 Brian W. Whitelaw Grand Rapids, Michigan
Brian's concentration is on the defense of medical malpractice cases. He is the author of several articles on medical-legal issues, including the Tort Reform Act and Alternative Dispute Resolution, published in the Michigan Bar Journal. Brian is a frequent speaker to healthcare practitioners on topics related to medical malpractice litigation. Presentations are provided without charge to medical groups in Michigan.. Featured speaker on Medical Malpractice Tort Reform at Annual Meeting of the Michigan State Bar in Grand Rapids in 1994. Brian was interviewed by SKY RADIO on February 3, 2004. The topic was Tort Reform. Click to listen to Brian's interview. Recreational interests include scuba, bicycling, reading, and cooking. Certification/Specialties: Divemaster Certification, Professional Association of Diving Instructors Michigan, 1981 U.S. District Court Eastern District of Michigan, 1981 U.S. District Court Western District of Michigan, 1989 U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit, 1997 Detroit College of Law, Detroit, Michigan,
1981 Michigan State University,
1977 "The Tort Reform' Act - A Step in the Right Direction? Yes!", Michigan Bar Journal, 1987 "Health Care Arbitration in Michigan - An Effective Method of Alternative Dispute Resolution", Michigan Bar Journal, 1993 "Health Care Arbitration in Michigan - An Effective Method of Alternative Dispute Resolution", The Legal Advertiser, 1993 "Health Care Arbitration in Michigan - An Effective Method of Alternative Dispute Resolution", Westlaw database "Journals & Law Reviews" Classes/Seminars Taught: "Legal Implications of Medical Record Documentation", St. John Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, 1984 "Anatomy of a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit", St. John Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, 1984 "Medical Malpractice Issues for the Home Care Provider", Visiting Nurses Association in Southfield, Michigan, 1984 "Diagnosing the Plaintiff; How to Lessen the Likelihood of Medical Malpractice Litigation", St. John Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, 1985 "Preparing for the Discovery Deposition", Wayne State University, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in Detroit, Michigan, 1985 "Medical-Legal Issues for Nursing", Madison Community Hospital in Madison Heights, Michigan, 1987 "Medical Malpractice Litigation; The Crisis and Tort Reform", Mercy College Hospital Administration master's level class in Hospital Policy and Regulation in Detroit, Michigan, 1987 "Living Wills and the Right to Die - A Patient's Right to Self Determination", North Detroit General Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, 1988 "Minimizing Legal Exposure in Nursing Home Liability Cases", Southfield, Michigan, 1988 "Minimizing Legal Exposure in Nursing Home Liability Cases", Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1988 "Legal Considerations in the Interview Process; Legal Responsibilities Regarding Retention of Staff, and Legal Implications of Medical Record Documentation", Annual Management Meeting of Community Centre Group - An Eight facility health care organization in Grand Haven, Michigan, 1988 "Legal Aspects of Respiratory Care Practitioners' Medical Record Documentation", Michigan Society for Respiratory Care at the Annual Northern Michigan Seminar in Traverse City, Michigan, 1989 "Litigation: The Hard Facts", MAOPS 91st Annual Post-Graduate Conference and Scientific Seminar, 1990 "Medical Records Documentation", Hayes Green Beach Hospital in Charlotte, 1990 "Anatomy of a Medical Malpractice Suit; Tort Reform in Michigan"; Medical Records Documentation, at Blodgett Memorial Medical Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1991 "Advanced Directives: Develop a Plan to Minimize Liability", Michigan Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons at the MAOPS 93rd Annual Post-Graduate Conference and Scientific Seminar, 1992 "Anatomy of a Medical Malpractice Suit; Tort Reform - 1993", MSU-KCMS, Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan, 1993 "Tort Reform - On the Horizon - Panel Discussion", 58th Annual Meeting of the State Bar of Michigan in Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1993 "Anatomy of a Medical Malpractice Suit; Tort Reform - 1993"; Medical Records Anatomy of a Medical Malpractice Suit; Tort Reform - 1993; Medical Records Documentation", St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1993 "Medical Records Documentation", Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo Michigan, 1993 "Medical Records Documentation", Reed City Hospital, Reed City, Michigan, 1994 "Anatomy of a Medical Malpractice Suit; Tort Reform - 1994", MSU-KCMS, Bronson Methodist Hospital's Gilmore Educational Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan, 1994 "Strategies for Successfully Negotiating Medical Malpractice Claims", Physicians Insurance Company of Michigan (PICOM), Okemos, Michigan, 1994 "Medical Records Documentation", St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1994 "Medical Records Documentation", MSU-KCMS, Borgess Medical Center's Lawrence Educational Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan, 1994 "Medical Litigation in Michigan: Emerging Concepts for the 1990s", Methodist Hospital's Gilmore Educational Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan, 1995 "Charting Issues for Anesthesiology", CRNA's at