– Photo by Cynthia Price
MDTC President Hilary A. Ballentine (center) of Plunkett Cooney is surrounded by Respected Advocate Award winners: Jules B. Olsman (left), of Olsman MacKenzie, and Wallace, who received the award on the MAJ side; and Michael R. Janes of Martin Bacon and Martin PC, MDTC’s choice.
By Douglas Levy
BridgeTower Media Newswires
In September, Jules B. Olsman and Michael R. Janes each received the annual Respected Advocate Award at the State Bar of Michigan Annual Meeting.
But being recognized before their peers need not be a one-time thing.
So, at the recent Michigan Defense Trial Counsel Winter Meeting in Novi, Olsman and Janes got another forum to offer their appreciation for the honor.
Every year, the Michigan Association for Justice and the MDTC recognize someone from the opposing side of trials with the award, “in recognition of their superb skills as courtroom adversaries, whose civility and decorum distinguishes them as outstanding advocates on behalf of their clients.”
Olsman is president of Olsman, MacKenzie, & Wallace in Berkley. He has practiced personal injury law in Michigan for 36 years, representing clients in cases involving nursing-home negligence, medical malpractice, auto accidents, police misconduct and wrongful death cases.
“What matters to me is not ‘most respected,’ but to be considered a respected person in our business, just as I have the same respect for all of you,” he told attendees at the MDTC meeting.
Olsman is a Michigan Association for Justice past president and served on the Governor’s Task Force on Elder Abuse under Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm. He served for five years on the board of governors for the American Association for Justice, and he was one of the founders of the organization’s Nursing Home Litigation Group. He was named to Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s Leaders in the Law Class of 2015.
Janes is a shareholder and president of Martin, Bacon, and Martin PC. His practice includes all areas of personal injury defense with emphasis on the defense of medical-malpractice causes of action.
In addition to his MDTC membership, Janes also is past president of the Association of Defense Trial Counsel, a council member for the State Bar Negligence Law Section, a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, and a member of the Michigan Society of Health Care Attorneys.
At the MDTC meeting, he notes how MAJ and MDTC have something in common.
“We’re all looking to preserve our jury system and our right to access to the courts,” Janes said. “Our goals are the same. We want to promote the system, we want to promote integrity and we want to promote civility. And as someone who receives an award who represents that … I truly do appreciate it.”
