Lawrence S. Charfoos
By Susan Pinkowski
One of Detroit’s premier attorneys was called home Saturday morning, January 24.
Lawrence S. Charfoos passed away from a brief illness after having reached the age of 90. His wife, Jane Emerson, was by his side. His parents, Samuel and Charlotte, daughter, Annette, and brother, Myron, predeceased him some years ago, but he leaves the loving family he had with Jane, which included stepchildren and step-grandchildren.
Jane’s daughter, Leslie, posted this on a social media site: “It’s hard to find the words to adequately pay tribute to a life like Larry’s. He was truly a powerhouse in his profession and personality. Larger than life. He had a trailblazing and remarkable career as a trial attorney. But arguably even more impactful was his role as a husband to my mom, stepfather to my sister and me, and ‘Pa’ to his four grandsons. He had an especially close bond with my oldest son, Nathan, his first grandson. They were quite the pair. I can honestly say that there was no one else on earth like Larry, and there won’t ever be anyone like him again. We’re really, really going to miss him.”
Larry had a long and influential career, spanning six decades, working for plaintiffs in the fields of medical malpractice, personal injury, aviation disasters, MDLs, and eventually in complex commercial litigation, after tort reform changed the landscape.
He graduated from Wayne State University Law School in 1959 and was admitted to the bar in Michigan in 1959, in Illinois in 1963, and eventually in New York, in 1986. He wrote the book on handling med-mal cases (“The Medical Malpractice Case: A Complete Handbook”) and later won the first million-dollar verdict in Michigan in 1972 for a brain-injured patient (Lenair v. City of Detroit). That award allowed entry into The Inner Circle, a small group of nationwide attorneys who also received verdicts of $1 million or more. He helped found an organization with a goal to raising the bar on attorney standards and professionalism and was its first president (American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys). He contributed numerous articles discussing ethical standards in medical malpractice litigation, to the benefit of all in the legal field.
Early on, he joined with his father, Samuel, in the Charfoos & Charfoos law firm. Eventually, his father retired and the firm evolved to Charfoos, Christensen, and Gilbert, and then Charfoos, Christensen, Gilbert and Archer, before Dennis Archer became Mayor of Detroit.
After many years, Larry left the firm and became associated in 2009 with retired Wayne County Circuit Judge William Giovan and Robert Birach, a noted immigration attorney, by forming Charfoos, Giovan & Birach, LLP. Throughout his long career, he was a member of the Detroit Bar Association, State Bar of Michigan, American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys, and numerous other professional groups.
“Larry was a pioneer in the malpractice and personal injury field of law, the first lawyer to obtain a million-dollar verdict in Michigan, and an icon in the legal field, both locally and nationally,” said Judge Giovan, who served on the Circuit Court bench for 33 years.
“Today's profession has been built on the foundation he helped to create.”
In addition to “The Medical Malpractice Handbook” and its subsequent editions, he also wrote: “Personal Injury Practice: Technique and Technology” (1986) co-authored with David Christensen, and “Daughters at Risk: A Personal DES History” (1981) co-authored with David Fenichell.
The cases he has won have been numerous and varied. Here are just a few:
• The Northwest Airlines Class-Action Koczara, et al. v. Northwest Airlines. This case was widely covered at the time because of its impact on thousands of travelers who were stranded on planes for nearly 8 hours during a massive snowstorm that blanketed the Midwest. The settlement of $7.15 million for false imprisonment on behalf of 7,000-plus travelers also resulted in the airline industry changing its policy.
• Lenair v. City of Detroit, in 1972, was the first million-dollar medical malpractice verdict in Michigan, for a young patient who suffered brain damage due to a botched anesthesia procedure.
• The 1983 Korean Air Lines Flight 007 disaster was tried before Judge Anna Diggs-Taylor in federal court for verdict of $50 million for the families of 137 passengers killed when a Korean Air Lines plane strayed into Soviet territory and was shot down.
• A $2.3 million settlement in Beesley v. Accuride, et al., where a premises-safety defect caused serious injury.
His former partner, Doug Peters, said what was not well known about Larry was how generous he was by helping employees pay their college tuition, advance their legal careers, as well as the legal careers of many. He brought on David Christensen to the firm after watching him in trial one day, long ago. The rest is history. He also stepped up to the plate whenever a federal judge would call to ask him to handle a pro bono case, according to Peters.
From a professional standpoint, Robert Birach said the more complex the case, the more energized Larry became, and his energy was boundless. Birach said his former partner was one of the most intense people he ever met, in all respects.
“He had an appetite for life exceeded by few others and lived it to its fullest, with no regrets,” Birach said. “From a personal standpoint, he was caring and compassionate, and a loyal friend. No matter what life threw at him, he made the best of it and enjoyed every minute of it. He brightened our days with his laughter and his never-ending positive outlook. We will miss you, Larry.”
Another former partner, Jody Aaron, said that she was so glad for the loving home and family that he found with Jane. Larry was definitely a force to be reckoned with, Aaron said. She can’t imagine how many of us benefited from walking in his shadow. May his memory be a blessing, Aaron said.
On a personal note, I spent 23 years with him, as his legal secretary, then paralegal, then second chair, then friend. I even set him up on the first date with Jane years ago for a bar association function at the Caucus Club. He once told me that he wasn’t that brilliant, but he had a talent for digging through thousands of pages of details to find the one spot that showed where everything went wrong. He taught me everything about his practice, and I saw loads of brilliance from him. It was an education I will never forget, nor, like Leslie said, will there ever be another man like him. Love him or hate him – you will never forget him.
