Overview
Jerry Pesick’s practice areas include eminent domain, condemnation, land use, and property taxation. Over his more than 40-year career, he has tried and settled condemnation cases across Michigan for tens of millions of dollars. He also regularly represents clients in major tax appeal cases involving all types of business properties throughout the state.
Well-known for his talents and accomplishments, Jerry has represented clients in virtually every major condemnation project in Michigan, such as the Gordie Howe International Bridge; Poletown; the Detroit Waterfront Casino and Reclamation Project; Comerica Park and Ford Field; the I-696, M-59, M-5, Northwestern Connectors; Van Dyke Highway; Detroit Metropolitan Airport Expansion; Pinnacle AeroPark; Wayne State University Welcome Center; Ypsilanti Water Street Redevelopment; Eastern Michigan University Business School; numerous road widenings; class actions; and many others.
Jerry was lead counsel on behalf of property owners in the largest eminent domain verdict in Michigan history. The government’s original offer was $13.7 million for a 6.3-acre piece of property on the Detroit River; the verdict rendered was $25 million.
The Best Lawyers in America has included Jerry on its annual list each year since its inception in 2007, and he has been named the Best Lawyers “Eminent Domain and Condemnation Lawyer of the Year” five times for two Metro Detroit regions. For 2022, he was honored as the Best Lawyers “Real Estate Lawyer of the Year” for its Troy region, which includes most of the major communities in Oakland and Macomb counties. Jerry has also been selected by Super Lawyers as one of the top attorneys in Michigan annually since 2006 and recognized several times as one of Super Lawyers’ “Top 100 Michigan Lawyers.” In 2019, Michigan Lawyers Weekly recognized him as a “Leader in the Law.”
Jerry is a past chair of the State Bar of Michigan’s Real Property Law Section and served as chair of the section’s Eminent Domain Committee for seven consecutive years. He is also a past chair of the Oakland County Bar Association’s Circuit Court Committee.
As a frequent author and speaker on eminent domain topics, Jerry is also a trusted authority for local print and broadcast news outlets. He has written several articles on eminent domain and wrote a chapter on eminent domain for the Institute of Continuing Legal Education’s publication on municipal law.
Professional Affiliations
- State Bar of Michigan
- Member, Litigation and Real Property Law Sections
- Past Chair, Real Property Law Section
- Past Chair, Real Property Law Section’s Eminent Domain Committee
- Member, Real Property Law Section’s Land Title Standards Committee
- Oakland County Bar Association
- Past Chair, Circuit Court Committee
- American Bar Association
- Member, Litigation Section
- Member, Litigation Section’s Committee on Real Estate, Condemnation and Trust Litigation
Community/Civic Activities
- Adat Shalom Synagogue, Executive Board Member and Officer
- National Bone Marrow Transplant LINK, Past Board Member
- Karmanos Cancer Institute, Past Board Member
Honors & Awards
- State Bar of Michigan Real Property Law Section "C. Robert Wartell Distinguished Service Award" (2022)
- Best Lawyers in America®
- Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law (2007 to present)
- Best Lawyers “Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law Lawyer of the Year”
- Detroit Area (2011 and 2014)
- Troy Region (2016, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2024)
- Best Lawyers “Real Estate Lawyer of the Year”
- Troy Region (2022 and 2024)
- Michigan Super Lawyers (2006 to present)
- Top 100 Michigan Super Lawyers (2008-2011, 2013, 2014, and 2021)
- Top 50 Michigan Business Super Lawyers (2013)
- Michigan Lawyers Weekly “Leader in the Law” (2019)
- Martindale-Hubbell AV® “Preeminent”™ Lawyer
- Peer Review Rating of 5.0 out of 5.0
Admissions
- Michigan
- U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan
News & Insights
- November 1, 2023
- August 23, 2023
- August 17, 2023
- Twelve Attorneys From Williams, Williams, Rattner & Plunkett Selected to the 2023 Super Lawyers ListAugust 11, 2023
- November 9, 2022
- August 18, 2022
- August 12, 2022
- August 1, 2022
- January 26, 2022
Articles & Publications
- Michigan Municipal Law, Eminent Domain Chapter (Co-Author), Institute of Continuing Legal Education (2018)
- The Availability of Eminent Domain for The Detroit Public Works Project, Michigan Real Property Review (Fall 2013)
- Feature: Recent changes in Eminent Domain Law (Co-Author), Michigan Bar Journal (November 2007)
- Commercial Lease Condemnation Clauses (Co-Author), Michigan Real Property Review (December 1, 2006)
- Kelo v. City of New London: How We Got Here and Where We’re Going (Co-Author), Michigan Real Property Review (December 1, 2005)
- What Is All the Talk About ‘Public Use’? (Co-Author), Michigan Lawyers Weekly (October 24, 2005)
- Eminent Domain: Calculating Just Compensation in Partial taking Condemnation Cases, Michigan Bar Journal (December 1, 2003)
- Calculating Just Compensation in Partial Taking Condemnation Cases (Co-Author), Michigan Bar Journal (December 2003)
- Governmental Damages: Real Estate and Related Damages Resulting from Intentional and Unintentional Government Acts (Co-Author), Michigan Real Property Review; Volume 27, No. 3 (October 1, 2000)
Practices ›
Education ›
Education
- University of Detroit School of Law, Juris Doctor, 1978
- University of Michigan, Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, with distinction, 1974
