September 2007

Jeffrey T. Neilson, Steven R. Cole, Joseph P. Garin, Joseph A. Starr, Howard A. Lax and Barry L. Howard Named 2007 "Super Lawyers" by Law & Politics

Bloomfield Hills, Michigan–Five lawyers from the firm Lipson, Neilson, Cole, Seltzer & Garin, P.C. have been named by Michigan Super Lawyers magazine as top attorneys in Michigan for 2007. The honored lawyers are Jeffrey T. Neilson, Steven R. Cole, Howard A. Lax, Joseph A. Starr and Barry Howard. Additionally, from the same firm’s Las Vegas office, Joseph P. Garin has been named a top Nevada attorney by Nevada Super Lawyers. Only five percent of the lawyers in each state are named by Super Lawyers.

The selections for Super Lawyers are made by Law & Politics, a division of Key Professional Media, Inc. of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Each year, Law & Politics undertakes a rigorous multi-phase selection process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, independent evaluation of candidates by the Law & Politics’ attorney-led research staff, a peer review of candidates by practice area, and a good-standing and disciplinary check.

As Super Lawyers, the six attorneys appear in a supplement to the Sunday, September 23rd New York Times and on the web site www.superlawyers.com. Super Lawyers listings are used as a credible, comprehensive and diverse resource of outstanding attorneys that assist attorneys and consumers in the search for legal counsel.

Jeffrey T. Neilson
Neilson, one of the firm’s founders and a shareholder, is known nationally for his expertise in business counseling and estate planning. He has been a contributor to a number of national publications including Insurance Advocate and Small Business Opportunities.

Neilson concentrates his efforts on matters relating to estate planning, corporate law, probate litigation, trust and conservatorship administration, business representation, legal and accounting malpractice and serves as an independent facilitator/mediator in civil and domestic matters.

Neilson is licensed to practice law in the states of Michigan, Nevada and Colorado. He also acts as a Public Administrator for Wayne County. He holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan and earned a J.D. from the University of Detroit. Neilson also earned his LL.M. in Taxation from New York University.

Steven R. Cole
Cole, a founding shareholder of the firm, focuses on real estate, business and corporate matters and estate planning. He has previously served as an adjunct instructor of taxation at area business colleges, and has taught continuing education courses approved by the Michigan Insurance Bureau for licensed insurance professionals. He has also conducted numerous seminars for the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants.

Cole is a member of the State Bar of Michigan's Real Property Law, Probate and Trust Law, and Taxation sections. He earned a B.A. from the University of Michigan, a J.D. from Wayne State University and an LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Florida.

Joseph P. Garin
Garin is a partner with the firm. He maintains a national practice, focusing on the defense of professional liability claims, insurance coverage disputes, directors and officers claims, and risk management. Throughout his career, Garin has defended more than 400 lawyers and law firms across Michigan, Illinois, Nevada and Colorado.

Garin earned a B.G.S. degree from the University of Michigan and received his J.D. degree cum laude from Michigan State University-Detroit College of Law, where he was a member of the Law Review. He is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the State Bar of Illinois, the State Bar of Nevada and the State Bar of Colorado. He is admitted before the United States District Court for the Eastern and Western District of Michigan, the District of Nevada, as well as in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Howard A. Lax
Lax, a firm partner, specializes in financial institutions, consumer compliance and regulatory affairs, and real property law.

Lax is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and its Business Law Section, as well as the Real Property Law Section, where he is a member of the Section's governing council, and serves on the Condominiums, PUDs and Cooperatives Committee, the Mortgages and Related Financing Devices Committee, Security Interests Committee, the Residential Transactions Committee, and the On-line Publications Committee. Lax also contributes resources for real estate attorneys for the Real Property Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan.

Lax also writes and edits The Mortgage News, a national newsletter for the mortgage, title, and real estate industries, and he is a columnist for RESPAnews.

Joseph A. Starr
Starr is a litigator in the areas of the defense of race, religious, national origin, age, sex and disability discrimination, harassment and retaliation claims. As a principal with the firm, he specializes in the defense of Professional Liability (Employment Practices, Attorneys, Architects & Engineers, Accountants, Directors & Officers, Insurance Agents/Brokers and Real Estate Brokers) claims, commercial litigation and insurance coverage disputes.

Starr is a member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Michigan, the Oakland County Bar Association, the Professional Liability Underwriters Society and the Defense Research Institute.

Starr received his law degree from the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, Missouri, where he served as a Notes & Comments Editor for the Journal of Urban and Contemporary Law. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and graduated cum laude.

Barry Howard
Howard serves as “of counsel” to the firm and specializes in the areas of litigation and alternative dispute resolution.

He is a retired chief judge of the 6th judicial court. He is a member of the Michigan Supreme Court Council of Judges and the Michigan Judges Association.

Howard earned a J.D. from the University of Detroit School of Law and a B.A. in history from the University of Michigan.


Lipson, Neilson, Cole, Seltzer & Garin, P.C. offer a comprehensive, integrated range of legal services to professionals, individuals and organizations of all sizes. The firm’s main office is located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan with additional offices in Grand Rapids and Las Vegas.