As of February 1, 2025, the municipal practice of Young, Graham, and Wendling, P.C. in Bellaire, MI is closing its doors. Bryan Graham and Peter Wendling want to express their sincerest gratitude to the many municipal clients they have served over the years. As part of this process, Bryan Graham and Peter Wendling have agreed to transfer their municipal practice to our law firm, Bauckham Thall.
We recognize that a transition in legal counsel can present challenges. To aid the transition, two attorneys in our office will be leading the transition team and are ready and available to consult with you: Catherine P. Kaufman is the managing partner of the firm and owns property near Harbor Springs where she hopes to relocate soon. Catherine has worked in municipal law for over twenty years, and in addition to being an attorney, is also an AICP certified planner who frequently lectures on planning and zoning matters. Michael W. Bila is the second attorney on the transition team. He is a native of Harbor Springs and is looking forward to expanding his practice close to his hometown. Michael is the firm’s main contact for election law, the Freedom of Information Act, and also writes briefs to the Michigan Courts of Appeals and Michigan Supreme Court on emergent municipal law issues.
Catherine and Michael can be reached on the firm’s office line: 269-382-4500, or by email at kaufman@michigantownshiplaw.com and bila@michigantownshiplaw.com, respectively. We highly encourage you to reach out to us with any questions on the transition or with any legal matters that may arise.
Our firm is accepting new clients!
Our specialty is representing municipal governments. Our firm assisted in founding the Michigan Townships Association (MTA) in 1953, and we have served as their general legal counsel ever since. We also serve as general legal counsel to over 200 individual townships, cities, villages, sewer and water authorities, emergency service departments, and other municipal authorities. Our clients are located all across the State, from the Detroit area to Kalamazoo to the far edges of the Upper Peninsula.
If you would like to learn more about our practice, please reach out to Attorney Michael Bila or Attorney Catherine Kaufman for more information.
