Civil Appeals: Your Rights Are Our Priority
- Mark Linton
- Apr 6
- 5 min read

When justice slips through your fingers, it may feel like it's the end of the road for you. And if you strongly believe that the trial court’s ruling on your civil case was unfair, you don't have to accept it in silence. You have the right to fight back.
Mark Linton's Michigan Appeals Law Firm understands an appeal is your second and probably only chance to make things right. And we handle your civil appeal with precision, unmatched strategy, and a relentless commitment to justice. We review your case thoroughly, present it tactically, and position you for the best possible outcome.
What is a Civil Appeal?
Simply put, a civil appeal is an appeal for a civil case between two or more individuals, businesses, or organizations. While it may sound like a retrial or second chance to present new evidence, it's actually a thorough legal analysis of the trial court's decision on your civil case to determine if errors in procedure or law affected the outcome.
We always give your case the keen attention it deserves through meticulous analysis to expose the lower court's slightest mistakes. And we combine these errors with uniquely-rewarding strategies that strongly convince judges of your stance to increase the chances of your desired outcome.
Types of Civil Appeals We Handle
Business Disputes
Business conflicts can easily turn into lawsuits with enduring effects on your company's growth and stability. And if law misinterpretation, an unfair ruling, or judicial errors contributed to you losing your case, we’ll help you get a reversal or modification of the court's ruling. We excel in:
Breach of Contract Disputes
The legal complexity of contract breach disputes intensifies when conflicting terms, ambiguous language, or oral agreements come into the equation. And when handling your appeal, we check if the lower court properly interpreted contract terms, applied relevant legal principles, or wrongly excluded key evidence. And if we find that the court allowed an unjust contract termination, failed to enforce a valid contract, or misapplied Michigan's Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), we'll fight to overturn the decision.
Partnership and Shareholder Conflicts
The financial impact that shareholder oppression, breach of fiduciary duty, or improper business dissolution brings is severe. And we’ll protect your stake in the business by scrutinizing your case to reveal the mistakes the trial court made when reviewing your case. These mistakes include the misapplication of shareholder rights under Michigan's Business Corporation Act or overlooking crucial financial evidence. We stand up against forced buyouts, unfair share valuation, and wrongful partner expulsions.
Employment Law Violations
We’ll appeal your case's ruling if it involves unjust termination, non-compete agreements, wage violations, or workplace discrimination. Michigan labor laws and federal regulations such as the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act outline how employers must treat their employees. And if a lower court misinterpreted these laws or made a procedural mistake, we pursue every legal avenue to reverse the decision in your favor.
Unfair Business Practices
Courts apply Michigan's Consumer Protection Act and federal antitrust laws to deal with deceptive trade practices, anti-competitive behavior, and consumer fraud. We ensure your business remains safe by contesting rulings on price-fixing, false advertising, unfair competition, and misrepresentation.
Contract Law Appeals
When it comes to contract law appeals, our areas of focus include:
Wrongful Termination of Contracts
If your case involves premature contract termination without any legal justification, we’ll help you get justice. We'll analyze whether the trial court properly assessed termination clauses, force majeure provisions, and breach of contract claims. And if legal missteps or overlooked evidence undermined your well-founded wrongful termination claim, we'll work to correct the outcome and protect your rights.
Enforcement of Non-Compete Clause
Courts frequently evaluate non-compete clauses to assess their fairness regarding time limits, geographical reach, and industry restrictions. If a lower court disregarded the enforcement of a valid non-compete agreement in your case or improperly deemed it unenforceable, there's hope for you.
We’ll appeal and fight for its enforcement to ensure the protection of your business. Conversely, we’ll also challenge the validity of an overbroad or oppressive non-compete clause.
Fraud and Misrepresentation Cases
Fraud and misrepresentation cases are often linked to false statements, omissions, or misleading information. We conduct careful legal examinations of such cases to understand intent, reliance, and damage. If a trial court fails to recognize material misrepresentations or misapplied Michigan's fraud statutes, it may end up dismissing the fraud claim. And if this is what happened to you, we'll take decisive action to stand up for your rights and correct the court's error.
Breach of Fiduciary Duty Claims
Fiduciary duties expect corporate officers, business partners, and other individuals in positions of trust to act in the best interests of all stakeholders. And claims of breaching these duties revolve around misuse of corporate funds, conflicts of interest, and self-dealing. If a trial court overlooked clear evidence of self-dealing, unfairly dismissed key financial records, or refused to acknowledge a conflict of interest that harmed your business, we’ll step in.
We focus on clearly demonstrating how fiduciaries acted against their legal obligations and proving fraudulent transactions, embezzlement, reckless mismanagement, or conflicts of interest. And we ensure we rest only when you receive the justice and financial recovery you deserve.
Personal Injury Appeals
If you or your loved one(s) suffered a personal injury due to negligence, you can trust us to ensure you get your rightful compensation. We handle appeals in:
Medical Malpractice Cases
Sometimes, trial courts don't apply standards of care, expert witness testimony, and Michigan's complex medical malpractice laws correctly. And we shine in challenging cases where misdiagnoses, surgical errors, medication mistakes, or hospital negligence resulted in wrongful dismissals or inadequate compensation.
Car and Truck Accident Claims
In auto accident appeals, our concern is if the lower court correctly evaluated insurance liability, fault, and Michigan's no-fault insurance laws. And if the court erred in applying comparative negligence principles, excluded vital accident findings, or handed down an inequitable damages ruling, we work to correct the injustice.
Premises Liability Disputes
Even though property owners are legally required to maintain safe environments, trial courts occasionally fail to hold them accountable for negligence. And in these scenarios, we appeal cases involving security negligence, structural hazards, and slip-and-fall injuries where courts deviated from established legal standards.
Wrongful Death Lawsuits
Every family deserves to be heard and fairly compensated for wrongful death. And we appeal the court's decision and secure proper compensation in cases where flawed jury instructions, procedural mistakes, or misinterpretation of causation led to a misguided verdict.
If your case involves criminal matters instead, we also handle criminal appeals with the same precision.
What's Next? Take Action Today
In civil appeals, time is of the essence as Michigan has strict, non-negotiable deadlines for filing an appeal. If you miss these deadlines, you lose your right to appeal and fight for justice. If you're exploring appeals as an option, contact Mark Linton today for a thorough case review and guidance on the best next steps.
We’re the legal safety net that’ll hold you up when the system fails you. Reach out to us today to ensure that tiny mistake you're not even guilty of doesn't ruin your life forever.
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