- DivorcePear Sperling Eggan & Daniels has an experienced and highly regarded family law group that understands the often emotional and unique nature of divorce and family law matters. Focused advocacy for each client’s goals and interests is coupled with a sensitive, practical, and personalized approach designed to achieve the best possible result.
- Child SupportIt seems like one of the biggest mysteries with family law clients is how child support is actually calculated. It is a common misperception that child support is based just on the income of both parents. While income is a factor, it is not the only consideration when child support is calculated. Read More!
- Paternity
- Premarital AgreementForbes previously published an article titled “Protecting Your Business In a Divorce: Pre-Nuptial Agreement.†It is an excellent article, but it is also a reminder that prenuptial agreements are useful for more than just protecting a business. Prenuptial agreements are agreements made between couples who are planning on getting married. The agreements will specify what happens with their money and property if they divorce or pass away. Read More!
- GuardianshipSarah Meinhart presented to the Down Syndrome Support Team of Southeast Michigan on Guardianships and Alternatives to Legal Guardianships in Saline.
- Spousal SupportOne of the most frequent questions our divorce clients ask is: “Does spousal support automatically ends if the person receiving support remarries?†The law states that unless you agree to other terms in your divorce judgment, a remarriage is considered a change in circumstances. The court may terminate spousal support if the person receiving support remarries. Read More!
- Legal SeparationOne common question that is often asked is whether or not Michigan has what is called a “legal separation,†allowing a married couple to legally separate, but still remain married. The simple answer is yes, but the procedure is not so simple. Michigan has a legal action entitled “Separate Maintenance.†An action for “Separate Maintenance†is filed with the court just as a Divorce action is filed. Read More!
- AnnulmentIn the state of Michigan, you can end your marriage by filing for one of three things: divorce, separate maintenance (legal separation), or annulment. An annulment is only granted if the marriage itself was void from the beginning or the marriage is voidable. A void marriage in Michigan is a marriage that could not have taken place legally from the beginning. What this means is that there was consanguinity, affinity, bigamy, minority, incapacity or incompetency. Read More!
- Criminal DefenseWe understand that legal fees are an important factor in the selection of criminal defense counsel. We offer an initial consultation at no charge that includes a full discussion of legal fees and, in appropriate cases, we offer a guaranteed, flat fee.
- DUI/DWIPear Sperling Eggan & Daniels’ criminal defense team includes a former prosecutor and public defenders with extensive jury trial experience in all criminal offenses from homicide to drunk driving to white collar defense, handling high-profile and complex matters including the ongoing Flint water prosecution. We work in both the state and federal court systems with skill and experience in the following areas...
- Wrongful Death
- Sex CrimesIf you are being investigated or have been charged with a criminal offense, it is critically important to consult with defense counsel at the earliest opportunity. Defense counsel’s early communication with client, police and prosecution can be pivotal to a favorable resolution. We employ aggressive advocacy to provide clients with the best available options at all stages of the process.
- White Collar Crimes
- MisdemeanorsEffective March 24, 2021, there’s a new presumption in Michigan law against jail or probationary sentences for persons convicted of certain misdemeanor offenses.   Read More!
- Juvenile Crimes
- Probation Violation
- Homicide
- Corporate LawIn today’s modern business world, you need a law firm skilled in navigating a litany of rules, regulations and codes. Pear Sperling Eggan & Daniels’ attorneys can help you with your business and commercial law needs no matter the size of your business. In Michigan and beyond, we have experience in every aspect of corporate governance, commercial transactions, mergers and acquisitions, business sales and purchases, employment law, trademark law, and related litigation.
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Business FormationEd’s practice is devoted to estate planning, business matters and commercial and residential real estate. He has handled and negotiated countless real estate transactions of significant value including development transactions and lease arrangements for buyers, sellers, developers, landlords and tenants. His expertise in business matters includes business formation, structure and operation (corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships and limited partnerships) mergers, acquisitions, sales and purchases, and business and commercial litigation. Estate planning is a major part of Ed’s practice and he is recognized as one of the premier estate planners in southeast Michigan. Ed has been recognized as a Michigan Super Lawyer in the area of Estate Planning and Probate. He served as the Ann Arbor City Attorney (1973-1975). He is AV® Peer Review Rated, the highest possible rating by Martindale-Hubbell, the most widely recognized assessment of a lawyer’s ethical standards and professional ability, as evaluated by other members of the Bar and the judiciary.
