Overview
Currently, Brian Goodenough chairs the firm's Employer Services Practice Group where he practices municipal law, zoning and land-use disputes and workers' compensation law. Previously, he served as a member of the firm's Executive Committee and as an officer of the firm.
His practice focuses on:
- Zoning and land-use disputes - counsels townships, cities, counties and other municipalities.
- Municipal law - represents municipalities against Freedom of Information Act and Open Meetings Act claims, counsels on cemetery liability, municipal insurance defense, fire/public safety department formation, litigation and funding.
- Workers’ compensation - defends insurance companies and employers in workers' compensation litigation.
Brian has been recognized for his insurance defense work on behalf of his municipal clients. This includes being named Attorney of the Year in 2003 by Michigan’s largest insurer of municipalities. He has been named to Best Lawyers in America in Municipal, Real Estate and Workers’ Compensation law.
Since 2000, Brian has been an adjunct professor at the Thomas M. Cooley Law School, where he has taught land-use and zoning law. In addition, he is an active member of several civic groups, including the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce, where he has served as the group’s Chair and as its General Counsel. Brian has served on the Board of Directors for Ele's Place.
Brian Goodenough started as an associate at Foster Swift in 1989. In 1996, he became a shareholder.
Honors & Recognitions
AV® Preeminent™ Martindale-Hubbell
Best Lawyers® 2017 Litigation – Real Estate "Lawyer of the Year" in Lansing
Best Lawyers in America® 2009-2019 (Insurance Law; Workers' Compensation Law - Employers; Litigation - Real Estate; Litigation - Municipal)
Attorney of the Year for 2003, Mid-West Claims for Municipal Insurance Defense
Award for 15 years of Continuous Service, Mid-West Claims (Defending municipalities through Mid-West Claims)
Affiliations
Memberships & Affiliations
Legal Affiliations:
- Ingham County Bar Association
- State Bar of Michigan
- Workers' Compensation Section, Director
Industry & Professional Associations:
- Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys, Member
Community Involvement:
- Ele's Place, Board of Directors
- Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce
- Former General Counsel
- Former Chairman of the Board of Directors
- Volunteers of America, former member of Board of Directors
- DeWitt Township Volunteer Fire Department, former member
Communications
Publications
- Understanding the Ins and Outs of the “Favored-Work” Doctrine Under Michigan Workers’ Compensation Law, February 2018 Employment Labor & Benefits News, January 25, 2018
- Fact or Fiction: Can an Employee be Fired while on FMLA?, October 2017 Employment Labor & Benefits Newsletter, October 25, 2017
News & Events
News
- 45 Foster Swift Attorneys Listed in Best Lawyers in America© 2019, August 15, 2018
- 46 Foster Swift Attorneys Named to 2018 Best Lawyers in America®, August 21, 2017
- Eight Foster Swift Attorneys Recognized as Best Lawyers® 2017 "Lawyer of the Year", August 25, 2016
- 44 Foster Swift Attorneys Named to 2016 Best Lawyers in America® Roster, August 21, 2015
- 45 Foster Swift attorneys named to 2015 Best Lawyers in America® roster, August 19, 2014
- Forty-five Foster Swift Attorneys included in Best Lawyers in America®, August 15, 2013
- 47 Foster Swift attorneys named as 2013 Best Lawyers in America®, September 4, 2012
Speaking Engagements
- Stop Before You Crash: Workers' Compensation and Employment Law, March 22, 2017
- New Legal Trends in Zoning and Land Use Regulation, Michigan Townships Association Annual Educational Conference & Expo, January 20, 2016
- Adjunct Professor - Zoning and Land Use, Thomas M. Cooley Law School, 2000 - Present
- Governmental Immunity/Re-Insurance, 2010
- Workers' Compensation Round Table Discussion, Client Seminar for Large National Insurance Company, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
- Zoning and Land Use Overview, Foster Swift Legal Update for Township Officials, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
Practice Areas
Education
Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School, J.D., 1988, cum laude
Central Michigan University, B.S., 1985
Bar and Court Admissions
Michigan
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan