Dalton & Tomich, PLC Celebrates its 4th Anniversary!
In honor of the occasion, we thought we'd share 4 fun facts about ourselves, the firm, and some of our accomplishments over the last 4 years.
1. While the Firm is “Young”, We Have 37 Years of Collective Experience
Even though Dalton & Tomich is only four years old, our 4 attorneys share a collective 37 years of experience practicing law. This experience allows us to have the knowledge and practical experience to successfully guide and represent our clients through a variety of legal challenges. Our legal knowledge also spans many diverse areas of law including business law, representing financial institutions, commercial litigation, land use and zoning, employment law, resolving church property disputes, and representing religious institutions and nonprofit organizations in a variety of both litigation and transactional capacities, in addition to our RLUIPA practice area.
2. We Do Much More Than Religious Land Use Litigation
While our national religious land use litigation practice is probably our most recognizable practice area, we also represent many other equally exciting clients in our other practice areas. Below is just a sample of some of our diverse clients:
• A major metro Detroit-based financial institution that has approximately $800 million in annual assets.
• Multiple local and national clothing and shoe donation bin operators, and we have successfully obtained injunctions on their behalf in communities across Michigan and Indiana that sought to ban their bins.
• A yoga retreat center located in Northern Michigan.
• Several Detroit-based small businesses and entrepreneurs.
• Several California-based Credit Unions.
We look forward to continuing to expand all of our practice areas and are excited to see how we will evolve in the years to come!
3. But, We Still Achieved the Largest RLUIPA Jury Verdict Ever
Over the last decade, Dan Dalton has emerged as one of the country’s preeminent experts in the area of religious land use litigation. Based on this recognition, Dalton & Tomich is frequently contacted by religious institutions of all denominations across the country facing a wide range of land use disputes. In 2012, Dalton & Tomich successfully represented the Academy of Our Lady of Peace, an all-girls Catholic school in San Diego, California. After a two-week trial in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, Dalton & Tomich helped the Academy secure a $1.1 million jury verdict against the City of San Diego for its violations of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. This jury verdict was, and remains to this day, the largest jury verdict ever awarded under RLUIPA.
4. We Volunteer with Many Community Organizations
Outside of our day-to-day practices, our attorneys are heavily involved in a variety of legal and non-legal organizations in the community. Dan Dalton is the Chair of the Advisory Board of the Cabrini Clinic, the country’s oldest free medical clinic that is located in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood. Dan also serves on the Detroit Athletic Club’s Finance Committee, the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law’s Dean’s Advisory Board, and is Chair of the Board of Trustees of Plymouth First United Methodist Church. Recently, Dan was also elected to serve as a City Commissioner for the City of Plymouth, Michigan.
Zana Tomich is a member of the Southeast Michigan Board of the Risk Management Association and sits on Henry Ford Hospice Counsel of Advisors. Zana is also actively involved with the American Bar Association and the Turnaround Management Association.
Kate Brink is a member of the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association’s Barristers Board and has participated in the DMBA’s Inn of Court program. Kate is also a member of the Federal Bar Association, State Bar of Michigan Young Lawyers Section, and Women Lawyers Association of Michigan.
Larry Opalewski is also involved in the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association, Federal Bar Association, State Bar of Michigan Young Lawyers Section, and Detroit Young Professionals.
Hopefully you learned some new things about us. We have had a great 4 years and are looking forward to many more!
