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Julie I. Fershtman is a highly experienced lawyer who has served the equine industry honorably and effectively for decades on a wide variety of matters. When you want your interests protected in a legal dispute, or when you need the right contract, you want a lawyer who knows the industry well, works honorably and effectively within it, has decades of experience, and has multiple courtroom successes. She has more than 38 years in the practice of law and is an Equity Shareholder with the full-service law firm Foster Swift Collins & Smith, PC. She is widely recognized as one of the nation's leading Equine Law practitioners. She also gives back to the industry by assistance to associations, hundreds of writings, and national speaking engagements. She has written over 450 published articles, 4 books, and the Equine Law Blog (equinelawblog.com). With engagements in 29 states, including the industry's largest conventions, she is also the equine industry's most in-demand speaker on Equine Law.

The practice. Crossing all horse breeds and disciplines, she serves a national^** clientele of stables, trainers, professionals, associations, businesses, show management, insurers, clinicians, instructors, equestrian programs, breeders, coaches, landowners, veterinarians, farm owners, and individual horse owners.

Unmatched Equine Law expertise.  Year after year, she achieves numerous courtroom victories. One year alone, for example, she won jury trials in 3 states, 2 state court appeals, and a major Federal insurance coverage case — all on equine-related matters. She also drafts contracts with the goal of helping her clients avoid legal disputes. However, when people, businesses, and associations have encountered disputes involving contracts, she has been retained to litigate them.

Types of equine-related matters handled. Some examples include: equine sale disputes and/or sales contract drafting for buyers or sellers, equine lease disputes and/or lease contract drafting for lessors or lessees, ownership disputes, stablemen's lien enforcement matters, collection of past-due fees, defamation (slander, libel), business and partnership disputes, personal injury liability (typically, defending equine professionals, associations, show management and horse owners when they have been sued or threatened with suit), real estate disputes, employment matters, insurance disputes (typically representing insurance companies), and much more.  More examples can be found below.

National experience.**  Litigation experience in more than 20 jurisdictions nationwide, including Florida, Illinois (4 cases), Missouri (2 cases), Ohio (3 cases), Georgia, Arizona, Kentucky (2 cases), Connecticut (2 cases), South Carolina, Pennsylvania (2 cases), Tennessee. Jury trials in Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, and Connecticut. Arbitrations in 2 states. (Please read further below about extra requirements for out-of-state legal assistance. **)

Background. Graduate of Emory College and Emory Law School. Areas of practice also include business litigation, contract disputes, sale disputes, insurance coverage, fraud litigation, liability defense, product liability, premises liability, and more.  

Equine industry involvement. Several years of service on equine industry committees and boards.

Bar association leadership. Past President (2011-2012) of the 42,000-member State Bar of Michigan. Past Vice-Chair of ABA-TIPS Section Animal Law Committee. Past State Bar Delegate to the ABA House of Delegates.

National legal consulting (for those who already have lawyers). The overwheming majority of lawyers have no experience in horse-related matters and no familiarity with the equine industry. Ms. Fershtman can be hired to assist your lawyer as legal consultant for limited purposes on contracts or cases. 

NEWS:   Julie Fershtman is already lined up to speak in person at conferences in five states in 2024 -- Tennessee, Kentucky, Iowa, Michigan, and California!  Also, Michigan Lawyer's Weekly just named her to the Michigan Lawyer's "Hall of Fame" for 2024.

 Visit the Foster Swift Law Firm Web Site 

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Julie I. Fershtman, Esq.
Foster, Swift, Collins & Smith, PC
28411 Northwestern Hwy., Ste. 500
Southfield, Michigan  48034

Direct Phone Line: (248) 785-4731

Main Office Line: (248) 539-9900

Legal Profession Honors - Partial List

• The Best Lawyers in America ^® Listed in 2013 and every year after for Commercial Litigation and Insurance Law
  - "Woman of the Year" in Michigan's legal profession in 2016 by Michigan Lawyers Weekly
  - "Leader in the Law" by Michigan Lawyers Weekly
  - Listed in Michigan Super Lawyers.^® Listed in 2008 and every year thereafter.
  - Listed among the "Top 50 Women Lawyers in Michigan" by Michigan Super Lawyers
  - Listed among the "Top 100 Lawyers in Michigan" by Michigan Super Lawyers 
  - Senior Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
  - Rated “AV” 5.0/5 (highest possible rating for abilities and ethics) by Martindale-Hubbell - www.martindale.com 
  - Listed in Who's Who in American Law for over 30 years
  - Highest possible rating (10.0/10 "Superb") by www.avvo.com

Equine Industry Accolades

Recipient of these prestigious equine industry awards:

"Excellence in the Advancement of Animal Law Award" - ABA Tort Trial & Insurance Law Section Animal Law Committee
"Distinguished Service Award" - American Youth Horse Council
"Industry Service Award" - Michigan Equine Partnership
“Catalyst Award” - Michigan Horse Council
“Outstanding Achievement” Award - American Riding Instructors Association
"Partner in Safety Award" - American Riding Instructors Association
"Associate Service Award" - United Professional Horsemen's Association
"Partnership in Safety Award" - Certified Horsemanship Association

Results Delivered for Clients - Partial List 

No lawyer can guarantee results, but we work hard to achieve them for our clients. Some examples:

• Successfully defended a horse rental stable and its owner in the trial court. All claims were dismissed, and the Court ruled in clients' favor on the stable's Counterclaim based on a signed waiver.  (Livingston County, MI, 2023.)            

