Christopher E. Nyenhuis

On July 7, Judge James Robert Redford issued an Order staying implementation of the Residential Building Code and Michigan Uniform Energy Code updates. The proposed updates in question were aiming to increase energy efficiency in homes. Learn more about the allegations of improper “cost-effective” analysis and the implications it could have on single family home construction.

On Wednesday, July 9, 2025 the Michigan Supreme Court affirmed the Michigan Court of Appeals’ ruling from July of 2023 “by equal division of the Court”, meaning that a
majority of the Justices did not reach a common basis for resolution. This leaves the Court of Appeals decision intact and binding, which had held that private lake
community restrictions prohibiting property owners from using their properties as short- term rentals (Melvin R. Berlin Revocable Trust et al. v. Thomas C. Rubin et al.).

Proposed Senate Bill 49 revises various sections of the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Act (Act), including §33, the section that addresses the time frame by which MIOSHA must issue a citation after an inspection. Unfortunately, SB 49, does nothing to nail down the outside limits of when MIOSHA must issue a citation, only further muddying that question.

Changes to the enforceability and reporting requirements of the Corporate Transparency Act are evolving monthly! In this blog post, Hilger Hammond attorneys Jill Miller and Ron Reynolds track, evaluate, and explain these changes in real-time and provide legal insight into how they could affect your business operations.

On August 20, 2024, a federal district judge in Texas issued a ruling blocking implementation of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Rule banning non-compete agreements on a nationwide basis; concluding that the FTC lacked statutory authority to promulgate the Rule. Learn more about what this ruling means for Michigan businesses and how you can ensure you’re prepared.

We are honored to have had several Hilger Hammond attorneys receive some of the top state and nationally recognized legal awards in 2024.

On August 31, 2024, the Michigan Supreme Court issued a significant decision that will have a major impact on employers for both minimum wage and employee paid leave. Here, we condense and simplify the 7 main components of the decision and provide counsel on what businesses should do next.

The State Bar of Michigan Real Property Law Section (RPLS) Summer Conference was held July 17-20 at the Grand Traverse Resort. Hundreds of lawyers from across the state met at the annual conference to discuss significant legal issues including 5 attorneys from Hilger Hammond: Ben Hammond, Aileen Leipprandt, Stacey Knowles, and Jill Miller. Aileen was the Co-Chair of the conference this year and Ron Reynolds was recognized with the C. Robert Wartell distinguished Service Award!

On April 23, 2024, the FTC banned employer noncompete agreements with limited exceptions. Learn more about its business impact here.

New changes to the Michigan Open & Obvious Law leave Michigan property owners open to more liability lawsuits. Learn more about the comparative fault doctrine and how to protect your business.

Ron Reynolds was joined by Judy Dworkin, a Phoenix-based attorney with expertise on Arizona water law, to discuss and contrast Michigan and Arizona water law principles. The discussion included rights attaching to both surface water and groundwater, as well as the impact and significance of multi-jurisdictional agreements contained in the Colorado River Compact and the Great Lakes Compact.