Sears Appeals & Appellate Lawyers

Gary K. Springstead is a former FBI Agent and criminal defense attorney defending clients in state court in Michigan and federal courts throughout the United States. He is rated a Super Lawyer for Criminal Law, a 10.0 on Avvo and received the Client's Choice Award on Avvo for his outstanding work. He regularly defends clients in high-profile cases in Michigan and throughout the United States. In federal court, Mr. Springstead defends clients accused of a wide variety of crimes. This includes white collar crimes such as health care fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud and mail fraud, embezzlement, bribery and kickback schemes;...

Joshua Blanchard is a trial lawyer who holds a BBA in Accounting from Northwood University and a Juris Doctor from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. He operated a solo law practice representing clients in criminal trial matters throughout the state of Michigan. He has tried a number of jury trials to verdict and has obtained “not guilty” verdicts for his clients in both bench and jury trials. Mr. Blanchard is admitted to practice in Michigan state courts as well as in Federal Court for the Eastern and Western districts of Michigan. Mr. Blanchard represents people in need...

Scott Grabel is an experienced trial attorney with a strong history of positive results in drug, murder, criminal sexual conduct, and DUI/OWI cases. He has successfully argued cases before the Michigan Court of Appeals and has appeared as a commentator on Court TV's Best Defense for analysis of a murder case. Recently he was a guest on the Morning Blaze with Doc Thompson. He has served as an adjunct professor at the Thomas M. Cooley Law School and as a mentor for the Ingham County Bar Association's Mentoring Program. He is proud to be rated as one of the 10...

I enjoy the interaction with people where I can explain something that may seem complex in a way that helps them understand. As a former teacher, I do enjoy those ah-ha moments where things click. I enjoy talking with clients and getting to know them and their situation, so that I can find the best possible solutions for their needs. I believe that effective estate planning is a critical component of my client’s life planning. I believe that family fights over inheritance are unnecessary and wasteful. Families achieve better outcomes through planning rather than fighting. While it is...

I have been practicing family law for more than three decades. It is my goal for our legal team to provide each client with individual attention because each client and each case is different, and I enjoy the personal interaction with a client and working towards successful completion of each case to the benefit of each family. I have seen a need to specialize in parental alienation cases which has led to an overall greater experience in child custody cases. Secondly, I have specialized in complex divorce matters involving significant assets, business assets, determining complex income...

Since graduating from The University of Texas School of Law, one of the nation’s top law schools, Liisa Speaker has become well known for her excellent written and oral advocacy. Her appellate skills have helped clients obtain victories in appeals ranging from custody disputes to no-fault automobile insurance litigation to real property case and to probate appeals. Liisa Speaker is an attorney who practices exclusively in the field of appeals, she opened Speaker Law Firm in 2007. She has focused her appellate practice on family law, adoption, and child welfare cases. Liisa has represented clients in the Michigan Court of Appeals...

William Weise brings with him a history of getting exceptional results with criminal defense charges and experience handling major cases such as homicides and felony violent crimes. He also has familiarity with innovative defense and trial techniques stemming from evidence related to latent fingerprints, cellular triangulation and other tracking technologies. Bill Weise uses aggressive and creative defense strategies to give his clients the edge on getting the best possible results in all types of criminal cases including violent crimes, DUI defense, sex crimes and drug charges. Changes to the medical marijuana laws involving acceptable amounts of the drug to be...

Marcie Ridley is a graduate of the University Tennessee Martin and the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. She began her legal career working at the Federal Public Defenders Office of Western Michigan and as a law clerk for Grabel & Associates. After passing the bar in 2002, Marcie became an associate attorney at Grabel & Associates. Marcie Ridley handles mostly driver's license restoration cases for Grabel & Associates, an area she excels in. In her free time, Marcie enjoys spending time with her family and being active in her community.

Brent Geers specializes in helping people empower those they trust and provide for those they love. Brent has been an attorney since 2012, working with individuals and families to marshal their time, talent, and treasurer for the benefit of their children, family, and community. He is a Grand Rapids Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” honoree, and currently operates his own practice, Geers Law. Brent is married to an educator, who employs his services as a chaperon for various school functions. He is also his daughter’s father – a girl who will become a president, not a princess.

