John Sier heads the firm's commercial litigation practice. With more than two decades of experience, Mr. Sier concentrates his practice on dispute avoidance and resolution of commercial, healthcare and construction contract issues.
Mr. Sier is licensed to practice law in Michigan, Iowa, the U.S. District Courts of Eastern and Western Michigan, and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Sier is committed to helping businesses resolve their legal disputes without costly and time-consuming litigation, and has received certification as a mediator from the Institute of Continuing Legal Education.
In addition to his distinguished legal practice, Mr. Sier is active in a variety of professional organizations. He serves as Director of Christian Legal Aid of Southeastern Michigan and Emeritus Director of the Catholic Lawyers Society as well as serving as a member of the Board of Trustees for Detroit Cristo Rey High School (DCRHS) and chairing the DCRHS Corporate Work Study Board of Directors.
Mr. Sier was named a Michigan Super Lawyer in 2007-2012. Only five percent of the attorneys in the state are named Super Lawyers, and in 2010, 2011 and 2012, he was recognized as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in the State of Michigan.
He is AV® Peer Review Rated by LexisNexis/Martindale-Hubbell. The AV Peer Review rating is the highest rating allowed. It attests to a lawyer’s legal ability and professional ethics, and reflects the confidential opinions of the Bar and the Judiciary.
Mr. Sier was recognized in DBusiness Magazine as a 2012 Top Lawyer.
Mr. Sier received his J.D., as well as an M.A. in Journalism and Mass Communications, from Drake University Law School. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Communications from Loyola University in Chicago.
Professional Memberships:
State Bar of Michigan
Iowa Bar Association
Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association, Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee
Catholic Lawyers Society, President 1999-2001, Emeritus Director 2002-2010
Associated General Contractors, Detroit Chapter, Legal Advisory Committee 1999-2011
Construction Association of Michigan
American Arbitration Association, Construction Panel of Neutrals
Construction Specifications Institute, Certified Construction Documents Technologist
Building Owners and Managers Association of Metropolitan Detroit, Secretary, Board of Directors and Co-Chair Government Affairs Committee, 2002-2011
Defense Research Institute, Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee, Construction Committee (Chair, Delay Claims Subcommittee 2008-2009)
Construction Owners Association of America, Communications/Editorial Committee, 2003-2011, Contract Documents Committee, 2005-2011, Associate General Counsel, 2008-2011
Engineering Society of Detroit, Construction & Design Committee 2004-2011; Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee, 2006-2011
Mass for Commerce, Steering Committee 1999-2011
American Heart Association, Emergency Cardiovascular Care Regional Committee 2007-2011
American Health Information Management Association
Board Memberships:
Christian Legal Aid of Southeast Michigan, 2001-2011
Detroit Cristo Rey High School, 2007-2011
Detroit Cristo Rey High School Corporate Work Study Program, Chair 2008-2011
ACE Mentor Program (Architecture, Construction and Engineering), 2008-2011 Membership Committee
Wayne Mediation Center, 2010-2011
National Association of Construction Auditors, Advisory Board, 2010-2011
Publications/Presentations:
Integrated Project Delivery – Risk Identification, Management and Insurance, webinar presentation for Construction Specifications Institute – Louisville Chapter, October 13, 2011.
Integrated Project Delivery – Risk Identification, Management and Insurance, webinar presentation for Construction Specifications Institute, September 27, 2011.
Construction Industry Contract Disputes & Lost Profits, presentation with Neil Steinkamp for the National Association of Construction Auditors, Las Vegas, Nevada, September 13, 2011.
Integrated Project Delivery in Practice: A Local Example, panel discussion, Washtenaw Contractors Association, Ann Arbor, April 21, 2011.
How to Contract for Today’s Tough Economy and Evolving Technology, panel presentation, ConEXPO 2011, Las Vegas, Nevada, March 25, 2011.
The Impact of Integrated Project Delivery on Insuring Project Risks, Owner’s Perspective magazine published by Construction Owners Association of America, co-author with John Hurley, Spring 2011.
Consumer Law Topics for Senior Citizens, presentation for the Silver Saints Ministry at Word of Faith International Christian Center, Southfield, Michigan, October 2, 2010.
ConsensusDOCS: Another Option for Construction Industry Contract Documents, presentation for the Construction Specifications Institute Great Lakes Chapter Regional Conference, Columbus, Ohio, July 23, 2010.
Professionalism and Civility: Dealing Effectively with “Rambo”, panel discussion for the Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Plymouth, Michigan, May 27, 2010.
