Ari M. Charlip

Christopher C. Smith is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Intellectual Property. Christopher C., who practices law in Royal Oak, Michigan, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Christopher C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Alan May is a shareholder who is sought after for his experience in guardianships and conservatorships. He has written and lectured extensively and has taught classes at Wayne State University and Oakland University on these topics. He was selected for inclusion in the 2007-2019 issues of Michigan Super Lawyers magazine featuring the top 5% of attorneys in Michigan and has been called by courts as an expert witness on issues of fees and by both plaintiffs and defendants as an expert witness i...

Ms. Bowman has had a significant amount of experience acting both as bond counsel and underwriter’s counsel in a number of bond transactions, both at the state and local levels. She has acted as bond counsel for regional wastewater treatment and other systems, and represented the owners of a $230 million racetrack in Kansas City, Missouri in connection with bond financing for the facility. Ms. Bowman represents clients in securities law matters. She has also counseled clients on complia...

Ms. Slaven focuses her practice on intellectual property law, particularly in the area of patents. She has significant experience in the chemical arts, especially material science and metallurgy, as well as the mechanical and electrical arts, particularly inventions related to the automotive industry. On behalf of the firm’s clients, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to individual entrepreneurs, she handles patent application preparation and prosecution, including original filings, res...

Specializing in family law, my sole focus is to understand the complexities of your individual case and bring it to a quick, private and peaceful resolution. Family court judges are overloaded and often don’t have the time to take a deep dive into each family’s unique situation; this is often to the detriment of the family members, who suffer through courtroom conflicts that are dragged out — and which lead to steep bills. For that reason, I frequently work with our clients ...

Erin Pawlowski focuses her practice on complex corporate transactions. She has a diverse M&A practice and serves as outside general counsel for businesses in a variety of industries and stages of growth. Erin represents private equity sponsors, portfolio companies, venture capital funds, strategic buyers and sellers, and other privately held businesses. As a part of her M&A practice, Erin advises both buyers and sellers in complex domestic and cross-border transactions of all types an...

Lawrence E. Gursten 's legal career as one of the top car accident lawyers in the country spans more than 40 years. He is founding partner of Michigan Auto Law and continues to passionately advocate for victims of car and truck accidents throughout Michigan. Larry has lectured extensively at legal seminars for nearly 40 years, helping Michigan lawyers on the subjects of traumatic brain injury, neck and back injury cases, the Michigan No-Fault law and strategies for litigating automobile accid...

As head of Michigan Auto Law, Steven M. Gursten focuses his practice on serious motor vehicle accident injury and wrongful death cases. Steve frequently lectures at legal seminars throughout the country on trial advocacy, trucking litigation, and traumatic brain injury cases. He is the annual moderator and speaker at the “Advanced Motor Vehicle Litigation Seminar,” offered through 360 Advocacy. He is the current President of the Distracted Driving Litigation Group and past-Preside...

Edward Pappas is a lead counsel with significant litigation, trial, appellate and arbitration experience in all types of business and commercial cases in federal and state courts. He has represented clients in complex cases involving construction, breach of contract/business tort, trade secret/non-compete, product liability, business tort, lender liability, real estate disputes, Fair Credit Reporting Act violations, minority shareholder oppression and fraud. Mr. Pappas has also successfully m...

Practice Areas - Business and Tax Planning, Business Tax, Estate and Gift Taxation, Estate Planning, Estate/Income Taxes, Probate Law and Trust Administration, Tax Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Tax Planning Neal Nusholtz is an acclaimed tax attorney whose legal practice spans over 40 years. He specializes in all areas of taxation ranging from income tax audits to litigation and state and federal appeals. Mr. Nusholtz serves on several committees of the State Bar of Michigan, and he was s...