User:Linda Willemsen/sandbox

The law firm of Secrest Wardle was officially founded in 1912 by Stevens Thomson Mason (1880 – 1950), a descendant of the historically significant American political [|Mason family] and believed to be the nephew of Stevens T. Mason [need citation], the “boy governor of Michigan”. Mr. Mason received his official confirmation to practice law in Maryland on November 21, 1904.[1] He was admitted to practice law in Michigan on February 23, 1911, after receiving letters of recommendation from Maryland Appeals Court Judge A. Hunter Boyd and Maryland Supreme Court Chief Judge Henry D. Harlan, the youngest judge ever appointed.[2]

When Mr. Mason relocated to Michigan in 1912 he began practicing law as a sole practitioner. In 1923 he formed the firm of Mason, Cox and McCaslin. After Mr. Mason’s death in 1950, the firm became known as Davidson and Kaess. The names “Secrest” and “Wardle” did not appear until 1968. The most recent changes occurred in 1983, when the name changed from Davidson, Gotshall, Kohl, Secrest, Wardle, Lynch and Clark to Kohl, Secrest, Wardle, Lynch, Clark and Hampton, and in 1998, when the firm became known as the present-day [|professional corporation], Secrest, Wardle, Lynch, Hampton, Truex and Morley.

Senior Partner Bruce A. Truex is the current President of Secrest Wardle. Mr. Truex and Senior Partner Mark E. Morley are the present co-chairmen of the Executive Committee. Immediate past President of the firm, William P. Hampton, is a former [|State of Michigan] legislator and [|Oakland County] Circuit Court Judge. The current Senior Partners of Secrest Wardle are Thomas J. Azoni, Nathan J. Edmonds, Daniel P. Makarski, Mark F. Masters, Mark E. Morley and Bruce A. Truex.

Secrest Wardle was initially a general practice law firm located in the [|First National Building] in [|Detroit, Michigan]. The firm presently focuses on [|insurance] defense [|litigation], [|municipal] law and [|commercial and business law] and has become one of the largest law firms in [|Southeast Michigan]. [3] Secrest Wardle has one of the most extensive municipal law departments in Oakland County [4]. The Firm was also recognized as one of the Top Workplaces in Michigan for 2014 [5]. The firm’s headquarters is located in [|Troy, Michigan], with additional offices located throughout Michigan, in [|Lansing] and [|Grand Rapids].

Practice Areas/Industries:

Alternative Dispute Resolution Appellate Commercial and Business Law Construction Drug and Medical Device Employment Environmental and Toxic Tort Family Law General Negligence Governmental Litigation Insurance Coverage Intellectual Property/Advertising Injury Malpractice/Professional Liability Motor Vehicle Litigation Municipal Premises Liability Product Liability Property, Fire and Casualty Real Estate

Honors

Best Law Firms U.S. News [4] Best Lawyers in America Crain’s Largest Law Firms [3] Dbusiness Top Lawyers Detroit Free Press Top Workplaces in Michigan 2014 [5] Martindale-Hubbell Michigan Lawyers Weekly Largest Law Firms Michigan SuperLawyers

References

[1] The Law School of the University of Maryland 1904. Retrieved from https://www.law.umaryland.edu/marshall/schoolarchives/documents/Catalog1904.pdf, 2015, July 10.

[2] Maryland State Archives. Retrieved from http://msa.maryland.gov/msa/speccol/sc5500/sc5590/html/harlan_h.html 2015, July 10.

[3] Crain’s Business Detroit, (2014, May/June). Retrieved from http://www.dbusiness.com/May-June-2014/From-The-Top-Resources-Largest-Law-Firms-in-Metro-Detroit/, 2015, July 10.

[4] Best Law Firms. Rankings. Retrieved from http://bestlawfirms.usnews.com/profile/secrest-wardle-lynch-hampton-truex-and-morley-p-c/rankings/7323, 2015, July 10.

[5] Detroit Free Press, (2014, September 6). Retrieved from http://archive.freep.com/interactive/article/20140907/BUSINESS06/140906001/Top-workplaces-2014-complete-list-winners, 2015, July 10.

External Links

Webpage: www.secrestwardle.com

LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/secrest-wardle?trk=nmp_rec_act_company_photo

Twitter Page https://twitter.com/secrestwardle

YouTube Page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq4mbRgS5FgbfGZvXv7xT6A

RESUME WORKING ON INSERTING LINKS TO REFERENCES; ALSO ADD INFO FROM TROY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 365 PROJECT 7-11-15 (LSW)