A dozen attorneys in the auto division for one of metro-Detroit’s larger law firms have broken off to form their own firm in Troy.
Former attorneys at Detroit-based Plunkett Cooney law firm, Michael Slater of Grand Rapids and Kimberly Seibert of Macomb Township, are the co-managing partners of Slater Seibert, which kicked off its first day of operations with a total of 29 employees based at an office on Big Beaver Road.
“This is a great opportunity for us to go out and set up our own shop,” Slater said Friday.
“We’re super excited to run a law firm the way a law firm should be run.”
Slater declined to elaborate on the reasons a large chunk of Plunkett Cooney’s transportation group departed.
“I had a great experience at Plunkett Cooney,” he said. “I have nothing bad to say about it. I’m not looking to burn any bridges or grind an ax. No one at the (new) firm is.”
Seibert is the daughter of attorney Robert Seibert of Seibert and Dloski in Clinton Township, which specializes in municipal law and represents several communities in the area.
She echoed Slater.
“It’s been a great place to work,” she said. “I spent my whole career there.
“We have no ill will for Plunkett Cooney. We have a lot of friends there, a lot of great memories from there.”
In response to the mass departure, Jeffrey Gerish, Plunkett and Coonery president and CEO, said in a written statement: “We appreciate the contributions these attorneys have made to our firm. We wish them good luck with their new venture in their niche practice. We will continue to provide exemplary legal work in all of our many diverse practices, including the transportation area, as we have done for generations.
“At the same time, this is an opportunity for our firm to expand our existing work in other areas. As it has been since 1913, our focus remains on providing our clients with the highest level of legal service and results.”
Plunkett Cooney says it has about 140 attorneys operating in offices in Detroit, Bloomfield Hills and five other Michigan cities, as well as in Chicago, Indianapolis and Columbus, Ohio.
At a recent meeting of the Board of Directors of Plunkett Cooney, partners Scott K. Lites, Michael P. Ashcraft, Jr. and Audrey J. Forbush were elected to board leadership positions, the firm said in a press release Tuesday.
The firm was evaluated as the 11th largest metro-Detroit firm in 2022 by DBusiness Magazine.
Slate declined to say how many clients are moving with he and Seibert, their eight partners and two associates; a source said 1,700 cases, including cases from Macomb, Oakland and Wayne county courts, are being transferred.
Slater has represented State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. dozens of times and other clients just in Macomb County, according to court records. Seibert has represented the same State Farm company many times in Macomb, albeit fewer than the number of times they were represented by Slater, as well as numerous other clients, including Frankenmuth Mutual Insurance Co. and Amica Mutual Insurance Co.
Like they did at Plunkett Cooney, Slate Seibert lawyers will mostly practice in auto defense but also some other civil defense such as premise liability.
The new attorneys are listed as Slate Seibert employees on the State Bar of Michigan website. A handful of them indicated Friday they are seeking new clients.
The office at on the second floor of the Rehman Group Building,15000 Big Beaver, is about 7,000-square-feet to accommodate the staff with room to expand, Slate said.
“The goal certainly is to grow,” Seibert said.
In addition to the attorneys, Slater Seibert employs nine legal assistants and eight paralegals.
Slate said the company’s website was slated to go online Saturday.
Source link
Attorneys and law firms can elevate their online presence with professionally written content from SEO Content Writing Services monthly plan. Our team of experienced writers specializes in crafting blog posts, articles, and written content that accurately reflect the expertise and knowledge of our clients in the legal field. With a keen eye for detail and a thorough understanding of legal terminology, we provide high-quality writing that helps our clients stand out from their competition and engage with their target audience. Trust SEO Content Writing Services for one time article writing or monthly written content to handle all of your written content needs and showcase your law firm's expertise.
If you need written content, blog posts, or articles professionally written for your website, we can help. Go HERE to find out more.
or email us here: myseowritingservices@gmail.com
To find out more about our article writing or blog post services, fill out the form, thank you.
