Beier Howlett’s business lawyers represent a variety of businesses and their owners.  This work includes the organization of corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies; business planning; drafting contracts and other business documents; negotiating and implementing business transactions; reviewing financing arrangements and documents; advising and representation in labor and employment matters, employee benefits, pensions and tax matters; implementing, negotiating and documenting business reorganizations, purchases and sales; and real estate matters including conveyance, leasing, environmental and property tax matters.  Beier Howlett attorneys represent business clients before the United States Tax Court, Michigan Tax Tribunal, and state and federal trial courts.

The core of the firm’s business practice is representing closely-held businesses, many of which have been clients for decades.  These long-term relationships enable Beier Howlett lawyers to provide continuity of service and historical perspective, which is valuable for planning and decision-making.  We recognize that our business clients continually encounter new legal issues in dealing with the economy, competition, financing, government regulations, taxes, and a variety of employment matters.  Beier Howlett’s business lawyers maintain the skills and knowledge necessary to assist our clients in dealing with those problems.

Beier Howlett’s attorneys represent clients in a broad range of environmental matters, and are trained to recognize the increasing breadth and scope of environmental issues.  This training allows for the approach to complicated environmental matters from different viewpoints, with the ultimate goal of finding the best solution for our client.

Beier Howlett attorneys have litigated numerous environmental claims in federal and state courts, including Superfund, Clean Water Act, Part 201, underground storage tanks, wetlands, Michigan Environmental Protection Act, public trust, wildlife, public lands, zoning, RCRA enforcement, citizen suits, freedom of information, disputes, inverse condemnation, landfill regulation, riparian rights and sand dune mining.

Clients regularly ask for assistance in complying with complex environmental laws and regulations.  These compliance matters include air pollution, water pollution, RCRA, underground storage tanks, landfill siting, brownfields, zoning, wetlands and baseline environmental assessments.  The firm continually recognizes the importance of our clients’ adherence to promulgated environmental standards.

Environmental practice group attorneys assist other Beier Howlett practice groups when they encounter specialized environmental issues concerning real estate transactions, environmental liabilities of fiduciaries, conservation easements, permits, land use planning and municipal questions.

One of Beier Howlett’s environmental attorneys has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America since 1989.

Beier Howlett handles divorce cases ranging from the simple to those involving extensive property settlement negotiations and complex tax considerations.  Regardless of the complexity of the case, most family law disputes involve an emotional component, which requires a special skill for effective legal representation.  Clients expect their divorce lawyers to be readily accessible as personal crises arise, and to be sympathetic and responsive.  Beier Howlett’s family law attorneys have extensive experience, understanding and skill in assisting clients through the unfortunate event of divorce.

Beier Howlett family law attorneys are dedicated to attempting to reduce the adversarial nature of family law matters by engaging in alternative dispute resolution solutions whenever possible.  Beier Howlett attorneys are always sensitive to the importance of a fair and equitable resolution and to serving the best interests of the children of divorcing parents.  To the extent appropriate, community services and resources, including psychological consultants, are utilized to assist our clients.  Sensitivity to the importance of privacy, confidentiality and the highly personal nature of family law disputes is one of the firm’s highest priorities.

Beier Howlett’s senior family law attorney is a member of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a former judge of the Oakland County Circuit Court and is one of nine AAML certified arbitrators in Michigan.  As such, he is frequently appointed to arbitrate divorce disputes being litigated by other firms.  Our family law attorneys frequently lecture throughout the community and serve on advisory boards for organizations dedicated to serving families involved in domestic disputes.

Beier Howlett has always been known as a strong litigation firm.  Governmental entities, individuals and businesses retain the firm to prosecute or defend an increasing variety and volume of litigation matters.  Beier Howlett litigators have been appointed by the courts to represent high profile clients at the state, national and international levels, and have been retained by judges to represent them in litigation.

Major cases handled by Beier Howlett litigators include a million dollar high school construction defect claim, a landfill environmental law case that went to the United States Supreme Court, an important employer lockout case, and a nationally reported billion dollar trust dispute.  Beier Howlett attorneys have handled numerous bank loan default and bankruptcy matters, employment discrimination and wrongful discharge cases, disability compensation claims, property tax assessment cases, land use and zoning cases, and a variety of personal injury cases.  Beier Howlett attorneys also serve as prosecutors for our municipal clients.

As an alternative to litigation in the courts, Beier Howlett is committed to the concept of alternative dispute resolution.  If client disputes can be resolved through arbitration, mediation or negotiation, without the high cost and uncertainty of litigation, every effort will be made to avoid court proceedings.  The skills and techniques of fact-finding, analysis, research and preparation that characterize Beier Howlett litigators are equally important to our clients in alternative dispute resolution proceedings.

Beier Howlett has been recognized for its effective representation of local government units for several decades.  Several of the firm’s attorneys serve as general counsel for municipalities and regularly advise and attend meetings of city councils, planning commissions, boards of trustees, and other governing bodies, and provide ongoing legal services to our municipal clients.  Some are members of the Michigan Council of School Attorneys.  We serve as special counsel for property tax litigation and specific other legal matters for the numerous local government agencies.

With experience in serving governmental units, Beier Howlett attorneys are qualified and frequently called upon to assist private clients with problems they may have in dealing with municipalities and institutions that we do not represent.

Beier Howlett’s municipal and school law attorneys have served on and chaired state and local bar association committees and various community organizations.  They have lectured, written articles and have been on radio and television concerning municipal zoning, land use, historic preservation and environmental issues.  For many years, one of our municipal attorneys authored an annual review of developments in Michigan land use and zoning law, which was recognized as a standard source for the continuing legal education of municipal attorneys in Michigan.  One of the firm’s municipal lawyers is listed in the Best Lawyers in America.  The Michigan Municipal League selected Beier Howlett’s patriarch, the late Dean Beier, as Michigan’s Municipal Lawyer of the Year in one of its earliest designations to that honor.

The firm’s highly qualified Probate and Estate Planning attorneys assist clients in forming plans for the financial management and disposition of their property, and work to minimize income, gift and estate tax penalties.  Beier Howlett attorneys counsel clients in the administration of wills, trusts and estates, the preparation of tax returns, and participate in any necessary litigation.  The firm’s attorneys have successfully represented clients before the Internal Revenue Service, the Michigan Department of Revenue, and in both state and federal courts.  A group of Beier Howlett estate planning lawyers led the successful effort to repeal the Michigan inheritance tax, and one of the firm’s estate planning lawyers is listed in the Best Lawyers in America.  It’s not only clients who look to Beier Howlett’s Probate and Estate Planning practice group for assistance.  The firm’s expertise in this area is well known, so much so that successful attorneys from other firms consult with Beier Howlett to help protect their clients and their assets.