If your child or the child of a loved one has been the victim of a birth injury, contact attorney Jesse Reiter or attorney Russell Gregory today for effective legal representation.
ABC Law Centers
122 Concord Rd
Bloomfield Hills MI 48304
Click here for directions
Telephone: (248) 593-5100
Fax: (248) 593-5108
Meet Attorneys Jesse Reiter, Russell Gregory and Juliana Sabatini Plastiras
Gregory & Reiter, P.C., is the professional corporation law firm which owns and operates American Baby & Child Law Centers. The two senior partners of the firm are Russell Gregory, J.D., and Jesse Reiter, J.D.
Russell Gregory, Juris Doctor Cum Laude
Russell Gregory is co-owner of Gregory & Reiter, P.C. and American Baby & Child Law Centers. Mr. Gregory received his Bachelor's Degree in Psychology at the University of Michigan in 1983, and his Juris Doctorate from the Detroit College of Law in 1986. He graduated Cum Laude (with Honors), Dean's List, Gold Cord, and Law Review.
Mr. Gregory was First-In-Class in Civil Procedure, both semesters. These top academic rankings earned him the research position for which he is personally named and thanked in the Preface to Michigan Practice, Volume 5, 1985. These areas regard litigation and courtroom procedures and tactics, which are crucial to representing clients in court.
Mr. Gregory served two internships. He served a Federal Judge, and the United States Attorney General's Office. Mr. Gregory received the highest grades conferrable for both. After graduating from law school, Russell Gregory took the Bar Exam in Michigan . An exceptionally high score on the first part conferred passage automatically (without need to grade the remainder), and he was admitted to the State Bar of Michigan. Mr. Gregory went on to take the Florida Bar Exam, as well, and was thereafter admitted to the Florida Bar.
Mr. Gregory began his practice with a major law firm in Detroit. He was on the Birth Trauma Team, which defended obstetricians and hospitals in birth injury cases. However, Mr. Gregory found himself sympathizing with the child victims of birth malpractice. After two and a half years, Mr. Gregory switched to a major plaintiff firm, to represent the injured children.
Four and a half years later, having gained extensive experience at these two major law firms, Mr. Gregory established his own firm in 1994, The Law Offices of Russell Gregory, P.C. Therein, he established what is believed to be the only firm of its kind, even to this day - a firm handling only birth injury cases.
In 1997, Mr. Gregory co-established American Baby & Child Law Centers. He conceived the baby block logo (above) as a beacon for parents of neurologically-injured children searching for help. The firm headquarters - a beautifully renovated Tudor mansion - was Mr. Gregory's vision and passion for three years, as he found and transformed it into a calming sanctuary for clients and staff. He and his firm remain there today representing injured children and their families in birth injury cases, exclusively.
Russell Gregory has over 20 years of experience in birth trauma litigation. He is admitted to practice in the states of Michigan and Florida, as well as in the Federal Court system. With over two decades' experience handling birth trauma cases, Mr. Gregory has virtually unmatched knowledge on the subject. He recently wrote the article, "Birth Injury Expert Causation Testimony," which was widely published in several states. In 1992, Attorney Russell Gregory became a medical malpractice mediator in Wayne and Oakland Counties, a position he still holds today, in addition to his practice. Mr. Gregory also serves as a mediator for the Oakland County District Court.
Mr. Gregory appears in Who's Who in American Law (and other Who's Who Volumes), as well as the Million Dollar Advocates Forum (restricted to million-dollar-winning attorneys). He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Oakland County Bar Association, the State Bar of Michigan, and is a sustaining member and former executive board member of the Michigan Association for Justice (MAJ). Russell Gregory is also a member of the Birth Trauma Litigation Group of the American Association for Justice (AAJ), an advocate of the AAJ National College of Advocacy, and is listed in Best Lawyers in America and Michigan Super Lawyers Magazine. He is a Judge for both the National Trial Advocacy Competition and the Michigan State University College of Law. Russell Gregory is a mentor as part of the Michigan State University College of Law Mentoring Program.
Outside the practice of law, Russell Gregory likes to spend his time with his wife, Pamela, and family.
I began The Law Offices of Russell Gregory with a deep commitment to representing significantly injured children. In defending these sorts of cases immediately out of law school, I realized the great disparity in the ability of wealthy doctors and hospitals versus often poor, uneducated patients to adequately represent their interests in negotiation and litigation. I recognized that, without lawyers such as myself, these injured children would not stand a chance against the medical and insurance industries. When I began my own firm, I quickly directed it towards representing only such children. As Gregory & Reiter, P.C., American Baby & Child Law Centers, we continue representing these children and their parents, exclusively, now on a larger scale and in multiple states.
– Russell Gregory
Russell Gregory: Speeches and Seminars
January 18, 2001: Interviewed on WPGC in Washington, D.C.
May 11, 2001: Speaker, MAJ Rapid Fire Seminar entitled "Davis-Frye/Daubert." To review outline, click here.
