Representative Experience

• Defended Meijer Corporation in an insurance coverage litigation case (which arose from a wrongful death case in Ohio in which Meijer was ordered to pay a $12 million judgment.) The defense was successful in Federal District Court and upheld before the Court of Appeals
• Defended Marathon Oil Company in a products liability/wrongful death action arising out of a propane gas explosion. The case, assigned to Judge Lamb of the Kalamazoo County Circuit Court, settled for the mediation award. A no-cause judgment was rendered in favor of Marathon at mediation
• Defended Battle Creek Adventist Hospital in a hospital negligence/wrongful death action brought by the personal representative of a psychiatric patient who committed suicide while confined in the hospital. The case, assigned to Judge Miller of the Calhoun County Circuit Court, settled prior to trial
• Defended North Avenue Women’s Center of Battle Creek, Michigan, and one of its employees, a nurse-midwife, in a birth trauma case filed on behalf of a child born at the Center who suffered birth anoxia. The case, before Judge Miller in the Calhoun County Circuit Court, settled prior to trial
• Defended Steelcase Inc. in a tortious interference claim filed by a former vendor. The case was filed in Kent County Circuit Court. A motion to limit the recovery to nominal damages was granted by Judge Benson and affirmed on appeal
• Defended Harlo Products Corporation in a products liability action filed by an oil rig worker injured in a forklift accident. The case, before Judge Enslen in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, settled after arbitration
• Represented a Jackson, Michigan, Ophthalmology firm in litigation to enforce a restrictive covenant against one of its former physician employees. The case, before Judge Perlos in Jackson County Circuit Court, settled prior to trial
• Other representative clients (and type of claim) include Granada Limited Partnership Investors (securities fraud); Greiner, Inc. (architectural malpractice); Health Care and Retirement Corporation (nursing home negligence); Holland Community Hospital (hospital negligence); Nissan U.S.A. (dealer termination dispute); Old Kent Bank (accountant malpractice); Private Ledger, Inc. (broker-dealer misrepresentation claim); Purina Mills, Inc. (wrongful discharge litigation); SHR Limited Partnership (breach of fiduciary duty by liquidating trustees); Transamerica (Condominium Act claim); The Upjohn Company (pharmaceutical products liability); John Widdicomb, Inc. (corporate governance dispute); Yamaha (dealer termination dispute)

Honors And Awards

• Named a Super Lawyer in the 2007 edition of Michigan Super Lawyers
• Order of the Barons Honor Society
• Recipient of 2002 Distinguished Community Trustee Award by Leadership Grand Rapids
• Recipient of the Floyd Skinner Justice Award, January 2002
• Appointed to the Committee on Model Civil Jury Instructions by the Michigan Supreme Court, January 2002
• Appointed to the Civil Rights Commission by Gov. John Engler, February 1998, and appointed Chair in October 2004

Bar Associations

Teaching and Lecturing

• Frequent lecturer and presenter on litigation, nursing, and health law issues

Publications

• “Differentiated Case Management and Alternative Dispute Resolution-The Western District’s Plan to Reduce Costs and Delay in Civil Litigation,” Michigan Bar Journal, May 1993
• “The Grand Rapids Bar Association’s Clerkship Program-Prescription for Diversity,” Michigan Bar Journal, March 1994

• Can This Get Any Worse?--Using an Independent Investigator to Help Handle Sensitive Complaints
• The Important Benefits of Using an Independent Investigator in Harassment/Discrimination Claims

Professional Affiliations

• Floyd Skinner Bar Association
  President, 1993-95; 2003-Present
  
• Michigan Civil Rights Commission
  Chair, 2004; Member, 1998-Present
  
• Michigan Supreme Court
  Committee on Standard Jury Instructions (Civil), 1992-Present
  
• Model Civil Jury Instructions Committee
  Member, appointed January 2002
  
• National Health Law Association
  
• United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan
  Civil Justice Advisory Group, 1992-Present
  

Community Affiliations

• Black Educational Excellence Program
  Volunteer, 1991-Present
  
• Celebration on the Grand Board of Directors
  Legal Counsel (Pro Bono)
  
• Concerned Citizens Council
  Board of Trustees and Legal Counsel, 1994-Present
  
• Grand Rapids Public Schools
  Children's Summit Steering Committee, 1995-2000
  
• Grand Rapids Service Corps
  Board of Directors, 1993-2000; Chairperson, 1996-2000; Legal Counsel 1993-2000
  
• Grand Valley State University Foundation
  Board of Trustees
  
• Michigan Women's Foundation
  Program Committee, 1994-Present
  
• NAACP
  
• Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan
  Board of Directors; Legal Counsel, 1995-2000
  
• Spectrum Health
  Board of Trustees, DeVos Children's Hospital Committee, Merger Implementation Committee and Board Development Committee, 1997-Present
  

News

• Five Warner Norcross Partners Identified as Top Super Lawyers in Michigan
• Two Warner Norcross Partners Elected Officers of Grand Rapids Bar Association

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