Title: Sondee, Racine & Doren, PLC - Traverse City and Gaylord Michigan Description: The law firm of Sondee, Racine & Doren, PLC has maintained an extensive civil law practice throughout northern Michigan for over 25 years, specializing in areas of law dealing with employment, labor, municipal, real estate, business, estate planning and probate law, commercial and personal injury litigation, mediation and arbitration. Year after year since our inception, we have been awarded the very highest possible rating from the world's leading guide to the legal profession, the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. Keywords: Legal Council, Attorneys, Sondee, Racine & Doren, Traverse City, Gaylord, Lawyers, Law, Law Firm, Legal Practice, Ronald W. Sondee, Arbitration, Employment, Litigation, Probate, Schools, John P. Racine, Jr, Labor, Mediation, W. Peter Doren, Municipal, Real Estate, Zoning, Alan J. Couture, Civil Insurance, Oil & Gas, John A. MacNeal, Business, Estate Planning, Municipal, Maurice A. Borden, Appellate, Civil Insurance Coverage, Ray MacNeil, Personal Injury, Cottage Succession, Real Property, Tax Law The law firm of Sondee, Racine & Doren, PLC has maintained an extensive civil law practice throughout northern Michigan for over 25 years, specializing in areas of law dealing with employment, labor, municipal, real estate, business, estate planning and probate law, commercial and personal injury litigation, mediation and arbitration. Year after year since our inception, we have been awarded the very highest possible rating from the world's leading guide to the legal profession, the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. Ronald W. Sondee - Employment, Schools, Litigation, Probate, Arbitration John P. Racine, Jr - Mediation, Employment, Labor, Litigation W. Peter Doren - Municipal, Real Estate, Contract Law, Mediation Alan J. Couture - Civil Litigation, Employment, Insurance, Oil & Gas John A. MacNeal - Business Transactions, Estate Planning, Real Estate Karrie A. Zeits - Municipal, Real Estate, Zoning, Mediation Maurice A. Borden - Civil Litigation, Insurance Coverage, Appeals Ray MacNeil - Business, Mediation, Oil & Gas, Personal Injury Stuart Hollander - Cottage Succession, Estate Planning, Probate, Real Property TRAVERSE CITY 310 W Front St, Ste 300 Traverse City, MI 49684 Phone: 231-947-0400 Fax: 231-947-0748 GAYLORD 440 W Main St, Ste A Gaylord, MI 49735 Phone: 989-732-1152 Fax: 989-732-4843 For over 25 years, Sondee, Racine & Doren, PLC has maintained an extensive civil law practice throughout northern Michigan, with emphasis in the areas of employment, labor, municipal, real estate, business, estate planning and probate law, commercial and personal injury litigation, mediation and arbitration. Every year since our firm's inception, we have been awarded the very highest possible rating from Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, the world's leading guide to the legal profession. The highest rating was received in the two categories it considers: legal ability and general ethical standards. These ratings are based on confidential reports from judges and other attorneys. The firm's clients include individuals, large and small businesses, cities, counties, townships, villages, public and private schools, hospitals, utilities, banks and insurance companies. Listed below are the primary areas of law in which the firm is engaged. Employment and Labor Law Employment and labor law representation is on the side of management for both union and non-union employers and includes labor contract negotiations and drafting; grievance and arbitration cases; plant closings and relocations; responding to union organization campaigns; advising management and other employees in their dealings with union representatives; defending wrongful discharge, discrimination and other claims brought by employees; handling OSHA and other safety - related matters, as well as proceedings in court and before the NLRB, MERC, Michigan Department of Civil Rights, EEOC and other state and federal agencies, revising policy manuals and employee handbooks; and counseling public and private sector employers in all areas of employment relations. Municipal and Zoning Law The firm's practice of municipal law deals extensively in the areas of zoning, public contracting, utilities, charter amendment and revision, ordinance drafting and enforcement and environmental concerns. Research, litigation, document preparation and negotiation on municipal matters are a part of the firm's expertise. The firm represents municipalities as well as individuals and businesses that have dealings with municipalities. Commercial and Personal Injury Litigation The main focus of our litigation practice is the defense of businesses, individuals and insurance companies. This includes lawsuits involving claims based on construction defects, automobile negligence, insurance coverage disputes, premises liability, construction accidents, no-fault insurance and employment discrimination and wrongful discharge. Our litigation practice includes appeals, commercial litigation, products liability, and insurance subrogation. We also represent plaintiffs in personal injury matters on a selective basis. Real Estate Law We have extensive real estate law experience in both transactional matters and litigation. The firm represents buyers and sellers in the sale, development and financing of land. Also, the firm has expertise in dealing with zoning and other regulations and permitting of land uses. Business Law The firm is engaged in a substantial business practice, including all phases of business and tax planning and commercial transactions for the many and varied categories of modern business. We are experienced in representing companies in the formative, mature and dissolution/sale stages of organizing, planning and running limited liability companies, corporations, joint ventures, limited partnerships and other forms of business entities. We plan, negotiate and draft the documents needed to meet the legal and tax needs of the business. We are experienced in counseling with corporate management of publicly traded, as well as closely held, businesses. Where necessary, we are capable of assiduously pursuing or defending commercial litigation related to virtually any business/commercial dispute. Estate Planning and Probate The firm's Estate Planning and Probate practice includes counseling the client on probate proceedings and avoiding Probate to begin with through the use of trusts, durable powers of attorney, advanced medical directives and proper titling of assets. It also assists with the tax planning and business planning issues inherent in each individual's specialized needs and desires. The firm provides cost effective estate planning and probate related services to a variety of clients, ranging from those whose assets are not extensive, or whose special needs are not complex, to those whose wealth and affairs and family structures require use of more sophisticated and complex estate planning techniques. Mediation and Arbitration For a host of reasons, such as cost, timeliness, confidentiality and client satisfaction, mediation and arbitration have become popular alternatives to traditional litigation as a means to resolve all types of disputes. Several of our attorneys are court-approved facilitative mediators who frequently serve in state and federal courts. Firm members were instrumental in the formation and continued operation of our local community dispute resolution center. Our attorneys have also been selected as arbitrators in proceedings before the American Arbitration Association as well as in privately-contracted arbitrations covering a wide variety of legal practice areas. Copyright 2007-09 www.SondeeRacine.com, All Rights Reserved | Design & Programming by Northern Web Services, Inc.