Overview

Ben has a wide range of experience advising clients in all aspects of real estate law, including issues related to financing, development, transactions, litigation and workouts. 

Ben believes the quality of service his clients receive is as important as the quality of work product they receive. Therefore, a key component of his management philosophy is that accessibility and responsiveness are fundamental to delivering first-rate legal counsel.

A more structured look at Ben's practice shows the range of the services he provides clients:

• Landlord-Tenant – Lease negotiations, disputes and evictions.
• Real Estate Development – Land Division Act, Condominium Act, construction contracts and easements.
• Real Estate Transactions – Commercial/Residential agreements, due diligence review (title work, surveys, zoning, environmental) and review loan documents.
• Real Estate Finance – Loan documentation, modifications, workouts, mortgage foreclosures and land contract foreclosures and forfeitures.
• Real Estate Litigation – Judicial foreclosures, adverse possession/quiet title, title claims and foreclosure of construction liens.
• Real Estate Brokerage – Listing agreements, agency disclosures, buyer/broker agreements and property management agreements.

As a leading real estate attorney in Lansing, Ben is a frequent moderator at the Institute of Continuing Legal Education real estate seminars. He also provides educational sessions on the latest changes in mortgage foreclosure law to his banking and credit union clients.

Ben is a native of Mason, Michigan, and has spent his entire career at Foster Swift, starting as a summer associate.

Affiliations

Memberships & Affiliations

Legal Affiliations:

• American Bar Association
• State Bar of Michigan
• Ingham County Bar Association

Experience

Representative Matters

• Represented large bank with foreclosures of mortgages for multi-million dollar commercial properties.
• Assisted large bank in complex multi-million dollar deed-in-lieu of foreclosure transaction.
• Represented client with complex lease assignment and simultaneous purchase of new property.
• Assisted borrower client with significant loan modifications and workouts of defaulted loans.
• Counseled client with million dollar exclusive option to purchase agreement with significant land division and zoning issues.

Communications

Publications

• New Law Expands Property Tax “Uncapping” Exemptions for Family Cottage Transfers, Foster Swift Finance, Real Estate & Bankruptcy News, November 25, 2014
• Foreclosed Property Purchaser Rights to Inspect Property after Notice, Foster Swift Finance, Real Estate & Bankruptcy News, June 12, 2014
• New Changes to Michigan Foreclosure Law, Foster Swift Banking, Finance & Real Estate E-News, August 12, 2013

News & Events

Speaking Engagements

• Changes in Mortgage Foreclosure Law, January 1, 2009
• Real Estate Seminars - ICLE Moderator, 2009

News

• Foster Swift Elects 2017 Executive Committee, February 13, 2017
• Foster Swift Elects 2016 Executive Committee, March 21, 2016
• Foster Swift Elects 2014 Executive Committee, February 18, 2014
• New Shareholders Announced, January 3, 2008