West Branch Lawyers

Benjamin Stoltman focuses on Adult and Minor Guardianships, Wills, Trusts and Estates, Adoptions, Non-Profit Formation, Business Transactions, and Appeals.

Ben graduated magna cum laude from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. While in law school, Benjamin served as a member of Law Review and was the recipient of numerous awards for academic merit, including top marks in civil procedure, military law, and the professional responsibility seminar.

Benjamin was also inducted as a member of the Justice Frank Murphy Honor Society, an honor reserved for students graduating in the top ten percent of their class.

Prior to starting...

I graduated from the Detroit College of Law (MSU) in 1990 and was licensed by the State Bar of Michigan that same year. I graduated with honors with a concentration in taxation and was a published author in the nationally esteemed Detroit College Law Review. My practice is devoted exclusively to asset protection, consumer bankruptcy and student loan assistance. My unique approach to clients enables them to actively participate in the process so that you are completely involved in the process and understand exactly what your options are and what option is best for you and your family. ...

For over 30 years Jim Austin has been providing quality legal services, counseling and care to individual and business clients throughout Michigan with business, general civil and transportation matters. Jim practices regularly in courts throughout the State of Michigan. With Corcoran Austin, PC, he has offices in Alden, Traverse City and Charlevoix. He has argued cases before the Michigan Supreme Court, Michigan Court of Appeals, Federal District Courts and Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. He represents wrecker and towing companies throughout Michigan and sits on the Board of Directors of the Michigan Towing Association. He has represented truckers and trucking companies...

Robert Gavin is the Senior Associate at Shifman & Carlson, P.C. He has been practicing law since 2008, and was named a Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2015, 2018, and 2019. He was also listed by DBusiness Magazine as a Top Lawyer in the Metro Detroit Area for Public Finance Law in both 2014, 2017, and 2018.

Rob brings a wide variety of skills and a diverse background to bear for his clients, including his experience with contract negotiation, employee issues, construction issues. Rob's undergraduate degree is in engineering, which has also been useful to clients during construction issues and in...

David M. Glancy is an experienced civil and criminal trial attorney. He has substantial experience in evaluating and litigating automobile accidents, premise liability claims and first-party/No-Fault claims. He has handled serious felony, misdemeanor, drunk/drugged driving, and juvenile criminal matters; including multiple high-profile homicide cases.

In addition, Mr. Glancy also practices in the Circuit Court – Family Division, where he has handled numerous cases involving divorce, custody, parenting time issues, juvenile offense and neglect abuse cases.

Mr. Glancy was admitted to the State Bar of Michigan in 2004. He is a member of the Grand Traverse County Bar Association and the...

Active in the practice of Admiralty and Maritime Law throughout the Great Lakes and Great Rivers Region of the United States, including marine related criminal offenses. Representing marine insurance interests, recreational boaters, ferry operators, marine surveyors, salvors, marine construction, charter boat operators, ferry operations, and marinas. Affiliated with: GREAT LAKES DISPUTE RESOLUTION, LLC www.GLDR.us , a mediation and arbitration service dedicated to marine and maritime interests.

John Di Giacomo is an experienced business, intellectual property, litigation, and Internet lawyer practicing in the areas of copyright, trademark, domain name disputes, e-money, e-payment systems, contracts, defamation, Internet law, Communications Decency Act §230 immunity issues, international commercial law, cybersquatting and domain name disputes, video game law, adult industry law, Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA), E-Sign Act, shrinkwrap, browsewrap, and clickwrap issues, computer tort claims (e.g. trespass to chattels for unauthorized entry & spamming), and other intellectual property or business law related areas. John has litigated intellectual property, business, and commercial disputes in state and federal courts across...

Rachel M. Sexton has spent her entire career as an attorney representing people who find themselves in difficult financial situations. Rachel’s passion is helping people get out from underneath crushing debt and harassing creditors. She has helped hundreds of clients find solutions through bankruptcy. Whether that is saving their homes from foreclosure, getting their cars back after repossession, lowering their car payments, eliminating credit card debt, or dealing with overwhelming IRS debt. Rachel chose to practice bankruptcy because she enjoys helping people in some of the most stressful times of their lives. Rachel’s goal is to help clients move toward...

