Julie Fershtman is an Equity Shareholder with the
full-service law firm Foster, Swift, Collins & Smith, P.C., with a law practice primarily focused on business litigation (plaintiff
and defense), general insurance defense, insurance coverage, premises liability, products liability, construction,
sales disputes, sporting and recreational liability, contract disputes, fraud litigation, and equine (horse-related) law. Our
Valued Clients Highly experienced lawyer with 36 years of actively and honorably serving businesses and individuals nationwide. ** Representative Matters Examples of legal matters handled: - Won
a product liability/negligence/UCC case for a client, resulting in dismissal of all claims. Won appeal of case.
- Won
a nine-day bench trial of an equine sale dispute and secured dismissal of defamation claims against client.
- Won a
bench trial of a land use/quiet title dispute.
- Won a five-day jury trial, representing the defense, in a case
involving serious personal injuries.
- Won dismissal of a wrongful death case, defending a business, in State Court
as well as in subsequent Federal court proceedings.
- Representing premises owners, won cases through the trial
court and appellate court levels.
- Won insurance coverage lawsuits in four states, including a jury trial on coverage
issues.
- Representing horse sellers, drafted documentation involving the sale of a $1.2 million breeding
stallion/former champion.
- Representing horse buyers, drafted documentation involving the purchase of a $500,000
elite show hunter.
- Representing sellers of a $400,000 champion show horse, defended a lawsuit involving claims
of breach of warranty and fraud, effectively persuading the plaintiff/buyer to drop the case.
- Representing buyers
in a sales fraud/breach of contract/Uniform Commercial Code case, won the case at trial, which resulted in a judgment against
the sellers that included reimbursement to the buyers for their losses and reimbursement of the buyers' legal fees.
- Won
summary judgment for the defense on lawsuits involving people injured at sporting facilities.
- In one year, alone,
won summary judgment for the defense of three different personal injury lawsuits in three different counties.
National
Litigation Work ** Jury trials in 4 states.** Approved by state and Federal
courts in 20 jurisdictions around the country to actively handle particular cases on a pro hac vice basis
(specially admitted out-of-state counsel). Publications and
Speaking A frequent speaker and writer, she has authored 4 books,
co-authored one book, and was a contributing writer to 4 other books published by the American Bar Association (ABA). In 2019,
the ABA published her newest book, which has received 4 national book awards. In addition, she has written more than 400
published articles, including 7 law journal articles for the ABA Tort, Trial & Insurance Practice Section Law Journal. Speaking engagements in 29 states, including American Bar Association Annual Meeting, Institute for Continuing Legal Education, International Risk Management Institute, Property Loss Research Bureau (PLRB) National Claims Conference, National Business Institute, and numerous others. Leadership
- Local, State and National
Past
president of the 45,000-member State Bar of Michigan. For more information and to follow her 2011-2012 presidential travels, please visit her presidential blog. In the ABA, she was a Vice-Chair of a committee of the Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Law Section. She is currently a member
of the ABA House of Delegates. At the local bar level, she is a former director and officer of the Oakland County Bar Association. Recognition
Named "Woman of the Year" in Michigan's
legal profession by Michigan Lawyers Weekly in 2016. Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® 2013- 2023 for Business Litigation and Insurance Law. Michigan Super Lawyers® listed her every year since 2008 and named her one of the "Top 100 Lawyers
in Michigan" for 2019-2022 and one of the "Top 50 Women Lawyers" in Michigan for 2013-2022. Women
Lawyers Association of Michigan honored her with its 2018 Jean L. King Leadership Award, and she received the State Bar of
Michigan's Michael Franck Award in 2014 and Roberts P. Hudson Award in 2018. Crain's Detroit Business named her a "Notable Women Lawyer in Michigan" in 2017 and previously named her one of 15 "Women
to Watch" in 2010 for innovation and leadership. Crain's also named her one of the area's "Most Influential
Women" in 2007 and in its "40 Under 40." DBusiness Magazine named her a "Top Lawyer"
for 2009, 2010, 2015-2022. She received the Oakland County Bar Association’s prestigious “Professionalism Award.” She is a Fellow of the American, Michigan,
Detroit, and Oakland County Bar Foundations and a Trustee of the Michigan State Bar Foundation. Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory rates her "AV" (5.0/5) which is its highest rating. She is rated 10.0/10 "Superb" [highest rating]
by AVVO. She is a Senior Fellow of Litigation Counsel of America, a trial lawyer honorary society whose membership is limited to less than 1/2 of 1% of North American lawyers. The Crain's Detroit Business feature article on Julie, published in June 2019, can be found here: link. Educational Background Graduate of Emory College and Emory Law School. Our Assurance to You Clients deserve results. While no
lawyer can guarantee results, we consistently work hard to achieve them through the highest standards of advocacy, professionalism,
communication, preparation, and ethics. Numerous clients, ranging from some of the world's largest insurers to small
businesses and individuals in a variety of industries, seek Ms. Fershtman's guidance and entrust their legal matters
to her year after year. ANNOUNCEMENTS: For
2022, Michigan Super Lawyers® again
named Julie Fershtman one of the "Top 100 Lawyers in Michigan" and one of the "Top 50 Women Lawyers in Michigan."
