James M. McAskin

Areas of Practice

  • Commercial and Business Litigation
  • Supply Chain Contracts and Counseling
  • Construction Litigation

Jim McAskin concentrates his practice in commercial and business litigation. He has successfully represented and counseled various commercial clients, including automotive suppliers, franchises, dealerships, lending institutions and medical centers, in state and federal court, and commercial arbitration forums. Jim’s practice has an emphasis in automotive supply chain counseling.  He has successfully represented clients in hundreds of supply chain disputes.  This includes warranty and recall risks and claims, contracting and supply chain risks, and cost recovery claims.  He also frequently represents automotive suppliers in matters related to defective equipment.

Jim has been named a Michigan Super Lawyer.

Prior to joining Brooks Wilkins Sharkey & Turco, he was an associate at Pretzel & Stouffer in Chicago where he was trained in all aspects of litigation, trial preparation and strategy.

Recent Experience Includes

  • Defeated request for injunction arising from production facility shutdown in China arising from COVID-19
  • Successfully defended client in arbitration resulting in award of nothing for petitioner on its multimillion dollar claim
  • Member of team that obtained summary judgment for client on $18M trade secret claim
  • Member of team that won an award of $4M on behalf of re-seller of shipping services involving a breach of contract claim
  • Obtained an award of $3M on behalf of automotive manufacturing client on summary judgment
  • Obtained a $2.9M judgment for Tier 1 supplier in warranty recovery action against Tier 2 supplier
  • Secured $2.3M cost recovery for automotive manufacturing client through enforcement of indemnification rights against Tier II supplier
  • Obtained summary judgement 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 emergency injunction relief against competing business which resulted in judgment for corporate client
  • Obtained $450,000 recovery on “take-or-pay” supply contract for foundry against largest bearing company in the world through enforcement of minimum buy contract
  • Obtained summary judgement on behalf of lender in forged check lawsuit, which resulted in $360,000 recovery
  • Successfully represented Tier 1 supplier in obtaining $350,000 recovery on defective stamping equipment
  • Successfully represented Tier II automotive supplier in breach of contract claim, which resulted in a $110,000 recovery
  • Obtained replacement astroturf field for client
  • Represented multiple clients successfully in defense of, or enforcement of, non-compete contracts
  • Successfully domesticated state and foreign country judgments

Bar Admissions

  • Michigan 2009
  • Illinois 2005

Education, Professional Associations and Awards

  • Wayne State University Law School (J.D.2005); The Wayne Law Review, Assistant Editor
  • University of Michigan Ann Arbor (B.A.2000)
  • “Rising Star” and “Super Lawyer,” Michigan Super Lawyers – Business and Commercial Litigation (2012 – 2020)
  • Admitted: all Michigan state courts, the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan, the Northern District of Illinois
  • Member: State Bar of Michigan, Oakland County Bar Association and Chicago Bar Association
  • Board Member, Litigation Advisory Board, The Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE)
Specialists in High-Stakes Litigation, Bankruptcy and Supply Chain Counseling.