Joel T Finnell is an appellate specialist at Sinas Dramis Law Firm, which is headquartered in Lansing, Michigan. In this unique role, Joel is often called upon by attorneys at the firm and within the community for additional legal support in heavily defended cases. While his skills and expertise are vast, Joel dedicates a large portion of his practice to auto no-fault law, motor vehicle accidents, and complicated wrongful death cases. He graduated cum laude from Western Michigan University's Thomas M. Cooley Law School and earned his undergraduate degree from Eastern Michigan University. He is admitted to practice in the...

Benjamin Stoltman focuses on Adult and Minor Guardianships, Wills, Trusts and Estates, Adoptions, Non-Profit Formation, Business Transactions, and Appeals.

Ben graduated magna cum laude from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. While in law school, Benjamin served as a member of Law Review and was the recipient of numerous awards for academic merit, including top marks in civil procedure, military law, and the professional responsibility seminar.

Benjamin was also inducted as a member of the Justice Frank Murphy Honor Society, an honor reserved for students graduating in the top ten percent of their class.

Prior to starting...

I was born and raised in the City of Detroit and am committed to serving those individuals accused of committing criminal offenses throughout the State of Michigan.

Nick Roumel is a trial lawyer with over 30 years experience in state and federal courts. He focuses on plaintiff's employment and civil rights litigation, as well as educational law matters, such as Title IX sex harassment, assault, and retaliation, as well as serious personal injury in the educational setting. He is recognized as a Thompson-Reuters "Super Lawyer" in employment litigation, reserved for the top 5% of attorneys in that field. Mr. Roumel has represented numerous high profile athletes and artists; victims of domestic and sexual violence; and students expelled for exercising constitutional rights. He has been appointed for various matters...

Mr. Samouris has been a part of the winning criminal defense team at Grabel & Associates for over a decade. During that time he has gotten favorable results for clients in an endless list of types and degrees of criminal offenses in counties all over the state of Michigan. Mr. Samouris credits his success with his client’s criminal cases to his thorough preparation and hardworking attitude. At Grabel & Associates, we understand being prepared is half the battle when getting the best possible results for our clients. Meticulous preparation along with exceptional knowledge and application of the laws that apply...

A former prosecutor, Jennifer Weise brings over a decade of trial experience to Grabel & Associates. With experience working in two prosecutor’s offices, she is a seasoned trial attorney with knowledge in all areas of criminal defense. She has also prosecuted hundreds of Criminal Sexual Conduct cases which gives her the ability to fight for her current clients while anticipating the prosecution’s next move. Former prosecutors bring the ability to “think as the other side” to their client’s defense strategy, which is why Jennifer Weise is such an asset to Grabel & Associates. She excels at client communication, enjoys trial...

Sara MacGregor joined Grabel & Associates in 2015 with a passion for criminal defense. She was born in Arizona but raised in Michigan's Upper Peninsula where she has lived ever since. Sara is invaluable to Grabel & Associates for her relationships and experience with the courts in the U.P. She attended Manistique High School and graduated summa cum laude from Northern Michigan University with a degree in Pre-Law and a minor in Communications and Chemistry. Sara is a graduate of Thomas M. Cooley Law School and passed the bar in 2014.

Sara MacGregor is ready to defend those charged with criminal...

Licensed in 2014, Ravi Gurumurthy has been an associate at Grabel & Associates for several years. He has experience in the aggressive defense of those charged with criminal sexual conduct, violent crimes, theft and drug charges and juvenile offenses.

Timothy Doman joined Grabel & Associates in 2016 after leaving his position as a Pre-Hearing Attorney with the Michigan Court of Appeals to follow his passion and interest in criminal law. He believes criminal law is fascinating and was eager to join Grabel & Associates due to our exclusive focus on criminal defense and criminal appeals. Tim Doman’s vast experience working at the Michigan Court of Appeals allows him to quickly and accurately research relevant issues to a client’s criminal defense or appeal and craft well written, comprehensive legal briefs, memos and arguments. His unique background working for both the...

Michael Horowitz is a trial and appellate lawyer in Northern Michigan. He is licensed in Michigan, Alaska, and New York. He primarily practices criminal defense.

