Honors and Awards:

•  Named to Best Lawers in America for Family Law; National Fellow of the Year, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 2006; recipient State Bar of Michigan's "Champion of Justice Award", 2004; recipient Family Law Section, State Bar of Michigan's "Lifetime Achievement Award", 1999; named "National Alumni of the Year" Michigan State College of Law, 2000; named "top ten lawyers in state of Michigan" Michigan Lawyers Weekly, 1999; featured cover story Super Lawyers Magazine, 2008. iParenting Award; 2008 Hermes Platinum Creative Award; and the 2008 Next Generation Indie Book Award for the publication "You and Me Make Three" (a children's book dealing with divorce)., Named as a "Tier One Law Firm" in Family Law, US News and World Report (October/November edition), 2010

Special Licenses/Certifications:

• Member State Bar of Michigan, 1975

Bar/Professional Activity:

• Past President Family Law Section, State Bar of Michigan; Past President Michigan Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers; Member of the Board of Governors of the American Adademy of Matirmonial Lawyers (2005-2008). National CLE Chair for AAML 2005-2007; co-chair AAML CLE, State of Michigan, 1995-2010; Life Fellow State Bar Foundation; Life Fellow Oakland County Bar Foundation.

Pro bono/Community Service:

• Founder and Executive Director of the National Nonprofit Grandparents Rights Organziation (www.grandparentsrights.org) Founder of the national nonprofit Victor Smile Foundation (www.victorsmilefoundation.org)

Scholarly Lectures and Writings:

•  Co-author of the children's book "You and Me Make Three", published by Edco Publishing Co., which is a book for parents of children of divorce. This book has received several national book awards, including, the 2008 iParenting Media award; and the 2008 Hermes book award. Author and General Editor, 3 volume“Michigan Practitioners Series: Family Law and Practice”,West Group Publications, 1997; Editor Grandparents Rights Organization (GRO) Newsletter 1989 through present; "Legally Speaking", a national legal column for the "Stepfamily Bulletin" (1984 through 1989); "The Extended and Psychological Family of Children in the 1980's and Beyond" (1985, MichiganFamily Law Journal); "The Right to Visit" (1986, Michigan State Bar Journal); "Rights of Third Parties in Child Custody Disputes" (1988, Michigan Bar Journal); "Grandparent and Stepparent Rights" (1989 Trial Magazine); "The Changing American Family - Grandparent/Stepparent Rights" (1989, Michigan Family Law Journal); "Grandparents Law" (Legal Secretaries Association Magazine); "Common Sense Doctrine for the Changing American Family" (1989 Oakland County Bar Association Magazine - Laches); "Family Law Needs Considerate Language, Divorce Training" (1989 Michigan Lawyers Weekly newspaper); "When Third Parties Come First" (1989 American Bar Association Magazine Family Advocate); "Some Common Sense Custody and Visitation Doctrines" (Fairshare Magazine 1989); "Third Party Custody - A Conflict in Laws" (Michigan Family Law Journal 1990); "Divorce inMichigan" (1990); "Psychological Evaluations - Waiver of Confidentiality" (Michigan Family Law Journal 1991); "Statutory Review of Third-Party Rights Regarding Custody, Visitation and Support" - American Bar Association Family Law Quarterly, Volume XXV, No. 1, Spring 1991; "History of Grandparent Visitation in Michigan" (Michigan Bar Journal, Vol. 71, No. 3, 1992); "The Rights of Children in Child Custody Disputes" (Michigan Family Law Journal, 1993); "Update on History of Grandparent Visitation inMichigan" (Michigan Family Law Journal 1993); "Grandparents Rights to Visitation" - American Bar Association Family Advocate Magazine, Volume 16, No. 1 (1993); Guest Columnist Detroit Free Press Advisory Board relating to family law issues (1990 through 1995); "Biology, Destiny and Children's Rights" - The Nation Law Journal, Volume 16, No. 30, (March 28, 1994); "Did the Candidates Really Understand Family Values?"  Grandparents Rights Organization Newsletter, Volume 4, No. 1 (1992); "Grandparents and Other Third Party Rights to Visitation" Grandparents Rights Organization Newsletter, Volume 5, No. 1 (1992); "What Happens if You Find Yourself in a Dispute Requiring an Evidentiary Hearing or Trial?" Grandparents Rights Organization Newsletter, Volume 6, No 1 (1993); "Protecting the Rights of Children in Child Custody Disputes" Grandparents Rights Organization Newsletter, Volume 7, No. 1 (1993); "Fighting Over Jessica" The Brandeis Brief Vol. 2, No. 1 Winter (1994-95); "What is a Family?" Grandparents Rights Organization Newsletter, Volume 8, No. 1 (1994); "GeorgiaTakes a Giant Step Backward" Grandparents Rights Organization Newsletter, Volume 9, No. 1 (1995); "Examining the Proposed Divorce Bill" Eccentric/Observer Newspapers (June 15, 1995); "Making Divorce Harder" Oakland County Bar Association #360 (January 1996); “Are Grandparents Rights Laws Unconstitutional?” GRO Newsletter, Vol. 12, No. 1, January 1998; “Good News/Bad News For Grandparents and Grandchildren”, GRO Newsletter, Vol. 13, No. 1, April, 1999; “Protecting the Children of Divorce Via Parent Education”, 13 Michigan Lawyers Weekly 1352,July 19, 1999. “Grandparent Visitation Laws Are Constitutional According to Justices”, Oakland County Legal News, June 30, 2000. “Grandparent Visitation Rights in the Twenty-First Century”, 2000 Law Review Michigan State University-DetroitCollegeof Law   “Grandparents Have Rights”, Michigan Bar Journal, February 2001.  “How to Find an Attorney”, GRO Newsletter, Vol.14, No.1, March 2001 “Third Party Custody Rights Examined By Appellate Court” Detroit Legal News and Oakland County Legal News,November 9, 2001 “Third Party Custody Rights Examined By MichiganCourt Of Appeals”, Michigan Family Law Journal, Volume 30, No. 9, December, 2001  “Alternative Dispute Resolution in Child Custody Cases”, Michigan Family Law Journal Special Edition, February, 2002  “Recent Court Rule Changes That Impact Family Law Practice”, Michigan Bar Journal, June, 2002;  “Court Examines Grandparent Visitation Law’s Validity”, Oakland County Legal News,             Volume 75, Number 42,October 18, 2002. “MSC To Consider Whether Grandparent Visitation Law Is Unconstitutional”, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, Vol.16, No.51,October 28, 2002 “Visitation Should Be Allowed If It’s In The Child’s Best Interest”, Oakland County Legal News, Vol. 75, No.52,December 27, 2002 “Parents Working Together Serve Children’s Best Interests”, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, Volume 17, No. 10,January 13, 2003 “DeRose v DeRose-What The Supreme Court Did Regarding Grandparent Visitation”, Michigan Family Law Journal, Vol. 33, No.8, October, 2003 “DeRose v DeRose. What the Supreme Court Did Regarding Grandparent Visitation and Why They Did It, Michigan Bar Journal, January, 2004 “How to Resolve Third Party Disputes Before They Get Out of Control”, Michigan Family Law Journal-A Guide Book for the Newly Divorced Person, 2004 Special Edition “Neither Harm Nor Clear And Convincing Evidence Are Required To Meet Constitutional Requirements, Says U.S.Supreme Court Regarding Grandparent Visitation”, Michigan Family Law Journal, Volume 36, Number 6, June/July 2006  

