Lee T. Silver

Lee is a shareholder practicing in Butzel’s Grand Rapids office. Mr. Silver has successfully handled complex commercial litigation cases of virtually every type over the past 40 years in state and federal courts throughout Michigan and well over a dozen other states. This wealth of experience enables Lee to develop the most effective strategies for achieving his client’s objectives in an efficient and cost-effective manner. His representative clients range from Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, manufacturers, and a variety of closely-held companies of all sizes to individual business owners, shareholders, executives, professionals, and other individuals. Lee was named by Best Lawyers in America as the 2023 Grand Rapids Lawyer of the Year for Bet-the-Company Litigation and was recognized by Michigan Super Lawyers in 2024 as one the top 10 attorneys in Michigan based on peer review.

In addition to a very busy litigation practice, Lee also has an active mediation/alternative dispute resolution practice throughout Michigan and nationally. He is one of only three Mediators in Michigan to be selected as a Fellow of the American College of Civil Trial Mediators and has also been selected as a member of the American Arbitration Association’s prestigious Master Mediator Panel which is comprised of AAA’s top Mediator’s as rated by attorneys that handle large complex disputes. He has also been selected as a member of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals, was named by Best Lawyers In America as the 2021 and 2024 Grand Rapids Lawyer of the Year for Mediation, has been on the approved list of mediators for the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan since 2003, and regularly serves as an Arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association, as well as in private arbitrations. Lee has successfully mediated over 1,200 cases in state and federal courts throughout Michigan and other states and takes great pride in the fact that an extremely high percentage of the cases he mediates settle as a result of the mediation. As a mediator, Lee approaches every matter fully prepared, and he is known for his tenacity and his ability to settle difficult cases by never giving up and believing that every case can be settled. As a trial lawyer with over 40 years of experience who has litigated over 1,000 cases, mediated over 1,200 disputes, served as an arbitrator in over 100 matters, and earned the highest rankings from his peers for his legal ability, Lee is uniquely qualified to analyze a case and help the parties reach a settlement.

Lee specializes in:

• Contract Disputes
• Shareholder and Partnership Disputes, including claims of Minority Shareholder Oppression
• Employment Disputes
• Covenants Not To Compete, Trade Secrets, and Unfair Competition
• Construction Disputes representing owners, contractors, and design professionals
• Supply Chain disputes in the auto industry and other industries
• Probate Litigation
• Uniform Commercial Code
• Financial Services Litigation
• Defamation and Business Disparagement
• Fraud
• Business Torts, including claims for Tortious Interference, Conversion, and Breach Of Fiduciary Duty
• Real Estate Disputes
• Professional Malpractice involving Legal, Accounting, and Design Professionals
• Commission Disputes, including Procuring Cause Claims
• Constitutional and Civil Rights Claims
• Corporate Governance and Liability of Corporate Officers and Directors
• Complex Commercial Litigation

News

Grand Rapids Attorney Among Michigan’s Go-to Trial Lawyers for Bet-the-Company Litigation

New York Times: Charges Against Former Michigan State President Are Dismissed

The Detroit News: Judge dismisses charges against former MSU president Simon in Nassar case

Mistakes Made During Lou Anna Simon Interview, Detective Concedes

All Related Practice Areas

Education

J.D., Indiana University School of Law, 1984 (First Place, Moot Court Competition; Member, National Moot Court Team; Teaching Assistant in Appellate Advocacy)

B.A., with honors, University of Redlands, 1981

Admissions

Memberships

• American Bar Association (Litigation, Business Law, and ADR Sections)
• Federal Bar Association for the Western District of Michigan
• American Association for Justice
• Michigan Association for Justice
• Grand Rapids Bar Association (Past Chairman of the Bench/Bar Committee; Past Member of the Judicial Evaluation, Finance, and Court Liaison Committees).
• Litigation Counsel of America (Trial Law Institute, Diversity Law Institute, Barrister-Order of Juris)
• VFM/ADR Advisor Committee, United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan

Awards & Recognitions

The Best Lawyers in America®: Commercial Litigation (2012-2025), Bet-the-Company Litigation (2023-2025), Mediation, (2012-2025), Arbitration (2024-2025), Construction Litigation (2025), Labor and Employment Litigation (2025), Product Liability Litigation (2025), and Construction Law (2025). 

Named as The Best Lawyers in America®, 2023 Lawyer of the Year for Bet-the-Company Litigation in Grand Rapids

Named as Best Lawyers in America, 2021 and 2024 Lawyer of the Year for Mediation in Grand Rapids

Michigan Super Lawyers, Commercial Litigation, 2007-2024

Michigan Super Lawyers, Top 10 Attorneys in Michigan, 2024

Michigan Super Lawyers, Top 100 Attorneys in Michigan, 2021-2024

Selected as a Fellow of the American College of Civil Trial Mediators.

Selected as a Member of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals.

Selected as a member of the American Arbitration Association’s Master Mediator Panel which is comprised of AAA’s top mediators as rated by attorneys.

AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell every year since 1997 (the highest rating possible for legal ability and ethics).

Crain's Grand Rapids Business Journal's Notable West Michigan Lawyers

Selected, Grand Rapids Magazine’s List of Top Lawyers.

Selected for inclusion in “Leading Lawyers” for Commercial Litigation and ADR Law.

Selected as a Senior Fellow in “Litigation Counsel of America.”

Selected, America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators.

Member, Million Dollar Advocates Forum. 

Fellow, American Bar Foundation.

Previous member of the Board of Directors of the International Society of Primerus Law Firms.

Selected as a faculty member for the Hillman Advocacy Program.