Speaker Law Firm, Pllc

Speaker Law Firm, Pllc
  • Speaker Law Firm, Pllc
  • 230 N Sycamore St Ste D
  • Lansing, MI 48933

Area Practice

  • Family Law Appeals
  • Child Welfare Appeals
  • Probate Appeals
  • Criminal Law Appeals
  • Real Property Appeals
  • Appellate Practice

Additional Info

Your Appellate Advocates

History of Speaker Law Firm, PLLC

Speaker Law Firm was founded in April 2007 by Liisa R. Speaker. Ms. Speaker began this appellate boutique after practicing law for eight years in Michigan and Texas. Speaker Law Firm has many years of experience in appellate practice. This experience includes practice before the Michigan and Texas Supreme Courts, the Michigan and Texas Courts of Appeals, and the United States Courts of Appeals for the Fifth and Sixth Circuits. This diverse foundation gives Speaker Law Firm experience which sets their services apart from other firms.

Areas of Appellate Practice

Speaker Law Firm has appellate experience in a wide range of legal subjects. The following areas are a small sample of the types of appeals Speaker Law Firm has handled:

Procedural Issues

Regardless of the substantive area of law, many times the issues on appeal solely involve procedure and application of the court rules. Speaker Law Firm has extensive appellate experience on procedural issues. They have appealed (and defended on appeal) many procedural questions, including jurisdictional issues, motion to quash service, attorney's fees, scope of appellate orders, equitable tolling of appellate deadlines, forum non conveniens, conflicts of interest, privileges, and evidentiary issues. The Firm submitted an amicus curiae brief on behalf of the Appellate Practice Section regarding equitable tolling or delayed applications, a position which the Michigan Supreme Court ruled in favor of.

Family Law

Speaker Law Firm has represented families in adoption cases, child custody disputes, parenting time, grandparenting time, paternity, property division, and child and spousal support. The Firm obtained a peremptory reversal in the Michigan Supreme Court on an adoption matter. They also prepared an amicus brief in the Michigan Supreme Court on behalf of the Family Law Section regarding fraudulent transfers in divorce.

Children's Law

Speaker Law Firm has represented clients with issues related to child welfare law. Representation has included representing clients in termination of parental rights appeals and assisting clients with administrative appeals regarding foster care licensing issues. The firm has obtained a rare reversal in a termination of parental rights case in the Court of Appeals. The Speaker Law Firm has also prepared amicus briefs on behalf of the Children's Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan in two major Michigan Supreme Court cases.

Personal Injury Litigation

Speaker Law Firm has worked on numerous personal injury appeals, including automobile negligence, governmental immunity, premises liability, products liability, negligence, wrongful death distribution, and legal malpractice. Included in briefing were substantive legal issues such as proximate cause, agency, and duty. Speaker Law Firm regularly represents amicus curiae in cases under the No-Fault Act.

Probate Litigation

Speaker Law Firm has represented clients in probate appeals at the Circuit Court, Court of Appeals, and the Michigan Supreme Court on issues such as intestate distribution, undue influence, trustee powers, and the duties of guardian ad litems. The Firm obtained a peremptory reversal from the Supreme Court on a trust appeal.

Real Property Law

Speaker Law Firm has briefed a novel issue of real estate law related to the effect of a personal representative's transfer of real property. We have also worked on appeals involving boundary disputes, eminent domain, zoning, and riparian rights. The Firm obtained a reversal on an interlocutory appeal regarding riparian park property.

Employment Law

Speaker Law Firm has handled employment appeals addressing covenants not to compete, commission disputes, and sexual harassment claims. We won an employment discrimination appeal for plaintiff-employee after the trial court overturned a $1.9 million jury verdict. Speaker Law Firm also filed an amicus brief on a constructive notice issue, which aided a victory in the Michigan Supreme Court.

Commercial Litigation

Speaker Law Firm has also represented businesses on appeals pertaining to conversion, licensing issues, and contract interpretation. We have also handled interlocutory appeals for a complex commercial litigation appeal involving a $600,000 partnership dispute.

Criminal Law

Speaker Law Firm successfully defended against an appeal by the government from a trial court order dismissing all charges. The Firm also represented criminal defendants in appeals on jury instructions, search and seizure, sufficiency of evidence, ineffective assistance of counsel, and many constitutional issues.