Blogs
We are experienced attorneys offering innovative and collaborative legal solutions that grow businesses and banks, expand churches, and build nonprofit organizations. Our blog features insight into recent case decisions, advice for budding entrepreneurs and established leaders, as well as commentary on other aspects of the legal profession that we find interesting. Welcome. Please let us know what you think.
All Peoples Church prevails in a CEQA challenge in California: Lessons in Law, Environment, and Urban Planning from Save Del Cerro v. City of San Diego
Congratulations to our client, All Peoples Church in San Diego, California, for prevailing in a CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) challenge to the approval of its site plan for a new facility in the Del Cerro neighborhood. This legal victory…
When a Good Cause Isn’t Enough: A Cautionary Tale for Nonprofits Seeking Federal Grants
A recent Michigan Court of Appeals decision, Goldsmith v Faith Hope & Love Outreach Center Inc, unpublished per curiam opinion of the Court of Appeals, issued May 19, 2026 (Docket No. 371415), offers a pointed lesson for any nonprofit that…
Zoning Regulations Still Apply to Commercial Gun Range Owners under the Second Amendment
Over the past several years, the scope of Second Amendment’s protections relating to owning and carrying firearms has been clarified by the Supreme Court. In New York State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n, Inc. v. Bruen, 597 U.S. 1 (2022) the…
Sixth Circuit avoids Tax Foreclosure Judgment as Preference
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has now held that, under certain circumstances, a Michigan tax foreclosure can be avoided as a preferential transfer in Chapter 13. In Reinhardt v. Prince, Bay County Treasurer (Case 25-1072), the…
What the OpenAI Battle Should Teach Every Michigan Nonprofit About For-Profit Affiliations
Today, a federal jury in Oakland, California delivered its verdict in one of the most closely watched corporate governance disputes in recent memory. Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman was thrown out unanimously, after less than two…
Broad Cove Church fights to maintain its property
The church wants to stand by its truth: Broad Cove Church has always belonged to the Cushing community, and it still does.
Thinking about merging two nonprofits? What most boards don’t know until it’s too late
Nonprofit mergers used to be rare enough that most executive directors could go an entire career without facing one. That is no longer true. Sustained funding pressure, funder consolidation, and the lingering financial strain of the pandemic years have pushed…
Chiles v. Salazar: Colorado's Conversion Therapy Ban & the First Amendment
Last year I wrote about the Court’s oral arguments in Chiles v. Salazar relating to whether Colorado’s “conversion therapy” ban violated the First Amendment. Recently, the Supreme Court issued its decision. Chiles v. Salazar, No. 24-539, 607 US ___ (Mar…
The "Ransom" of the Sanctuary: Florida’s High-Stakes Battle Over Church Property
For decades, Florida has stood as a legal island in a shifting sea of religious property law. While the majority of the United States has moved toward treating church property disputes like any other secular contract or trust, Florida has…
What Are Zoning Moratoriums?
In the world of real estate, development projects can often move quickly. One day, a vacant field or an old industrial site is open; the next, a massive proposal is being processed through the local land use and zoning department.…
Olivier v. City of Brandon: The Supreme Court Clarifies the Application of 42 U.S.C. § 1983
Recently, the Supreme Court clarified the scope of relief available to plaintiffs under 42 U.S.C. § 1983—the federal statute allowing for declaratory relief and damages against the government for violations of constitutional rights. In Olivier v. City of Brandon, the…
Breaking Down Barriers: The Fair Housing Act and Oxford Houses
That law is the Fair Housing Act (FHA). Today, we're going to break down the elements of an FHA case involving an Oxford House and explain how the law protects individuals in recovery.
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