On March 4, 2010, Laura Amtsbuechler made a presentation at the annual MMRMA Winter Meeting, held in Lansing, Michigan on "Termination and Effective Discipline." Jim Dyer also presented at the meeting on the subject of "Governmental Immunity and Legal Update 2010."
The following attorneys in Johnson, Rosati, LaBarge, Aseltyne & Field, P.C. were designated as 2010 Top Lawyers by Hour Magazine and Dbusiness, Southeast Michigan's Journal for Business: Christopher J. Johnson, Carol A. Rosati, J. Russell LaBarge, S. Randall Field, Laura S. Amtsbuechler and Marcia L. Howe.
Carol A. Rosati was a speaker at the annual ICLE Land Use and Development 2009 Conference held on September 15, 2009. Her topic was "Exclusionary Zoning: Statutory or Common Law."
Patrick A. Aseltyne has been selected by his peers for inclusion in the 2010 edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the specialty of Alternative Dispute Resolution. He was also awarded this honor in the 2009 edition.
Edward Plato, as Corporation Counsel for the City of Taylor, was a featured moderator and presenter at the annual convention of the Michigan Municipal League in September, 2009, in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Carol A. Rosati and Edward Plato, for the fourth consecutive year, have been designated by the national publication "Law & Politics" as Michigan Super Lawyers for 2009. Michael Rosati, for the second consecutive year, was named a Michigan Super Lawyer for 2009. Carol A. Rosati was also named in the Top 50 Women Super Lawyers for 2009. Super Lawyers are the top 5 percent of attorneys in the state as chosen by their peers and through the independent research of Law & Politics. A statewide survey is conducted of lawyers who have been in practice for more than 5 years and they are asked to nominate the best attorneys they have personally observed in action. The research department of Law & Politics then examines the background and experience of each candidate, searching for evidence of peer recognition and professional achievement. Finally, a blue ribbon panel reviews all the candidates and selects only the top 5 percent of all lawyers in the state to be named as "Super Lawyers."
Christopher Johnson and Carlito Young have recently edited the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority's (MMRMA) new "FOIA Coordinator Handbook". This publication is a work of the MMRMA's Administrative Advisory Committee and was intended to provide FOIA Coordinators with information to answer the numerous FOIA requests received by local units of government. In addition to the editing, Mr. Young and Mr. Johnson presented FOIA seminars in Howell, Michigan on March 25, 2009; in Okemos, Michigan on May 6, 2009; and in Gaylord, Michigan on June 23, 2009. Anyone interested in obtaining a copy of the Handbook may do so through the MMRMA.
Marcia Howe co-chaired the Michigan State Bar's Appellate Practice Section Seminar entitled "Federal Appellate Insider Tips" on June 4, 2009. She was also a moderator of a panel discussion which includes such distinguished Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals' Judges as Judge Griffin and Judge McKeague.
Laura Amtsbuechler was a co-presenter regarding Whistleblowers Protection Act issues at the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority's winter meeting held in Lansing on March 5, 2009.
Christopher J. Johnson participated in a panel discussion at the Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys Advanced Institute held in Lansing on March 3, 2009. The topic was the Open Meetings Act and the requirements for public interviews.
Christopher J. Johnson was an instructor at the Michigan Sheriffs' Association's 2009 New Undersheriffs' School in Lansing, Michigan on February 13, 2009. He presented information regarding the Freedom of Information Act to approximately 40 new and recently appointed Undersheriffs.
Edward Plato was elected in December, 2008 for a two year term to the Board of Directors of Angels Place, a Michigan Non-Profit Corporation that provides homes and services for adult persons with developmental disabilities throughout Southeastern Michigan.
Christopher J. Johnson was an instructor at the Michigan Sheriffs' Association's New Sheriffs' School in East Lansing, Michigan on December 17, 2008. He presented information regarding the Michigan Freedom of Information Act to the 30 new Sheriffs that will be taking office on January 1, 2009.
Edward Plato was a featured speaker and moderator at the Michigan Municipal League Annual Convention on Mackinac Island on October 2, 2008. Mr. Plato was also a featured speaker at the Annual Meeting of the Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys in Petoskey on September 30, 2008. His topic was "Guarding the Public Right-of-Ways".
Laura Amtsbuechler was a featured speaker at the Annual Meeting of the Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys in Petoskey on September 30, 2008. Her topic was "Termination: The Process, the Issues and the Agreement".
