Michael S. Hale obtained a B.A. from Hillsdale College in 1989 and a Juris Doctorate with honors from Detroit College of Law (now Michigan State University College of Law). After being admitted to the Michigan Bar Association in 1994 he was employed with the Detroit based law firm of Plunkett & Cooney PC where he specialized in insurance coverage disputes and employment litigation. He was offered partnership but left the firm to take on the position of President of a large insurance agency and law firm in Livonia, Michigan.
Mr. Hale has earned numerous national insurance designations including Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter and Accredited Advisors in Insurance. He has taught insurance and risk management to thousands of insurance professionals and is routinely published as an expert on these topics.In 2008 he was recognized as a Leader in the Law by “Michigan Lawyers Weekly.” Michael has been recognized as an expert on insurance by many courts and has served as an expert witness in over 150 cases.
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
(June 2, 2012 – Present)
Managing Director & General Counsel, 360 Risk Management, Inc. Licensed insurance agency in Northville, Michigan. Responsibilities include production and service of commercial and personal lines accounts and supervision of other producers on coverages and agency standards.
President, Clairmont Advisors, LLC, Northville, Michigan. Risk management and insurance consulting and expert witness firm.
President, Law Offices of Michael S. Hale & Associates, PLC. Law firm specializing in risk management for businesses.
(October 1, 1999 – June 1, 2012)
President & CEO, Cambridge Property & Casualty, Ltd., Livonia, Michigan. In addition to management, responsibilities include production and service of commercial and personal insurance book of business.
President & CEO, Law Offices of Hale, Stein, Murphy, Hale & Associates, P.C., Livonia, Michigan. Law firm involved in risk management and insurance consulting and advising various trade group members on legal issues.
(September 1, 1994 – September 30, 1999)
Plunkett & Cooney, P.C. Associate Attorney – Insurance Section. Areas of practice focused on insurance coverage litigation related to property, liability, environmental and no-fault automobile policies. Practice also included other areas such as municipal liability, prosecutor with 35th District Court and employment law.
(June, 1985 –August 31, 1994)
Cambridge Underwriters Ltd. Part-time and full-time employment as Commercial and Personal Lines Account Executive; Account Manager for National Accounts Division; Account Executive for Association Administration, Inc. (Michigan Association for Child Care Providers); Accounting Department.
FORMAL EDUCATION
J.D., Cum Laude – The Detroit College of Law, 1994
B.A. – Hillsdale College, 1989 (major in Business Marketing; minor in English)
[hr]CERTIFICATIONS AND LICENSES
Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) (1992). Thirty hours of written exams on the following topics: Risk Management; Legal Environment of Insurance; Commercial Property Insurance; Commercial Casualty Insurance; Insurance Issues and Ethics; Management; Economics; Accounting and Finance; Personal Insurance and Risk Management; Insurance Company Operations.
Accredited Adviser in Insurance (AAI) (1991). Nine hours of written testing over the following topics: Principles of Insurance Production; Multiple Lines Insurance Production; Agency Operations and Management.
Associate in Underwriting (AU). Sat for and passed one part in the three part series on topics involving commercial and personal lines underwriting principles.
Licensed property and casualty insurance producer. Michigan Bureau of Insurance; 1986 and 2000.
Licensed life, health and accident producer. Michigan Bureau of Insurance, 1986 and 2010.
Licensed attorney and counselor. Admitted to practice in Michigan state courts, November, 1994; the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan; the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals.
[hr]AWARDS
2013 Young Presidents Organization Midwest Regional Award for Leadership.
2008 In-House Counsel of Year and Leaders in the Law – Award Presented by Michigan Lawyers Weekly and Michigan In-House Counsel publications.
2004 Recipient of Heart of a Child Award for pro bono legal services to Detroit Institute for Children.
Society of Certified Insurance Counselors 20 Year Recognition for Maintaining Certified Insurance Counselor Designation (CIC).
[hr]LECTURES, COURSES AND SEMINARS PRESENTED
Speaker / Presenter: National webinar for attorneys – Commercial Real Estate Risk Mitigation and Insurance. Strafford Webinars, April 3, 2014.
Speaker: Legal and Risk Management Update for Michigan Montessori Schools. Dearborn Heights Montessori School, Livonia Montessori School and Plymouth Canton Montessori School staff; March 21, 2014, Dearborn Heights, Michigan.
Speaker: Common Insurance Coverage Issues and How To Protect Your Clients. Homeward Bound Series for Institute of Continuing Legal Education; February 6, 2004, Plymouth, Michigan.
[toggle hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”white” title_closed=”More Speakers” title_open=”Less Speakers”] Speaker: Protecting Your Assets By Avoiding Common Insurance Errors. Michigan Financial Companies CPA Program; October 9, 2013, Southfield, Michigan.Speaker: E & O Risk Management Seminar – Best Practices to Protect Your Clients and Yourself. Consolidated Underwriting Alliance Ltd. (CUAL) Group of Agents and Insurers; September 10, 2013, Troy, Michigan.
