Bellanca, Beattie & DeLisle provides an extensive range of services involving business planning and transactions, personal legal matters and civil and criminal trail and appellate services.
Our services for businesses and individuals include:
Our civil and criminal trial services include:
You can scroll down this page, or click on any of the services listed above, to see a detailed description of that service.
Business and Corporate Services
Bellanca, Beattie & DeLisle has helped countless individuals start, manage and grow successful businesses in virtually every area of commercial activity. In fact, in the area of Business and Corporate Services, that's what we do best.
That's because we understand that our job involves more than the legalities and paperwork of doing business.
We know that our job includes helping you prosper.
In addition to the many businesses we've helped start and grow, other clients have come to us as established, mature, businesses. The result is, our Business and Corporate Services clients include businesses of all types: sole proprietors, small and family businesses, as well as corporations of all sizes, including multi nationals.
 We help with a diverse range of issues from getting started through growth. We can help with: financing; mergers and acquisitions; divestitures; purchase and sale and buy-sell agreements. We also help with a similar range of operational issues, including: labor and employment matters; building and equipment sales; real estate and equipment purchases and leases and the drafting and negotiation of contracts of all types.
Our Business and Corporate Services attorneys are very pro active, becoming a virtual part of your management team. Bellanca, Beattie & DeLisle clients know they can count on us for the kind of experienced counsel that helps avoid problems, pitfalls and landmines so they can stay focused on achieving their marketplace objectives. That same counsel helps them move quickly to capitalize on opportunities in today's fast paced and highly competitive business environment.
That same business environment - too often it seems - involves conflict and disputes. Bellanca, Beattie & DeLisle's experience in conflict resolution is extensive and our attorneys have played a leadership role in the development of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. In fact, judges and other lawyers frequently select Bellanca, Beattie & DeLisle attorneys as arbitrators, mediators and facilitators in highly contested, complex matters.
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Real Estate Acquisition and Development
Developers and builders throughout the region have long relied on Bellanca, Beattie & DeLisle to quarterback their projects from vision to completion. Our Real Estate Acquisition and Development attorneys have helped create successful residential, commercial and industrial projects on cornfields, greenfields and brownfields.
Our expertise includes: helping to choose and create the right business form for the often special needs of real estate projects; negotiating developer and development agreements; securing zoning and site approvals; architectural, engineering and contractor agreements; condominium and homeowner association documents, and construction, bridge and final financing. We also serve as Counsel to several Small Business Administration Certified Development Companies involving the placement of 504 loans.
Bellanca, Beattie & DeLisle Real Estate attorneys also provide expert counsel involving the purchase or sale of a personal residence, second home or investment property.
We also have extensive litigation experience involving real estate matters on both plaintiff and defense sides.
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Labor Relations Consultation, Negotiations,
Arbitration and Employment Law
A productive workforce may be the most valuable asset of a successful commercial enterprise. Problems involving labor and employment matters are disruptive and costly. That's why Bellanca, Beattie & DeLisle has one of the most extensive, and skilled,  Labor and Employment Law practices to be found anywhere. Business owners, managers and executives, as well as public officials, rely on our Labor and Employment attorneys to help create and maintain productive and secure work places and to help control the occurrence, cost and disruptive consequences of employment based claims and litigation.
Our Labor and Employment Law services include: collective bargaining and other contract negotiations; covenants not to compete; personnel policies and employee handbooks; affirmative action matters; civil rights claims; labor arbitrations; defense of discrimination, hiring, discipline, discharge and sexual harassment claims before State and Federal Agencies and Courts; claims avoidance counseling and litigation involving labor / management relations. Bellanca, Beattie & DeLisle attorneys also represent management before the National Labor Relations Board in unfair labor practice claims and union certification and decertification proceedings.
In addition to private sector clients, Bellanca, Beattie & DeLisle's Labor and Employment attorneys have served various public sector clients including: villages, townships, cities, counties, government agencies, courts, school districts and community colleges.
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Criminal Defense in State and Federal Courts
Few things in life are more threatening then facing criminal charges. An accused faces what can be intimidating forces allied against them: the police and other investigative agencies, the extensive resources of a State or Federal prosecutor and, in too many cases, the glare of the media. That's why Bellanca, Beattie & DeLisle's renowned Criminal Defense expertise is one of the most valuable resources available to our clients.
Bellanca, Beattie & DeLisle's Criminal Defense attorneys handle a diverse range of criminal matters from misdemeanors and OUIL charges through major felony cases involving everything from white collar crime to homicides. We manage every aspect of the procedure, from the initial investigation through proceedings involving Federal Grand Juries and State prosecutor offices, arrests, trials, sentencing and appeals.
Bellanca, Beattie & DeLisle has handled several of the most highly visible criminal trials in recent history. Our Criminal Defense attorneys have extensive experience in handling the media and public relations issues that can become part of criminal proceedings.