She was also listed for the 10th consecutive year in The Best Lawyers in America.®
Julie I. Fershtman, Esq. Foster Swift
Collins & Smith, PC 28411 Northwestern Hwy.,
Ste. 500 Southfield,
MI 48034 Direct Office Line: (248) 785-4731 / Office Line: (248) 539-9900
E-mail:
jfershtman@fosterswift.com
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Areas of practice include: • Business Litigation • Insurance Defense
• Insurance Coverage • Premises Liability • Agribusiness Liability • Sporting
Liability • Recreational Liability • Contract Disputes • Contract Drafting • Construction Law • Sales Disputes • Property Disputes • Fraud Litigation • Fiduciary Duty Cases •
Employment Law • Intentional Tort Cases • Class Action Defense • Trials, Arbitrations, Facilitations, Appeals
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- Results delivered. In 2020, Julie won a product liability
case for her client in the Michigan Court of Appeals involving complex issues of expert witness qualification; she also won
the case at the trial court level. In a case from a few years ago, Julie represented buyers,
and won a trial on their behalf involving issues of sales fraud/Breach of Warranty/Consumer Protection Act/breach of contract;
in that case, the Court ordered the sellers, who lost the case, to reimburse Julie's clients' monetary losses and awarded
them 100% of their legal fees. She has won heavily contested commercial and personal injury cases at trial and
appellate court levels.
- Consistent Results.
In one year, she won jury trials in 3 states (Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan), 2 appeals, and a major Federal
insurance coverage case in Illinois.
- Listed in Who's Who in American Law for 30+ years.
- Named a Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, a distinction given to less than 1/3 of 1% of all lawyers.
- 2019 Speaking Engagements - 6 states. National
Conference on Equine Law - 2 presentations (Kentucky); Agricultural Claims Conference - 2 presentations (Missouri); "AgriCon"/Agribusiness
Conference - 3 presentations (California, Virginia, and Iowa); State Bar of Michigan Young Lawyers Section "Summit"
(Michigan); Oakland County Bar Assoc./Women Lawyers Assoc. of Mich. Conference on Diversity; United States Hunter/Jumper Association
Annual Convention (Colorado); Midwest Dressage Association Annual Meeting (Michigan); national webinar for industry professionals.
- 2020 Speaking Engagements. University of Kentucky Journal of Natural Resources
and Equine Law Symposium (Lexington, Kentucky); National Conference on Equine Law (Lexington, Kentucky) - Postponed due
to COVID-19; "AgriCon" / IRMI Agribusiness Conference; Legal Talk Network; Cornell Cooperative Extension, Equitana
USA (Postponed).
- 2021 Speaking Engagements. National Conference
on Equine Law (Virtual); American Youth Horse Council (Virtual); Cornell Cooperative Extension (Virtual); Agricultural Claims
Conference (Virtual); United Professional Horsemans Association webinar (Virtual); "Agri Con" / IRMI Agribusiness
Conference (Virtual); Ag Law Today podcast; Georgia Bar Association Equine Law Section (virtual); Insurance Alliance
of Michigan.
- 2022 Speaking Engagements. "AgriCon" / IRMI
Agribusiness Conference (Sacramento, California); National Conference on Equine Law (Lexington, Kentucky); New York State
Bar Association (virtual), American Horse Council Annual Conference, (Washington, DC), and 2 others.
- 2023 Speaking Engagements. National Conference on Equine Law (Lexington, Kentucky
- in person); "AgriCon" /IRMI Agribusiness Conference (Sacramento, California - in person).
** What State(s) Does Your Legal Matter
Involve? Julie
Fershtman has clients around the country but cannot work all alone in every state. Regulations involving the practice of law prevent lawyers from practicing all alone in states
where they are not licensed. Julie is licensed in Michigan
but has been approved by courts in 20 jurisdictions nationwide to work on partcular cases as lead counsel or co-counsel. Contracts
she drafts require local counsel approval. For your out-of-state matter, you'll
need your local lawyer to work in some capacity with her.
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