Best's Insurance Professional Resources
Client-Recommended Attorneys, Adjusters and Experts
Best's Insurance Professional Resources
Client-Recommended Attorneys, Adjusters and Experts


Best's Recommended Insurance Attorneys - General Defense

1050 Wilshire Drive, Suite 320, Troy, Michigan 48084-1526

Established: 1969

Practice Areas

  • Trial and Appellate Practice
  • State and Federal Courts
  • Asbestos Litigation
  • Automobile Liability
  • Aviation
  • Casualty
  • Civil Rights
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Construction Liability
  • Employment
  • Employment Discrimination
  • Environmental Law
  • Errors and Omissions
  • Fidelity and Surety
  • Fraud
  • General Liability
  • Hospital Malpractice
  • Insurance Defense
  • Malpractice
  • Insurance Coverage
  • Medical Malpractice
  • No-Fault
  • Premises Liability
  • Product Liability
  • Subrogation
  • Toxic Torts
  • Property Damage
  • Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist

About Us

Harvey Kruse is a national leader in the handling of insurance company coverage disputes. We represent insurers in all facets of their dealings with policyholders. Our clients range from publicly traded, international insurers to producers, premium finance companies, third-party administrators, managing general agencies, insurance guaranty funds and state insurance departments. We also represent insurers in declaratory judgment actions, the defense of bad faith claims and disputes among insurers, as well as insurance brokers and agents in professional liability litigation. Our attorneys are highly respected for their experience in sophisticated insurance coverage and risk management matters, and our opinions concerning insurance coverage issues recommend practical solutions, not technicalities. We are conversant with every major insurance policy form including general liability, no-fault, professional malpractice, directors and officers, inland marine, boat owners, property, employment practices, business interruption, automobile, aviation, environmental, builders' risk, commercial crime and products liability coverage. The depth and breadth of our insurance services are unmatched among Michigan law firms.

We have a broad-based liability defense practice including traditional third party cases, construction accidents, premises liability, product liability, auto accidents, heavy truck accidents, employment, civil rights, liquor liability, environmental, toxic torts, asbestos, libel and slander, nursing homes, commercial and contract disputes, disputes among insurers, coverage matters for insureds, traditional first-party cases and other specialized insurance practices. We regularly handle a variety of bodily injury and property damage actions for insurance companies and for self-insured entities; bad faith suits seeking punitive damages; and other first party cases, particularly life, accident and health, major medical and credit insurance. At Harvey Kruse, we understand the need for early evaluations, risk/benefit analysis and timely reporting.

Additional Locations

  • Flint, Michigan
  • G-9460 South Saginaw Street, Suite A
  • Grand Blanc, Michigan 48439
    • Telephone: 810-230-1000
    • Fax: 810-230-0844
  • Grand Rapids, Michigan
  • 3210 Eagle Run Drive NE, Suite 204
  • Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503-2919
    • Telephone: 616-771-0050
    • Fax: 616-776-3646

Client Information

Insurance Clients

Non-Insurance Clients

  • American Electric Power
  • Apogent Technologies
  • ASEA Brown Boveri, Inc.
  • Ashland, Inc.
  • BASF Corporation
  • CBOCS, Inc.
  • Crane Co.
  • Emerson Electric Company
  • Honeywell International, Inc.
  • Hyundai Motor America
  • Kennametal, Inc.
  • Kimberly-Clark Corporation
  • The Manitowoc Company, Inc.
  • MTD Products, Inc.
  • Rheem Manufacturing Company
  • Rockwell Automation, Inc.
  • SPX Technologies
  • United Parcel Service, Inc.
  • Zenith Electronics LLC

Personnel Information

Director/Shareholder


Michael F. Schmidt

President/Board of Directors

Troy, MI

Admitted
  • Michigan, 1975
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan, 1975
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, 1977
  • U.S. Supreme Court, 2016
Memberships:
  • State Bar of Michigan
  • Oakland County Bar Association
  • Defense Research Institute
  • Association of Defense Trial Counsel
Education:
  • University of Detroit, B.S. (summa cum laude), 1971
  • University of Detroit, J.D. (magna cum laude), 1975
Fraternity Information:
Alpha Sigma Nu, Beta Gamma Sigma
Law Review:
Associate Editor, Journal of Urban Law, 1974-1975

Born: 1949

Dale R. Burmeister

Board of Directors/Secretary

Troy, MI

Admitted
  • Michigan, 1978
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 1978
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan, 1981
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, 1983
  • U.S. Supreme Court, 2008
Memberships:
  • American and Detroit Bar Associations
  • State Bar of Michigan
  • Defense Research Institute
Education:
  • Western Michigan University, B.A. (magna cum laude), 1975
  • University of Detroit School of Law, J.D. (magna cum laude), 1978

Born: 1953

Michael J. Guss

Board of Directors
Grand Blanc, MI
Admitted
  • Michigan, 1989
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 1989
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan, 2003
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, 2015
Memberships:
  • American and Genesee County Bar Associations
  • State Bar of Michigan
Education:
  • University of Michigan - Dearborn, B.A. (with distinction), 1986
  • Detroit College of Law, J.D. (cum laude), 1989