Upon Graduation from Law School in 1997, Attorney Chefalo worked in Lansing Michigan for the 30 th Judicial Circuit Court as a law clerk for the Honorable Thomas L. Brown. While there, he researched complicated legal issues and drafted proposed opinions on all civil and criminal matter that came before the court. In 1999, Attorney Chefalo moved to Traverse City Michigan to work in private practice. When asked why he picked Traverse City, Attorney Chefalo stated: “if you are going to start a law office from scratch, you might as well do it in a beautiful place.” His goal...

Laura Breckenridge has been practicing bankruptcy law since 2003 and has helped hundreds of people in Michigan get financial help and freedom from overwhelming high interest and debt. She has focused her practice on solely bankruptcy law and has developed one of the top bankruptcy firms in the area. She maintains and excellent reputation in the community for her knowledge of the law and her professionalism. Breckenridge & Davis cares about their clients: "our goal is to make sure that our clients get personalized attention and have access to their attorney whenever they need it for any...

Julie A. Gafkay graduated from Michigan State University in 1992 with a dual major in criminal justice and political theory. She graduated from Whittier Law School in 1995 with honors. Her first position was in Flint, Michigan focusing on civil rights and employment discrimination. In 2003, Attorney Gafkay opened her own statewide practice in Frankenmuth, Michigan. The practice's attorneys provide a general practice to the local area providing legal services in Wills, Trusts, Estate Planning, Elder Law, Business Planning, contract review, landlord/tenant issues, real estate, employment issues and other general practice areas. Attorney Gafkay has...

Scot focuses on business law, real estate development, employment law, estate planning, probate, and commercial litigation. He received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan and his J.D., with cum laude honors, from the Notre Dame Law School. While at Notre Dame, Scot was an editor with the Journal of Legislation and clerked for the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in Flint, MI, and the Michigan Supreme Court in Lansing, MI. After graduating from Notre Dame Law School, Scot clerked with the Michigan Court of Appeals in Grand Rapids, MI. In January of...

Michigan Criminal Defense Attorney Matthew L. Norwood is located in downtown Flint, directly across from the Genesee County local and state federal courts.

This prime location allows him to act quickly and aggressively in representing his clients’ cases. Having a statewide practice gives Mr. Norwood the opportunity to defend clients all over the state of Michigan.

Matthew’s law practice is devoted exclusively to Michigan criminal law and driver’s license restoration. Matthew has been working in mid-Michigan’s criminal court as a driver’s license attorney and a DUI lawyer since 2002. His favorite courts to practice out of is Grand Blanc and Fenton, although...

Renee Picard earned her Juris Doctorate in 1996 from the University of Denver College of Law, Denver, Colorado. This came after earning her Bachelor of Science in Public Law and Government from Eastern Michigan University in 1993. She was licensed to practice law in the State of Michigan in 1996 and was admitted to Federal Court in 2005. Before coming to work in Lapeer in 1998, she had worked at a children’s legal clinic, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, and a personal injury firm in Southfield, Michigan. She was also published for an annual survey for a Colorado Juvenile...

Brandon is passionate about helping individuals, families, and business owners achieve peace of mind by developing and implementing creative cost effective plans tailored for each client. He aims to be his clients' attorney for life, helping to develop strategies that minimize risk, maximize returns on investment, and create legacies that last for generations to come.

Brandon received his undergraduate degree with honors from Michigan State University in History with a concentration in Mandarin Chinese, and his JD from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 2011. While at Case, he focused his studies on Federal income, estate, gift, and generation...

Amir practices Elder Law, Medicaid Planning, VA Planning, Probate, Estate Planning, and Business Transactions. He has an extensive background of helping the elderly through his family-owned Licensed Assisted Living Homes. At Serenity Assisted Living, Amir assisted the elderly in their medical needs. Now, he hopes to help even more elderly in their legal and planning needs.

