Paul A. Taglia

Shareholder; admitted to bar, 1959, Michigan; 1960 U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan; 1982, U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit.

Education

University of Notre Dame (A.B., 1953; J.D., 1959).

Pro Bono Positions

Counsel to Hearing Panel #3, State Bar Grievance Board, 4th Congressional District, 1971-1979; Special Counsel to Attorney Grievance Commission, 1980-1984; Hearing Panel Member / Panelist-at-Large, Attorney Discipline Board, 1984-1993; Hearing Panel Member / Berrien County Hearing Panel, Attorney Discipline Board 1993-present.

Professional Organizations

Member, State Bar of Michigan (Member Special Committee on Specialization in Legal Practice, 1971-1976); Member, American Bar Association; Member, Berrien County Bar Association (President, 1978-1979).

Honors and Awards

Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers; Life Fellow, Michigan State Bar Foundation; Michigan Super Lawyers 2006 Selection.

Litigation Experience

Includes commercial code (UCC) cases; eminent domain (condemnation) proceedings; the defense of claims against corporate directors and officers liability, including FSLIC and RTC cases; insurance coverage disputes; the defense of products liability and negligence claims; the defense of professional malpractice claims; the defense of civil rights claims; news media First Amendment cases, including the defense of newspapers in libel actions; municipal law cases; contract disputes; construction industry cases; complex divorce cases; the defense of criminal charges against individuals and businesses.

Practice Concentration

Litigation in State and Federal Courts. General Civil Litigation Practice and Select Criminal Cases. Real Estate Law; Insurance Coverage Disputes; Domestic Relations Matters; Contract Law; UCC and Business Law Cases.

E-mail Address: paul@tagliafirm.com

Michael E. Dumke

Education

Indiana University (B.S., 1968; J.D., cum laude, 1974). Recipient: Feeney Tax Award; American Jurisprudence Award, 1974.

Public Positions

Member, St. Joseph Recreational Harbor Authority, 1998-present (Vice-Chairman, 2000-Present).

Professional Organizations

Member, Berrien County Bar Association; Member, Indiana State Bar Association; Member, American Bar Association (MMember, Taxation Section); member, State Bar of Michigan. Instructor, college level tax courses for professionals.

Civic Organizations

President, St. Joseph Public Library Board of Trustees, 1990-1996; President, St. Joseph Lions Club, 1995-1996; Past President of The Heritage Museum & Cultural Center; Commodore, St. Joseph River & Yacht Club, 2008-2009

Honors and Awards

Fellow, Michigan State Bar Foundation

Practice Concentration

Estate Planning and probate matters; real estate law, including contracts, leases, sales, mortgages, and foreclosures; business law, including business and entity planning, tax planning, succession planning, secured transactions, equipment lease agreements and the sale of businesses; individual tax planning; fringe benefit, deferred compensation, and retirement plans; and local, state, and federal tax disputes.

E-mail Address: mike@tagliafirm.com

L.A. (Arnie) White

Shareholder; admitted to bar, 1983, Michigan; 1989, U.S. District Court, western district of Michigan.

Education

Central Michigan University (B.S., magna cum laude, 1980); Detroit College of Law (J.D., cum laude, 1983); Delta Theta Phi.

Public Positions

Chief Trial Attorney, Grand Traverse County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, 1986-1989; Instructor, Michigan Prosecuting Attorney's Association, 1986-1989.

Professional Organizations

Member, Berrien County Bar Association; member, State Bar of Michigan (Section on Environmental Law); member, The Association of Trial Lawyers of America; member, Michigan Trial Lawyers Association

Practice Concentration

Litigation in State and Federal Courts. General Civil Litigation Practice and Select Criminal Cases. Environmental Law; Municipal Law; Employment Law; Real Estate Law; Personal Injury Law; Contracts and Business Law Cases.

E-mail Address: arnie@tagliafirm.com

Laurie L. Schmidt

Shareholder; admitted to bar, 1989, Indiana; 1990, Michigan.

Education

Western Michigan University (B.B.A., 1985); Indiana University (J.D., cum laude, 1989)

Public Positions

Staff Attorney, Legal Services Organization of South Central Michigan (Battle Creek), 1994; Pre-hearing attorney, Michigan Court of Appeals, 1994-1996; Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Civil Counsel, Calhoun County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, 1996-1999

Private Client Practice

1989-1994, 2001-Present

Professional Organizations

Member, Berrien County Bar Association; Member, State Bar of Michigan (Member, Section of Estate Planning); Member, State Bar of Michigan Representative Assembly (2007-present); Former Member, Kalamazoo County Bar Association (Board Secretary, 1991)

Practice Concentration

Municipal Law; Estate Planning, Trust Administration and Probate Matters; Domestic Relations; Business Law, including business and entity formation; Real Estate Law, including contracts, leases, sales and foreclosures; Appeals in Civil Matters.

E-mail Address: laurie@tagliafirm.com

Jeffrey R. Holmstrom

Associate; admitted to bar, 1978, Michigan; 1978, U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan.

Education

Valparaiso University (B.S., 1975; J.D., 1978).

Pro Bono Positions

Lecturer, State Bar of Michigan Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Real Estate Law.

Professional Organizations

Member, State Bar of Michigan; Member, American Bar Association; Member, Berrien County Bar Association.

Practice Concentration

Real Estate Law; Condominium Law; Business Organization and Entity Formation; Contracts and Leases; Municipal Law.

E-mail Address: jeff@tagliafirm.com

Scott R. Sanford

Associate; admitted to bar, 1990, Michigan; 1992, U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan.

Education

University of Michigan (B.G.S., 1987); The Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law (J.D., 1990).

Professional Organizations

Member, State Bar of Michigan; Member, Berrien County Bar Association; Member, Standing Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence & Practice, 2011- Present.

Civic Organizations

Past President, Berrien Hills C.C.; Past President, Berrien County Shrine Club; Chairman of Board of Trustees, St. Joseph B.P.O.E. Lodge No. 541; Past Master, St. Joseph Masonic Lodge.

Practice Concentration

Criminal Law; General Civil Litigation Practice; Injury and Property Claims; Construction Industry Cases; Domestic Relations Matters.

E-mail Address: scott@tagliafirm.com

Of Counsel Robert L. Judd

Of counsel; admitted to bar, 1968, Michigan; registered to practice before U.S. Patent & Trade Mark Office

Education

Kalamazoo College (B.A., 1963); University of Michigan (B.S.E.E., 1964); George Washington University (J.D., 1968)

Public Offices

Member, Board of Education, St. Joseph Public Schools, 1981-1993 (President, 1985-1993); member, City Commission, City of St. Joseph, Michigan, 1997-present; City of St. Joseph Mayor, 2007-present

Professional Organizations

Member, Berrien County and American Bar Associations; member, State Bar of Michigan; Member, American Intellectual Property Law Association

Practice Concentration

Business transactions; corporate law; contracts; intellectual property; environmental law.

E-mail Address: bob@tagliafirm.com