Michael J. Gildner’s practice is a blend of municipal law and general civil litigation. He serves as general counsel for 20 townships, villages or cities in Genesee, Oakland, Lapeer, Shiawassee and Tuscola counties (Townships of Arcadia, Attica, Caledonia, Forest, Flint, Gaines, Imlay, Marathon, Mayfield, Richfield and Thetford; Villages of Almont, Gaines, Holly, Millington, Ortonville and Otter Lake; Cities of Frankenmuth, Linden and Swartz Creek). He is also counsel for the Bishop Airport Authority and special counsel for the City of Flint.
Michael’s work has taken him into every aspect of local government law, from election law, land use, ordinance enforcement, special assessments, tax disputes and everything in between. He has tried cases involving municipal law at every level of the state courts, and also routinely defends his municipal clients in tax and assessment disputes before the Michigan Tax Tribunal. He is the former chairman of the Genesee County Bar Association Municipal Law Committee.
Mike Gildner also handles civil and probate litigation for private clients. This work typically involves guardianship, conservator, estate and trust disputes. He is licensed to practice in the United States federal courts in Michigan where he routinely appears for ERISA or life insurance disputes. He has argued before the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, Ohio five times.
Mike was born and raised in Flint. He graduated from Albion College in 1991 with a B.A. in Political Science. He went to law school at the University of Detroit Mercy, graduating with honors in 1993.
Gildner is a member of the Michigan State Bar, and is licensed not only in the State of Michigan but also the Eastern and Western districts of the United States federal courts and the United States Supreme Court. He is the past chairman of the Character and Fitness Committee for District B. He previously served on the Board of Directors for the Genesee County Bar Association and Lapeer County Land Bank, and he presently serves on the Lapeer County Community Foundation Board of Directors.
Mike Gildner is AV rated by the Martindale-Hubbell peer review system which means he has reached “the highest level of professional excellence” and is recognized by his peers for the “highest levels of skill and integrity.”
Mike and his wife Elizabeth have four boys and one girl, and they are proud grandparents. They live in Metamora, Michigan. When he’s not working, Mike loves to play golf and read.