Bye, Lar.
One of Detroit’s premier attorneys was called home Saturday morning, January 24.
Lawrence S. Charfoos passed away from a brief illness after having reached the age of 90. His wife, Jane Emerson, was by his side. His parents, Samuel and Charlotte, daughter, Annette, and brother, Myron, predeceased him some years ago, but he leaves the loving family he had with Jane, which included stepchildren and step-grandchildren.
Jane’s daughter, Leslie, posted this on a social media site: “It’s hard to find the words to adequately pay tribute to a life like Larry’s. He was truly a powerhouse in his profession and personality. Larger than life. He had a trailblazing and remarkable career as a trial attorney. But arguably even more impactful was his role as a husband to my mom, stepfather to my sister and me, and ‘Pa’ to his four grandsons. He had an especially close bond with my oldest son, Nathan, his first grandson. They were quite the pair. I can honestly say that there was no one else on earth like Larry, and there won’t ever be anyone like him again. We’re really, really going to miss him.”
Larry had a long and influential career, spanning six decades, working for plaintiffs in the fields of medical malpractice, personal injury, aviation disasters, MDLs, and eventually in complex commercial litigation, after tort reform changed the landscape.
He graduated from Wayne State University Law School in 1959 and was admitted to the bar in Michigan in 1959, in Illinois in 1963, and eventually in New York, in 1986. He wrote the book on handling med-mal cases (“The Medical Malpractice Case: A Complete Handbook”) and later won the first million-dollar verdict in Michigan in 1972 for a brain-injured patient (Lenair v. City of Detroit). That award allowed entry into The Inner Circle, a small group of nationwide attorneys who also received verdicts of $1 million or more. He helped found an organization with a goal to raising the bar on attorney standards and professionalism and was its first president (American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys). He contributed numerous articles discussing ethical standards in medical malpractice litigation, to the benefit of all in the legal field.
Early on, he joined with his father, Samuel, in the Charfoos & Charfoos law firm. Eventually, his father retired and the firm evolved to Charfoos, Christensen, and Gilbert, and then Charfoos, Christensen, Gilbert and Archer, before Dennis Archer became Mayor of Detroit.
After many years, Larry left the firm and became associated in 2009 with retired Wayne County Circuit Judge William Giovan and Robert Birach, a noted immigration attorney, by forming Charfoos, Giovan & Birach, LLP. Throughout his long career, he was a member of the Detroit Bar Association, State Bar of Michigan, American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys, and numerous other professional groups.
“Larry was a pioneer in the malpractice and personal injury field of law, the first lawyer to obtain a million-dollar verdict in Michigan, and an icon in the legal field, both locally and nationally,” said Judge Giovan, who served on the Circuit Court bench for 33 years.
“Today's profession has been built on the foundation he helped to create.”
In addition to “The Medical Malpractice Handbook” and its subsequent editions, he also wrote: “Personal Injury Practice: Technique and Technology” (1986) co-authored with David Christensen, and “Daughters at Risk: A Personal DES History” (1981) co-authored with David Fenichell.
The cases he has won have been numerous and varied. Here are just a few:
• The Northwest Airlines Class-Action Koczara, et al. v. Northwest Airlines. This case was widely covered at the time because of its impact on thousands of travelers who were stranded on planes for nearly 8 hours during a massive snowstorm that blanketed the Midwest. The settlement of $7.15 million for false imprisonment on behalf of 7,000-plus travelers also resulted in the airline industry changing its policy.
• Lenair v. City of Detroit, in 1972, was the first million-dollar medical malpractice verdict in Michigan, for a young patient who suffered brain damage due to a botched anesthesia procedure.
• The 1983 Korean Air Lines Flight 007 disaster was tried before Judge Anna Diggs-Taylor in federal court for verdict of $50 million for the families of 137 passengers killed when a Korean Air Lines plane strayed into Soviet territory and was shot down.
• A $2.3 million settlement in Beesley v. Accuride, et al., where a premises-safety defect caused serious injury.
His former partner, Doug Peters, said what was not well known about Larry was how generous he was by helping employees pay their college tuition, advance their legal careers, as well as the legal careers of many. He brought on David Christensen to the firm after watching him in trial one day, long ago. The rest is history. He also stepped up to the plate whenever a federal judge would call to ask him to handle a pro bono case, according to Peters.
From a professional standpoint, Robert Birach said the more complex the case, the more energized Larry became, and his energy was boundless. Birach said his former partner was one of the most intense people he ever met, in all respects.
“He had an appetite for life exceeded by few others and lived it to its fullest, with no regrets,” Birach said. “From a personal standpoint, he was caring and compassionate, and a loyal friend. No matter what life threw at him, he made the best of it and enjoyed every minute of it. He brightened our days with his laughter and his never-ending positive outlook. We will miss you, Larry.”
Another former partner, Jody Aaron, said that she was so glad for the loving home and family that he found with Jane. Larry was definitely a force to be reckoned with, Aaron said. She can’t imagine how many of us benefited from walking in his shadow. May his memory be a blessing, Aaron said.
On a personal note, I spent 23 years with him, as his legal secretary, then paralegal, then second chair, then friend. I even set him up on the first date with Jane years ago for a bar association function at the Caucus Club. He once told me that he wasn’t that brilliant, but he had a talent for digging through thousands of pages of details to find the one spot that showed where everything went wrong. He taught me everything about his practice, and I saw loads of brilliance from him. It was an education I will never forget, nor, like Leslie said, will there ever be another man like him. Love him or hate him – you will never forget him.
Bye, Lar.
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