James Austin

Jim AustinPrior to starting his own firm, Jim Austin spent 15 years at the Northville firm of Jerome & Austin, where he gained litigation experience in labor and employment law, personal injury, construction lien law, transportation law, commercial law and domestic relations law. He is admitted to practice in all Michigan Federal and State courts, as well as the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, and is a member of the Oakland County Bar Association. Jim works extensively with trucking and towing companies on overweight tickets and driving citations. He is also a trained general civil and domestic relations mediator.

In 2011, Jim moved his practice to Alden, in Northern Michigan. He continues to regularly represent clients in the metropolitan Detroit area as well as throughout the State of Michigan. He charges time and mileage from Milford, Michigan for all Southeast Michigan clients.

Jim donates his time to several organizations. He is a member of and sits on the Legislative Committee of the Michigan Towing Association, a non-profit organization working to improve and bring benefits to the wrecker industry in Michigan. He also provides volunteer services to Supportive Alternative Living, a Milford non-profit organization that provides services and support to allow disabled adults to live independently. He also is the vice president of the Thayer Lake Property Owners Association.

Before turning to law, Jim was a squash professional, teaching at the University Club of Detroit, Detroit Racquet Club and Birmingham Athletic Club. A member of the World Professional Squash Association, he had a fine junior program which produced two University of Pennsylvania squash team captains and two current squash professionals. Jim continues to play regularly and compete in local and national tournaments.

Jim is pleased to be a member and Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the State YMCA of Michigan, which oversees Camp Hayo-Went-Ha for Boys, Camp Arbutus Hayo-Went-Ha for Girls, Youth in Government and the YMCA of Northern Michigan. He is a very active supporter of the camps. Having spent 15 years as a camper and staff member, he is now vice chairman of the Camp Board, chairman of the Boys Camp Program Committee, and was Co-chairman of the Boys Camp 100 Years of Camping Celebration in 2003. A strong advocate of camping, all four of Jim’s children attended the camps. Jim and his wife take extended backcountry camping trips every summer to places like Quetico Provincial Park, Allagash Wilderness Area, Killarney Provincial Park, Ranger Lake and Isle Royale National Park. He also spends as much time as possible with his five wonderful grandsons.


Relevant Work

Representative Clients

  • Ken’s Kar Kare & Towing, LLC
  • Charter Equipment, Inc.
  • Marketing World Wide
  • Courtesy Transfer
  • Joe Ballor Towing
  • Goch & Sons Towing
  • Area Towing
  • Van’s Service Towing
  • McKinley Trucking
  • Sunriseside Towing

Published Cases

  • HA Smith Lumber & Hardware v John Decina, et al, 258 Mich App 419 (2003)
  • HA Smith Lumber & Hardware v John Decina, et al, 265 Mich App 380 (2005)
  • Goch Props., L.L.C. v. C. Van Boxell Transp., Inc., 477 Mich. 871 (2006)
  • H.A. Smith Lumber & Hardware Co. v. Decina, et al, 480 Mich. 987 (2007)
  • H.A. Smith Lumber & Hardware Co. v. Decina, et al, 480 Mich. 1132 (2008)

Unpublished Cases

  • Muirhead v Washtenaw County, et al, (6th Cir. 2005, unpublished)
  • People v. Courtesy Transfer, 2009 Mich App LEXIS 1179 (Mich Ct App 2009)