Verdicts and Settlements:

• Co-Counsel for James Atkinson, Atkinson v Atkinson, Michigan Court of Appeals and Supreme Court (1986) Author and Creator of the "Equitable Parent Doctrine"; Counsel for Jessica DeBoer in the interstate and nationally known custody case regarding "Baby Jessica", (In re Clausen 442 Mich 648; 502 NW2d 649 (1993); Amicus Curiae counsel for State Bar of Michigan Family Law Section, Tallman v Milton, 192 Mich App 606; 482 NW2d 187 (1992), which dealt with rights of foster parents to secure custody of children left in their care for extended periods of time. Co-Counsel for Grandparents in DeRose v DeRose, Michigan Supreme Court, April, 2002, regarding whether Michigan's Grandparent Visitation Statute is Constitutional.

Representative Clients:

• Our firm represents clients (or their spouses) who are executives of Fortune 500 companies. In addition, we have represented major league ball players and other highly paid professionals that require attorneys with special training in large asset or highly paid compensation cases. We pride ourselves in providing 24/7 attention to all of our clients needs.

Other Outstanding Achievements:

• Founded and serve as the National Executive Director, pro bono, of the national nonprofit Grandparents Rights Organization, since 1984 and worked on the creation of laws in all 50 states to recognize the rights of Grandparents to have the ability to see their grandchildren following the death or divorce, or if a child is born out of wedlock. Co-founder, along with Judge Edward Sosnick, of the parent education program known as SMILE (Start Making It Livable for Everyone) which helps parents understand what they and their children go through, following separation and divorce. SMILE helps a parent learn how to help themselves and teaches parents how to help their children. This project has been a pro bono program, since it was created in 1989. Founder of the Victor Smile Foundation, which receives all profits paid to Richard Victor for his national award winning book, You and Me Make Three, which is a book dealing with children and families of divorce.

Video:

• Video taken at a book launch fundraiser discussing what children of divorce experience when there is parental conflict with divorce. How children are innocent victims of the emotional conflict of interest created by their parents. This You Tube video is part of the national nonprofit Victor Smile Foundation website and information on the book "You and Me Make Three"., PSA regarding children of dirvorce

Newsletters:

• Author of all newsletters from the national nonprofit Grandparents Rights Organziation, since its inception in 1984., Grandparents Rights Organization

Educational Background:

• Bachelor of Science and Degree in Education, Wayne State University 1971; Juris Doctor Michigan State University College of Law (formerly Detroit College of Law) 1975