October 25, 2001: Judge, National Trial Advocacy Competition
March 22, 2002: Expert Panel Member, MAJ MedMal Seminar entitled "Structured Settlements."
May 30, 2003: Speaker, MAJ Annual Rapid Fire Seminar entitled "New Ways to Succeed." Topic: Reviving Informed Consent in Medical Malpractice Cases.
April 7, 2005: Judge, Michigan State University College of Law Moot Court Competition.
November 11, 2005: Interviewed on WJLB radio station in Detroit, Michigan.
April 21, 2006: Judge, Michigan State University College of Law Moot Court Competition.
April 3, 2007: Judge, Michigan State University College of Law Moot Court Competition.
October 23, 2008: Judge, Michigan State University College of Law National Trial Advocacy Competition
November 14, 2008: Judge, Michigan State University College of Law Appellate Advocacy Class Competition
Jesse M. Reiter, Juris Doctor
2006 "Michigan Lawyer's Weekly" Lawyer of the Year
Attorney Jesse M. Reiter is co-owner of Gregory & Reiter, P.C. and American Baby & Child Law Centers, and a past president of the Michigan Association for Justice (MAJ).Mr. Reiter has been practicing law for over twenty years. He was named a "Michigan Lawyer's Weekly" Lawyer of the Year in 2006. More recently, Jesse Reiter was described in a Michigan Lawyers Weekly article as being one of three "medical malpractice gurus"….(who) have secured nearly one-third of the total $32.6 million in reported settlements." He began his legal career in the same preeminent Detroit law firm as Russell Gregory. After years of honing his medical malpractice expertise, he joined with attorney Russell Gregory to establish American Baby & Child Law Centers. Jesse Reiter is admitted to practice in Michigan, Washington, D.C., Ohio and the United States Supreme Court.
A native of Kensington, Maryland, Jesse Reiter earned a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science with high honors from the University of Michigan in 1984 and his Juris Doctorate from DePaul University College of Law in 1987. He worked for two federal judges and a prominent Chicago malpractice defense firm while in law school. Starting out as a defender of hospitals and doctors in 1987, Mr. Reiter also served as an adjunct professor of legal writing at the Detroit Mercy College of Law.
In 1989, when he began doing plaintiff’s work, attorney Jesse Reiter joined the Michigan Association for Justice (MAJ), one of the nations’ most powerful pro-plaintiff bar associations. In this position, Jesse Reiter is immediately aware of - and contributes to - changes in laws which affect patients’ rights on a daily basis. Since he joined in 1989, Mr. Reiter has been a sustaining member of MAJ. He has risen through the ranks from being on the Executive Board in 1995; the Constitutional Challenge Committee in 1997; Chair of the Coalition/Community Action Committee 2000-2002; Treasurer from 2002-2003; Secretary from 2003-2004; Vice-President from 2004-2005; President-Elect from 2005-2006; to his role as MAJ past president. It is because of Jesse Reiter's character and reputation as an outstanding person and trial lawyer that his colleagues and peers have elected Jesse to serve as past president, the highest leadership position within the Michigan Association for Justice.
Attorney Jesse Reiter serves as a case evaluator in Michigan's Wayne and Oakland Counties and is a frequent speaker and moderator at seminars. He is involved in the American Association for Justice (AAJ) where he is an executive board member of the Birth Trauma Litigation Group, as well as a Fellow of the AAJ National College of Advocacy, participating regularly in intensive focus group workshops. He is currently co-editor of the Birth Trauma Litigation Group Newsletter. Mr. Reiter has been a member of the MAJ Judicial Qualifications Committee since 2004 and has been Co-Chair of that committee since 2008. Mr. Reiter is also a member of the District of Columbia Bar Association, the Michigan Bar Association, the Oakland County Bar Association (Past Chair, Negligence Committee), the American Bar Association, the Ohio Association for Justice, the Academy of Trial Advocacy, and the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Mr. Reiter has also appeared in Who's Who in American Law, Who's Who, and Who's Who Among Rising Young Americans. He is currently listed in Best Lawyers in America, Michigan Super Lawyers Magazine and under Metro Detroit’s Top Ten Personal Injury Lawyers.
Mr. Reiter makes extensive use of focus groups and mock trials in his daily law practice and trial preparation. His wife Susan, is a trial consultant and co-owner and president of InFocus Research Group, a corporation which conducts mock trials and focus groups. This allows Mr. Reiter to test cases on a frequent basis. Mr. Reiter and his wife were recently interviewed and featured in an article about the value of focus groups which appeared in Michigan Lawyers Weekly's January 29, 2007 edition, entitled: Test driving Arguments - Focus Groups and mock juries could mean the difference between winning and losing.