Carol A. Rosati is honored by the Michigan Institute of Continuing Education in "This Week in Michigan Law" for her many contributions to the Institute of Continuing Legal Education, including being a co-author of the new Michigan Zoning, Planning and Land Use book recently published by the ICLE. The book was published to provide a resource of current Michigan law in the area, and step-by-step guidance and practical tools for both lawyers and others working with the issues.
Carol A. Rosati was a speaker at the annual ICLE Land Use and Development 2008 Conference held on September 6, 2008. Her topic was "Land Use Risk Management: Building Strengths and Recognizing Vulnerabilities."
S. Randall Field successfully defends a City Being Sued by Alleged Whistleblower. Following a week-long trial in Oakland Circuit Court, a unanimous jury recently returned a "no cause" verdict in favor of Randy Field's client. The alleged Whistleblower was seeking hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages against the City, his former employer. This same plaintiff had been very successful in an earlier Whistleblower lawsuit he had brought against another former municipal employer, not represented by Johnson Rosati. Randy Field attributed the successful outcome to his client's diligence and willingness to follow a prescribed course of action when dealing with this difficult former employee.
Michael E. Rosati was a presenter at the Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys Advanced Institute on April 1, 2008. Mr. Rosati spoke regarding the recovery of attorney fees in litigation in both state and federal courts.
Carol A. Rosati was a presenter at the 2008 Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority's Risk Management Workshop held in Lansing on March 6, 2008. Her topic was on Zoning - "Practical Tips for Making Defensible Choices".
Michael E. Rosati was a presenter at the Winter Conference of the State Bar of Michigan's Public Corporation Section on February 8, 2008. He chaired a panel discussion regarding "Risk Management for Police Departments" which included a psychologist expert, and a former police chief and risk manager. Marcia Howe was a Co-Chairman of the Conference.
Edward Plato was a featured speaker at the annual convention of the Michigan Municipal League in Traverse City on September 19, 2007. Ed spoke on "Protecting the Public Right of Ways" and the interplay between municipalities and utility companies in public right-of-ways.
Carol A. Rosati was a presenter at the annual ICLE Land Use and Development Seminar which took place on September 18, 2007. Her Topic was "Presenting a Case to a Planning Commission: A Demonstration".
Marcia Howe presented "Bulk Sales of the Property Records" at a Conference sponsored by the Michigan Association of the Register of Deeds on September 10, 2007.
James Dyer, a member of the Marshall City Council, spent 13 days in Japan as part of the Michigan Shiga Good Will Mission. The 20+ members of the Mission met with the Lt. Governor of Shiga. They also visited Koka, the Japanese Sister City to Marshall, Traverse City and DeWitt, Michigan.
Carol A. Rosati, Edward D. Plato and Patrick A. Aseltyne have been designated by the national publication "Law & Politics" as 2007 Michigan Super Lawyers. Carol A. Rosati was additionally named in the Top 50 Women Lawyers in Michigan. Super Lawyers are the top 5 percent of attorneys in the state as chosen by their peers and through the independent research of Law & Politics. A statewide survey is conducted of lawyers who have been in practice for more than 5 years and they are asked to nominate the best attorneys they've personally observed in action. The research department of Law & Politics then examines the background and experience of each candidate, searching for evidence of peer recognition and professional achievement. Finally, a blue ribbon panel reviews all the candidates and selects only 5 percent of the total lawyers in the state to be named as Super Lawyers.
On July 25, 2007 the Macomb County Board of Commissioners announced the creation of a second Blue Ribbon Commission on Lake St. Clair. J. Russell LaBarge, Jr. was again appointed Chairperson of this 36 person commission consisting of elected and appointed officials from the counties of St. Clair, Oakland, Wayne and Macomb and the province of Ontario, academics and private interested parties. Mr. LaBarge also served as Chairperson of the first Blue Ribbon Commission on Lake St. Clair established in 1997.
Patrick Aseltyne presented "Employment Litigation - How to Avoid It and How to Deal With It" on May 30, 2007 at the May Training Session of the United County Clerks Association in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Carol A. Rosati presented a training workshop to the City of Sylvan Lake Zoning Board of Appeals on April 26, 2007.
James Dyer has been elected to the Marshall City Council for a four year term. He previously served the city for ten years on the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Planning Commission.
Patrick Aseltyne has been approved as a mediator for the Western District of the United States District Court. Extensive training is required to apply for approval as well as yearly updated courses for continuing service as a mediator.
Ed Plato spoke at the MAMA 21st Annual Advanced Institute held at the Lansing Center in Lansing on March 20, 2007. His topic was "After Taylor: How Will the Public Service Commission Handle ROW Relocation Cases?"
The firm was recently selected as general counsel for the Charter Township of Highland located in northwestern Oakland County.