Recovery of Electronic Data: Electronic Medical Records (EMR) Server as Repository of Unique Information and Risks, webinar presentation, May 7, 2010.
Insurance and Risk Management for Construction Owners, webinar panel presentation for the Construction Owners Association of America, February 24, 2010.
ConsensusDOCS: Another Alternative, webinar panel presentation for the Associated General Contractors of America, September 28, 2009.
A Contractor’s Guide to Michigan Construction Law, manual published by Associated General Contractors of American Michigan Chapter, co-author with
Cheryl A. Verran, Chapter 6, “Delay in Contract Performance,” September 2009.
ConsensusDOCS: A Comprehensive Family of Contract Documents, seminar presentation to the Construction Specifications Institute of Metropolitan Detroit, Berkley, Michigan, May 12, 2009.
ConsensusDOCS: The Subcontractor Family of Documents, webinar presentation for the Associated General Contractors of America, Michigan Chapter,
Detroit, Michigan, April 22, 2009.
ConsensusDOCS: The BIM Addendum, webinar presentation for the Associated General Contractors of America, Michigan Chapter, Detroit, Michigan,
February 18, 2009.
Thriving on a Dime: Practical Advice for Public Agency Attorneys, panel discussion topic AIA and ConsensusDOCS: A New Game in Town, Public Corporation Section of the State Bar of Michigan, Plymouth, Michigan, February 6, 2009.
Revolution by ConsensusDOCS - Comparing the Contractor and Design Professional Documents, roundtable presentation for the Construction Owners Association of America, Tampa, Florida, December 3, 2008.
Indemnity and Insurance Provisions in Health Care Contracts, roundtable presentation with Gregory Drutchas for Health Care Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan, Detroit, Michigan, September 23, 2008.
ConsensusDOCS: The New Choice for Owners, webinar presentation and panel discussion for the Associated General Contractors of America, Detroit, Michigan, August 7, 2008.
Construction Lien Updates, roundtable presentations for the Real Property Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan, Traverse City, Michigan, July 18 and 19, 2008.
ConsensusDOCS: a New Alternative, seminar presentations for the Associated General Contractors, Michigan Chapter, Marquette, Michigan, June 18, 2008, with Thomas Keranen and Livonia, Michigan on June 20, 2008.
Construction Lien Law in Michigan, seminar presented for Lorman Education Services in Southgate, Michigan, March 12, 2008.
Corporate Compliance and Quality Assurance in the Long Term Care Setting, presentation to the Health Care Association of Michigan, Frankenmuth, Michigan, February 29, 2008.
Current Issues in Construction Law: Delay Claims, presentation and panel discussion for the Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Plymouth, Michigan, February 7, 2008.
Construction Industry Contract Documents, presentation and panel discussion for the Michigan Construction Industry Professional Development Day, Ypsilanti, Michigan, January 24, 2008.
Construction Liens, Foreclosure and Special Topics, presentation to the Oakland County Bar Association - Real Estate Committee, Pontiac, Michigan, October 23, 2007.
Recent Revisions to the Michigan Construction Lien Act, The Title Examiner, published by the Michigan Land Title Association, Summer 2007.
The Updated A201 and Resolving Claims: Changes on the Horizon, Vol. 28, No. 8, CAM Magazine, co-author with John V. Tocco, Esq., published by the Construction Association of Michigan, August 2007.
Electronic Discovery, workshop for the Construction Owners Association of America 2007 Spring Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana, May 11, 2007.
Electronic Discovery: The New Elephant in The Room, Vol. XVI, Owners Perspective, published by Construction Owners Association of America, Spring 2007.
Advising a Business Regarding Business-Income-Loss Claims, co-author with Adam B. Kutinsky, Vol. XXVII, No. 1, Michigan Business Law Journal, Spring 2007.
The Future of Alternative Dispute Resolution: Construction Practitioners Resolving Construction Disputes, panel discussion for the Engineering Society of Detroit, Southfield, Michigan, February 1, 2007.
Electronic Discovery, Ready or Not, It’s Here, Visions, published by Building Owners and Managers Association of Metropolitan Detroit, January 31, 2007.
Alternative Dispute Resolution, panel discussion at Michigan Construction Industry Professional Development Day, Flint, Michigan, November 10, 2006.
AIA Contracts and Other “Industry Forms,” seminar presented for Lorman Education Services in Fargo, North Dakota, September 22, 2006.