T.J. was born and raised in Central Michigan, where he lives with his wife and three children. He is a proud Michigander, who was raised in a blue collar family and taught from the beginning the importance of hard work and giving back to the community. T.J. is a life member of the VFW, Military Order of Purple Heart and sits on the board of directors of a local non-profit organization. Shortly after graduating high school, T.J. enlisted in the Army where he would serve for nearly 11 years, retiring as a Staff Sergeant. Some of the more notable highlights...

Elizabeth graduated from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2020. While there, she was an Executive Article Editor for the Chicago-Kent Journal of Intellectual Property, interned in the legal departments of a national trade organization and Illinois’ top children’s hospital, and worked at law firms that focused on civil litigation and transportation law. Prior to law school Elizabeth earned degrees in Biochemistry and Biology from Ferris State University, where she participated in the biochemistry research lab and was president of the school’s chapter of the American Chemical Society. After graduating, Elizabeth relocated to Traverse City and began her career as judicial assistant...

Zach Backlund works in our Gaylord, Michigan branch office and has handled numerous family law, estate plan, and real estate cases over the past several years in many counties in northern Michigan. He previously practiced law in the Traverse City, Michigan area, working on a variety of cases involving both transactional and litigated matters. Before becoming an attorney, Zach Backlund worked as a landman (2014-2016), taught English as a second language (2006), and also served as an AmeriCorps Corps Member (2005-2007).

Sterling Law practices in the areas of Family Law, Immigration, Estate Planning, Probate, Civil Litigation, Real Estate, and Business...

Kevin Hirzel is the Managing Member of Hirzel Law, PLC. Hirzel Law has offices in Farmington and Traverse City and services clients throughout the State of Michigan. Mr. Hirzel focuses his practice on condominium law, homeowners association law, litigation and real estate law. He has received numerous recognitions on a local and national level for the high level of representation that he provides to clients. Mr. Hirzel is a fellow in the College of Community Association Lawyers, a prestigious designation given to less than 175 attorneys in the country. He was named a Leading Lawyer in Michigan in 2018,...

I reside in Frankenmuth, Michigan, and practice in my Frankenmuth office. I specialize in Elder Law, Estate Planning, Probate and Estate Administration, Business Organizations, Real Estate Law, and I am VA certified. I am a frequent speaker and seminar presenter on estate planning and elder law. My practice in the field of elder law covers Medicaid qualification, estate planning, Guardianship, Conservatorships, and Veterans benefits. I am a member of the Frankenmuth Morning Rotary. I am an active member and have served on the Board of Directors for the Northeastern Michigan Estate Planning Council and the Covenant Health Care Foundation....

My practice has primarily specialized in representing seriously injured persons in Michigan since 1991. We handle all car accidents, dog attacks, slip and falls which have caused serious personal injuries. We have expanded our litigation expertise into suing banks, debt collectors, debt buyers and credit reporting agencies who defraud or otherwise harm consumers. One of our primary areas of practice is restoring the good credit of identity theft victims or individuals with mixed up credit files. It is our goal to ensure that our clients are able to enforce all their rights against the Insurance and Banking Industry.
We...

Breckenridge & Davis, P.C. is a bankruptcy law firm based in Flint, MI that specializes in: • Foreclosure Prevention • Chapter 13 bankruptcy • Chapter 7 bankruptcy We provide legal assistance with: • Stopping Home Foreclosures • Removing second mortgages or home equity loans • IRS tax levies • Vehicle Repossessions • Creditor Harassment • Overwhelming credit card and medical bills • Judgments and Garnishments • Credit Restoration We have offices in Flint and Birch Run, Michigan. Please call us at 810-239-4050 to schedule a free initial consultation.

