Just ask Andrew Mychalowych, the managing member of Siciliano, Mychalowych and Van Dusen, PLC, based in Michigan. He knows how complicated the law can get—especially in tough economic times like these. “We've encountered a lot of litigation where lenders have tried to be creative in looking at mortgage documents, trying to find exceptions in order to create personal liability where there otherwise would not have been in order to attempt to recoup value on behalf of the lender, because the property's lost so much,” he said. “With the downturn, I think there's been more of a focus on different breaches of contract—deals that have gone sour.” But this legal team is known for its strong body of experience and expertise. Even in changing times, they tackle complex issues as efficiently as ever.
Mychalowych sees major changes coming to the business litigation landscape. “Michigan is toying with the idea of separating our state circuit courts—trial courts—and creating ‘business courts,’” he said. “People are recognizing that a lot of what business disputes deal with are sophisticated contract provisions, intellectual property issues and issues concerning accounting and taxes.”
Changes in technology have also affected his work, with e-discovery taking a much larger role in cases than ever before. “I have three cases that have been consolidated for discovery purposes now pending in the Federal Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The allegations in these cases involve claims that a local municipality used strategic planning to allegedly change the racial demographics of the community,” Mychalowych said. “Those allegations, taken on their face, are very difficult to prove. Through initiation of e-discovery—and I think we were one of the first cases in that district to really take on e-discovery with that kind of vigor—we came across thousands of emails and other communications that we believe revealed a pattern, and showed what personal agendas some of the municipality's employees had.”
Mychalowych has handled cases for multiple clients in federal and state courts throughout the country, from New York to Texas, Florida and California. The firm's location has helped them make their services available to many business owners. Based in Farmington Hills, they can charge lower rates than firms located in major metropolitan areas. “Our overhead is substantially less than what it might be for a firm in downtown Chicago, New York or Miami,” Mychalowych said. His leaner, more transparent firm is well-equipped to help clients of all sizes .The results are apparent: in a case he tried recently before a jury in the Federal Court located in Dallas in January, 2011, Mychalowych attained a $27 million verdict, which resulted in a judgment exceeding $80 million against a publicly held real estate company.
Andrew Mychalowych can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
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