• Successfully defended a horse stable and riding instructor in the trial court and court of appeals.  Molnar v. Tenacity Farm, Inc.

• Defended a horse boarding stable in a lawsuit brought by a horse owner who claimed a boarded horse was injured due to the stable's negligence.  Case against client, the stable, was dismissed when court granted the defense's motion to dismiss the case. 

• Represented defrauded horse buyers in a trial against sellers. Horse buyer clients/plaintiffs won the trial, and the court ordered the defendants (losing parties) to reimburse the plaintioffs' damages as well as 100% of their legal fees.  

• Lead counsel in Hauser v. Great American Assurance Company, 971 F. Supp.2d 824 (N.D. Ill. 2013)(affirming denial of coverage on an equine mortality insurance policy, representing insurer). 

• Lead counsel in Jahn v. Great American Assurance Company, 2004 WL 765240 (N.D. Ill. 2004)(affirming denial of coverage on an equine mortality insurance policy, representing insurer).

• Rivera v. R.P. Gordon, Inc., 2004 WL 1109153 (Mich. App. 2004)(defending horse trail ride operation that was sued by a customer injured during the ride, securing dismissal of the case at trial court level, affirmed on appeal).

• Mounts v. Van Beest, 2004 Mich. App. LEXIS 2062 (Mich. App. 2004)(defending individual horse owner who was sued by friend who was injured when horse bucked him off, securing dismissal of the case at the trial court level, affirmed on appeal). 

• Successfully defended individual horse owners who have been sued for personal injury by others riding or near their horses.  Successfully defended stables that have been sued for injuries to horses.

• Lead trial counsel in defense of an Illinois trail ride operation at a state park that was sued by an injured customer seeking hundreds of thousands of dollars.  Case proceeded to a week-long jury trial. Won the trial, with the jury unanimously issuing a "no-cause" verdict in the stable's favor.  

• Falmouth Cooperative Co. v. Bontekoe Farms, 2020 WL 6110928 (Mich. App. 2020)(defending manufacturer/seller of custom livestock feed against claims that the feed caused death of livestock. Secured dismissal of all claims against the client at the trial court level; court of appeals affirmed dismissal).  

• Counsel for stable in a complex equine business dispute involving claims of theft and conversion and seeking return of horses from a horse breeder. Won a nine-day trial, and client recovered possession of its horses through the lawsuit.

• Defended a horse boarding and riding lesson stable against a lawsuit brought by a visitor who was injured in the barn. All claims against the stable were dismissed by the court after court granted stable's motion to dismiss the case.

• Defended horse owners in a lawsuit brought against them by their horse trainer who was injured while training their horse.  All claims against the clients/horse owners were dismissed by the court, after court granted horse owners' motion to dismiss the case.

• Drafted a boarding stable's contract, but a customer later sued the stable. On the strength of the contract, the trial court dismissed the case against the client, and the court of appeals affirmed dismissal.

• Defended a horse breeder against claims of defamation (slander/libel) by another horse breeder. All claims against the client were dismissed by the court, after court granted horse breeder's motion to dismiss the claims.  

Published Works on Equine Law - Books

Equine Law and Horse Sense (ABA Publishing, 2019). This book has received 4 national book awards. More information and order information can be found further below.

Co-author/co-editor, Litigating Animal Law Disputes: A Complete Guide for Lawyers (ABA Publishing, 2009).

MORE Equine Law & Horse Sense (Horses & The Law Publishing, 2000).

Equine Law & Horse Sense (Horses & The Law Publishing, 1996).

Published Works on Equine Law - Articles (Partial List)

EQUUS Magazine (3 articles)

Horse Illustrated  (5 articles)

Stable Management Magazine (12 articles)

Riding Instructor Magazine (regular/monthly column contributor since the 1990s)

American Quarter Horse Journal (4 articles)

International Arabian Horse Magazine (2 articles)

AHSA Horse Show Magazine

Saddle and Bridle Magazine

Michigan Bar Journal

Equine Chronicle

American Bar Association-TIPS Animal Law Committee Newsletter (15 articles)

American Bar Association-Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Law Journal (8 survey of the law articles)

Contributor, American Youth Horse Council Horse Industry Handbook

450+ articles appearing in equine industry publications nationwide since 1993. 

Featured in (Partial List)

"Horse Sense: Fershtman Brings Legal Knowledge to the Equine Industry," Michigan Super Lawyers Magazine.

"Equine Lawyers: A breed apart," Lawyers Weekly USA.

"Equine Lawyer Represents a New Breed of Clients," Michigan Lawyers Weekly.

"ABA Profiles in the Profession" (online)

"The Galloping Lawyer," Detroit Free Press.

"Galloping to Glory," Texas Bar Journal.

"Riding High," The Oakland Press.

"21 Lawyers Leading Us Into the 21st Century," ABA Barrister Magazine

"Lawyer Clears Liability Hurdles," Chicago Tribune.

"The Horse Lawyer," WJBK TV-2 News.

"Horses in the Morning" Podcast.

Legal Talk Network

Quoted In (Partial List)

ESPN.com

New York Times

CBS News Newspath

Practical Horseman

Horse Illustrated

Horse & Rider Magazine

The Blood-Horse Magazine

Stable Management Magazine

American Paint Horse Journal

Appaloosa Journal

American Quarter Horse Journal

Quarter Horse News

International Arabian Horse Magazine

Hoof Beats (USTA) Magazine

Miniature Horse World

Performance Horse Digest

Horses USA Magazine

Paulick Report