Howard, William D.

Lawyer Overview

William D. Howard is the head of the litigation team for the firm. An aggressive litigator, he focuses his practice in the areas of product liability, construction, trucking and transportation, negligence, maritime/admiralty, and commercial litigation.

In recognition of his success as a complex litigation trial attorney, his name appears on the lists of super litigators across the nation. Mr. Howard has obtained favorable verdicts in numerous jurisdictions including the following:  U.S. District Court, New York; U.S. District Court, Georgia; U.S. District Court, Oklahoma; U.S. District Court, Massachusetts; U.S. District Court, Pennsylvania; U.S. District Court, California; U.S. District Court, Illinois; U.S. District Court, Oregon; U.S. District Court, New Jersey; U.S. District Court, Tennessee; U.S. District Court, Louisiana; U.S. District Court, Michigan; Michigan Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit; United States Supreme Court.

His success has attracted a long list of national clients whose interests he has represented either as national counsel, regional counsel or local counsel throughout the State of Michigan. Mr. Howard has acted as counsel for many of these clients, such as AIG, for more than 20 years.

With 26 years of active litigation practice, Mr. Howard has been able to try cases in over 38 states. From Federal to State court, he has obtained favorable verdicts for his clients in over 99% of the cases he has taken to trial. This amazing success ratio in literally hundreds of jury trials highlights the importance of the firm's litigation strategy. Its team approach emphasizes strong relationships with their client and strongly includes the client in the litigation team. 

Mr. Howard is certified an ICLE trained civil facilitator in multiple Michigan Circuit Courts.  He serves on many arbitration/mediation panels as selected by local counsel including special panels involving complex litigation and contractor issues.

Representative Client Work

Mr. Howard served as national counsel, regional counsel and local counsel for numerous manufacturers and associations, including Cottrell, Holmes Group, Underwater Construction Corporation, Great Lakes Dock and Materials, Rival Companies, J.C. Penney, Cruisers Yachts, Fountain Power Boats, Michigan Marinas Association, and Burger King.  He has also represented numerous national associations such as the Underground Utility Contractors, Trucking Entities and Special Needs Modification Equipment Operators.  

Mr. Howard has won favorable verdicts in numerous state and federal courts including the United States Supreme Court, and Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

He recently recovered a 1.5 million dollar verdict for the employer and employee after a five day jury trial in Michigan Circuit Court involving a construction site accident and personal injury claim.

Mr. Howard has litigated several hundred cases to jury verdict over the last several decades in numerous locations with a success rate of over 99%.  Because of this success, his name has been placed on numerous clients' super litigators lists.  

Frequent Case Types

• Breach of Warranty, Defense in Grand Rapids, MI
• Child Dog Bite, Claims in Grand Rapids, MI
• Foreclosure in Grand Rapids, MI
• Health Care Fraud, Medicaid Fraud in Grand Rapids, MI
• Unfair Debt Collection in Grand Rapids, MI

Areas of Practice

• Civil Litigation
• Trucking & Transportation Litigation
• Products Liability
• Maritime/Admiralty
• Construction Law
• Professional Liability
• Business & Commercial Litigation
• Alternative Dispute Resolution

West Practice Categories

Admiralty & Maritime Law, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Business & Commercial Law, Construction Law, Estate Planning, Professional Responsibility, Family Law, Litigation & Appeals, Products Liability Law, Professional Malpractice Law, Real Estate Law, Trucking

Bar Admissions

• Michigan, 1984
• U.S. District Court Western District of Michigan, 1984
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of Michigan, 2001
• U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit, 2001

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Grand Rapids Bar Association
• Defense Research Institute

Honors and Awards

• AV Rated
• National Court Competition
• Various Super Litigators Lists

Classes and Seminars

• Trained Facilitator, Michigan ICLE

Education

• Washington University School of Law, St. Louis, Missouri, 1984
  J.D.
• Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, Michigan, 1981
  B.A.

Offers Free Initial Consultation

Accepts Credit Cards

Published Works

• Economic Analysis of Three Tax Proposals for Michigan, IBA News, 1981
• Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis: An Identifying Tool of the Future, School Publication, 1983

Address

25 Ionia Avenue SouthWest
Suite 230
Grand Rapids, MI 49503-6415

Office Hours

Monday - Friday ; 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Phones

866-719-9593
616-827-7028

Faxes

616-235-6061

Emails

Contact Us

Websites

http://www.howardlawgr.com