In short, Bellanca, Beattie & DeLisle's expansive expertise and experience in defending and handling criminal proceedings, trials and appeals can help level the playing field.
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Life and Estate Planning, Wills and Trusts
Bellanca, Beattie & DeLisle puts a high priority on providing knowledgeable and thorough services involving Life and Estate Planning and Wills and Trusts. That's because we know that you've worked too hard and too long to expose yourself and your assets to the risks associated with poor planning or the failure to plan.
And, those risks aren't just about death. The potential risks faced by successful people during their lifetime are significant. That's why  we provide Life Planning services that include Durable Powers of Attorney, Living Wills and asset protection planning.
Our Estate Planning services include everything from simple Wills to the most complex Trust arrangements. Our goal is to assure that your wishes are carried out and your assets are protected from adverse tax consequences.
Bellanca, Beattie & DeLisle Life and Estate Planning experts work closely with your accountants and other financial advisors to assure that your Life and Estate plans are consistent with your current and projected financial circumstances and needs.
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Probate
You've probably read, or heard, that Probate Court is to be avoided at all costs. That's simply not true. What is true is that Probate Court is one of the most misunderstood courts in the entire judicial system. That's why Bellanca, Beattie & DeLisle clients find comfort in the fact that we have extensive experience with Probate proceedings.
Our Probate practice includes: the creation of Guardianships and Conservatorships and their administration and accountings; administration of Decedent's Estates; name change petitions; adoption proceedings; Settlement Agreements and litigation of Will contests. We also serve as Legal Counsel to the Consulate of Italy and, in that capacity, we have handled hundreds of Probate matters involving property in the United States left to residents of Italy. This representation has been continuous for over 54 years.
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Municipal Law
Bellanca, Beattie & DeLisle has represented virtually all levels of governmental entities: villages, townships, cities and counties, and their elected and appointed officials, as well as school districts, government agencies and courts. Our services for them include: labor and employment relations counsel; negotiation of union contracts and collective bargaining agreements; grievance and arbitration proceedings, including Public Act 312 arbitrations and defending employment and discrimination claims.
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Civil Trials and Commercial Litigation
Bellanca, Beattie & DeLisle attorneys serve our business and individual clients by bringing lawsuits on their behalf and defending them when they are sued. Our attorneys have successfully resolved millions of dollars of civil and commercial claims in state and federal courts.
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Family Law
Family Law proceedings are never easy. But, Bellanca, Beattie & DeLisle's extensive experience in Family Law matters can give you the benefit of knowing that your matter is in exceptionally competent hands. That competence extends to understanding the emotions and deeply personal issues that are a necessary part of Family Law cases. Bellanca, Beattie & DeLisle's Family Law clients have the benefit of our experience and sensitivity and - where children are involved - our strong commitment to the child's best interests.
Our Family Law attorneys have handled divorces from the amicable to highly contested proceedings, including many high profile cases, on both Plaintiff and Defendant side. Our Family Law services include: separation and divorce; child custody, support and parenting time (formerly visitation) matters; property settlement agreements and post Judgment modification and enforcement proceedings.
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Personal Injury and Medical Malpractice
Lawyers call personal injury cases "torts." The recent flurry of tort reform in Michigan has changed many of the rules regarding tort litigation. But one rule hasn't changed: if you've been injured because of someone else's negligence you should talk to an experienced personal injury attorney immediately.
Bellanca, Beattie & DeLisle's Personal Injury attorneys have the experience and resources you need. We'll investigate the matter promptly and, where appropriate, secure and preserve relevant evidence. We'll provide you with an early assessment of your claims and the possible defenses to them. If your claim reaches the now required level of "seriousness" to be actionable we will aggressively pursue any and all remedies available to you.
Our Personal Injury experience includes Workers Compensation and cases involving: auto accidents; injuries on private and public property; doctor's errors or misdiagnosis and other medical malpractice. In addition, if you are sued in a personal injury matter and have no insurance coverage, we will defend you.
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Liquor and Lottery Commission Cases
Bellanca, Beattie & DeLisle is Counsel to a large Michigan trade association for food and beverage retailers. As a result, we have extensive experience in proceedings before the Michigan Liquor Control Commission and the Lottery Commission dealing with licensing and violation matters.
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Appeals
Bellanca, Beattie & DeLisle handles civil and criminal Appeals in both State and Federal courts. We have extensive experience before Michigan's Appeals and Supreme Court and the United States 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. We handle appellate matters on behalf of our own litigation clients as well as on behalf of clients who were represented at trial by other lawyers but came to Bellanca, Beattie & DeLisle for their Appeals.
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Workers Compensation
Bellanca, Beattie & DeLisle attorneys have handled Workers Compensation cases on behalf of injured workers, including death claims. In addition, we have - for many years - defended self-insured employer groups in Workers Compensation matters. Because we represent both employees and employers, we are exceptionally good at evaluating the likely success, and value, of Workers Compensation cases.
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