Ed Plato has been appointed by Mayor Priebe and the Taylor City Council as Corporation Counsel for the City of Taylor, Michigan. As Corporation Counsel, he acts as legal advisor to the Mayor, the Council and all city departments, commissions and boards and prosecutes and defends all cases in which the City is a party.
Carol A. Rosati was a speaker at the MTA Annual Conference, Legal Institute for Township Attorneys, at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center on Tuesday, January 23, 2007. Her topic was: Damages Lawsuits and Land Use Disputes: The Principle Defenses.
Michael Rosati and Laura Amtsbuechler presented a one day workshop entitled Computer Research and Records on January 12, 2007at Detroit College of Law at MSU in East Lansing. Topics include Legal Research on the Internet as well as Electronic Record Retention, Disclosure and Discovery.
Carol A. Rosati has been appointed to the Charter Township of Bloomfield Zoning Board of Appeal as an Alternate Member.
The firm was recently selected as general counsel for the Oakland County Community Mental Health Authority. The Authority is one of the largest in the State. It serves Oakland County by providing mental health services to adults with serious mental illness, children with emotional disturbances and persons with developmental disabilities.
Carol A. Rosati and Ed Plato have been designated by the national publication "Law & Politics" as 2006 Michigan Super Lawyers.
Marcia Howe was a panel member for a discussion entitled "Litigators and Appellate Attorneys: Partners, Not Adversaries" on September 14, 2006 at the annual meeting of the State Bar of Michigan in Ypsilanti. The program was presented jointly by the Litigation Section and the Appellate Practice Section on the working relationship between litigators and appellate lawyers, including preservation of error and record protection for appeal.
The firm was recently named to the 2006 Pro Bono Circle of Excellence for its contributions of attorney time and financial aid for legal services to low-income individuals and families.
At the Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys Summer Conference on Mackinac Island, Carol A. Rosati was named 2006 Distinguished Municipal Attorney. The award will be presented to her in September by the Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys at the annual Michigan Municipal League conference.
The Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority (MMRMA) has received a first place award in the pool category from the Public Risk Management Association (PRIMA) for their DVD resource, “Anatomy of a Lawsuit”. The DVD is an hour-long resource which explains steps of the litigation process to lay people to give them an idea of what to expect if they ever become a party to a lawsuit. Three attorneys from the firm appeared in the video. Michael Rosati appeared on the DVD as moderator, Christopher Johnson played the role of one of the defense lawyers in the presentation, and Laura Amtsbuechler appeared in the video playing the role of one of the plaintiff's counsel. The award was presented to the MMRMA at the annual meeting of PRIMA in Las Vegas on June 11, 2006.
The firm was recently selected as general counsel for the Michigan Universities Self-Insurance Corporation (M.U.S.I.C.) MUSIC is a self-insurance pool for eleven public universities in the state.
The Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys Summer Conference was held June 23-24 on Mackinaw Island. Laura Amtsbuechler and Michael Rosati participated in a panel discussion of sexual harassment, retaliation and electronic discovery in employment cases.
Russell LaBarge moderated a meeting of the Macomb County Water Quality Board with federal, state and local officials as well as environmental groups in attendance to discuss progress on Blue Ribbon Commission's recommendations.
Christopher Johnson and Carlito Young presented a seminar on the Freedom of Information Act and the Open Meetings Act to officials in Bay County on May 9, 2006. The seminar included an overview on responding to FOIA requests and complying with the Open Meetings Act.
Michael Rosati and Christopher Johnson presented "Anatomy of a Lawsuit" in Sault Ste. Marie on May 24, 2006.
Laura Amtsbuechler, Michael Rosati and Carlito Young have published an article in the Public Corporation Law Quarterly, Spring 2006 edition, entitled "Electronic Data Discovery In Litigation, and Why You Need To Prepare Now ".
Carol A. Rosati has recently published an article in the Public Corporation Law Quarterly, Winter 2005 edition, entitled "Williamson County, Paragon and San Remo Hotel: The Current Status of the Ripeness Doctrine".
Michael Rosati presented "Anatomy of a Lawsuit" to a group of county officials on March 24, 2006 in Lansing.
Carol A. Rosati moderated a seminar entitled "Hot Topics in Municipal Law Practice" in Troy on February 16, 2006. Sponsored by the Institute of Continuing Legal Education, topics include First Amendment Issues, Municipal Employment, Freedom of Information and Open Meetings Acts, Qualified Immunity Defense and Eminent Domain. Michael Rosati presented the section dealing with current developments involving the Qualified Immunity Defense.