Compliance, right-of-way) Construction (Contracts and enforcement, barrier free, financing) Economic Development (Brownfields, CDBG grants, DIAs/DDAs/TIFAs, tax abatements) Elections (Ballot proposals, petitions, primaries, referenda, voter registration) Emergency Services (Cost recovery, fire, first responder, police, public safety)

GIARMARCO, MULLINS & HORTON, P.C. c o u n s e l o r s

a t

Chair, Employment and Law Labor Mr. Baran concentrates his practice in matters relating to employment and commercial disputes, including cases involving breach of contract, discrimination, harassment, wrongful discharge, and agreements restricting competition. He has a broad experience as a counselor and advisor to employers across the Midwest, and provides proactive assistance in avoiding disputes and legal exposure while achieving the employer’s desired objectives. Mr. Baran has negotiated many executive employment agreements.

ANTHONY CHUBB

Municipal and Government Mr. Chubb has over a decade of experience representing municipalities and governmental entities in the areas of labor and employment law, governmental immunity, prosecution, water quality and rate setting defense, medical and recreational marijuana regulation, and administrative law.

Municipal, Education Law

Employment and Labor (ADA, Civil Rights, at-will employment, collective bargaining, disability, Elliott-Larsen, layoffs/hiring/firing, personnel policies and manuals, severance/retirement, unemployment/ workers’ compensation)

ANDREW T. BARAN

SALVATORE A. AMODEO

Employee Benefits (Health and life insurance, MIRS, 401k, pensions)

a t t o r n e y s

STEPHEN L. HITCHCOCK

l a w

Mr. Amodeo focuses his practice on the defense of public school districts, municipalities, and hospitals. He represents clients in claims of wrongful discharge, employment discrimination, harassment, breach of contract, retaliation, wage and hour laws, and family medical leave laws. Mr. Amodeo assists public and intermediate school districts with civil rights suits and constitutional law claims, Title IX claims, peer-on-peer harassment claims, and personal injury claims.

TIMOTHY J. MULLINS

Board of Directors, Chair, Education Law, Government Law and Insurance Defense Sections Mr. Mullins has been successfully representing Michigan public school districts for more than 30 years. Mr. Mullins’ representation of public school districts includes employment discrimination, constitutional litigation, general education, special education, personal injury, serious school bus accidents, workers’ compensation and more.

ADDITIONAL EXPERTISE WILLIAM H. HERITAGE, III

Board of Directors, Chair, Business Law and Commercial Transactions Mr. Heritage concentrates his practice in the areas of corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, healthcare law, business planning and transactions, and real estate law. He has 25 years of experience in dealing with complex business and commercial transactions within a broad range of clients and representative industries. Mr. Heritage’s practice includes representation of small to large privately-held businesses as well as international business clients.

KENNETH B. CHAPIE

Education Law, Labor and Employment Mr. Chapie represents public school districts, municipalities and employers against claims of wrongful discharge, employment discrimination, harassment breach of contract, retaliation, wage and hour laws, and family medical leave laws. He also assists public school districts and intermediate school districts with student issues involving: special education, civil rights and constitutional claims, Title IX, student discipline and due process, peer-on-peer harassment and personal injury.

JOHN L. MILLER

Education Law, Labor and Employment Mr. Miller represents public school districts and municipalities in a wide array of litigation—including: employment, FOIA and Open Meetings Act, general education, special education, civil rights, constitutional law, personal injury claims, and workers’ compensation. Mr. Miller has represented governmental entities and private employers throughout Michigan’s state and federal courts— both at the trial and appellate levels, including the Michigan Supreme Court and United States Supreme Court.

ADAM LEVITSKY

Workers’ Compensation and Municipal Mr. Levitsky concentrates his practice in the areas of workers’ compensation defense, subrogation, municipal law, general civil liability and criminal defense. He has successfully defended employers, their insurance companies, self-insureds and third-party administrators at all levels of the workers’ compensation process. He has extensive trial and appellate court experience in Michigan state and federal courts.

Environmental (Air/water quality, DEQ regulation, groundwater discharge, wetlands, sewer regulation) Freedom of Information Act (FOIA responses, exemptions, litigation) Liability (Contracts, government immunity, insurance/ litigation defense, risk management) Meetings (Closed sessions, minutes, notices, Open Meetings Act) Municipal Finance and Bonding (Co-counsel with counsel of township’s choice) Appointments and Officers (Conflicts of interest, duties, election, nomination/appointment, removal/vacancies) Planning and Zoning (Master planning, enforcement, rezoning, conditional rezoning, site plan review) Property Taxes (Appeals, assessment, Board of Review, Michigan Tax Tribunal, tax abatements) Real Estate (Easements, economic development, environmental, foreclosures, land contracts, right-of-ways) Utilities and Telecommunications (Cable television, electrical/gas/water, easements, permitting, rates/fees)

KARIE MILLER

Municipal and Government Ms. Miller concentrates her practice in the area of municipal and government law. She previously worked as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Oakland County, litigating numerous criminal and civil cases on behalf of the People of the State of Michigan. Ms. Miller has extensive trial, motion and preliminary examination experience.