Steven L. Barney

Steven L. Barney is the senior litigation partner in the firm’s Northern Michigan office handling a variety of cases, including construction liability (architects, engineers and contractors), product liability (airplane, auto, firearms and machinery), professional liability (attorneys and accountants), complex commercial claims, and alternative dispute resolution.

Mr. Barney currently serves as the President of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel.  He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and American Board of Trial Advocates. 

Representative Client Work

• Defended hundreds of professionals (accountants, attorneys, engineers, realtors, appraisers and surveyors) in matters throughout northern Michigan.
• Defended numerous manufacturers on major product liability claims including automatic doors, firearms, heavy equipment and farm implements.
• Defended major oil and gas companies on catastrophic casualty claims including explosions, equipment malfunctions and safety issues.
• Defends major construction claims.
• Mediated hundreds of cases from small claims to multi-million dollar complex commercial matters. 

Professional Certifications

• Approved Arbitrator:  American Arbitration Association National Roster of Arbitrators and Mediators, Commercial & Construction Panel Member
• Certified Mediator/Facilitator, United States District Court Western District of Michigan
• Certified Mediator, Michigan Supreme Court’s Community Dispute Resolution Program
• Chartered Institute of Arbitrators’ Associate Member
• Completion of Defense Research Institute’s Mediation Seminar
• Completion of Harvard Law School’s Program of Instruction for Lawyers Mediation Workshop
• Completion of 2^nd Annual Advanced Negotiation & Dispute Resolution Institute Mediation Training
• Completion of American Arbitration Association’s Construction Arbitrator Training Workshop (October 2000)
• Completion of American Arbitration Association’s Arbitrator II Workshop:  Advanced Case Management Issues (May 2002)
• Completion of United States District Court, Western District of Michigan’s Advanced/Refresher Mediator Training (February 2004)

Professional Affiliations

• Emmet/Charlevoix Bar Association
• Michigan Bar Association
• Michigan Defense Trial Counsel (Past President)
• Defense Research Institute
• American Bar Association 
• American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow
• American Board of Trial Advocates, Michigan Chapter
• Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (President-Elect, 2007; Board of Directors, 2007; Secretary-Treasurer, 2006)
• FDCC Litigation Management College (Faculty Member, 1997-2002)
• FDCC Litigation Management College (Graduate Faculty Member, 2003-Present)

Community Involvement

• Top of Michigan Trails Council (Past President)
• Petoskey Bay View Country Club (Board of Directors, Past)
• Petoskey Area Chamber of Commerce (Board of Directors Past)
• Petoskey Housing Commission (Past)

Publications and Lectures

• Various publications and personal presentations, most recently on facilitation, products liability, technology, Internet discovery, including:
• Avoiding Sanctions in Discovery, Joint International Conference, Barcelona, Spain
• Discovery in the International Setting – E-Discovery, British Insurance Law Association, London, England
• ADR Section of the State Bar of Michigan, Preparing Yourself and Your Client for Facilitative Mediation
• Alternative Dispute Resolution for the South Dakota Defense Lawyers Association
• How to be a Better Advocate in Facilitated Mediations
• Discovery of Electronic Information: How to Discover and Retrieve Evidence From Opponent’s Computer and Draft or Respond to Electronic Discovery Requests
• Using Technology to Reduce Your Litigation Costs
• How To Digest Written Discovery Requests
• Product Liability: Benefits of Early Detection and Investigation
• Prepared and presented numerous presentations for the FDCC and others on legal malpractice, products liability, electronic discovery, foreign discovery, etc. most recently including:
• Technology and the Business of Litigation
• Surf and Turf: Cyberspace from the Ground Up – The Issues (Legal and Otherwise) of Electronic Information
• Case Evaluation Software
• Ethics Issues for the Defense: You Be the Judge
• How to Prepare Your Client and Yourself for Mediation

News

• Plunkett Cooney Attorneys Named 2007 Michigan 'Super Lawyers'