Carol A. Rosati

Carol A. Rosati is the founding and managing shareholder of the firm, in charge of its day-to-day operations. She is considered one of the top attorneys in the State of Michigan in the area of zoning and land use defense for municipalities.

Carol is admitted to all state and federal courts in the State of Michigan, as well as the United States Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, Ohio. She served as the primary defense counsel for the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority in land use cases and serves as both general counsel and special counsel for a number of municipalities. She has authored books, published numerous articles, is a frequent speaker at conferences at both the state and national level in her area of practice, and has appeared as a speaker on training tapes which have been distributed nationwide.

Practice Areas

• General Municipal Law
• Zoning and Land Use
• Constitutional Law and Civil Rights
• Prosecution and Ordinance Enforcement
• Real Estate and Construction
• Insurance Defense
• Appellate Advocacy
• Mediation Services

Education

• Wayne State University Law School, J.D., June 1980
• Michigan State University Honors College, B.A., December 1976

Professional Activities / Memberships

• State Bar of Michigan
• Member, Council for the Government Law Section (formerly Public Corporation Section), 1988-2023
• Secretary/Treasurer, Government Law Section, 2002-2003
• Vice-Chair, Government Law Section, 2003-2004
• Chair, Government Law Section, 2004-2005
• Former Chair, Zoning Committee of the Public Corporation Law Section
• Oakland County Bar Association
• Lifetime Fellow
• Former Chair, Municipal Law Committee
• Former Vice-Chair, Alternate Dispute Resolution Committee

Admitted to Practice

• All courts in the State of Michigan
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
• United States District Court for the Western Districts of Michigan
• United States Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals

Awards

• Inducted into the Hall of Fame by Lawyers Weekly, 2022
• Best Lawyers in America
  Listed in the areas of Litigation-Municipal, Land Use and Zoning, and Municipal Law 2013-2027
  Listed in Cannabis Law, Litigation – Land Use and Zoning 2024-2027
  Designated "Lawyer of the Year" Litigation-Municipal 2017, 2021, and 2025
  Designated "Lawyer of the Year" Municipal Law, 2016 and 2027
  Recognized in Women in the Law, 2020
• Super Lawyers
  Selected in areas of Municipal Law and Land Use/Zoning 2006-2026
  Top 50 Women Lawyers in Michigan 2007, 2009-2022
  Top 100 Lawyers in Michigan 2013-2022
  Top 25 Business Women in Michigan 2014-2026
• Distinguished Municipal Attorney Award presented by the Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys, 2006
• Named by Lawyers Weekly as one of the Top 20 Women Leaders in the Law, 2012
• Named Top Lawyer by DBusiness and Hour Magazine, Land Use/Zoning, Municipal Law and Constitutional Law, 2010-2025
• Named in Leading Lawyers, Top Real Estate Lawyers
• Listed in The National Law Journal as a Lawyer of Distinction
• Ranked in America's Most Honored Lawyers, Top 1% by the American Registry
• "AV Preeminent" ranking with Martindale-Hubbell since 1983, the highest level of professional skill and integrity
• Named in Leading Lawyers Michigan Edition--Governmental, Municipal, Lobbying & Administrative Law and Land Use, Zoning & Condemnation Law
• Named in America's Top 100 Attorneys, Lifetime Achievement Award
• Selected for Best Attorneys in Michigan by American Registry
• Selected as Top-Rated Lawyer in Energy Environmental and Natural Resources by American Lawyer Media and Martindale-Hubbell
• Selected as Top-Rated Lawyer in Land Use and Zoning by American Lawyer Media and Martindale-Hubbell

Publications / Presentations

• Co-Author, Michigan Zoning, Planning and Land Use, published by ICLE, 2008, updated annually
• Chapter Author, Michigan Municipal Law, published by ICLE, 2012, updated annually
• Published article in Public Corporation Law Quarterly on the current status of the ripeness doctrine
• Michigan Sign Guidebook, 2^nd Edition, The Local Planning and Regulation of Signs, published by Scenic Michigan, January 2021 – Member of the Advisory Committee
• Co-Author of an article for the Michigan Public Risk Management Association newsletter entitled, "The 'Sign' of Change: The Impact of Reed v Town of Gilbert on Local Sign Regulations," August 2016
• Presenter at the MIPRIMA Conference on November 5, 2015, at the Inn at St. Johns on land use litigation issues
• Speaker at the Annual MTA Township Attorney Seminar on the new cases and statutes in the area of land use, 2012
• Published article in Laches regarding the measure of damages in regulatory takings cases
• Published article in Public Corporation Law Quarterly regarding Federal Fair Housing Act and the regulation of adult foster care homes
• Speaker at the National PRIMA Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio and Baltimore, Maryland, “Anatomy of a Lawsuit”
• Speaker at the National PRIMA Conference in San Diego, California, “Land Use Regulation”
• Speaker at the National AGRIP Conference in Savannah, Georgia, “Land Use Regulation”
• Has spoken on the topic of zoning and land use regulation throughout the State of Michigan at various groups including the Michigan Township Supervisors, Michigan Township Association, and the Michigan Society of Planning Officials
• Speaker at the MMRMA Winter meeting, Medical Marijuana: Land Use and Law Enforcement Issue, 2011
• Routinely presents seminars to municipalities throughout the State of Michigan to assist in the education of governmental officials, employees and consultants

ICLE (Institute of Continuing Legal Education) Courses Taught

• Presenter, ICLE Land Use Update Webinar, 2018
• Presenter, Homeward Bound 2016-2017: Zoning and Municipal Approvals - The Process, May 4, 2017
• Presenter, ICLE Land Use Update Webinar, 2017
• Land Use and Development 2007, September 18, 2007
• Land Use and Development 2006, September 7, 2006
• Hot Topics in Municipal Law, February 15, 2006
• Land Use and Development 2005, September 16, 2005
• Land Use and Development 2004, October 14, 2004
• Land Use and Development 2003, September 25, 2003
• Litigation with State and Local Governments, Current Issues, December 7, 1993

Community Service

• Charter Township of Bloomfield Zoning Board of Appeals, 2006-2026