St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1995 "Anatomy of a Medical Malpractice Suit", Blodgett Memorial Medical Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1995 "Charting Issues for Orthopedics; Tort Reform - 1995", Blodgett Memorial Medical Center,Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1995 "Risk Management Issues For Family Practitioners", St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1995 "Minimizing Legal Exposure in Medical Office Practice", Mecosta County Memorial Hospital in Big Rapids, Michigan, 1997 "Defending the Dental Malpractice Case", Kalamazoo Area Dentists Plainwell, Michigan, 1997 "Anatomy of a Medical Malpractice Suit and participation in mock trial", presented to Michigan Association of Nurse Anesthetists, at Annual Meeting in Traverse City, Michigan, 1997 "Medical-Legal Issues for Physician's Assistants", Grand Valley State University Physician's Assistant students in Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1997 "Risk Management Overview for Dentists: Informed Consent, Tort Reform and Risk Management Issues from a Litigator's Perspective", The Medical Protective Company in Grand Rapids,MI, 1998 "Medical Malpractice Tort Reform in Michigan 15 Years Later", Rotary Club of Grand Rapids East, in Grand Rapids, MI, 1998 "Medical-Legal Issues for Physician's Assistants", University Physician's Assistant students at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998 "Liability Loss Exposures and Insurance Coverage: Distinguishing Claims", 21st Annual MSHRM Conference in Traverse City, MI, 2000 "Medical Malpractice Litigation in Michigan-Emerging Issues in the New Millennium", Metropolitan Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2001 "Anatomy of a Medical Malpractice Suit", Forum in Kalamazoo, Michigan, 2003 "Anatomy of a Medical Malpractice Suit, Tort Reform Legislation and Medical Record Documentation", Metropolitan Hospital emergency physicians and practice managers at a forum in Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003 "Medical Malpractice Litigation", presented at the Fifth Annual Emergency Medicine Risk Management Symposium, MSU/Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies in Kalamazoo, Michigan, 2004 "Let's Talk: Communicating the Good, the Bad, and the Apology", presented as part of a Risk Management Seminar by ProAssurance for ER physicians in Grand Rapids, Michigan, June, 2005; and for physicians of all specialties in Traverse City, Michigan, July, 2005 "Improving Communication Skills to Reduce Malpractice Risk", presented to neurosurgeons in Kalamazoo, Michigan, July, 2005 "Legal Aspects of Conscious/Procedural Sedation", presented at the Sixth Annual Emergency Medicine Risk Management Symposium for MSU/Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies in Kalamazoo, Michigan, October, 2005 "Smooth Sailing: Navigating the Rough Waters of Modern Day Practice", presented as part of a Risk Management Seminar by ProAssurance for physicians in Kalamazoo, Michigan, August, 2006 "Smooth Sailing: Navigating the Rough Waters of Modern Day Practice", presented as part of a Risk Management Seminar by ProAssurance for physicians in Grand Rapids, Michigan, September, 2006 "Smooth Sailing: Navigating the Rough Waters of Modern Day Practice", presented as part of a Risk Management Seminar by ProAssurance for physicians in Kalamazoo, Michigan, November, 2006 "Medical-Legal Issues for Physicians' Assistants", presented to 2nd year PA students at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, December, 2006 "And You Think You've Had a Bad Day: Challenging Problems & Difficult Defenses", presented to Emergency Medicine Physicians in Grand Rapids, Michigan, May, 2007 "And You Think You've Had a Bad Day: Challenging Problems & Difficult Defenses", presented to physicians at three ProAssurance seminars in Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids Michigan, September, October and November, 2007 "A Tiger in Your Corner Understanding Medical Liability and Malpractice Protection", participant in panel discussion for the Medical Group Management Association's annual Fall Conference, with panel representatives from ProAssurance, American Physicians Assurance Corporation, MHA Professional Associations and Memberships: Michigan Bar Association American Bar Association Grand Rapids Bar Association Michigan Health Care Institute Michigan Defense Trial Counsel Association of Defense Trial Counsel Michigan Society of Hospital Attorneys Defense Research Institute of America Medical Liability Committee Past Employment Positions: Bensinger, Cotant, Menkes & Aardema, P.C., Grand Rapids, Shareholder, 1988 - 2001 Kitch, Saurbier, Drutchas, Wagner & Kenney, PC, Detroit, Senior Associate, 1983 - 1988 City of Troy, Law Clerk/Attorney, 1980 - 1982 Birth Information: 1954 From our office in Grand Rapids, Michigan, we provide high quality legal counsel to people throughout the Lower Peninsula, Upper Peninsula and Western Michigan, including the cities of Grand Rapids, Lansing, Kalamazoo, Cheboygan, St. Joseph, Detroit, Battle Creek, Flint, Manistee, Jackson, Muskegon, Allegan, Petoskey, Ludington, Mt. Pleasant, Big Rapids, Traverse City, Gladwin, Midland, Alma, Alpena, and Bay City. |
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Aardema, Whitelaw & Sears-Ewald, PLLC
5360 Cascade Rd. SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546
Phone: 616.575.2060
Fax: 616.575.2080
E-mail: Contact Us
