PRACTICE AREAS

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Best Lawyers compiles lists of outstanding attorneys by conducting exhaustive peer-review surveys in which thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. In the U.S., Best Lawyers publishes an annual referral guide, The Best Lawyers in America, which includes 29,575 attorneys in 78 specialties, covering all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Chambers just ranked ours as one of the country’s leading business law firms.

Awards aren’t everything in the legal profession. Still, when you have been selected as one of the country’s leading business law firms - as Dickinson Wright has - it tells you something. Especially when you consider that Chambers does such extensive research in every state to determine the best business lawyers in the country.

And when you consider that 11 of our lawyers achieved individual recognition in five featured practice areas, it just substantiates everything we have been known for since 1878 - credibility, creativity, depth of experience and intellectual firepower. Put our reputation to work for you and let us add value to your enterprise.

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Schools & Educational Institutions

Expanded Description

GENERAL SCHOOL MATTERS

Policies and Compliance

  • School Board policies including procedure, conflicts, budgets, employment, school calendar, curriculum and open enrollment assessment and testing, indemnification, fees and job, descriptions

  • School administrative policies, including adequate yearly progress, reporting, discipline, evaluations, residency, bidding, documentation processes, school safety, ADA, and record keeping procedures

  • Open Meetings Act

  • No Child Left Behind Act

  • Freedom of Information Act

  • Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act


  • Student Matters
  • Codes of student conduct

  • Residency

  • Student discipline/expulsion, including due process hearings and mediation

  • Special education issues, including IDEA, IEPs, mainstreaming, and Section 504 matters

  • Student record access, including FERPA, parental right of review, and amendment and destruction of records

  • Abuse and neglect

  • First amendment issues

  • Financial aid and assistance issues

  • Immigration

  • Duel enrollment



  • LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT MATTERS

    Preventative Counseling

  • Personnel policies and handbooks

  • Employment contracts

  • Workforce reorganizations

  • Sexual and racial harassment

  • Employee discipline

  • Affirmative action

  • Supervisory training

  • Wage and hour compliance

  • Disability and family leave issues

  • Drug and alcohol issues

  • Compliance audits


  • Employment Claims
  • Wrongful discharge and discrimination lawsuits

  • Defamation and other workplace torts

  • Injunction lawsuits

  • Administrative claims

  • Teacher tenure

  • Appeals

  • Alternative dispute resolution


  • Labor Relations
  • Collective bargaining

  • Contract administration and arbitration

  • MERC matters

  • Representation elections


  • Employee Benefits
  • Employee benefit and pension plans

  • Flexible spending plans

  • Section 125 cafeteria plans (allowing for pre-tax payment of health care premiums; health care and dependent care reimbursement accounts)

  • Section 457 deferred compensation plans

  • Section 403(b) annuity and pension plans

  • HIPAA medical information privacy requirements

  • ERISA-related matters


  • Immigration
  • International movement of personnel

  • Non-immigrant (temporary, e.g., B, E, H, L, and O) business/work visas

  • Green cards

  • Labor certifications

  • Employment eligibility (form I-9 and employer sanctions)



  • FINANCE AND REAL ESTATE

    School Finance

  • State school aid and property tax matters

  • Bond counsel for voter-approved building and site bond issues

    • Bonds qualified through the Michigan School Bond Loan Fund
    • Non-voted bonds
    • Energy conservation bonds and notes
    • Qualified zone academy bonds
    • Tax exempt installment purchase contracts
    • State aid notes

  • Bond, sinking fund, and millage ballot propositions

  • Special elections

  • Legal advice in drafting and interpreting public finance legislation affecting school districts

  • Representation before administrative agencies


  • Real Estate
  • Purchase, sale, and leasing of school property

  • Zoning and land use

  • Acquisition of property by adverse possession and condemnation

  • Legal audit of property titles

  • Reviewing, drafting, and negotiating architect and contractor construction agreements

  • Bidding procedures

  • Breach of contract claims and change orders

  • Challenges to non-voter approved limited tax construction obligation bonds



  • REPRESENTATIVE CLIENTS

  • Birmingham Schools

  • Bloomfield Hills Schools

  • Calhoun County Intermediate School District

  • Clarkston Community Schools

  • C.S. Mott Community College

  • Dearborn Public Schools

  • Henry Ford Community College

  • Lawrence Technological University

  • Livonia Public Schools

  • Madison District Schools

  • Oakland Schools

  • Southfield Public Schools

  • Oakland Community College

  • University of Michigan

  • Michigan State University