LEX FUGIT-SPECTERS OF LAW FIRMS PAST

Not sure what got me thinking down this path today.  Maybe I was looking for anything to get the word ZOOM out of my mind (webinar, meeting, facilitation and expert dep on that platform in 26 hours).  But, the name of an old Southfield law firm popped into my head.  The firm, Romain, Donofrio, Kuck and Egerer did State Farm work, almost exclusively.  The firm's office was located at 24901 Northwestern Highway in Southfield, an address now associated with a much larger law firm on the other side of the "v".  Mike Morse's office seems to have been at that address forever, but the Romain firm was gone before Mike took up residence.

The Romain firm, in its heyday, probably had about 15 lawyers.  State Farm was not the biggest carrier in the state in those days.  The company had an interesting way of handling its legal work.  It had 2 house counsel offices, each with only 2 lawyers.  The firm of Virant and Burdick, in Livonia, and the firm of Moreen and Chapelle in Southfield.  The heavier litigation matters went to a select few firms-the Romain firm, the Eggenberger firm and the Draugelis Ashton firm.  Romain was probably the biggest.  Now State Farm has a very large house counsel operation, and its work sustains several very large and small defense firms.

All the previously mentioned firms are long gone.  Floyd Virant, a good friend, died several years ago.  However, he worked for many years at several law firms after Virant and Burdick dissolved.  One of those firms was Draugelis and Ashton.

Which brings me to the point, if any, of this post.  I decided I'd look up those firms on the internet and see what, if anything I could find.  First, I looked up Virant and Burdick, a firm that did not see the beginning of the New Millennium.  I found this prominently displayed on the first Google results page:

The ad says that due to Covid 19, hours or services my vary.  I bet they do.  The really eerie part is that I called the phone number and got a State Farm voice message!  Gone but not forgotten.

So, I thought I'd look up the Eggenberger firm, and there it was, as of two days ago:

The firm has been gone for ages.  I like going to the office, as there weren't too many law offices in the venerable Penobscot Building back then, and this one was near the top.  If I recall correctly you may have needed to use 2 elevators to get there.  The Eggenberger firm departed from the standard deposition scheduling procedure, wherein a party was deposed at his attorney's office.  The Eggenberger people would schedule your client's dep at their office---so they would be free to smoke during the dep.  I think everyone in that firm smoked, a lot.

And, Draugelis and Ashton can still be found, allegedly as an ongoing business, as of yesterday:

A couple of the names are abbreviated.

These firms were all litigating all over Southeast Michigan, and were well known by everyone in the litigating "guild".  All gone now, accept on the internet, where they appear to the searching populace as alive and well.  A little weird.

A final note.  I am a member of the MAJ, though I am not allowed on the listserv, or at certain seminars (though there is no resulting reduction in dues).  When I was on the listserv, insurance companies were given witty, derogatory names, like "AllSnake", and "Snake Farm". (my God, what passes for wit these days).  I, on the other hand, when I was a plaintiff lawyer, had nicknames for the firms featured in this pIece:

For the Romain firm, "Romain, Cobb, Bibb & Iceberg-Lettuce Serve You"; and

For the Eggenberger firm, "Eggenberger, Eggenberger, Fries and a Coke".  Not exactly Oscar Wilde, but a little more inventive.

I miss them all.

Comments

[Tim McKercher]

Hello Mike,
The years have passed quickly since I joined Draugelis &Ashton in 1991 and much has changed including the fact that I have been an Arizona lawyer for several years. When asked by younger lawyers about my career, I always say “I was very lucky. I went to law school at Draugelis & Ashton.” Great lawyers all of them, including those identified on your internet search- Ed Draugelis, John Ashton, Don Scully, Terry Haynes, John McLean, Mike Pollard and Bert DiStefano. I miss them too.
Tim McKercher