Our Lawyers

Sean M. Liles
Sean's primary focus has been in all aspects of business law and litigation for the past 12 years. This includes the full gammit of relevant matters for businesses including, but not limited to, corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies (LLC), formation, contracts, licensing issues, environmental matters, commercial real estate / business transactions, disolution, bankruptcy and litigation.

Sean has also had success with personal injury matters involving no-fault auto insurance first and third party claims.

Sean and his family live in Traverse City. In his spare time, when he isn't chasing the little ones around, he coaches football at St. Francis' middle school.

Sara L. Caesar
After graduating with distinction from the University of Michigan, Sara received her J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis. While attending law school, she worked in the University’s renowned Civil Justice Clinic focusing primarily on family issues. At the Michigan Legal Group, Sara specializes in family law, bankruptcy, and general litigation.

Having recently relocated to Traverse City, she enjoys exploring all that Northern Michigan has to offer.

Of Counsel

Sara L. Caesar Stephen J. Kane
Stephen J. Kane is a 1993 graduate of the University of San Diego School of Law and a 1990 graduate cum laude of Arizona State University. He is licensed by all state and federal courts in California to practice law. Mr. Kane has tried complex, multi-party litigation as well as simple lawsuits to successful jury verdict. He is also a proponent of utilizing alternative forms of dispute resolution - in addition to obtaining successful arbitration results, he has negotiated, both through formal mediation processes and informal negotiation, well in excess of $100 million worth of disputed claims.

Mr. Kane has authored articles on construction defect litigation and client concerns in hiring attorneys. He has taught classes on legal ethics and on legal writing, and is a member of a number of local chambers of commerce and bar associations

Hiring an Attorney

The questions you should ask will vary with your case. Consider the following list to be a starting point:

What are your areas of specialization?
What is the cost of the intial consultation?
Have you handled cases like mine before? How many? What was the outcome?
Will you be the only attorney who works on the case? If not, who else will work on it?
How long will it take for this case to be resolved?
How much will my case cost? Can you take my case on a contingent fee basis?
Can I do some of the work on the case to keep the cost down?
Are there things I should do to improve my case, or to help you?
How will you keep me informed about the progress of my case?
If I contact your office with questions, how long will you take to return my call?
If you are unavailable or on vacation, who can I speak to about my case?
Can I reach you after hours, if I have an emergency?
How often do you go to trial?
If I am not happy with a settlement offer, and you want to settle, will you go to court anyway?
If I am happy with the offer, but you think we can win more at trial, will you follow my wishes?
Have you ever been disciplined by an ethics committee, or been suspended from the practice of law? If so, why?
What "continuing legal education" courses have you attended during the past few years?

From ExpertLaw

We represent clients throughout Northern Michigan including: Traverse City, Petoskey, Mancelona, Cadillac, Elk Rapids, Frankfort, Bellaire, East Jordan, Gaylord, Cheboygan, Grand Traverse County, Antrim County, Charlevoix County, Cheboygan County, Kalkaska County, Otsego County, Emmet County, Wexford County, Benzie County and Leelanau County.