What year did you graduate from law school and which law school?
I graduated from Harvard Law School in 1993.
What year did you start at MCPS? What practice group were you in and what projects/cases did you particularly enjoy?
I started at MCPS in 2004 in the Commercial Litigation group. I enjoyed working on a variety of criminal defense and commercial litigation matters.
Did you come to MCPS directly from law school? If not, where did you go first and what did you do there?
I did not come directly to MCPS. Immediately after law school, I clerked for Justice Charles Levin of the Michigan Supreme Court. I then practiced with a law firm known as Miro Weiner & Kramer in Bloomfield Hills.
Describe a challenging/exciting/significant experience that you had while at MCPS.
Along with Tom Cranmer and Gerry Gleeson, I represented a former State Department employee charged with a number of crimes in federal court. We were fortunate to secure an acquittal for him at the conclusion of a hard-fought jury trial.
What is your fondest memory of your time at MCPS?
This is an easy one to answer. My fondest memory is working with the wonderful people at MCPS. It was an honor and privilege to work with such a talented group of attorneys and such a dedicated and effective staff.
If you could have dinner with one person you know from your Miller Canfield days, who would that be and why?
I could not choose a single person. What I would love to do would be to attend an MCPS partner dinner so that I could reunite with so many of my former colleagues.
When did you leave Miller Canfield and where did you go?
I left MCPS in March of 2014. I became a United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Where do you work now?
I am still a federal judge – and plan to be for the rest of my life!
How would you describe your work day?
I spend a lot of time reading legal briefs, drafting legal rulings, and discussing cases with my law clerks. I also preside over civil motion hearings and criminal proceedings several days per week. And when not in COVID lockdown, I preside over trials.
What is the most interesting/challenging part of your job?
The most interesting part of the job is wrestling with legal questions of first impression. The hardest part is imposing sentence in criminal cases.
What do you miss most about your routine at MCPS that you don’t experience at your current job? Or, alternatively, how is your life/workday/routine different from your time at MCPS?
I miss interacting with many folks on a regular basis. I see and speak to far fewer people in my current job.
Would you mind telling us about your personal life (spouse, children, travels, hobbies, etc.)?
I have been married to my wife, Kelly, for more than 25 years. We have two kids – one who works in corporate communications and a future lawyer. We also have two huge English mastiffs and a cat. Once COVID lets up, we hope to travel to Europe for the first time.
Please describe anything else about your life and/or career/and/or your Miller Canfield days that has not been captured by these questions and that you think folks might find interesting.
I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of MCPS for 10 years. I continue to cherish the many friendships I made at the firm.