Past Adjunct insurance faculty member at Lawrence Technological University, Southfield, Michigan (1998 – 2008) (periodic)
Speaker: Michigan Bar Association Real Property Law Section. Threading the Needle: Negotiating and Drafting Insurance Requirements Provisions in Leases, Mortgage Documents and Other Real Estate Contracts.” Thompsonville, Michigan, July 12, 2013.
Speaker: Grand Traverse Bar Association. Common Insurance Issues and Agent Responsibility, May 13, 2011.
Speaker: Lansing Bar Association. Common Insurance Issues and Agent Responsibility. Winter, 2010.
Speaker: Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants, Succession Planning Risk Management – Protecting Your Firm and Yourself. Mt. Pleasant, MI, August 20, 2010.
Speaker: Corn Marketing Program of Michigan. Update on Directors’ and Officers’ Liability. June 24, 2010, Lansing, Michigan.
Speaker: 401(k) Legislative Update. 5 Ways to Cover Your Business Insurance Needs. June 2, 2010, Oakland Hills Country Club, Birmingham, Michigan.
Speaker: Certified Restoration Dry Cleaning Network (CRDN) 2010 Convention. Protecting Your Investment.” April 30, 2010, Carlsbad, California.
Speaker: Insurance Coverage Issues for Elder Law Attorneys. State Bar of Michigan – Elder Law and Disability Section, March 26, 2010, Plymouth, Michigan.
Speaker: Insurance Coverage Issues for Your Law Firm Clients.” Law Firm of Varnum Riddering, Novi, Michigan, May 3, 2010.
Speaker: Insurance Coverage Issues Facing Clients of Business Law Firms.” Rochester Hills Bar Association, Rochester Hills, Michigan, November 17, 2009.
Speaker: Insurance Coverage Issues Facing Probate Law Practitioners.” Macomb County Bar Association, Clinton Township, Michigan, April 3, 2009.
Speaker: Common Insurance and Indemnity Issues and Update on Insurance Market.” Law Firm of Clark Hill, Birmingham, Michigan, March 21, 2009.
Speaker: Child Care and School Risk Management, Insurance and Legal Issues.” Livonia, Michigan, March 7, 2009.
Speaker: Common Insurance and Indemnity Issues and Update on Insurance Market. Law Firm of Dykema, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, February 27, 2009.
Speaker: Update on Employment Practices Liability. Appletree Learning Centers Franchisee Meeting; Grand Rapids, Michigan, October 23, 2008.
Speaker: Real Estate Insurance Issues. Elder Law and Disability Rights Section State Bar of Michigan Fall Conference, September 25, 2008. Co-presented with attorney Harley Manela.
Speaker: Common Issues in Commercial and Personal Insurance, Estate Planning Section of State Bar of Michigan, June 13, 2008.
Speaker: Common Insurance Issues with Commercial Leases, Giamarco, Mullins & Horton, P.C., Troy, Michigan, April 22, 2008.
Speaker: Employment Law and EEOC Compliance and Risk Management, MollerTech LLC, Shelby Township, Michigan, February 22 and 23, 2008.
Speaker: Risk Management Update for Child Care Professionals. Detroit Diesel Child Care Center, Detroit, Michigan, February 20, 2008.
Speaker: Legal Issues Update. Macomb County Directors Meeting, February 7, 2008.
Speaker: O’Reilly Rancilio, P.C. Property Insurance Coverage Issues for Michigan Attorneys, February 13, 2008, Sterling Heights, Michigan.
Speaker: Webinar – Property Lease Insurance Issues. Attorneys throughout Michigan, January 15, 2008.
Speaker: Building a Better Lease Agreement. Bodman Law Firm, Troy, Detroit and Charlevoix offices. Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, January 10, 2008.
Speaker: Webinar – Workers’ Compensation Coverage and Cost Savings Tips. Cambridge Consulting Group, November 14, 2007.
Speaker in Seminar Series Over 7 Weeks: Certified Restoration Dry Cleaners Network. Avoiding Common Property & Casualty Pitfalls. September – November, 2007, Huntington Woods, Michigan.
Speaker: Insurance Issues and Risk Management for Child Care and Schools. Michigan 4 C’s – July 6,2007, Detroit, Michigan.
Speaker: Insurance Pitfalls for Dry Cleaners, June 8, 2007, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Speaker: Insurance Pitfalls for Businesses in 2007. Michigan Association of CPA’s, March 30, 2007, Troy, Michigan.
Speaker: Insurance Coverage Issues for the Real Property Lawyer. Law firm of Dawda, Mann, Mulcahy & Sadler PLC, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Speaker: Negotiating Insurance Provisions in Lease Agreements. State Bar of Michigan Real Property Section, January 18, 2007.