- Business DisputesContact Jerold Lax today to answer your legal questions regarding business law in Ann Arbor or the surrounding areas.
- Business Transactions
- Limited Liability CompaniesMr. Nelson’s 50-year practice has focused on estate planning, probate litigation, trust and estate administration, business matters, and real estate, including construction and construction lien matters. Jim has extensive experience in the preparation of wills and trusts designed to meet the unique needs and requirements of each individual client. He provides legal services to a wide variety of business entities including limited liability companies and corporations. Jim has extensive experience in residential, commercial, and agricultural property transactions. He is AV® Peer Review Rated, the highest possible rating by Martindale-Hubbell, the most widely recognized assessment of a lawyer’s ethical standards and professional ability, as evaluated by other members of the Bar and judiciary.
- Construction Contracts
- Trade Secrets
- Intellectual Property
- Wrongful TerminationPear Sperling Eggan & Daniels has an active labor and employment practice, working on behalf of public and private organizations, as well as individuals who have been injured by the actions of an employer. Regardless of what side of the employer/employee line you are on, when you have a wrongful discharge or discrimination claim, an ADA or FMLA compliance issue, workforce reduction matter, collective bargaining negotiation, or other labor and employment issue, our experienced labor and employment team can help.
- Employment ContractMr. Wax is a recognized expert in labor, employment and work-place discrimination law. He represents clients regarding all aspects of non-compete, confidentiality and employment agreements, including litigation. His clients include employers, unions and individuals in the private and public sectors. He has maintained a long-standing relationship with the Michigan Education Association, representing teachers in collective bargaining, labor disputes and litigation for over four decades. Harvey is a labor arbitrator and member of the American Arbitration Association’s labor arbitration panel. He serves as an arbitrator of disputes between unions and employers in the public and private sectors and has served as a permanent arbitrator of disputes between the Motor City Casino and its unions. Other clients during his career include the City of Hamtramck, Hamtramck Housing Commission, SMART, Global Titanium, City of Hazel Park, Wayne County Sheriff and the Detroit Baseball Club.
- Employment LitigationThe range of our employment practice extends from employment litigation to traditional labor negotiations. We work with our employment clients to address issues head-on in an effort to avoid litigation. When litigation is necessary, our clients benefit from our experience and thorough knowledge of the work-place environment and employment relations.
- Severance AgreementFor our employer clients, we provide legal services on a wide range of employment issues, including personnel policies and handbooks, employment agreements, severance agreements, employee discipline and termination issues, non-compete covenants, non-disclosure agreements, disability and family leave issues, collective bargaining negotiations and a host of other concerns that employers face every day.
- Real Estate LitigationWe represent private individuals and businesses of all sizes, real estate developers and builders, condominium associations, and financial institutions, in every aspect of real estate law.
- Premises LiabilityTom is the firm’s senior litigation partner. Before joining Pear Sperling in 1984, he was a state prosecuting attorney and the director and chief trial attorney of a public defender’s office. Now, his 30-year litigation practice is focused on complex commercial litigation, personal injury, premises liability, commercial and residential real estate, municipal law, business disputes, and insurance coverage matters and litigation. Mr. Daniels is outside counsel to a regional public utilities authority for which he has been general, litigation, and environmental enforcement counsel since 1998. He represents a municipal-entity self-insurance pool, for which he serves as general, insurance coverage, and coverage-litigation counsel. He also handles insurance coverage matters and litigation on behalf of corporate and individual insureds. With that level of litigation experience, on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants, Tom is frequently retained as a facilitative mediator in both personal injury and general civil litigation cases, and has successfully mediated countless cases.
