High stakes

Trial attorney handles partnership disputes for Detroit firm

By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News

During jury deliberations in a civil case, the trial judge called the lawyers into chambers and read a question from the jury asking whether they could award Jason Conti's client substantially more money than the amount requested.

It was a memorable moment for Conti, now a partner and trial and appellate attorney with Foley & Lardner LLP in Detroit. His 20-year career includes complex, high-stakes commercial and partnership disputes, property tax appeal litigation, real estate litigation, and intellectual property, trade secrets and computer software litigation.

He has successfully represented publicly and privately owned corporations, real estate developers, property owners, national retailers, software developers, media clients, partnerships, and taxpayers in state and federal trial and appellate courts, and administrative agencies, and obtained numerous verdicts, published court decisions, settlements, and dismissals in favor of his clients. His successes include achieving millions of dollars of property tax savings in Michigan and outside the state for commercial and industrial clients; and defending royalty fee claims regarding retail sales of a best-selling children's video and horror movie series.

"I love advocating for my clients," he says. "Whether in a trial or at a hearing, it's an honor to represent them and help them navigate through some of the most difficult times they will face in their personal and professional lives. Helping my clients provides me with great personal and professional satisfaction.

"I also enjoy the camaraderie amongst the other members of the bar which makes being part of a profession so satisfying and unique."

Conti finds the old lawyer adage that no one day or case is ever the same, is absolutely true.

"There are so many unique twists and complex issues that I have to work through in my cases," he says. "It can be frustrating at times and it takes hard work, but I get great satisfaction out of solving such complex problems and coming up with the right solutions for my clients."

A member of the State Bar of Michigan, including the Litigation and Taxation sections, as well as the American Bar Association and Oakland County Bar Association, Conti is recognized in The Best Lawyers in America and DBusiness Top Lawyers, was named 2016 Detroit Litigation and Controversy-Tax Lawyer of the Year, and has been Peer Review Rated as AV Preeminent.

He earned his bachelor's degree, with high distinction, from the University of Michigan where he was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Kappa Delta honor societies; and his law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School where he was an articles editor for the Journal of Transnational Law and a member of the Moot Court Board.

"I always had an academic curiosity about the legal system and how it worked, and I was drawn to the idea of being part of a profession which was dedicated to such a system," he says. "I also enjoy reading and writing, and that makes law a perfect fit for me.

"I view law as a thinking profession, which on a daily basis requires me to draw on my intellect, creativity, and problem solving abilities and it's a profession that you can continually improve and get better at no matter the stage of your career."

A Bloomfield Hills native, Conti now makes his home in Huntington Woods, with his wife Kristy, and 7-year-old twins, Hannah and Alexander. Leisure pursuits include golf, hiking, reading, and playing hockey. He also coaches his twins' sports teams, and serves as fundraising chair for his law school class.

Conti views the Motor City as a great, livable Midwestern city.

"It offers affordable housing, wonderful and strong communities in which to raise a family, and just about everything any other major city offers, including lakes, golf courses, sports teams, restaurants, live music, theater, and entertainment," he says.

"On the professional side, the work I've been able to do is every bit as complex and sophisticated as I would otherwise be doing if I had chosen to live on the East Coast."

Published: Thu, Aug 04, 2016

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