Edward D. Plato
Ed Plato has successfully litigated cases for over 30 years in both the state and federal courts. His clients are confident in his ability to handle complex litigation cases from beginning to end . He has been admitted in practice before all Michigan trial courts, the Michigan Court of Appeals and the Michigan Supreme Court. In the federal system, Mr. Plato has been admitted and practiced before the United States District Courts in Michigan and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Plato has been designated a Michigan “Super Lawyer” for six consecutive years by the national publications, Law and Politics and Thomson Reuters. He was selected for the areas of municipal/government law, construction law and employment law. He has been granted the highest rating of “AV” by the National Law Directory, Martindale-Hubbell. Mr. Plato has also been the general liability counsel for Dan's Excavating, Inc., Michigan's major highway contractor, for over 20 years and has also been appointed as Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of Michigan representing the Michigan Department of Transportation with regard to highway construction litigation.
Mr. Plato has acted as liability defense counsel for several municipalities, school districts, construction companies, contractors, commercial businesses, insurance companies, and the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority.
Contact Information
Farmington Hills Office
Phone: (248) 489-4100
Fax: (248) 489-1726
Practice Areas
- Construction Law
- Employment Law
- Municipal Law, including:
- Police Practices and Liability
- Emergency Medical Services S
- Sewer & Drainage Districts
- Civil Rights (42 USC §1983 & 1985)
- Governmental Immunity
- Employment Practices and Liability
- First Amendment Claims
- Public Roadways & Sidewalks
- Public Buildings
- Governmental Vehicle Accidents
- Contract and Ordinance Drafting and Review
- Open Meetings Act
- Freedom of Information Act
- Business Litigation
- Insurance Defense
Experience / Expertise
- Extensive trial experience in both state and federal court
- Defending municipalities in litigation
- Drafting municipal contracts, policies and regulations
- Drafting and revising municipal ordinances
- Expertise in constitutional law, including police liability, civil rights and First Amendment claims
- Representing businesses, contractors and engineers in contract disputes and construction litigation
- Representing and defending employers
- Class action litigation
Education
- Michigan State University College of Law, JD 1978.
- Recipient of American Jurisprudence Achievement Award
- Central Michigan University, BS with honors 1975
Professional Activities / Memberships
- Legislative Committee of the Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys
- State Bar of Michigan, Negligence, Employment and Municipal Sections
- Oakland County Bar Association
- The Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys
- Southeast Michigan Council of Governments
Community Activities / Involvement
- Legal advisor for Oak Pointe Church in Novi, South Hill Church in Milford and The Lakes Community Church in Walled Lake
- Volunteer and teacher for Angels Place, homes for adult developmentally disabled individuals in Southeast Michigan
- Board of Directors of Angels Place, a Michigan non-profit corporation
- Vice President, Board of Directors, Country Ridge Homeowners Association
- Southeast Michigan Counsel of Governments (SEMCOG)
Publications / Presentation
- Presented to the Oakland County Bar Association, Public Corporation Group, a presentation regarding proposed amendments to the Governmental Tort Liability Act on February 23, 2011
- Featured speaker at the State Bar of Michigan, Public Corporation Section, 2011 Winter Seminar, regarding the litigation and legislative history of highway/sidewalk liability in Michigan on February 4, 2011
- Authored article regarding roadway/sidewalk liability and governmental immunity for the Michigan Public Corporation Quarterly in the Fall 2010
- Featured moderator and presenter at the annual convention of the Michigan Municipal League in September, 2009, in Kalamazoo, Michigan
- Featured speaker and moderator at the Michigan Municipal League Annual Convention on October 2, 2008, on Mackinac Island
- Speaker at the September 2008 Annual Meeting of the Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys in Petoskey. Topic: Protecting the Public Right-of-Ways
- Speaker on excessive force by police officers, protecting against and defending jail suicides, the scope of proper search & seizure
- Speaker on defending claims of sexual discrimination in the workplace, defending employment termination claims, proper procedures for employment
- Speaker on defending construction site accidents, investigating the construction site accident, interpreting construction indemnity agreements, and loss prevention
- Speaker at statewide workshops put on by the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments
- Featured speaker at annual conventions of the Michigan Municipal League and the Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys in 2006 and 2007.
Awards
- 2011 - Named Top Lawyer by DBusiness and Hour Magazine in the areas of municipal law, construction law and employment law.
- 2011 - Designated Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters in the areas Government/Cities/Municipalities, Construction law and Employment law.
- 2010 - Designated Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters in the areas of Government/Cities/Municipalities, Construction law and Employment law.
- 2009 - Designated Super Lawyer by Law & Politics in the areas of Government/Cities/Municipalities, Construction law and Employment law.
- 2008 - Designated Super Lawyer by Law & Politics in the areas of Government/Cities/Municipalities, Construction law and Employment law.
- 2007 - Designated Super Lawyer by Law & Politics in the areas of Government/Cities/Municipalities, Construction law and Employment law.
- 2006 - Designated Super Lawyer by Law & Politics in the areas of Government/Cities/Municipalities, Construction law and Employment law.