- Construction LitigationPear Sperling Eggan & Daniels P.C. hires new attorney, Matthew Jane specializing in commercial litigation, construction law and real estate matters in Michigan. Mr. Jane has extensive experience handling complex and sophisticated litigation involving a wide array of business, construction and real estate disputes. He has expertise in handling payment and construction lien issues, claims... Read More!
- Real Estate TransactionsThe current firm, with 13 attorneys, handles everything from a basic estate plan to any type of real estate transaction; from the organization of businesses to the establishment of a new university; from a simple divorce to the most nuanced piece of litigation.
- Eminent DomainMatthew T. Jane focuses his practice in commercial litigation, construction law and real estate matters. He has extensive experience handling and managing complex and high exposure litigation and has served as external counsel to a variety of companies. In construction and real estate litigation matters, Matt’s clients have included owners, real estate developers, general contractors, subcontractors and suppliers. His expertise includes construction liens, claims for delays and defective construction, design and engineering errors and omissions, land use and zoning matters, and condemnation/eminent domain. His successful litigation matters include representing a municipal school district in a complex, multi-party court litigation and arbitration involving defects in the construction of the district’s flagship high school. The district recovered $7 million dollars between the arbitration award and settlements and completely prevailed on all disputed counterclaims (totaling $1.2 million dollars). He also successfully represented an owner in a construction arbitration involving a $35 million-dollar delay claim arising out of allegedly defective plans and specifications and an $83 million dollar claim for alleged lost profits and lost business value. Mr. Jane also has experience handling construction and business contracting for his clients, as well as insurance and bonding matters in the construction area.
- Easement
- Land Use and ZoningMr. Lax represents individuals, businesses, and government agencies in matters of municipal and zoning law, employment law and litigation. Mr. Lax served as city attorney for the City of Ann Arbor and now represents a number of municipal entities as well as special boards and authorities. He represents private parties in their dealings with governmental agencies, has drafted local ordinances and state legislation in matters of municipal concern, and has represented the Michigan Municipal League in Michigan Supreme Court litigation concerning governmental immunity and other municipal and land use issues. Jerry has authored and published articles on municipal law and has lectured on a broad range of municipal and employment law topics. He is an associate professor emeritus of urban planning at the University of Michigan.
- Landlord-Tenant DisputesAs attorneys who frequently handle disputes arising out of residential leases, the following are the three topics we are asked about most frequently by landlords and tenants: Security deposit issues; Late fees; Repairs that the landlord must make. Each of these issues will be covered in two separate blog posts, starting with the security deposit. The Landlord and Tenant Relationships Act governs... Read More!
- Property DamageMr. Kennedy began his career as Assistant City Attorney, City of Westland, where he handled criminal prosecutions, all aspects of municipal contracts, conducted labor negotiations, and served as general counsel to a local transit authority, among other duties. Now, Jeremy’s primary practice areas are civil litigation, real estate, commercial transactions, and labor and employment law. He handles national and international arbitrations, representing manufacturers and other parties in front of AAA and JAMS, and defends property damage claims through a nationwide insurer. Jeremy has litigated in state and federal courts, led labor negotiations, and negotiated complex commercial transactions, including business licensing and sales transactions. Mr. Kennedy is an artful and aggressive litigator and has successfully handled numerous cases involving commercial and business disputes of over seven figures (plaintiff and defendant), as well as international arbitrations involving complex commercial disputes. He has a record of resolving complex problems and disputes through focused analysis and innovative trial strategies and he brings a wide variety of experiences, intellectual flexibility and genuine passion to his work.
- Personal InjuryTom is regarded as an aggressive and effective litigator having litigated plaintiff’s personal injury and general civil litigation cases in which he achieved favorable results for his clients in the multiple seven-figure range. Mr. Daniels is recognized as a Michigan Super Lawyer in the area of General/Commercial Litigation since 2012. He has appeared before the Michigan Supreme Court where he successfully defended a municipal insurance pool in a precedent setting case of contract interpretation. He is AV Peer Review Rated, the highest possible rating by Martindale-Hubbell, the most widely recognized assessment of a lawyer’s ethical standards and professional ability, as evaluated by other members of the bar and the judiciary.
