Services
Industries
Education
University of Michigan Law School, J.D. 2014
London School of Economics, M.Sc. 2005
George Washington University, B.A. 1999
Bar Admissions
- Michigan
Court Admissions
U.S. Court of Appeals
- Sixth Circuit
U.S. District Court
- Eastern District of Michigan
- Western District of Michigan
Joel Bryant handles complex disputes for businesses, institutions, and individuals, with an emphasis on sophisticated commercial matters and federal and state appeals.
Having clerked for a widely respected federal appellate judge, Joel has an insider's knowledge of the court system and judicial decision-making. Combined with a commitment to understanding his clients and their businesses, this allows Joel to develop legal strategies that focus on how best to achieve his clients' business and personal goals.
Joel's achievements include managing a commercial-loan dispute to successful resolution in Michigan state court, helping an energy-sector client successfully mediate complex contractual and tort claims brought by a municipality, securing the nondischargeability of a debt arising from a state-court judgment in federal bankruptcy proceedings through the novel application of res judicata principles, helping to earn favorable settlements in a federal civil rights case, and prevailing in a criminal case in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, where he established a first-in-the-nation precedent limiting warrantless searches of digital devices.
Joel previously served as a law clerk to the Honorable Helene N. White in the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
Representative Matters
Secured a ruling from the district court protecting the client’s digital privacy. Succeeded again when the government appealed to the Sixth Circuit, securing a first-in-the-nation precedent limiting warrantless searches of digital devices.
After the opposing party declared bankruptcy rather than pay a state court judgment in the client’s favor, secured the nondischargeability of the debt in bankruptcy court by successfully arguing for the application of res judicata principles in the face of conflicting state-court opinions. Thereafter, handled briefing in the state court appellate proceedings that ended with the affirmance of the judgment in the client’s favor.
Successfully advocated for a foreign client in a series of complex discovery disputes in federal court implicating both U.S. and foreign law, ultimately helping to secure a favorable resolution of the underlying lawsuit.
Secured a settlement achieving substantially all of the client’s goals after finding a previously-overlooked contractual provision that foreclosed virtually all of the opposing party’s claims.
Reported and Published Decisions
In re Kramer, 543 B.R. 551 (Bankr. E.D. Mich. 2015).
United States v. Lichtenberger, 786 F.3d 478 (6th Cir. 2015), and United States v. Lichtenberger, 19 F. Supp. 3d 753 (N.D. Ohio 2014).
Honors
Michigan Lawyers Weekly, Up & Coming Lawyers Class of 2022
Best Lawyers in America, "Ones to Watch," Appellate Practice, 2022-present
DBusiness Magazine Top Lawyers, Arbitration, Franchise Law, Litigation - Commercial, 2021-present
State Bar of Michigan Pro Bono Honor Roll, 2020-present
Law Clerk to the Honorable Helene N. White, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, 2016-2017
University of Michigan Law School, magna cum laude, earning Certificates of Merit in Federal Courts and Electronic and Class Action Discovery
Michigan Law Review, Contributing Editor, 2014-2015; Associate Editor, 2013-2014
Henry M. Campbell Moot Court Competition, University of Michigan Law School, Executive Board, 2013-2014
ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition, Regional Finalist, 2013
London School of Economics, M.Sc. with merit in Management of NGOs
George Washington University, summa cum laude in International Affairs
Professional Activities
Federal Bar Association, Eastern District of Michigan
State Bar of Michigan Litigation Section, President, 2023-present; Secretary, 2020-2023; Governing Council, 2018-present;Litigation Journal Editor-in-Chief
Detroit Bar Association
Ford Law Career Academy
