Overview
Paul Millenbach is a litigator and is a co-leader of the General Litigation Practice Group. Paul has extensive experience in Michigan no-fault litigation, including medical provider reimbursement as well as first and third party defense. Other core components of Paul's practice include a highly specialized transportation and logistics law practice and mass tort defense of asbestos disease cases statewide, including Wayne County. He also assists clients with commercial litigation.
Admitted to practice law in Michigan, as well as the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and the U.S. Supreme Court, Paul is an active member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Michigan, a board member of the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association (Currently serving as Secretary/Treasurer) and the Transportation Lawyers Association. He is also a Fellow of the Michigan State Bar Foundation and the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Foundation.
Committed to keeping clients abreast of changes in the law, Paul frequently provides updates via e-blast or traditional seminars to a variety of groups including transportation industry leaders, health care financial officers and insurance companies.
A Grosse Pointe native, Paul is a visiting lecturer on Constitutional and Transportation Law at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and is currently the President of the Northern Michigan University Alumni Association Board of Directors. He also previously served as Vice President overseeing Foster Swift's Farmington Hills office and was a member of the firm's Executive Committee.
Honors & Recognitions
AV® Preeminent™ Martindale-Hubbell
Best Lawyers® 2017 Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants "Lawyer of the Year" in Troy
Best Lawyers in America® 2013-2021 (Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants)
Michigan Super Lawyers Employment & Labor, 2016
Michigan Super Lawyers Business Litigation, 2017-2020
Affiliations
Memberships & Affiliations
Legal Affiliations:
- State Bar of Michigan
- Administrative Law Section
- Transportation Law Section
- American Bar Association
- Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association, Board Member, 2011 to present
- Secretary/Treasurer, 2020-2021
- University of Denver Sturm College of Law, Visiting Lecturer, 2008 to present
- Michigan State Bar Foundation, Fellow
- Detroit Metropolitan Bar Foundation, Fellow
- ACADEMIC POSITION: Baker College, adjunct professor
Industry & Professional Associations:
- Michigan Truck Safety Commission, Appointed Commissioner, 2010-2011
- Transportation Lawyers Association
- Michigan Movers Association
- Michigan Trucking Association
- Transportation Club of Detroit
Community Involvement:
- Northern Michigan University Alumni Association Board of Directors, president 2013-2014; vice president 2012-2013
- Attorney advisor, Grosse Pointe South High School Mock Trial Team
Experience
Representative Matters
- Most recently received a published Court of Appeals decision awarding $2.4 million to a medical provider for medical services rendered to a passenger injured in a vehicle that had been stolen.
- Successfully challenged the State of Michigan on behalf of a large group of motor carriers who were required to pay excess registration/plate fees. Defended these motor carriers in courts throughout the state. Won the case against the state, which was affirmed by the court of appeals in 2009.
- Successfully assisted in getting legislation passed which amended the Michigan Motor Carrier Act to the benefit of Michigan household goods carriers.
- Received no cause jury verdict in Wayne County Circuit Court on behalf of a first party insurer.
- Received a Court of Appeals decision affirming the payment of a quarter million dollar medical bill for medical services rendered to a tow truck operator who was crushed when a van he was loading fell on top of him. With interest, the amount recovered exceeds $400,000.
- Successfully negotiated settlements of thousands of asbestos, cancer and mesothelioma lawsuits throughout Michigan, including Wayne County, for several manufacturing concerns over the past decade.
Communications
Publications
- Recent Updates to Michigan No-Fault Act Changes, Foster Swift Litigation News Update E-blast, June 20, 2019
- Court of Appeals Interprets Overweight Truck Law, Foster Swift Transpost E-News, December 3, 2010
- Michigan Supreme Court Overrules Kreiner, Foster Swift No-Fault E-News, August 2, 2010
- Foster Swift Recovers $2.4 Million for Hospital in No-Fault Case, Foster Swift Health Care Law Report, June 2010
- Michigan Trailer Plate Update, Foster Swift Transpost, June 2009
- Overweight Trucks, Foster Swift Construction Law News, June 2009
News & Events
Speaking Engagements
- Business Interruption Insurance Coverage, Michigan Society of Association Executives (MSAE), January 25, 2021
- No-Fault Reform, PACE Association of Michigan, July 10, 2020
- Ethical Issues Faced by Transportation Attorneys, Transportation Lawyer Association, January 20, 2012
- Spring Compliance Seminar: Warehouse Liens, Michigan Movers Association, May 12, 2011
- Mistakes to Avoid when Doing International Business, Port Lansing 2010 Global Logistics Conference, November 10, 2010
- Understanding the Tariff, Michigan Movers Association, March 2010
News
- 18 Attorneys Selected to 2020 Michigan Super Lawyers and “Rising Stars”, September 18, 2020
- Foster Swift Attorneys Named to 2021 Best Lawyers in America©, August 20, 2020
- Millenbach Appointed Detroit Bar Association Secretary/Treasurer, August 18, 2020
- 23 Attorneys Selected to 2019 Michigan Super Lawyers and “Rising Stars”, Automation Alley, September 3, 2019
- 42 Foster Swift Attorneys Listed as Best Lawyers® 2020, August 15, 2019
- 31 Foster Swift Attorneys Selected to 2018 Michigan Super Lawyers and “Rising Stars” Lists, September 10, 2018
- 45 Foster Swift Attorneys Listed in Best Lawyers in America© 2019, August 15, 2018
Practice Areas
Education
Thomas M. Cooley Law School, J.D., 1989
Northern Michigan University, B.S., 1984
Bar and Court Admissions
Michigan
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
U.S. Supreme Court