Lea Ann Sterling has been a member of the Michigan Bar since 1998. Admitted to the bar in Ohio in 1981, Mrs. Sterling practiced law in Columbus. In 1997, she began a sabbatical to write, travel, and relocate from Ohio to Michigan. Her first book, Historic Homes of Olde Towne, was released in 1999 and won the Ohio Historical Society’s Public Education and Awareness Award. Historic Cottages of Mackinac Island, released in 2001, was listed on the Michigan Governor’s List of Best Books of 2001. In March 1999, Mrs. Sterling was appointed Village of Empire Zoning Administrator where she was...

We are a full service law firm. You can depend on us to look out for every aspect of your legal needs - business or personal, and at any stage of your life. McClintic Law Firm has been practicing law since 1913 in Isabella County and the entire state of Michigan. We provide full legal service to the community today. We are happy to serve the Mt. Pleasant area, Isabella county, Gratiot county, Clare County, Midland County, Mecosta County, and beyond. Our firm is well versed and experienced in all areas of the law, including business law, criminal law, real...

Joshua Reinert received his Juris Doctorate from Michigan State University College of Law on May 6, 2003. Josh also holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan State University. Josh has dedicated his professional life to bankruptcy law. He has assisted thousands of consumers in Chapter 7 & Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases in addition to assisting many small business through Chapter 7 liquidations. Josh has represented debtors, creditors and bankruptcy trustees in all aspects of bankruptcy cases. Josh has been a guest lecturer for Legal Services of Michigan, the International Credit Association (ICA), and the Northeast Michigan Bankruptcy Bar in addition to...

Raised in Michigan and Florida, Attorney Powers maintains her private practice of law in Petoskey, Michigan, a resort community nestled along Lake Michigan's Little Traverse Bay. However, she handles matters throughout the State of Michigan and often works with out-of-state counsel. Attorney Powers practices in the areas of real property law, appellate law, business law, estate planning and probate and trust administration, and municipal law. Ms. Powers served as City Attorney for the City of Petoskey for several years and also wrote, implemented, and coordinated the Paralegal Program for North Central Michigan College, an associate degree program,...

Kathryn attended Central Michigan University and graduated with a B.S., majoring in Business Administration and minoring in Legal Studies. After graduating from CMU, Kathryn attended Thomas M. Cooley Law School and graduated cum laude with a concentration in Litigation. While at Cooley, Kathryn was awarded multiple certificates of merit for her academic performance. Kathryn focuses her practice on Criminal Defense and Family Law and Estate Planning. Ms. Bolinger is knowledgeable in all areas of divorce, property settlement, and alimony. Ms. Bolinger also handles all issues relating to child custody, parenting time, child support, adoptions, and grandparent's...

Nathan P. Miller is a partner and co-founder of Miller Embury, PLLC. He focuses the majority of his practice on plaintiff’s personal injury litigation. He represents people who have been injured in traumatic accidents and helps them receive compensation from insurance companies. He also represents people in actions against their own insurer, suing insurance companies to get benefits for his clients, benefits that have been illegally denied. In addition to personal injury law, Nathan specializes in real estate matters, landlord tenant law, and general civil litigation. Nathan has experience handling cases from inception all the...

Raymond Graduated from the University of Detroit Law School in 1993 and has been licensed to practice in Michigan State and Federal Courts ever since. He is a member of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys and The American Bankruptcy Institute.

Working in Michigan since 1979 to understand and serve my corporate and individual clients in the areas of Estates & Trusts, Elder Law, Business and Contracts, Real Estate, and General Civil Law to develop cost effective solutions and strategies.

Shelley Kester is an award-winning attorney, a community leader, a dynamic communicator and a caring individual. She is Chair of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan. Her practice includes nearly all aspects of family law, including divorce law and child custody. She was among the first in Northern Michigan to complete the Family Law Certificate Program through the Institute of Continuing Education and the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan. She is President of wilson Kester, the Empowered Divorce Source. A frequent contributor to the Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Ms. Kester is...

I am an attorney licensed to practice in Michigan, Illinois and Minnesota. I primarily practice in bankruptcy, foreclosure, real estate, estate planning and probate.

Estate Planning
Wills and Trusts
Business Organization
Real Estate
Criminal Defense
Former Prosecutor