m   i   c   h  a   e   l      j      l   e   b   o   w,  nbta
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    Qualifications and Experience

    Board Certification:

  • Board Certified Civil Trial Specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy  (accredited by the American Bar Association)
     Boston, MA; 1991 – present.

  • Recertified as required, every five years.  This past April, he became one of the few lawyers in the country to be recertified three
    times, for a total of 20 years.










    Offices:

  • President, National Board of Trial Advocacy, Boston, MA (2004-2005)

  • Vice President, National Board of Trial Advocacy (2002-2003)

  • Board of Directors, National Board of Trial Advocacy (1998 - Present)

  • Board of Law Examiners, National Board of Trial Advocacy, (Commercial Litigation, Contracts and Legal Ethics for annual Bar
    Examination)

  • Member, National Board of Trial Advocacy, Standards, and Examination Committees.  

    Distinctions:  

  • 2008, Named National Super Lawyer, Business Litigation

  • 2007, Named Michigan Super Lawyer

  • 2006, Named Michigan Super Lawyer

  • 2007, Fellow of  The American Academy of Trial Counsel.  (2,500 Fellows, nationwide)

  • 2007, Fellow, American Trial Lawyers Association

  • 2001, Fellow, State Bar of Michigan (Membership limited to 5% of Bar. Nomination and election by Fellows only)

  • "AV" Rating by Martindale-Hubbell (highest possible peer rating for skills and ethics)

  • Called upon by several Michigan trial court judges for representation


    Admissions:

  • 1982, Michigan

  • 1982, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan

  • 1986, U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit

  • 2000, United States Supreme Court

    Areas of Trial Expertise:

    Trials and litigation in all courts.  Fraud, Business Disputes, Business Dissolution, Fraudulent Transfers, Real Estate; Construction;
    Non-Dischargability Bankruptcy Adversary Proceedings; Professional Malpractice; Divorce property skimming and fraud; Contract
    and commercial disputes; Judicial Disqualification; Attorney Ethics; Intentional Torts; Vicarious liability; Criminal trials; Expert
    Witness, attorney standard of care - litigation;

    Articles:

    Disqualification of Trial Judges for Bias or Prejudice, Vol 72 Michigan Bar Journal, No. 7, (1993)

    Education:

    Wayne State University (B.A. 1978);  Detroit College of Law (J.D, 1982);  Teaching Assistant, Trial Advocacy;  Research Assistant,
    paper on FRE 404 (B);

    Reported Cases:  

    Oakland County Prosecutor v Oakland Circuit Judge, (People v Houston) 179 Mich App 753; 446 NW2d 543 (1989) (Lv Den); Breck v.
    Michigan, 47 F. Supp. 2d 880, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6377 (E.D. Mich. 1999); Breck v. Michigan, 203 F.3d 392, (6th Cir. 2000); Breck v.
    Michigan, 530 U.S. 1244, 147 L. Ed. 2d 963, 120 S. Ct. 2691, 2000 U.S. LEXIS 4201, 68 U.S.L.W. 3773 (2000);  Hartman & Eichhorn
    Bldg. Co. v. Dailey, 266 Mich. App. 801, 703 N.W.2d 496, (2005), (Lv grnt’d) 474 Mich. 1132, 712 N.W.2d 724 (2006).
7001 Orchard Lake Road -  Suite 312 - West Bloomfield, Michigan 48322
Ph 248.406.5015                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Fax 248.406.5016
Contact Us

  • Board Certified Trial Specialist by the National Board of Trial
    Advocacy (NBTA)

  • President of the National Board of Trial Advocacy 2004-2005

  • Member, NBTA Board of Directors and Executive and Examination
    Committee

  • Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America, American Trial Lawyers
    Association,  State Bar of Michigan Foundation

  • Named Michigan and National "Super Lawyer"

  • Successful and Varied Experience in all types of trials and
    litigation including anti-trust, real estate, criminal, business,
    commercial and partnership disputes


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l  e  b  o  w  /  g  e  r  l  a  c  h
T R I A L  A N D  L I T I G A T I O N  A T T O R N E Y S
professional corporation
The United States Supreme Court has referred to the NBTA board certification with respect:
     
    "NBTA certification has been described as a "highly-structured" and "arduous process that employs a
    wide range of assessment methods."… After reviewing NBTA's procedures, the Supreme Court of
    Minnesota found that "NBTA applies a rigorous and exacting set of standards and examinations on a
    national scale before certifying a lawyer as a trial specialist."  [and that a another state] Supreme Court
    also stated "a certification of specialty by NBTA would indicate a level of expertise with regard to trial
    advocacy in excess of the level of expertise required for admission to the bar generally.

    Peel v. Atty. Registration & Disciplinary Comm'n, 496 U.S. 91, 96 (1990).