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Andrew C. Vredenburg

Shareholder
Grand Rapids
1700 East Beltline, N.E.
Suite 200
Grand Rapids, MI 49525-7044
T 616.726.2234
F 616.726.6834

Overview

Andy Vredenburg focuses on helping small to medium-sized businesses seize opportunities and overcome challenges. A significant part of his practice involves addressing the litigation needs of his clients. His skills and experience are much broader, as he handles a myriad of transactions and matters that help clients profitably run their businesses.

Whatever the nature of the work or industry, Andy's clients share common characteristics. They are either looking to grow and need assistance to get the deal done and the strategy executed or they face an impediment to growth such as litigation or a regulatory roadblock. Andy is also the current Vice President of the firm's Grand Rapids office.

Andy's experience (and focus on using legal strategy to achieve business objectives), has been honed over nearly 25 years of legal practice, including six years as in-house counsel for a middle-market company. Over the course of his career, Andy has routinely handled:

  • Business disputes. These involve contracts, partnerships and shareholders' agreements, employee non-competes, settlement agreements and claims made by private and public entities against his clients.
  • Real estate and environmental matters. This includes all aspects of the sale and purchase of real property for both commercial and residential land.  Over the years, Andy  has supervised environmental assessments, due diligence and remediation activities involving wetlands, landfills and contaminated properties.
  • Construction litigation and development. Andy has prepared contracts, construction liens and pursued and defended lien foreclosure actions for his many construction clients as well as assisted with business planning for contractors and developers.
  • Corporate counsel. He has assisted business clients with planning. He has prepared corporate documents and contracts, handled mergers and acquisitions and has helped obtain real and personal business property for his clients.  Often he offers counsel for both personal and business matters when asked by his clients. 

Andy is also in demand as a speaker. He has spoken on a variety of complex and diverse business issues. Some of his presentations include, the “Consumer Protection Act and Automobile Dealership Requirements,” “Regulation and Development of Wetlands for the Commercial Real Estate Developer and Contractor,” and “Bankruptcy, From A Creditor’s Perspective.”

Honors & Recognitions

Best Lawyers® in America - Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, 2024-2025

"Top Lawyer", Grand Rapids Magazine, 2023 in Construction Law

Affiliations

Memberships & Affiliations

Legal Affiliations:
  • American Bar Association
  • State Bar of Michigan
  • Grand Rapids Bar Association
  • American Inns of Court
Community Involvement:
  • Cannon Township
    • Former Planning Commission Member and Vice Chair
    • Former Cannon Township, Zoning Board of Appeals Chair
    • Current Cannon Township Recreation, Committee Member
  • Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative (ELNC)
    • Board of Directors, Member
    • Advocacy Committee, Member
  • Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce
  • Metro Hospital Institutional Review Board Member 
  • Rockford High School Boys Lacrosse, Board Member

Experience

Representative Matters

  • He has successfully tried more than 50 cases to verdict before both juries and judges involving contract and business claims.
  • In April 2023, following a five-day trial before a Michigan Administrative Law Judge where several witnesses and experts were called to testify and more than 75 written and digital exhibits were admitted into evidence, he successfully obtained a decision reinstating the suspended license of a Michigan well driller. EGLE and the Michigan Attorney General’s office sought revocation of the well drillers license for alleged violation of Michigan’s Well Drilling Code and Public Health Act which relief was denied by the Judge.
  • In 2019 he successfully argued for summary disposition obtaining dismissal of claims against a company alleging a Tortious Interference with a Business Relationship or Expectancy, Conversion, and Fraud.
  • In 2018, following an evidentiary hearing, he obtained a favorable ruling from a Kalamazoo judge denying entry of a medical groups request for an injunction against a former employee and her new employer involving enforcement of a non-competition provision in the client's prior employment agreement.
  • In 2017, following a three-day trial, obtained a jury verdict awarding his client money damages against a residential builder for defective work on the clients home.
  • In 2013, he represented a Michigan-based farm equipment dealer to bring claims under the Michigan Farm and Utility Equipment Act and the Michigan Antitrust Reform Act, resulting in a $5.15 million jury verdict for his client, which was upheld following an extensive 15 months of post-judgment motions.
  • In 2013, he successfully argued for summary disposition enforcing an employee's termination agreement with his employer that required the employee to pay the employer a fee for each client the employee took when he left his employment.
  • In 2013, he successfully obtained an injunction barring a property owner from maintaining a dock and mooring a boat on a Lake Access Easement and storing personal property on a Driveway Easement.
  • In 2012, he successfully had a Fair Credit Reporting claim dismissed against an automobile finance company.
  • In 2010, he successfully argued a motion for summary disposition and was granted a dismissal of a $2.4 million conversion claim brought against a business client.
  • In 2010, he obtained a verdict of "no-cause of action" following a two day bench trial on a sales commission claim brought by a former sales representative against a business client.  He was also awarded attorney fees in that case.
  • In 2009, he obtained a jury verdict dismissing a breach of contract claim against his construction client where it was alleged the contractor performed defective work.
  • In 2008, he represented a large West Michigan produce company in a merger involving assets that exceeded $50 million.
  • He successfully defended at trial a business accused of violating the Michigan Trade Secret Act and a Covenant Not to Compete. 
  • In 1999, he successfully had an employment discrimination case against a client dismissed pursuant to a summary disposition motion.  
  • After a restaurant fire in GreekTown, Michigan, a contractor was accused of improperly constructing an exhaust vent for an oven.  Andy successfully defended the contractor, minimizing their exposure and liability to the owner of the building and its insurer.

Communications

Recent Blog Posts

BizTech Law Blog

Publications

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News & Events

Speaking Engagements

News

Education

University of Detroit School of Law, J.D., 1991, cum laude

Michigan State University, B.A., 1987

Bar and Court Admissions

Michigan

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan

Lansing
Southfield
Grand Rapids
Detroit
Holland