Practice Areas
Education
University of Detroit School of Law, J.D., 1982
Western Michigan University, B.S., 1979
Bar and Court Admissions
Michigan
Michigan Supreme Court
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan
U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
Brian J. Renaud
Brian Renaud has an established reputation as a highly-focused attorney who is deep in several technical areas. He’s known for handling complex administrative, environmental and business litigation and compliance matters.
Brian’s work for corporate, institutional and government clients includes:
- Litigation: complex cases and appeals at all levels of the state and federal court systems, including administrative litigation before various state and federal agencies and tribunals
- Regulatory: regulation development and negotiations
- Environmental: transactional due diligence, cost recovery and contribution actions, permitting, compliance audits and responses
- Eminent Domain: condemnation litigation involving roads, pipelines, power lines, sewers and other municipal improvements
- Business: contract negotiation and drafting, real estate transactions, insurance coverage and corporate governance matters
Attention-to-detail and staying current in these technically-focused practice areas is what differentiates Brian and enables him to assist clients in addressing their legal matters. This makes Brian a very sought after business and regulatory attorney throughout the Midwest.
Highlights & Recognitions
AV® Preeminent™ Martindale-Hubbell
Representative Matters
- Successfully litigated a high-profile federal whistleblower case of first impression for a national paper products client.
- Negotiated an air emission regulation package with state environmental agency that eliminated in excess of $100 million in client capital expenditure requirements.
- Successfully litigated exemption of a $45 million waste conversion facility from state personal property taxes, reducing the client’s annual tax liability by $2.5 million.
- Applied for and obtained operating permits for West Michigan marina development in the face of significant administrative agency and citizen group opposition. Managed client responses to adverse publicity and media coverage issues. Negotiated conservation easement related to wetlands displacement claim.
- Managed regulatory and media response of a Tier 1 automotive parts manufacturer to in-plant chemical release, avoiding adverse publicity and significantly reducing the client’s remediation costs.
- Obtained the dismissal of an eminent domain challenge to a major pipeline construction project.
- Obtained $1.8 million dollar summary judgment in an environmental fraud and cost recovery case of first impression in Michigan.
- Negotiated dismissal of a $700,000 federal withholding tax claim against the owner of a national health care services company.
- Formulated and drafted environmental policy/procedure manuals and documents for lending, trust, and operations personnel of a major Midwest financial institution. Created training manuals and conducted policy implementation training sessions in several states.
Speaking Engagements
- Ask a Lawyer - Municipal Litigation and Appeals, Michigan Township Association, January 25, 2012
- Recent Developments in Michigan Environmental Law, Lorman Education Services, March 2005
- Law for the Real Estate Professional, October 2002
- Try to See it My Way: Dealing with the Regulatory Process, Illinois State Bar Association, September 2001
Memberships & Affiliations
Legal Affiliations:
- American Bar Association
- State Bar of Michigan
Industry & Professional Associations:
- Community Leadership Development Academy, Graduate
- Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce, PAC Board Member
- International Right of Way Association
- Licensed Michigan Real Estate Broker
