As President and CEO, my primary goals are to obtain exceptional results for our clients at a fair price, and to provide a platform which allows our attorneys to be extremely successful.

Jon was elected by his colleagues to become Howard & Howard’s President and CEO in 2020. In this role, he is responsible for the Firm’s strategic direction and supervision of all day-to-day operations. Jon fosters a client-focused culture which efficiently provides high quality legal services to businesses and business owners, and one that reflects the Firm’s shared values of collegiality, entrepreneurship, transparency, and meritocracy. These ideals are demonstrated daily through the Firm’s personnel and through the exceptional legal talent the Firm attracts. Under Jon’s guidance, the Firm strives to meet its commitment to diversity and inclusion, and maintains its ongoing corporate social responsibility by giving back to local communities.

Jon joined Howard & Howard in 1991. In 1994, he started a career inside telecommunications companies. His in-house career spanned more than a decade, and he ultimately became a division vice president of a Fortune 50 company. Jon rejoined Howard & Howard in 2008 and has since provided general counsel services to portfolio companies owned by three of the world’s top 50 private equity firms.

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Services

Business & Corporate

Our business is business–your business. We offer vast experience in a full array of corporate legal services.

Credentials

Education

  • Thomas M. Cooley Law School at Lansing, 1991
    • J.D., summa cum laude
  • University of Michigan, 1985
    • B.G.S., Concentrations in Communications, Economics, and Business

Admissions

  • Michigan, 1991
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan, 2006
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 1992
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, 1992

Professional Achievements

  • The Best Lawyers in America©, 2017-2024
  • dbusiness, "Top Lawyers," 2013-2014; 2019-2020

Experience

Representative Matters

  • Established processes to reclaim a substantial number of franchised territories after private equity’s purchase of a media company.

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  • Represented an air cargo handler and defeated a union grievance that alleged a violation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Successfully avoided approximately $8MM in annual wage impact.

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  •  Represented an air cargo handler and defeated a potential FLSA class action on behalf of a putative class of 3,000 based on the Railway Labor Act exemption.

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  • Represented an air cargo handler in supervising and formulating a strategy in defense of multiple wage & hour class actions filed in California.  Successfully resolved claims of more than $75MM for less than $5MM.

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  • Lead counsel for a renewable energy company in litigation that defeated the foreclosure of a construction lien by the wind project's general contractor.

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  • Represented an automotive supplier and defeated the efforts of an upstream supplier who sought an emergency TRO to allocate supply from our capacity-constrained client.  Subsequently defeated emergency interlocutory appeal to Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. 

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  • Represented a renewable energy company and recovered $2.2 MM in a lawsuit when faulty electrical work resulted in a fire that destroyed a commercial-scale wind turbine in Mexico.

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  • Successfully represented a company that divested from its Fortune 100 parent by negotiating settlement agreements that resulted in the elimination of nearly $850MM in trade debt.

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  • As associate member of International City/Counties Management Association, developed whitepaper and lobbying strategy utilized to defeat effort to federalize cable franchising.

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  • Lead counsel for California municipality in matter that defeated bankrupt cable operator's effort to discharge franchise obligations.

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  • Represented telecommunications companies in supervising division activities related to the transfer of over $100B in cable franchises.

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Community

Community

I support the local PTA and scouting.