Michael D. Wade

Grand Rapids Office
(616) 742-5500
mwade@garanlucow.com

"Super Lawyer 2006"


Education

  • B.A., Kalamazoo College, 1965
  • M.B.A., Western Michigan University, 1972
  • J.D., University of Toledo Law School, Valedictorian, 1974

      Member, Phi Kappa Phi
      Editor, University of Toledo Law Review, 1973-1974

Bar Admissions

  • Michigan, 1975
  • Western District of Michigan, 1987
  • Sixth Circuit of Appeals, 1991
  • United State Claims Court

Practice

  • Complex litigation
  • Commercial litigation
  • Class actions
  • TILA
  • FDCPA
  • Employment litigation
  • Personal injury litigation
  • Products liability
  • Premises liability
  • Insurance coverage litigation

Experience

  • Adjunct Professor, Davenport Business College, 1980-1981
  • Adjunct Professor, Thomas M. Cooley Law School, 1986-1990

Professional memberships

  • Grand Rapids Bar Association.
  • Federal and American Bar Associations.
  • State Bar of Michigan
  • Defense Research Institute

Publications

Mr. Wade has authored several legal books including:

  • Michigan Courtroom Evidence, Michigan ICLE, 2004; Wade (ed)
  • Civil Procedure During Trial (ICLE 1981); Wade,
  • The Michigan Rules of Evidence: A Practice Manual (ICLE 1978)
    (with Douglas Hillman and Richard Baxter; Wade (ed)
  • The Michigan Law of Damages (ICLE 1978).
     

Mr. Wade authored numerous legal articles including:

  • Note, Standing Under the Williams Act, 5 U. Tol. L. Rev. (1974)
  • Bibliography, Mental Health Law, 6 U. Tol. R. Rev. 314(1974); Wade
  • The Widow Remarries-Who Should Know? 10 Inter. Soc'y of Barr. Q 346 (1975); Wade
  • Nontaxability of Jury Verdicts: Should the Jury Be Told? 11 Inter. Soc'y of Barr. Q 221 (No. 3, 1976); Wade
  • The Right To Refuse Treatment: Mental Patients and the Law, 1976, Detroit College of Law Review 53; Wade
  • Standard of Care for Physicians: The Michigan Statute, 57 Mich. Bar J 923 (Nov. 1978); Wade
  • Comparative Negligence-Some Unanswered Questions, 58 Mich Bar J 923 (Nov. 1978); Wade
  • The Michigan Law of Punitive Damages, in the Best of ICLE (ICLE 1980); Wade
  • Basic Michigan Evidence, in Michigan Basic Practice Handbook (ICLE 1981-95); Wade
  • The Law of Medical Practice in Michigan: A Review, 61 Mich Bar J. 452 (June, 1982); Wade
  • Some Thoughts on Comparative Negligence, 2 Western Mich. Chapter-FBA newsletter 6 (No. 3, Nov. 1983); Wade
  • An Ethical Obligation to Be Courteous? 11 Newsletter of the Grand Rapids Bar Association 3 (#1, Jan 1988); Wade
  • Exemplary Damages, in Stockmeyer, Michigan Law of Damages (2d ed. 1989); Wade
  • Note-Taking by Jurors, 32 For The Defense 12 (July 1990); Wade
  • Jury Instructions in the Jury Room? 33 For The Defense 28 (April, 1991); Wade
  • Should Michigan Rule of Evidence 703 Be Revised? 70 Mich. Bar J. 572 (June 1991); Wade
  • An Ethical Obligation to be Courteous? 18 Newsletter of the Grand Rapids Bar Association 3 (#3, March 1995) (reprint); Wade
  • An Update on Courtesy, 18 Newsletter of the Grand Rapids Bar Association 8 (#5, May 1995); Wade
  • The Judge As A Witness, 74 Mich B.J. 906 (Sept. 1995); Wade
  • Note-Taking By Jurors, reprinted in Defense Practice Notebook (DRI 1996); Wade
  • Sources of Civility, 14 Michigan Defense Quarterly 5 (#3, summer 1997).
     

Seminars and Workshops

Mr. Wade has taught numerous courses, workshops, seminars and lectured at various meetings throughout his career. He has prepared course materials and outlines for numerous ICLE courses including:

  • 1978 - The Michigan Rules of Evidence
  • 1979 - Proving Pain and Suffering
  • 1980 - Effective Use of Real and Demonstrative Evidence to Prove Damages
  • 1980 - Proving Damages in Special Cases
  • 1981 - Use of Experts to Prove Damages
  • 1981 - Suing the Government
     

Mr. Wade has lectured at various topics for numerous organizations throughout the State of Michigan:

