PHOTO COURTESY OF PEAR, SPERLING, EGGAN AND DANIELS
By Jo Mathis
Legal News
Jeremy Kennedy grew up in Grand Rapids. He moved to Ann Arbor to attend both the University of Michigan and Michigan Law School, and has lived there ever since.
Kennedy began practicing law in 2002, starting in a small firm in Westland as an associate and then as Westland’s assistant city attorney.
He joined the Ann Arbor office of Pear, Sperling, Eggan & Daniels, P.C. two years ago and practices primarily in the areas of civil litigation, real estate, commercial transactions, and labor and employment law.
Kennedy, who likes work that is intellectually challenging and engaging, negotiates complex commercial transactions, including business licensing and sales transactions. He has handled litigation matters in state and federal courts and has led labor negotiations.
He is a competitive swimmer, and swam in the FINA Masters World Championship in Montreal in August.
Kennedy recently published an article entitled The Proper Role of Standing Under Michigan Law, in which he examined and discussed the relationship and confusion between capacity to sue and standing under Michigan law.
Below are his answers to questions posed to him by the Washtenaw County Legal News:
Residence: Ann Arbor.
What advice do you have for someone considering law school? Make sure you know why you’re going into law. It can be a difficult, stressful profession at times, so only go to law school if you know it is something you will love. If that’s not the case, find something else; you won’t regret it.
Favorite local hangouts: Jolly Pumpkin, Mash, Blue Tractor, Grizzly Peak, Amer’s.
Favorite CD: Pearl Jam – “Ten.”
What is your happiest childhood memory? In 1987, my dad took me to the last game of the regular season for the Tigers. My brother was a Cubs fan at the time (he’s seen the light since) and he didn’t want to go, so it was just me and my dad. If the Tigers won, they were going to the playoffs. If they lost, they’d have to play a tie-breaker. We left about 6 a.m., drove from Grand Rapids to Tiger Stadium, and waited in line for bleacher tickets. We got in, the Tigers won 1-0 and went to the playoffs. And I got to spend the day with my dad.
What do you enjoy most about Ann Arbor? I’ve been here for almost 20 years now, so Ann Arbor has really become home. One of the great things about it is that even after living here so long, there are always new things to try, new restaurants to go to, and new places to explore with my cocker spaniel Reese, who really enjoys that sort of thing.
What’s the most awe-inspiring place you’ve ever been? New Zealand, on the south island looking over a mountain lake at Mt. Cook, 50 km in the distance.
What is your proudest moment as a lawyer? A few years ago I had a really complex commercial lease case, with possible anti-competitive business practice aspects to it due to the nature of the businesses involved, and after hundreds of hours of work including probably close to 20 depositions, we ended up reaching a seven-figure settlement. After the case was done, the opposing attorney called me and told me the reason they settled was because they were worried that the jury would like me and my client, and they saw how much work I had put into the case up to that point, and knew I would have put on a good case at trial. He didn’t have to call and say that, but it was a great compliment to hear from a very good attorney.
Favorite joke: What do you call a fish with no legs? A fish.
What do you do to relax? I swim, read, and write some.
Any regrets? Maybe a few, but I like where I’m at in my life, and I wouldn’t be here without the decisions I’ve made in the past, good, bad or other.
What word do you overuse? So. I seem to start a lot of sentences with it.
What is one thing you would like to learn to do? Speak a foreign language fluently.
What is something most people don't know about you? I was born on my mom’s birthday.
If you could have dinner with three people, living or dead, who would they be? There are so many interesting people that it’s tough to narrow it down, but for a number of reasons I think I would say Ernest Hemingway, Martin Luther King, Jr., and my mom’s dad, who died before I was born.
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