Firm Overview
Brooks Wilkins Sharkey & Turco
BWST was started in 2009 by a group of attorneys with decades of specialized experience in much larger firms. Our aim was to create a platform to provide clients with expert and personalized service in just a few disciplines – complex business litigation, bankruptcy and workouts, and automotive supply-chain counseling. Our practice has grown since 2009, but our goal remains the same: to successfully assist our valued clients in working through difficult legal situations in a thoughtful and efficient manner.
Brooks Wilkins Sharkey & Turco is a nationally respected law firm that focuses on three areas: litigation, bankruptcy and supply chain counseling. We serve sophisticated clients worldwide, from Fortune 100 companies to prominent individuals. We leverage a lean business model and emphasize timely, clear and candid communication so that our clients can make informed and effective litigation, bankruptcy and supply decisions.
Many law firms like to tout what they can do. At Brooks Wilkins Sharkey & Turco, we rely on what we have actually done. Our trial lawyers have amassed many decades of experience and hundreds of positive results for our clients in:
We consistently achieve outstanding results in business litigation, insolvency cases and other critical matters. Our many successes in “bet-the-company” lawsuits with millions on the line speak for themselves. Our attorneys’ work product and track records rival any national firm. We understand our clients’ businesses, know and have worked in their industries, and only represent clients who insist on intelligent, timely and effective legal representation and counseling.
Our practice spans many industries and commercial sectors in which we have spent decades litigating, managing insolvency issues and counseling businesses to avoid, mitigate or allocate risk along the supply chain. We are also familiar with the challenges and goals of global businesses, with many of our clients based or doing business in Europe, Asia and South America.
National Experience
Our experience and commitment to client service extends beyond the boundaries of our home state. The attorneys of Brooks Wilkins Sharkey & Turco have successfully represented clients in more than 40 states. Our highly effective use of and reliance on technology allows us to cost-effectively transcend time zones and physical location.
Firm Accomplishments
- Received jury verdict of $5.3M for our client in a misappropriation of trade secrets case
- Successfully defended hospital system in $280M six-week jury trial case
- Successfully defended software development firm in $14M jury trial case
- Successfully defended health care insurer in $25M seven-week jury trial case
- Successfully tried a breach of contract claim against an international shipper, obtaining judgment in excess of $4M
- Obtained largest judgment in State of Michigan in 2013 for client vs. insurer ($9.3M)
- Successfully defended multiple law firms in legal malpractice cases
- Mediated over 250 business disputes
- Obtained favorable case evaluation award for defendant of less than 10% on a $1.2M personal guarantee claim.
- Obtained $1.7M award for supplier through summary judgement.
- Regional counsel for leading tire manufacturers in catastrophic personal injury cases
- Lead supplier counsel on many “bet-the-company” OEM/Tier I warranty, recall and program termination disputes with demands up to several hundred million dollars
- Representation and counseling of suppliers in hundreds of automotive supply chain pricing, duration and quality disputes, including stop shipments and TROs
- National representation of major Tier One automotive chassis component manufacturers in defense of ABS product liability litigation
- Advising Tiered suppliers and start-up electric vehicle and commercial heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers on FMVSS and NHTSA regulations, reporting and certification obligations and options
- Counseled Tier 1 suppliers in numerous high-stakes automotive supply chain disputes
Worked on trial team that secured a $25.7M judgment in action for breach of a supply contract - Successfully negotiated and litigated many manufacturing-supply-chain disputes, including between tier-1 suppliers and their OEM customers, and between tier-1 and tier-2 suppliers and their lower-tier suppliers
- Obtained a $10 million verdict in favor of a tier-2 automotive supplier after its former customer violated a confidentiality agreement and stole the supplier’s design.
- Successfully obtained temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions in federal and state courts on behalf of tier-1 automotive suppliers whose operations were threatened by the actions of their suppliers.
- Developed and implemented strategies used by tier-1 automotive suppliers to obtain price increases and other extra-contractual payments from OEMs after preproduction problems, volume shortfalls, and other changes in circumstances.