John Bursch (www.burschlaw.com) represents Fortune 500 companies, governments, top public officials, and industry associations in high-profile cases, primarily on appeal. John has argued 12 U.S. Supreme Court cases since 2011 and 34 state supreme court cases, including 32 cases argued in the Michigan Supreme Court. John has successfully litigated hundreds of matters around the country, including six with more than $1 billion at stake. Recent matters include:

-Securing a 6th Circuit victory reinstating a multi-million-dollar commercial case on behalf of 5-hour ENERGY®
-A Michigan Court of Appeals ruling vindicating a Certificate of Need for DTE Energy's billion-dollar, natural-gas plant
-Obtaining a win...

Practicing law has been a long-term goal for me ever since participating in a mock trial exercise in middle school. With that goal in mind, I pursued a degree in political science at Grand Valley State University with the intent of going to law school immediately following my undergraduate studies. I graduated cum laude from Michigan State University College of Law and joined the team at Kraayeveld Law.

I have always had a passion for working with kids. Throughout my time in college and law school, I worked as a high school marching band instructor and as a recreational gymnastics coach....

Intellectual Property - Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights Litigation - Federal and State Courts Over 24 years of experience. 161 Ottawa Ave., N.W., Suite 404, Grand Rapids, MI 49503; 616-774-9244. Call 24/7; as calls are forwarded to Robert on evenings and weekends We are a full service litigation, and intellectual property law firm. Our practice areas include litigation, patent and trademark prosecution, and licensing. We have assisted clients at all stages of a lawsuit, pre-suit negotiations, and post-trial appeals. Robert J. Sayfie is a registered patent attorney, and has work experience as an engineer...

Reisinger Law Firm specializes in the representation of Debtors in Bankruptcy. We have successfully represented over 1,500 debtors . We offer competitive rates and include more services than any other Law Firm. We answer outstanding lawsuits to protect you from garnishments at no additional charge, we work on getting garnished funds back at no additional charge, we include one reaffirmation agreement at no additional charge, we pay for your credit counseling, debtors education course and credit report. The additional services and products we provide for free will cost you hundreds of dollars at other firms.

Tom Cecil is a motivated trial attorney with Big City skills located in the small town of Mason, Michigan. Cecil dedicates his practice to representing people who have been injured through the negligence or intentional misconduct of others, including businesses. Cecil enjoys class action practice. His most recent significant victory being a successful civil rights claim against the City of Detroit in which Cecil represented over 1200 people. Cecil is eager to hear what you have to say and will give due consideration to your concerns.

I provide legal services to individuals, businesses, and property and casualty insurers, with a focus on litigation.

James A. Christopherson, Esq. is an arbitrator, mediator and practicing attorney. He has over 28 years of experience as an attorney, arbitrator and mediator in complex construction, real estate, healthcare, commercial, contractual, financial and environmental disputes. He is available to provide legal assistance in commercial, healthcare, real estate, construction and environmental disputes throughout the State of Michigan. He is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. Mr. Christopherson is on the National Roster of Neutral Arbitrators for both Commercial Arbitration and Construction Arbitration for the American Arbitration Association. He is an Arbitrator for the...

Law Offices of D.B. Carron are highly-qualified appeals specialists in criminal defense, taking cases statewide and federal, including trials; pleas; 6500 and 2255 post-conviction motions; habeas petitions; etc. Attorney Carron and his associate Attorney Martin Leaf have over 60 years of experience. Mr. Carron is among select lawyers that may argue before the U.S. Supreme Court. Selected as one of the top criminal defense lawyers in Michigan by the American Society of Legal Advocates; he has a perfect 10.0 Avvo attorney qualification rating, a 5-star client review rating; and the highest possible peer rating on Martindale-Hubble. Payment plans are available...

Since 1989, I have been an attorney licensed by the State Bar of Michigan. In my decades of general practice, I have served thousands of clients. Among the first-50 attorneys in Michigan to complete the Family Law Certificate program offered by the Institute for Continuing Legal Education in Ann Arbor, MI, I have completed more than 1000 divorces from start to finish. In addition to family law, I have a robust criminal law practice, representing clients in jury trials and appeals across Michigan. A roster attorney for the Michigan Appellate Assigned Counsel System for 3-years, I...