Born: 1964

Jason R. Mathers

Board of Directors

Troy, MI

Admitted
  • Michigan, 2003
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 2003
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan, 2007
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan, 2009
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, 2013
Memberships:
  • American Bar Association
  • State Bar of Michigan
Education:
  • Wayne State University, B.S., 1999
  • Wayne State University Law School, J.D. (cum laude), 2003

Born: 1974

John R. Prew

Board of Directors/Treasurer

Troy, MI

Admitted
  • Michigan, 1988
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 1988
  • U.S. Court of Military Appeals, 1989
  • U.S. District Court, District of Colorado, 2004
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan, 2006
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, 2007
  • U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois, 2011
  • U.S. Supreme Court, 2011
Memberships:
  • American and Oakland County Bar Associations
  • State Bar of Michigan
  • Defense Research Institute
  • Michigan Defense Trial Counsel
Education:
  • Michigan State University, B.A., 1985
  • Detroit College of Law, J.D. (cum laude), 1988

Born: 1962

William F. Rivard

Board of Directors

Troy, MI

Admitted
  • Michigan, 1984
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan, 1984
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 1986
Memberships:
  • State Bar of Michigan
Education:
  • Michigan State University, B.S., 1979
  • Detroit College of Law, J.D. (cum laude), 1984
Law Review:
Note and Comment Editor, Detroit College Law Review, 1983

Born: 1957

Shareholders


Michael D. Cummings

Troy, MI

Admitted
  • Utah, 1995
  • District of Columbia, 2001
  • Michigan, 2002
  • New York
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern and Southern Districts of New York
  • U.S. District Court, District of Utah
Memberships:
  • State Bar of Michigan
Education:
  • The University of Utah, B.A., 1991
  • Gonzaga University School of Law, J.D., 1995

Born: 1966

Dennis M. Goebel

Troy, MI

Admitted
  • Michigan, 1973
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 1973
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, 1984
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan, 1993
  • U.S. Supreme Court, 2000
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin, 2004
Memberships:
  • American and Detroit Bar Associations
  • State Bar of Michigan
  • Fellow, Michigan State Bar Foundation
  • International Association of Defense Counsel
  • Defense Research Institute
  • Michigan Defense Trial Counsel
  • Association of Defense Trial Counsel
Education:
  • Wayne State University, J.D. (cum laude), 1973

Born: 1947

Kimberly A. Kardasz

Troy, MI

Admitted
  • Michigan, 2000
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
Memberships:
  • State Bar of Michigan
Education:
  • University of Michigan, B.A., 1997
  • Michigan State University, Detroit College of Law, J.D. (magna cum laude), 2000

Born: 1974

Gregory P. LaVoy

Troy, MI

Admitted
  • Michigan, 2009
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 2013
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan, 2015
  • Supreme Court of the United States, 2015
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, 2017
Memberships:
  • State Bar of Michigan
Education:
  • Kalamazoo College, B.A., 2006
  • Ave Maria School of Law, J.D. (magna cum laude), 2009

Born: 1983

Anne V. McArdle

Grand Blanc, MI
Admitted
  • Michigan, 2000
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 2000
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan, 2012
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, 2015
Memberships:
  • Federal and Genesee County Bar Associations
  • State Bar of Michigan
Education:
  • Michigan State University, B.S.B.A., 1995
  • University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, J.D., 2000

Born: 1972

David C. Moll

Troy, MI

Admitted
  • Michigan, 2002
Memberships:
  • State Bar of Michigan
Education:
  • University of Michigan - Dearborn, B.A., 1994
  • Wayne State University Law School, J.D. (cum laude), 2000

Born: 1971

David B. Roth

Troy, MI

Admitted
  • Michigan, 2013
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 2014
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, 2019
Education:
  • Michigan State University, B.A., 2010
  • Michigan State University College of Law, J.D., 2013

Associates


Travis J. Peterson

Troy, MI

Admitted
  • Michigan, 2021
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 2022
Memberships:
  • State Bar of Michigan
Education:
  • The University of Toledo, B.S. (summa cum laude), 2017
  • University of Notre Dame Law School, J.D., 2021

Jeffrey G. Schultz

Troy, MI

Admitted
  • Michigan, 2018
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 2018
Education:
  • University of Michigan - Dearborn, B.A. (with distinction), 2015
  • Wayne State University Law School, J.D. (cum laude, Order of the Coif), 2018

Of Counsel


Robert Goldstein

Grand Blanc, MI
Admitted
  • Michigan, 1985
  • Indiana, 2008
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan
  • U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth and Seventh Circuits
Memberships:
  • Genesee County Bar Association
Education:
  • University of Michigan, B.A., 1982
  • Wayne State University Law School, J.D., 1985

Michael T. Small

Grand Rapids, MI
Admitted
  • Michigan, 1981
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal, Sixth and Seventh Circuits
Memberships:
  • State Bar of Michigan
  • Kent County and Grand Rapid Bar Associations
Education:
  • Michigan State University, B.A., 1978
  • Wayne State University Law School, J.D. (cum laude), 1981

Born: 1955

In Memoriam


John A. Kruse — (1926-2022)

Larry W. Davidson — (1951-2015)

Retired


J. Kenneth Wainwright, Jr. — (Retired)

Francis H. Porretta — (Retired)

George W. Steel — (Retired)

Service Areas

Detroit, Michigan, USA

(This firm also appears in the Subrogation section of this publication)

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