Speaker: Employment Risk Management. The Dako Group, Inc., November 14, 2006.
Speaker: Business Interruption Insurance. Michigan Association of CPA’s, Livonia, Michigan, April, 2005
Speaker: Update on Insurance Market 2005. Clients of Law Offices of Wright, Penning & Beamer, P.C., December 2, 2004, Farmington, Michigan.
Speaker: Property and Liability Insurance Primer for Attorneys. Sommers, Schwartz, Silver & Schwartz, P.C., July 12, 2004, Southfield, Michigan.
Speaker: Executive Liability in 2004. Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants, June 30, 2004, Livonia, Michigan.
Keynote Speaker: Understanding Insurance: What Real Estate Lawyers, Lenders, Owners, Tenants and Developers Need to Know About Policies, Coverage, Endorsements and Basic Terms. State Bar of Michigan – Real Property Section; March 18, 2004, Birmingham, Michigan.
Speaker: Executive Liability in 2003. Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants, November 21, 2003, Troy, Michigan
Speaker: Mold Insurance Coverage Issues. Combined seminar with Plunkett & Cooney, P.C. – April 10, 2003, Troy, Michigan.
Speaker: Insurance is Not for Sissies in Today’s Economy. Combined seminar on risk management and insurance for technology companies (co-sponsored with Plunkett & Cooney, P.C. and Plante Moran, P.C.) October 15, 2002, Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
Speaker: Essentials of Legal Liability. Certified Insurance Counselor Program (periodic).
Speaker: Agent’s Legal and Ethical Responsibilities. Certified Insurance Counselor Program (periodic).
Speaker: Agent’s Errors and Omissions Coverages. Certified Insurance Counselor Program (periodic).
Speaker: Insurance is Not for Sissies in Today’s Economy. Precision Metalforming Association – East District of Michigan, April 18, 2002, Center Pointe, Michigan.
Speaker: Documentation Could Make or Break You. Michigan Association for Child Care Providers, March, 2002, Saginaw, Michigan.
Panelist: Rethinking Real Estate Issues After September 11, 2001. ICLE Homeward Bound Series, February 7, 2002, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Panelist: All Industry Day – Society of CPCU. November 7, 2001, Detroit, Michigan.
Speaker: Insurance Agent’s Errors and Omissions and Property Insurance – October 31, 2001
Speaker: Risk Management Principles – UAW-Ford Child Development Center. September 22, 2001, Livonia, Michigan.
Speaker: Insurance Agent’s Errors and Omissions and Property Insurance. Dickinson Wright, LLP, September 20, 2001, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Speaker: Legal and Risk Management Protections – International Association of Restoration Dry Cleaners. June 15, 2001, Huntington Woods, Michigan.
Speaker: Essentials of Property and Builder’s Risk Insurance – Michigan Bar Association Real Property Section, March, 29, 2001, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Speaker: Private Parts: Complying with Privacy Regulations – Michigan Association of Insurance Agents, Traverse City, Michigan, February, 2001.
Speaker: Bad Faith and Emerging Insurance Coverage Issues in Michigan – Lorman Educational Services, December 8, 1999, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Speaker: Employment Issues Incident to the Residential Care Field – Michigan Assisted Living Association Conference, June 1999, Lansing, Michigan.
Speaker: Contractual Indemnity and Additional Insured Issues – Willis Agency, April 20, 1999, Southfield, Michigan.
Speaker: Legal Environment of Michigan Insurance Agents – Willis Insurance Agency, March 31 1999, Southfield, Michigan.
Speaker: Buying, Selling or Leasing Real Property – Michigan Assisted Living Association Conference, June 3, 1998, Lansing, Michigan.
Speaker: What’s Happening in Michigan Insurance Law – Cambridge Group, Inc., January 5, 1998, Livonia, Michigan.
Speaker: An Independent Insurance Agent’s Guide to Limiting the Errors and Omissions Exposure – Meadowbrook Insurance Agency, August 18, 1997, Southfield, Michigan.
Speaker: Legal Methods of Ownership and Operation in the Residential Services Field – June 10, 1997, Michigan Residential Care Association Conference, Lansing, Michigan.
Speaker: Current Case Law on Employee Leasing – Detroit Underwriters Association, November 6, 1996, Berkley, Michigan.
Speaker: Legal Environment of Michigan Insurance Agents – Independent Insurance Agents of Alpena, October 9, 1996, Alpena, Michigan.
Speaker: Insurance Agent Seminar on Employee Leasing – Kapnick Insurance Agency, May 3, 1996, Adrian, Michigan.
Speaker: Principles of Health Insurance – Certified Professional Service Representative Program, 1992/1993, Frankenmuth, Michigan.
Adjunct insurance instructor and coordinator – Cambridge Insurance Institute – Accredited Adviser in Insurance Program, Livonia, Michigan.
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