Overview

Laura Genovich is a shareholder in the Foster Swift’s Grand Rapids office. Laura practices municipal law, appellate law, and bankruptcy/commercial law and is the Chair of the firm’s Appellate Practice Group.

MUNICIPAL AND LAND USE LAW

Counsel for Municipalities

Laura serves as general counsel for counties, cities, villages, and townships across the state and is known for her legal expertise, responsiveness, and ability to communicate clearly to clients and their constituents. Her areas of municipal law expertise include:

• Land use and zoning
• Election law and campaign finance issues
• Marihuana/cannabis ordinances
• Parliamentary procedure/Robert’s Rules of Order (as a member of the National Association of Parliamentarians)
• Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Open Meetings Act (OMA) compliance
• Alternative energy (wind and solar) regulations
• Labor/employment matters
• Real estate transactions
• Special assessments and property tax exemptions
• Contract drafting and negotiation

Counsel for Private Clients

Laura also works with both public entities and private clients (including developers and neighborhood groups) on land use matters, including development agreements, annexations, Act 425 agreements, and zoning approvals (such as special land use permits and rezonings).

LITIGATION & APPELLATE LAW

A seasoned advocate, Laura regularly represents local governments and private clients in trial-level and appellate cases. Recent appellate victories include:

• Beeman et al v Muskegon County Treasurer (Michigan Court of Appeals, 2023) (upholding decision in favor of county treasurer and holding as a matter of first impression that Section 78t of the General Property Tax Act is constitutional).
• Heos v City of East Lansing (Michigan Court of Appeals, 2023) (holding in favor of city in Headlee Amendment class action lawsuit).
• Let Them Breathe v Health Department of Northwest Michigan (Michigan Court of Appeals, 2023) (upholding dismissal of challenge to local health department order).
• Cary Investments, LLC v City of Mount Pleasant (Michigan Court of Appeals, 2022) (upholding dismissal of challenge to city’s marihuana regulation ordinance and competitive process).

In addition to her extensive experience in Michigan's trial and appellate courts, Laura has argued before the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and co-authored a merits-stage amicus brief in the Supreme Court of the United States on behalf of a township client.

COMMERCIAL LITIGATION & BANKRUPTCY LAW

Laura represents individuals and businesses in contract and collection disputes in her commercial law practice, with a specialty in representing creditors and trustees in bankruptcy cases. Her depth of experience comes from more than a decade of service as a Chapter 7 and Chapter 12 bankruptcy trustee in the Western District of Michigan. Her areas of expertise include:

• Defending creditors against preference demands by bankruptcy trustees
• Preparing and substantiating proofs of claims
• Filing actions in Bankruptcy Court to determine that certain debts are nondischargeable
• Obtaining relief from the automatic stay
• Determining creditors' status as critical vendors
• Defending creditors in cases alleging violations of the automatic stay and discharge injunction

WRITING AND SPEAKING

In addition to her full-time service to clients, Laura is committed to improving the practice of law, and she has published a book on clear legal writing ("The Plain Language Practice"), which is also a frequent topic on her popular LinkedIn page. She has appeared on legal podcasts, including the XL Legal Podcast and the Thought Leadership Podcast, and she is an adjunct professor at Cooley Law School. 

Honors & Recognitions

Affiliations

Memberships & Affiliations

Legal Affiliations:

• Federal Bar Association Bankruptcy Section (Western District of Michigan), Steering Committee Member
• Grand Rapids Bar Association
• Michigan State Bar Foundation
  • Fellow
• State Bar of Michigan
  • Council, Appellate Practice Section

Industry & Professional Associations:

• American Bankruptcy Institute
• National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees
• National Association of Parliamentarians
• Grand Rapids Young Professionals
• Inforum

Community Involvement:

• Michigan Ballet Academy
  • Board of Directors, 2024-present
• Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus
  • Board of Directors, 2011-2012

