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Laurel F. McGiffert
is a senior trial attorney and currently serves as a
member of Plunkett Cooney's Board of Directors. She
concentrates her practice primarily in the areas of
medical liability, labor and employment law, municipal
law, civil rights and general litigation.
In addition to her successful
trial practice, Ms. McGiffert has extensive experience
representing clients involved in Michigan's Alternative
Dispute Resolution (ADR) system. She also has the distinction
of serving as an independent arbitrator and mediator
in ADR hearings.
Ms. McGiffert has represented
most major hospitals in the Detroit metropolitan area,
and she is frequently asked to present seminars to clients
and healthcare organizations on such topics as nursing
documentation and legal issues associated with emergency
nursing care, informed consent and record keeping. Ms.
McGiffert has also participated in grand rounds for
a major local hospital, participated in educational
mock trials and lectured at trial skills seminars sponsored
by such organizations as the American Board of Trial
Advocates (ABOTA).
Ms. McGiffert has also
made presentations to professionals on the subject of
"Psychological Autopsy of an Adolescent" and
has spoken to employer-representatives on "Staff
Professionalism with Consumers: Setting Boundaries."
For more than 15 years,
Ms. McGiffert has been an instructor on numerous topics
for the Michigan Institute of Continuing Legal Education
(ICLE), including but not limited to, motion and discovery
practice, deposition skills, anatomy of a lawsuit, practical
evidence, demonstrative evidence, ultimate trial notebook,
and common settlement and trial problems.
Representative
Client Work
- Successfully represented
the personal media consultant of former Detroit Mayor
Kwame Kilpatrick in a very high profile case claiming
the consultant intentionally leaked to the media the
name of a confidential police informant, whose testimony
ultimately led to a multi-million dollar verdict against
the mayor, his chief of staff and the city. Ms. McGiffert’s
client was dismissed from the case prior to trial.
- Worked closely with
the president/chief executive officer and an executive
vice president of a large medical insurance provider
to successfully litigate and, ultimately, to arbitrate
a $6 million employment claim filed by a former vice
president who alleged race and sex discrimination,
retaliation and the existence of a hostile work environment.
The case was resolved in favor of Ms. McGiffert’s
clients following a “no cause of action”
ruling by the arbitrator.
- Claims against the
then Detroit Public Schools superintendent were dismissed
from a breach of contract dispute brought by a district
consultant following the court’s approval of
Ms. McGiffert’s aggressive defense and request
for summary disposition. While the suit was ultimately
settled by the district and consultant, the personal
and financial interests of Ms. McGiffert’s client
were protected.
- Extensive trial experience
in medical liability, employment, municipal and other
litigation matters
- Defends numerous
hospitals, doctors and other healthcare professionals
in medical malpractice lawsuits
- Extensive medical
malpractice expertise in claims involving surgery,
psychiatry, pathology, hematology, emergency medicine
care, gynecology, etc., encompassing hospitals, clinics,
and physicians’ offices, as well as emergency
medicine (ER), inpatient and outpatient medical care
- Defends both public
and private employers in labor and employment matters,
including trials and arbitrations
- Successfully tried
an employment matter involving claims of alleged sexual
harassment and significant damages, obtaining a no
cause of action judgment on behalf of a municipal
employer
Successfully tried an alleged wrongful death case
brought by the estate of a minor who committed suicide,
obtaining a judgment of no cause of action for the
defendant, a large private retail company
Professional Affiliations
- State Bar of Michigan
(Ethics Committee, 1989-1993)
- Detroit Metropolitan
Bar Association
- Wolverine Bar Association
- Association of Defense
Trial Counsel
- American Board of
Trial Advocates
- D. Augustus Straker
Bar Association (Former member)
- American Inns of
Court (Former member)
- American Bar Association
(Former member)
- American Defense
Trial Attorneys Association (Former member)
- Defense Research
Institute (Former member)
Community Involvement
- American Heart Association
(Volunteer Fund Raiser)
- Wayne County Easter
Seal Society (Board of Directors, 1982-1990; President,
Board of Directors, 1988-1990)
- CATCH - Caring Athletes
Team for Children’s and Henry Ford Hospitals
(Board of Trustees, past member)
Speaking Engagement
- Register Now - Medical
Liability Seminar - Perfect Game
News
-
Three shareholders
elected to Plunkett Cooney’s Board of Directors
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Areas
of Practice
Civil Rights
General Litigation
Labor & Employment Law
Medical Liability
Municipal Law
Nursing Home & Long-term Care Liability
Private Client Services
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