Legal Issues Most Often Misunderstood By Owners, panel discussion at the Construction Owners Association of America 2006 Spring Conference, Charleston, South Carolina, May 13, 2006.
AIA Contracts and Other “Industry Forms,” seminar presented for Lorman Education Services in Rockford, Illinois, April 7, 2006.
Tricks, Traps and Ploys Used in Construction Scheduling in Michigan, seminar presented for Lorman Education Services in Lansing, Michigan, September 16, 2005.
Tricks, Traps and Ploys Used in Construction Scheduling in Nebraska, seminar presented for Lorman Education Services in Omaha, Nebraska, August 26, 2005.
The HIPAA Security Rule, The Pulse, published by Healthcare Association of Michigan, May 13, 2005.
Contractual Deal Killers, panel discussion at the Construction Owners Association of America 2005 Spring Conference, Denver, Colorado, May 13, 2005.
Defective Designs and Specifications, seminar presented for the Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Troy, Michigan, May 6, 2005.
HIPAA Security Standards Compliance Guidelines, seminar presented to the Health Care Association of Michigan, Lansing, Michigan, April 12, 2005.
Negotiating and Drafting Enforceable Health Care and Construction Arbitration Agreements, seminar presented for the Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Plymouth, Michigan, March 15, 2005.
AIA Contracts in Michigan, seminar presented for Lorman Education Services in Traverse City, Michigan, January 27, 2005
Tricks, Traps and Ploys Used in Construction Scheduling in Michigan, seminar presented for Lorman Education Services in Dearborn, Michigan, January 12, 2005.
Construction Lien Law in Michigan, Seminar presented for Lorman Education Services, Dearborn, Michigan, January 13, 2005.
Contractual Deal Killers, panel discussion at the Michigan Construction Industry Professional Development Day, Lansing, Michigan, October 18, 2004.
A Contractor’s Guide to Michigan Construction Law, manual published by Associated General Contractors of American Detroit and Michigan Chapters, Chapter 5, “Delay in Contract Performance,” October 2004.
Contractual Deal Killers, panel discussion at the Construction Owners Association of America 2004 Spring Conference, Orlando, Florida, May 14, 2004.
Anatomy of a Bond Form, Owner’s Perspective, published by Construction Owners Association of America, Spring 2004.
Construction Lien Law in Michigan, seminar presented for Lorman Education Services, Dearborn, Michigan, January 15, 2004.
The Next Phase of HIPAA, The Security Regulations, Visions, published by Building Owners and Managers Association of Metropolitan Detroit, Issue 4, 2003.
Insurance Issues, Technology Century, published by the Engineering Society of Detroit, Vol. 8, No. 5, Fall 2003.
Managing Bond Claims from the Owner’s Perspective, seminar presented to the Construction Owners Association of American Spring Meeting, Chicago, Illinois, May 8, 2003.
A Surety Bond is Not an Insurance Policy, Owner’s Perspective, published by Construction Owners Association of America, Spring 2003.
Legal Issues Relating to Use and Placement of Automated External Defibrillators for Real Estate Managers and Owners, seminar presented to Building Owners and Managers Association International, Washington, D.C., November 19, 2002.
Surety Bonds Are Not Insurance, presentation to the Construction Owners Association of America, Michigan Chapter, East Lansing, Michigan November 1, 2002.
State and Federal Immunity for Use of Automated External Defibrillator, presentation with American Heart Association for the Building Owners and Managers Association of Metropolitan Detroit, May 2001, the Downriver Business Consortium October 2001, and the Livonia Business Council, February 2002.
Alternative Dispute Resolution in Health Care, panelist for Symposium on Developing Trends in Dispute Resolution in the Health Care Industry sponsored by the Health Care Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan, May 2001.
Risk Management and Project Contract Documents, presentation to Building Owners and Managers Association of Toledo, Ohio, March 2000.
Avoiding Construction Claims, presentation to Michigan Association of Physical Plant Administrators [MIAPPA], Houghton, Michigan, summer 2000.
The Importance of a Sworn Statement in Preserving and Avoiding Construction Liens multiple seminar presentations, 1999.
State by State Survey of Statutes of Repose A Report of the Subcommittee on Design Professional Liability and the Subcommittee on Survey of State Laws for the Construction Industry: Committee on Construction Litigation, American Bar Association. (Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, West Virginia and Wisconsin), 1995.
Evolving Standards for Actions Against Design Professionals Construction Litigation published by the American Bar Association Section of Litigation, summer, 1992.