Photo courtesy of Matthew Ackerman
By Tom Kirvan
Legal News
Now in its 90th year, Ackerman & Ackerman, P.C. recently added another family rung to the legal ladder.
The firm, founded in 1931 by Irving Ackerman and guided for more than three decades by his son Alan, has gained a reputation as one of the premier eminent domain law firms in the nation, a fact almost certain to be heightened by the addition of Columbia Law School grad Matthew Ackerman.
Matthew, who earned his bachelor’s degree cum laude from Harvard and a master’s degree in economics from the London School of Economics, represents the third generation of his family to practice with the firm.
“I grew up wanting to practice law with my dad, just like he did with his dad,” Matthew said. “That’s the reason I went to law school. I was eager to join the firm because it’s such an outstanding opportunity to learn a complex area of law from my dad, who is really an expert in all things eminent domain. We’re looking forward to this next phase, and growing the practice together.”
Matthew brings an impressive legal resume to the firm. At Columbia Law School, he served as the Data and Analytics Editor on the Columbia Law Review, Vice President of the Columbia Federalist Society, IT and Library Chairman on Student Senate, and as a teaching assistant for civil procedure and criminal law. He was named a James Kent Scholar and was awarded the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Prize, presented annually to J.D. degree candidates who earned James Kent academic honors for outstanding scholastic achievement all three years.
Following law school, Matthew enjoyed two prestigious clerkship opportunities, first for Judge Jerry E. Smith of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans and then for Judge Michael H. Park of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York.
The elder Ackerman earned his JD from the University of Michigan Law School after obtaining a master’s in industrial relations from Michigan State University. His father, Irving, was a Detroit College of Law grad, at the age of 19.
“He peddled newspapers growing up from the time he was 5 years old,” Ackerman said of his father, whose parents emigrated from Russia before the Bolshevik Revolution. “My dad was a real live wire. He was special.”
Ackerman joined his father’s law firm in 1972, joking “he made me a partner so that he could cut my pay.” He began learning teminent domain law from his father, who died in 1999 at age 89.
“He had many legal triumphs over the course of his career,” Ackerman said of his father. “He believed in the importance of urban renewal, but he also fought against unnecessary destruction of neighborhoods by way of condemnation. He had his moments of great pride in changing the law in a very positive way.”
Like his father, Alan Ackerman has made a habit of winning eminent domain cases for property owners, displaying the smarts, and stamina to do battle with governmental agencies and utility companies determined to convert private land for the public good.
His list of success stories is as long as some of his cases, one of which concluded more than a decade ago after a nearly 18-year legal journey. That case, the battle with the Michigan Department of Transportation over rightful compensation for a consortium of property owners affected by work on the M-5 highway corridor in Oakland County, was atypical for sure, Ackerman admitted. Yet, it also was indicative of the lengths that the managing partner will go in serving the needs of his clients, many of whom take on the persona of “David” in the battle with the “Goliath” of government.
After initially offering $1.4 million to property owners in the M-5 case, the MDOT agreed to a settlement of more than $18 million, according to Ackerman.
Now, with his son Matthew by his legal side, Ackerman said his “batteries are recharged” for the next chapter in the history of Ackerman & Ackerman, P.C.
“While more of our focus in recent years has been on complex business litigation, we still take pride in our history in helping property owners in eminent domain cases,” Ackerman said.
That legacy of success figures to continue under the new version of the firm, according to its newest member.
“It’s been a lifelong dream to practice law with my dad,” said Matthew, whose younger brother Daniel is an attorney with Butzel Long. “I cannot tell you how lucky I feel to have this opportunity.”
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