Richard A. Dinon

Richard A. Dinon recently completed his 26^th year of practice with Plunkett Cooney.  He began his legal career with the firm as a law clerk while pursuing his legal studies at the University of Detroit. He was admitted to the State Bar of Michigan in 1981 and began working as an attorney in the firm’s Bloomfield Hills office.  He became a shareholder in 1991, and has continued with the firm since that time. 

After several years in the firm’s workers compensation section, he transferred to the firm’s product liability section where he developed a specialty in toxic torts. He has historically acted as National Coordinating Counsel for a major U.S. manufacturer of industrial tools and other products.

Mr. Dinon moved to the Petoskey office in 1990. Since that time, Mr. Dinon’s practice has expanded to include labor negotiations, labor and employment law, construction accident and contract litigation and general liability. He currently serves as the managing partner of the Petoskey office.

Representative Client Work

• Successfully defended a bar that was alleged to have illegally served an Alleged Intoxicated Person (AIP), obtaining a judgment for summary disposition based upon the failure of the plaintiff to comply with the statutorily required notice provisions.
• Successfully defended numerous cases through motions for summary disposition, arguing the plaintiffs did not comply with the naming and retaining provisions of Michigan’s Dramshop Act.
• Successfully represented a restaurant/bar that was alleged to have illegally served a man who subsequently was involved in a motor vehicle accident, resulting in two fatalities, including the AIP. Despite the fact that the AIP's blood alcohol content was high enough to infer visible intoxication, a favorable resolution was reached during trial by introducing sales records that contradicted witness statements regarding the quantity of alcohol consumed by the AIP at the client's establishment.
• Represents liquor licensees in administrative hearings before the Michigan Liquor Control Commission for license, statutory and rule violation reviews.
• Negotiated multiple labor contracts for large municipal employers
• Tried multiple complex products liability cases to verdict
• Provided employment counseling to employers in both the public and private sector
• Tried multiple construction accident cases to verdict
• Represented numerous general contractors, sub-contractors in construction disputes
• Acted as national coordinating litigation counsel in multi-state personal injury litigation for a major manufacturer of cutting and grinding tools 

Professional Affiliations

• Emmet County Bar Association
• State Bar of Michigan (Negligence Law and Labor and Employment Law sections)
• American Bar Association (Tort and Insurance Practice and Litigation sections)