- Participated on trial team in an unfair competition and business tort case which obtained a $300M judgment – the largest state court verdict in history
- Participated in a multi-million dollar antitrust litigation which resulted in client obtaining a $500M settlement
- Successfully defended against multi-million dollar veil piercing claim
- Obtained dismissal of multi-million dollar legal malpractice/breach of fiduciary duty claim
- Obtained dismissal of $10M adversary proceedings in bankruptcy court
- Counseling U.S. and foreign based automotive suppliers regarding NHTSA compliance and recalls
- Regional counsel representation of leading tire manufacturer in product liability/personal injury cases
- Representation of major Tier 1 automotive suppliers in litigation of price disputes involving potential manufacturing plant shut downs
- Representation of major Tier 1 automotive suppliers in arbitration and litigation of eight-figure warranty and recall disputes with automotive OEMs
- National counsel representation of major Tier 1 automotive chassis component supplier in defense of ABS product liability litigation
- Obtained summary judgment on behalf of a Fortune 500 company in products liability lawsuit
- Obtained summary judgment on behalf of national provider of homeland security and emergency preparedness on multi-million dollar, 13-count complaint filed by prospective subcontractor
- Obtained an award of $3M on behalf of automotive manufacturing client on summary judgment
- Obtained summary judgment for client on $18M trade secret claim
- Successfully defended at trial an automotive manufacturer against $27 million dollar suit based on breach of contract and quasi-contract claims
- Obtained $4.6 million dollar judgment on behalf of property management company on breach of fiduciary duty and embezzlement claims after previously obtaining emergency injunctive relief
- Arbitrated dispute that resulted in nearly $1 million arbitration award in favor of automotive manufacturer
- Obtained a $1.1 million settlement for an industrial property owner that suffered trespass damages arising from soil collapse caused by adjoining property owner
- Successfully defended and obtained dismissal of fraud and minority oppression claims brought against majority member of a limited liability company
- Counseled advisors to Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles of England’s Royal Family concerning claims brought against the Royal Family
- Obtained a $9M arbitration award for a corporation on its malpractice claims against its former actuary
- Successfully negotiated and litigated hundreds of manufacturing supply chain contracts and disputes, ranging from Original Equipment Manufacturers versus Tier 1 suppliers to raw material suppliers versus lower tiers, 1999-current
- Obtained multi-million dollar judgment for Tier 2 solar power supplier against Tier 1 for wrongfully failing to pay based on Solyndra bankruptcy.
- Obtained partial summary judgment for Tier 1 automotive supplier against Tier 2 supplier regarding requirements contract issues.
- Won summary judgment in case seeking $40,000,000 in damages from asset-sale earn-out calculation.
- Obtained numerous injunctions in state and federal courts on behalf of Tiered suppliers involving various automotive components
- Secured $5,300,000 jury verdict for client in trade secret dispute
- Secured $3,000,000 judgment for automotive client in trade secret dispute
- Secured a jury verdict for no cause for action while defending a Fortune 500 client in $4,000,000 race discrimination trial
- Obtained no cause defending hospital client in $3,000,000 wrongful death jury trial
- Successfully defended industrial general contractor in $3,000,000 contract dispute
- Resolved and secured dismissal of approximately $2,000,000 in motor carrier claims against automotive client
- Successfully defended international information technology company in contract dispute with alleged damages in excess of $10,000,000, plus a demand for exemplary damages
- On behalf of Tier I and II automotive suppliers located throughout the United States and abroad including Canada, Mexico and Europe, negotiated and drafted terms and conditions of multimillion dollar contracts for the purchase and sale of unique automotive components
- Successfully defended numerous manufacturers against claims for both pre and post termination sale commissions and damages allocable under the Uniform Michigan Sales Representative Act
- Successfully negotiated a $2M termination claim on behalf of a Tier I automotive supplier
- Successfully represented numerous suppliers in obtaining injunctive relief and defending against motions for injunctive relief
On behalf of a major bank, won summary disposition and an award of $2M in damages plus attorney fees in a case involving a breach of a commercial loan and guaranty agreement - Co-counsel for the Official Committee of Retirees in the City of Detroit Chapter 9 bankruptcy
- Representing numerous Tier One and Two automotive suppliers in negotiating agreements with their financially distressed sub-suppliers or customers to ensure continuity of supply
- Representing a distressed aerospace supplier in negotiations with its customers and the sale of its business
- Representing the Unsecured Creditors’ Committee and the Liquidating Trustee of a manufacturer with over $500,000,000 in liabilities
- Representing real estate developers and guarantors in the negotiation and documentation of workout and discounted payoff agreements
- As debtors’ counsel, representing a substantial Michigan not-for-profit hospital in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy and ultimate sale as a going concern
- Advising boards of directors regarding their fiduciary responsibilities in the insolvencies of subsidiary and related entities
- Representing the purchaser of substantially all of the operating assets of an insolvent solar energy company
- Prosecution and defense of many preferential transfer and fraudulent transfer actions
