Reported Decisions

Americans with Disabilities  /  Antitrust /  Commerical • Environmental /  Beer, Wine, and Spirits /  Employment Law /  Health Care /  Insurance Coverage /  Insurance • No-Fault First Party /  Insurance • Tort Defense /  State and Federal Tax /  Utilities /  Michigan Court of Appeals decisions, published and unpublished, since 1985, in which Mr. Baker served as counsel

Frederick M. Baker, Jr. PLLC  
Admitted to practice before all Michigan courts, state and federal; admitted in the State of Washington; and admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

Proprietas verborum est salus proprietatum.

Propriety of words is the salvation of property.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES

  • U.S. v. Edward Rose & Sons, 384 F.3d 258, (C.A.6, 2004), aff’g, 246 F.Supp.2d 744 (E.D.Mich. 2003) (ADA defense).

ANTITRUST

  • Westmac, Inc. v. Smith, 797 F.2d 313, 1986-2 Trade Cases P 67,205 (C.A.6, 1986) (NO. 85-1475) (Anti-trust, Noerr-Pennington doctrine).

COMMERCIAL / ENVIRONMENTAL

  • Garb-Ko, Inc. v. Lansing-Lewis Services, Inc., 167 Mich.App. 779, 423 N.W.2d 355 (1988) (commercial litigation involving sale of property affected by groundwater contamination).
  • N.W.S. Michigan, Inc. v. General Wine & Liquor Co., Inc., 2001 WL 822337, 2001-2 Trade Cases P 73,354 (W.D.Mich. 2001) (spirit distribution).
  • In re Casa Nova of Lansing, Inc., 146 B.R. 370 (Bkrtcy.W.D.Mich. 1992) (commercial litigation in bankruptcy).

BEER, WINE, AND SPIRITS

  • Paw Paw Wine Distributors, Inc. v. Joseph E. Seagram & Sons, Inc., 603 F.Supp. 398 (W.D.Mich. 1985) (wine franchise distribution litigation).
  • N.W.S. Michigan, Inc. v. General Wine & Liquor Co., Inc., 2001 WL 822337, 2001-2 Trade Cases P 73,354 (W.D.Mich. 2001) (spirit distribution).

EMPLOYMENT LAW

  • Vander Toorn v. City of Grand Rapids, 132 Mich.App. 590, 348 N.W.2d 697 (1984) (wrongful termination claim).
  • Perry v. McGinnis, 209 F.3d 597; 82 Fair Empl.Prac.Cas. (BNA) 1009, 17 IER Cases 1003, 2000 Fed.App. 0133P (C.A.6, 2000) (Public employment law; administrative law judges’ conditions of employment).

HEALTH CARE

  • Michigan Hosp. Ass'n v. Babcock, 736 F.Supp. 759 (W.D.Mich. 1990), and 738 F.Supp. 1080 (W.D.Mich. 1990) (suit to recover underpayments for Medicaid program services on behalf of all participating Michigan hospitals).
  • W.A. Foote Memorial Hosp. v. Department of Public Health, 210 Mich.App. 516, 534 N.W.2d 206 (1995) (CON litigation).

INSURANCE / COVERAGE

INSURANCE / NO-FAULT FIRST PARTY

  • MacDonald v. State Farm Mut. Ins. Co., 419 Mich. 146, 350 N.W.2d 233 (1984) (leading no-fault case on supervening cause as bar to work loss benefit claim).
  • Miller v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 168 Mich.App. 238, 424 N.W.2d 31 (1988) (no-fault first-party benefits claim defense).
  • Nelson v. Detroit Auto. Inter-Insurance Exchange, 137 Mich.App. 226, 359 N.W.2d 536 (1984) (no-fault, first party benefits claim defense).
  • Thomson v. Detroit Auto. Inter-Insurance Exchange, 133 Mich.App. 375, 350 N.W.2d 261 (1984) (no-fault, first party benefits claim defense).
  • Cole for and on Behalf of Robison v. Detroit Auto. Inter-Insurance Exchange, 137 Mich.App. 603, 357 N.W.2d 898 (1984) (no-fault first party survivors’ benefits).

INSURANCE / TORT DEFENSE

  • Kreski v. Modern Wholesale Elec. Supply Co., 429 Mich. 347, 415 N.W.2d 178 (1987) (adopting the Fireman’s Rule).
  • Troutman v. Ollis, 164 Mich.App. 727, 417 N.W.2d 589 (1987) (tort defense).
  • Bennett v. Oakley, 153 Mich.App. 622, 396 N.W.2d 451 (1986) (tort defense).
  • Colestock v. Colestock, 135 Mich.App. 393, 354 N.W.2d 354 (1984) (divorce; division of tort claim proceeds).
  • Troutman v. Ollis, 134 Mich.App. 332, 351 N.W.2d 301 (1984) (tort defense).
  • Randall v. Delta Charter Tp., 121 Mich.App. 26, 328 N.W.2d 562 (1982) (tort defense, governmental immunity).

STATE AND FEDERAL TAX

  • General Motors Corp. v. Department of Treasury, Revenue Division, 466 Mich. 231, 644 N.W.2d 734 (2002) (establishing use tax exemption for GM’s customer loyalty goodwill adjustments program).
  • Bolt v. City of Lansing, 459 Mich. 152, 587 N.W.2d 264 (1998) (leading case on fee/tax distinction under Headlee Amendment).
  • Bolt v. City of Lansing, 238 Mich.App. 37, 604 N.W.2d 745 (1999) (post-judgment Headlee issues; class action requirement; attorney fee award of $173,000 at $285 per hour was the highest found reasonable in Michigan to that time).
  • Czars, Inc. v. Department of Treasury, 
233 Mich.App. 632, 593 N.W.2d 209 (1999) (use tax).
  • County of Wayne v. Michigan State Tax Com'n, 261 Mich.App. 174, 682 N.W.2d 100 (2004) (tax multipliers).
  • Inter Co-op. Council v. Tax Tribunal Dept. of Treasury, 257 Mich.App. 219, 668 N.W.2d 181 (2003) (exemption).
  • General Motors Corp. v. State Tax Com'n, 200 Mich.App. 117, 504 N.W.2d 10 (1993) (challenge to state’s use of private auditors).
  • Meadowlanes Ltd. Dividend Housing Ass'n v. City of Holland, 437 Mich. 473, 473 N.W.2d 636 (1991) (tax treatment of subsidized housing).
  • Michigan Christian Campus Ministries, Inc. v. City of Mount Pleasant, 110 Mich.App. 787, 314 N.W.2d 482 (1981) (house of worship exemption, real property tax).
  • Klunzinger v. I.R.S., 27 F.Supp.2d 1015 (W.D.Mich. 1998) (federal tax litigation; exemption claims)

UTILITIES

  • Dome Pipeline Corp. v. Public Service Com'n, 103 P.U.R.4th 514, 176 Mich.App. 227, 439 N.W.2d 700 (1989) (utilities litigation).
  • Attorney General v. Public Service Com'n, 161 Mich.App. 506, 411 N.W.2d 469 (1987) (gas utilities cost recovery litigation).
  • In re City of Detroit, 828 F.2d 1160 (C.A.6, 1987) (City of Detroit water litigation).

ALL MICHIGAN COURT OF APPEALS DECISIONS, PUBLISHED AND UNPUBLISHED, SINCE 1985, IN WHICH MR. BAKER SERVED AS COUNSEL