Bio

Edward J. Higgins has extensive experience in the areas of product liability, trucking and transportation liability, medical device liability, motor vehicle negligence, toxic torts, fire loss litigation, labor and employment litigation, premises liability and commercial litigation. He represents several major national and international corporations in matters filed in the state of Michigan.

Mr. Higgins is an active member of the firm’s Hiring and Mentoring Committees. He also serves as an editor and frequent author of the firm’s electronic Rapid Reports, through which Plunkett Cooney keeps its clients updated on developments in Michigan law.

Throughout his nearly 25-year legal career, Mr. Higgins has represented foodservice and hospitality industry clients with particular emphasis on claims involving premises liability, liquor liability, criminal acts of third parties, food contamination and deleterious substances, employment discrimination and wrongful discharge.

For the past 15 years, Mr. Higgins has successfully represented a popular international restaurant chain in all matters arising from operations in any of its dozen locations in southeast Michigan. He draws upon his extensive personal knowledge and experience from several years spent managing noteworthy full-service restaurants and working as a chef prior to pursuing the practice of law.

Mr. Higgins currently sits on the Steering Committees of the ALFA International Hospitality Law and Product Liability practice groups, and he speaks at seminars on topics of current concern within the industry.

Representative Client Work

  • Represents international hotel and restaurant chains in all aspects of Michigan litigation since 1994, including dram shop/liquor liability, premises liability and food poisoning claims
  • Represents national and international transportation companies
  • Represents manufacturers of cosmetics and personal care products
  • Represents national and international manufacturers of home electronics
  • Represents manufacturers and distributors of construction equipment
  • Represents manufacturers of exercise and fitness equipment
  • Represents health and fitness clubs
  • Represents major retail chains

PUBLICATIONS AND LECTURES

  • "Your Reservation is Confirmed: Welcome to the Jury Room!", Faculty Panelist, 2011 ALFA International Hospitality Law Practice Group Seminar, October 2011
  • "2011 ALFA International Product Liability Compendium," Contributor/Author
  • "2009 ALFA International Product Liability Compendium," Regional Editor and Contributor/Author
  • “It Just Keeps Going and Going and Going:  The Post-Sale Duty to Warn,” Author, Product Liability Perspectives, ALFA International, Fall 2005
  • “Caps on Damages: The ‘Lay of the Land,’” Author, RiskVue, March 2005
  • “Caps on Damages: The ‘Lay of the Land,’” Author, Product Liability Perspectives, ALFA International, Fall 2004
  • “The Effects of Weather on Liability,” Panel Guest, Due Process Television Show, WDIV – Channel 4 (Detroit), February, 2002
  • “Test Trials: An Anecdotal View” (Mock Trial Presentation), Lecturer, Michigan Adjusters Association Seminar, October, 2001
  • “Gone But Not Forgotten: Manufacturers’ Post-Sale Duties to Warn or Recall,” Author, Michigan Bar Journal, June, 1999
  • “Manufacturers’ Post Sale Conduct: Is There a Continuing Duty to Warn and/or a Common Law Duty to Recall,” Author, International Legal Strategy, May, 1997 (published in Japanese)
  • “So Much Quo for So Little Quid: Time for Michigan to Re-examine the Intentional Tort Exception to Workers’ Compensation Exclusivity,” Comment, Detroit College of Law Review, Volume 1992, Issue I

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

  • Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association (Circuit Court Committee)
  • State Bar of Michigan (Negligence Law Section)
  • Michigan Defense Trial Counsel
  • DRI
  • American Bar Association (Tort and Insurance Practice Section: Products, General Liability and Consumer Law Committee, and Commercial Transportation Committee)
  • ALFA International (Product Liability Steering Committee and Hospitality Law Steering Committee) 

Credentials

Education

  • Detroit College of Law, J.D., magna cum laude, 1992
  • Oakland University, B.A., 1987

Admissions

  • Michigan, 1992
  • Michigan Court of Appeals, 1992
  • Michigan Supreme Court, 1992
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 1992
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, 1993
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan, 2001
  • U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, 2004

Honors/Awards

Honors & Recognitions

  • Martindale-Hubbell’s highest rating-AV Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated
  • Detroit College of Law Review, Fall 1989 - Fall 1991 (Managing Editor, Comments, Spring-Fall 1991, Note and Comment Editor, Fall 1990)
  • DeWitt C. Holbrook Award, 1991-92
  • William B. Giles Award, 1989-90
  • American Jurisprudence Awards: Products Liability; Decedents' Estates & Trusts; Civil Procedure I; Research, Writing & Advocacy II

Insights

Publications