Overview
For more than 25 years, Bill Altman has defended employers before local, state, and federal agencies and in state and federal courts in anti-discrimination, whistle-blower, retaliation, contract, non-competition, trade secrets, fiduciary duties, class-action, ERISA, and other disputes. With broad experience spanning Michigan’s core industries – manufacturing, auto dealerships, healthcare, energy, finance, retail, and others – he has particular strengths advising the automotive industry that he gained from serving as national benefit litigation counsel for a Detroit automaker.
Bill’s approach to defending clients is built on proactively helping them resolve disputes as efficiently as possible. Sometimes, he does that outside the courtroom, where he draws upon his extensive expertise to find resolution and closure using predictive case assessment, innovative resolution strategies, and refined negotiation skills that allow clients to avoid the burdens and uncertainties – mainly time and cost – of litigation. Other times, when litigation is unavoidable, Bill staunchly defends the rights and interests of his clients to achieve the results they seek. He is an ardent litigator who has successfully represented clients in enumerable cases, many of which have been officially reported, set legal precedence, and redefined the rights and obligations of employers and pension and other benefit plans.
In all cases, Bill works closely with clients to position them for success before disputes arise. He helps them meet obligations under local, state, and federal employment laws. He guides them through the full spectrum of employment issues, including hiring contracts and separation agreements, workplace policies, internal investigations, and compliance with anti-discrimination, wage and hour, and benefits laws.
And he leverages his experience to act as a mediator and guide opposing parties through meaningful dialogue and collaborative problem-solving to sustainable solutions that help them retain control and certainty, find closure, and manage costs. Bill understands the uniqueness of each party’s objectives – economic, strategic, reputational, and more – and takes great pride in fostering positive and empowering experiences where opposing parties reach favorable self-determined outcomes to their disputes.
Bill is a member of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, the American Employment Lawyers Association, the Labor and Employment Law Sections of the State Bar of Michigan and the American Bar Association, and the Federal Bar Association. He served as a Law Clerk to the Honorable Robert E. DeMascio of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.