Select with discipline.
The first obligation is candor. Michael evaluates liability, damages, legal obstacles, available evidence, and the practical cost of litigation before deciding whether a matter should move forward.
The litigation method
Authority is built in the work.
Preparation is not a slogan. It is a sequence of decisions that makes the case more credible, more legible, and more difficult for the other side to dismiss.
From first review through resolution
A case should gain strength at every stage.
Control the record.
Documents, digital data, physical evidence, witnesses, and expert analysis must support one coherent theory. The strongest cases make complex facts understandable without flattening them.
Build leverage early.
Negotiation is most effective when the other side can see what a jury may see. Every filing, deposition, and expert decision should improve the case’s position—not merely advance the calendar.
Prepare for trial before trial is certain.
Trial readiness cannot be manufactured in the final weeks. Themes, proof, witness credibility, and damages must be developed throughout the litigation so the case is ready when the moment arrives.
Stay with the case.
Some outcomes require post-trial work or appeal. The $24 million Cranpark resolution followed a jury trial, a set-aside verdict, and a second trip to the Sixth Circuit. Persistence was part of the strategy.
The objective is not activity. It is control—of the facts, the theory, and the moment when the case is ready to be decided.
Operating principleDirect counsel
The lawyer you retain should remain accountable for the case.
Michael’s practice is intentionally selective. Clients receive direct involvement in the strategy, preparation, and critical decisions that shape their matter.
Where co-counsel or specialized experts improve the case, the team is built around the matter’s needs. Responsibility is not passed down an assembly line.
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