- Auto Accidents
- Social Security DisabilityMr. Sperling began his career in the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. before returning to Michigan to open his own practice. His early work covered a broad range of practice areas including criminal defense, workers’ compensation, plaintiff’s personal injury and civil rights litigation. Larry was the plaintiff’s attorney in two ground-breaking civil rights cases involving public high school students. In 1973, the Sixth Circuit ruled in favor of Larry’s clients when it found that the Michigan High School Athletic Association was in violation of the state and federal constitutions when it barred high school girls from full participation in interscholastic, non-contact athletics at Michigan public schools. (Morris v. State Board of Education, 422 F2d 1207 (1973)) In 1969, Mr. Sperling represented the plaintiff in the first case in which a federal court ruled that a public high school student may not be expelled without a due process hearing. (Vought v. Van Buren Public Schools, 306 F Supp 1388 (1969)) Now, Larry’s practice is primarily focused on social security disability claims. He is AV® Peer Review Rated, the highest possible rating by Martindale-Hubbell, the most widely recognized assessment of a lawyer’s ethical standards and professional ability, as evaluated by other members of the Bar and the judiciary.
- Medicaid PlanningIn and out of the law, Marty has enjoyed a varied and interesting professional career. His legal career began in Ohio, in private practice, before he was elected the Law Director (City Attorney) of the City of Barberton, Ohio. Marty’s private practice, then and now, focuses on estate planning, special needs trusts and Medicaid planning, probate and trust administration, business entity formation, structure and operation, real estate, and non-profit corporation formation (501(c)(3) applications) and function. Marty passed the Certified Financial Planning exam in 2011 and has worked as a financial planner for an Ann Arbor investment firm – education and experience that is a beneficial supplement to his estate planning practice. Marty also has an MBA which gives him a keen and heightened level of awareness and knowledge in advising his business clients.
- Estate PlanningSarah M. Meinhart, probate and estate planning attorney at Pear Sperling Eggan & Daniels, P.C. completed the Institute of Continuing Legal Education’s Probate & Estate Planning Certificate Program.
- WillsI often say that parents do a lot for their child during their lifetimes. The last gift that we give to them is to make sure everything we leave behind is in order. Getting your affairs in order involves preparing for your death by signing a Last Will and Testament or a Revocable Trust and making sure your assets and beneficiaries are titled correctly. Read More!
- TrustsIn a previous blog, about “How to Score a Touchdown with a Living Trust†where we mentioned that funding a trust is important to scoring a “touchdown.†Let’s further discuss the funding process to get across the goal line and avoid probate. Read More!
- Power of AttorneyTo win football games, a team needs to score touchdowns, not just kick field goals, when it reaches the “red zone.†Kicking field goals, rather than scoring touchdowns between the 20-yard line and the end zone loses football games. In this blog, we discuss “How to Score a Touchdown with a Financial Power of Attorney†by avoiding probate court after you become incapacitated. Read More!
- ProbateMr. Eggan has been with the firm since 1975 and focuses his practice on business entity (corporation, limited liability company, partnership, limited partnership) formation, structure and operation, real estate (commercial and residential), estate planning and probate law. Andy serves as one of Washtenaw County’s Public Administrators on appointment of the Michigan Attorney General. He heads up the firm’s four-member Estate Planning Group, having, after 40 years of practice, developed a reputation as one of the premier estate planners in the Greater Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor area and beyond.
- Bankruptcy
- ForeclosureFor over a year, the federal and state government, along with governments in many states, put in place moratoriums on evictions to help blunt the impact of the Covid pandemic. These moratoriums, along with aid to renters and other Covid assistance, helped prevent a repeat of the mass of foreclosures and evictions that marked the Great Recession. Read More!
- Tax LawAs a full-service law firm, we provide a broad array of services across the legal spectrum. Attorneys at Pear Sperling Eggan & Daniels have drafted estate plans, handled international arbitrations, represented municipalities in tax appeals, defended individuals accused of crimes, and much more.