  • 1982 - Upper Peninsula Bar Meetings, Defending Medical Malpractice Cases
  • 1983 - video-tape of ICLE course, Evidence
  • 1983 - Grand Rapids Adjuster's Association, Recent Developments in the Law
  • 1984 - ICLE course, The Michigan Rules of Evidence
  • 1984 - ICLE course, What Damages Can I Recover?
  • 1985 - Kalamazoo Adjustor's Association, Recent Developments in Comparative Negligence
  • 1986 - Instructor, Cooley Law School, Trial Techniques
  • 1987 - Grand Rapids Adjustor's Association, Negotiation Techniques
  • 1987 - Instructor, Cooley Law School, Advanced Trial Techniques
  • 1987 - Post Trial Practice for Seminars, Inc.
  • 1989 - Michigan Academy of Family Practitioners, a speaker
  • 1990 - Instructor, Cooley Law School, Advanced Trial Techniques
  • 1992 - Grand Rapids Adjustors Association, Mediation
     

Significant Cases

Significant cases in the Michigan Supreme Court in which Mr. Wade has participated as counsel include:

  • Kerksta v Department of State Highways, 398 Mich 103 (1976)
  • Mathis v Interstate Motor Freight System, 408 Mich 164 (1980)
  • O'Brien v Hazelet & Erdal, 410 Mich (1980)
  • Vaselenak v Smith, 414 Mich 567 (1982)
  • Gibson v Bronson Methodist Hospital, 445 Mich 331(1994)
  • Daoud v DeLeau, 455 Mich 181 (1997)
     

Significant Court of Appeals Cases which Mr. Wade has Briefed and/or argued include:

  • Kerkstra v State Highway Department, 60 Mich App 761 (1975)
  • Kass v H.B. Shane & Co., Inc., 71 Mich App 101 (1976)
  • Hastings Mutual v Crayden Homes Corp., 73 Mich App 699 (1977)
  • Johnson v Chrysler Corp., 74 Mich App 532 (1977)
  • Holbrook v Koehring Co., 75 Mich App 592 (1977)
  • Cryderman v Soo Line Railroad Co., 78 Mich App 465 (1977)
  • Oole v Oosting, 82 Mich App 291 (1978)
  • Watson v Aquinas College, 83 Mich App 192 (1978)
  • Blanchard v Monical Machinery Co., 84 Mich App 279 (1978)
  • Ottenwess v Hawkeye Security Ins. Co., 84 Mich App 292 (1978)
  • Bartrand v Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Co., 87 Mich App 466 (1978)
  • Shinabarger v Citizens Mutual Ins. Co., 90 Mich App 307 (1979)
  • Koopman v Logan, 93 Mich App 252 (1979)
  • Bitiminous Fire & Marine Ins. Co. v Royal Exchange, Ct. App. #44039, 6/19/80
  • Ketten v Clark Equipment Co., Ct. App. #78-5140, 7/3/80
  • Berwald v Kasal, 102 Mich App 269 (1980)
  • Hawkeye-Security Ins. Co. v Harneschfeger Corp., 102 Mich App 190 (1980)
  • Evans v Frank, Ct. App. #45825, 12/18/80
  • Liberty Mutual Ins. Co. v Allied Truck Equipment Co., 103 Mich App. 33 (1981)
  • Trine v Foam Craft, Inc., Ct. App. #46056, 3/12/81
  • Coates v Michigan Mutual Ins. Co., Ct. App. #52780, 4/9/81
  • Spayde v Advanced Foam Systems, Inc., 124 Mich App 454 (1981)
  • VanDyke v DAIIE, Ct. App. #53872, 6/24/81
  • Austhof v General Aluminum Products Co., Ct. App. #48317, 4/26/82
  • Mulvihill v American Annuity Life Ins. Co., 121 Mich App 192 (1982)
  • Walker v Pool, Ct. App. #59184, 12/14/82
  • Galbreath Mortgage Co. v Key Heights-Lowell Inc., Ct. App. #63925, 10/3/83
  • DAIIE v Parmelee, 135 Mich 567 (1984)
  • Schnepp v Branch, Ct. App. #73231, 8/16/84
  • Beaver v Aetna Life Ins. Co., Ct. App. #77766, 5/28/85
  • Hinkelman v Kalamazoo College; Ct. App. #81284, 1/21/87
  • Garzelloni v Victor, Ct. App. #89104, 12/7/88
  • Rinard v Biczak, Ct. App. #101702, 6/5/89
  • Barnes v Maternowski, Ct. App. #100909, 6/29/89
  • Heshelman v Lombardi, 183 Mich App 72 (1990)
  • Spencer v Butler, Ct. App. #121618, 5/22/91
  • Jones v Michiana Walk-In Clinic, Ct. App. #119440, 8/12/91
  • Faultersack v Uddoh, Ct. App. #130540, 1/23/92
  • Gibson v Bronson Methodist Hospital, 197 Mich App 67 (1992)
  • Marcelletti v Bathani, 198 Mich App 655 (1993)
  • Petty v The Upjohn Co., Ct. App. #159867, 1/19/95
  • Daoud v Deleau, Ct. App. #171562, 5/19/95
  • Daniels v Racette, Ct. App. #192790, 5/13/97.