Jesse Reiter has a passion for the practice of law and achieves a great sense of personal satisfaction from helping injured kids and their families. He enjoys the challenges of cross-examination and finds nothing more satisfying than a hard-fought cross-examination where a doctor or nurse admits to malpractice. Many times he has been able to discover that medical records were altered to cover up malpractice. Jesse Reiter's drive is fueled by his desire to help his young clients to obtain their dream of semi-independent living and some semblance of a normal life.
"As a young boy growing up, I remember my father telling me: 'There are people who represent the people and there are people who represent the powerful, and we in our family represent the people.' I have never forgotten these words. I bring to my work a burning desire to help the people - injured children and their families - to the best of my ability each and every day." Mr. Reiter has won multiple million dollar settlements and verdicts for injured kids for many years now. Meticulous attention to detail and exhaustive preparation are the keys to success. "I tell people I have the greatest job in the world and it's true."
– Jesse Reiter
Jesse M. Reiter: Speeches and Seminars
May, 1998: Speaker, MAJ Rapid Fire Seminar entitled "Medical Record Alterations."
November 7, 2003: Moderator, MAJ MedMal Seminar entitled "Medical Malpractice."
December 3, 2004: Moderator, MAJ MedMal Seminar entitled "Medical Malpractice: Winning in a Hostile Environment."
May 13, 2005: Speaker, MAJ Annual Rapid Fire Seminar entitled "Focus Groups: Not just for Trial any More."
May 14, 2005: Moderator, 60th Annual MAJ Banquet
May 22, 2005: Speaker, MAJ Evening Forum: "Daubert/Frye: Using Science to Prove Your Claim." - Topic: Birth Trauma and Daubert/Frye.
May 13, 2006: Speaker, 61st Annual MAJ Banquet
September, 23, 2006 - Speaker/Participant in Mock Trial Presentation - "American Association of Nurse Life Care Planners 6th Annual Educational Conference."
October 6, 2006 - Moderator, MAJ Medmal Seminar entitled "Michigan Medmal Law Update Caution: Not for the Faint of Heart."
November 2, 2006 - Guest Lecturer, University of Detroit Mercy Law School, Lecture entitled "Admissibility of Scientific Evidence : Daubert; Davis-Frye."
January 25, 2007 - Featured Speaker, MAJ 2007 Deposition Workshop - a Legal Workshop for New Lawyers and Student Members.
May 4, 2007 - Speaker, Rapid Fire Seminar, Using Focus Groups Early in Discovery: Learning your Strengths and Weaknesses in Time to Make a Difference.
October 11, 2007 - Moderator, MAJ Medmal Seminar entitled "The Medical Malpractice (ISN'T) For Dummies Seminar."
November 27, 2007 - Guest Lecturer, University of Detroit Mercy Law School, Lecture entitled "Admissibility of Scientific Evidence : Daubert; Davis-Frye."
2008 - Article Reviewer, American Association for Justice, Professional Negligence Law Reporter.
"Emergency Cesarean Sections: When 30 Minutes is Not Fast Enough" published in the Birth Trauma Litigation Group Newsletter for July, 2008
“Oxytocin: The New ‘High Alert’ Medication”, co-authored with Juliana Plastiras, published in the Birth Trauma Litigation Group Newsletter for July, 2009
November 13, 2008 - Moderator, MAJ Medmal Seminar entitled "Your Medical Malpractice Case Still Needs Critical Care: The Essential Updates."
Speaker/Participant in American Association of Nurse Life Care Planners 7th Annual Educational Conference” (October, 2009)
Interviews
Repeat guest on the Charlie Langton Show ( WXYT AM 1270)
Radio Interview - Jesse Reiter Interviewed on Ringler Radio about challenges facing lawyers in the State of Michigan (2007).
For more information about attorney Russell Gregory or attorney Jesse Reiter, contact ABC Law Centers today.
Radio Interview as part of WJLB Coats for Kids Charity Drive - November 7, 2008.
Juliana Sabatini Plastiras
Juliana Sabatini Plastiras is an associate attorney of Gregory & Reiter, P.C. and American Baby & Child Law Centers. Ms. Sabatini Plastiras received her Bachelor's Degree in Accounting at Oakland University in 2001, and her Juris Doctorate from Cooley Law School in 2003. She graduated Cum Laude (with Honors), Dean's List, Law Review, and Class Senator. Ms. Sabatini Plastiras was recently honored as a Michigan Lawyers Weekly 2008 Up & Coming Lawyer.
Ms. Sabatini Plastiras has prior experience with a major insurance defense law firm in Detroit on the Birth Trauma Team, which defended doctors and hospitals in birth injury cases. After some years, Ms. Sabatini Plastiras came back to what she truly believed in, representing children with special needs. She is honored to represent all of the clients and uses her efforts to help each one of them and their families.
Ms. Sabatini Plastiras is a member and executive board member of Michigan Association for Justice (MAJ), one of the nations’ most powerful pro-plaintiff bar associations. She is also a Member of American Association for Justice (AAJ), and a Member of the AAJ National College of Trial Advocacy and the Birth Trauma Litigation Group.