Experience

Representative Matters

• In Pegasus Wind LLC v. Tuscola County, on April 10th, 2024, the Michigan Supreme Court upheld Tuscola County and the Tuscola Area Airport Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) previous decision blocking Pegasus Wind LLC’s request to expand a wind farm after evidence showed that additional windmills would have posed a safety risk to aviators at a nearby airport. Genovich was part of the team that represented Tuscola County and the ZBA Board and praised the court’s decision.
• In a unanimous opinion issued April 13, 2023, the Michigan Court of Appeals held in favor of the City of East Lansing in a class-action lawsuit related to electric franchise fees. Heos v City of East Lansing, Court of Appeals Case Nos. 361105, 361138. The Court of Appeals reversed earlier decisions of the Ingham County Circuit Court, which had granted summary disposition to plaintiff James Heos and other similarly situated Board of Water and Light customers. The Court of Appeals directed the circuit court to instead enter summary disposition in favor of the City on remand.
  
  In reaching this decision, the Court of Appeals held that plaintiff’s claim under the Headlee Amendment to the Michigan Constitution and his similar equitable claims were untimely because they were not filed within one year after the franchise ordinance was adopted. The Court of Appeals further held that plaintiff could not bring an action under the 1905 Foote Act because the Foote Act only applies to electric utility providers, not electric customers. Consequently, the City was entitled to dismissal of all of plaintiff’s claims. The opinion is available online here. 
• Represented bankruptcy trustee in corporate Chapter 7 case and filed more than 40 avoidance lawsuits against preference recipients, resulting in the recovery of more than $500,000 for the bankruptcy estate. 
• Served as co-counsel for township in taxpayer's appeal of more than $3 million in corrected and supplemental special assessments, which resulted in judgment favorable to the township.
• Represented township in a local resident's Chapter 11 bankruptcy case to enforce township's zoning ordinance.
• Represented creditor against trustee's demand for more than $170,000 in alleged preference payments. 
• Successfully defended public employer in arbitration, resulting in the denial of multiple grievances.

Communications

Publications

• Foster Swift Prevails at Michigan Supreme Court in Major Victory for County Treasurers, Foster Swift Municipal Law News E-blast, September 30, 2024
• Boosting Board Engagement, Township Focus (MTA), July 19, 2024
• Summary Language Approved for Proposed Ballot Initiative to Repeal Renewable Energy Siting Law, Municipal Law News E-blast, January 22, 2024
• Proposed Bills to Affect Energy Facilities, Foster Swift Municipal Law News E-blast, November 16, 2023
• What Does Tyler v Hennepin County Mean for Foreclosures in Michigan?, Foster Swift Municipal Law News, June 15, 2023
• Proposed Changes to PACE: What You Need to Know, Foster Swift Municipal Law News, June 14, 2023

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News & Events

Speaking Engagements

• Campaign Finance Act: What Can We Say?, Michigan Township Association (MTA) Conference 2024, April 24, 2024
• Can They FOIA That?, Michigan Township Association (MTA) Conference 2024, April 24, 2024
• Boosting Board Engagement and Ground Rules for Great Meetings, Michigan Townships Association, October 5, 2023
• Case Law Update, 35th Annual Bankruptcy Seminar: Federal Bar Association Western District of Michigan, July 29, 2023
• Property Tax Exemptions, Mid-Michigan Association of Assessing Officers, June 22, 2022
• State Corporate Rights in Bankruptcy, United States Trustee Regional Training, May 11, 2022

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News

• Foster Swift Files Appeal on Behalf of Over 70 Michigan Municipalities to Protect Local Control Over Renewable Energy Regulations, Meltwater Newswire, November 8, 2024
• Foster Swift Attorneys Named 2025 Best Lawyers in America, Best Lawyers in America, August 15, 2024
• Preparing Women Business Leaders for 2024 Legal Challenges, Meltwater Newswire, February 20, 2024
• Grand Rapids Attorneys Listed as 2023 Top Lawyers, Grand Rapids Magazine, November 8, 2023
• Foster Swift Wins Major Victory for County Treasurers, Foster Swift Municipal Law News E-blast, October 26, 2023
• Foster Swift Attorneys Named 2024 Best Lawyers in America, Best Lawyers in America, August 17, 2023
• 17 Attorneys Selected to 2023 Michigan Super Lawyers and “Rising Stars”, Michigan Super Lawyers, August 11, 2023

Media

Other Videos

Freedom of Information Requests (FOIA)