Traverse City, MI

Timothy P. Smith

Timothy P. Smith is a trial attorney who graduated from Notre Dame Law School in 1992. He has litigated cases across the country and is recognized as a 'Lawyer of the Year' by Best Lawyers and one of the Top 100 trial attorneys in Michigan by the National Trial Lawyers.

Mark R. Dancer

Mark R. Dancer was raised in Traverse City. After graduating from law school in 1986, he began his law career in Los Angeles, California, practicing there until 1993. While in Los Angeles, he had a sophisticated litigation practice, which included representation of many Fortune 500 companies spanning a wide variety of industries, including automotive, aerospace, banking, entertainment, real estate, construction, manufacturing, chemical, petroleum, food service, railroad, energy, insurance and vacation/resort, among others. In 1993, he returned to Traverse City to join his lifelong friend, Dan Dingeman, in forming the firm that has become Dingeman & Dancer, PLC. Building on Mr. Dingeman’s extensive transactional experience and Mr. Dancer’s sophisticated litigation background, the law firm was launched. Although Mr. Dancer’s unique background and experience have enabled him to successfully handle a wide variety of legal matters, in recent years he has concentrated his practice in the areas of serious personal injury & wrongful death. Having been seriously injured when he was in college, he understands firsthand the challenges faced by those who have been injured by the negligence of others. He has obtained some of Michigan’s largest settlements and verdicts on behalf of individuals injured or killed in all types of accidents, including motor vehicle and truck accidents, elevator accidents, oil field accidents, physical and sexual assaults, dog bites, premises liability claims, and product liability claims. In 2007, he obtained the 10th largest settlement in Michigan, as reported by Michigan Lawyer’s Weekly. Mr. Dancer has received national recognition from Martindale-Hubbell, having received an AV rating, which is the highest level rating in the law profession for skill and ethics. He also continues to practice in the areas where he gained considerable expertise while in Los Angeles, including environmental law, insurance coverage, business and commercial litigation, banking, collection, construction law, land use and real estate matters. His environmental experience encompasses the full range of government enforcement proceedings and private party litigation. He has represented clients involving hazardous substance cleanups, toxic tort claims, governmental cleanup demands, “superfund” litigation, and brownfield sites. In insurance coverage matters, he has represented policy holders on a wide range of matters. He has counseled and represented manufacturers (aerospace, chemicals, drugs, and building materials), banks and other financial institutions, railroads and other commercial entities in cases involving product liability claims, professional negligence, wrongful termination, pollution claims and toxic torts. These disputes have involved insurance policies issued by domestic and foreign entities, including comprehensive general liability policies, property and other first party policies, directors’ and officers’ policies, errors and omissions policies, workers’ compensation and employers’ liability policies, surety bonds, and environmental impairment policies, at both the primary and excess levels. Mr. Dancer is also a skilled mediator, offering mediation as an alternative way of resolving all types of civil disputes. In addition to practicing law, he has actively acquired, owned, managed and developed commercial and residential real estate in Michigan, California and Florida.

L. Page Graves

L. Page Graves is a Partner focusing on Michigan No-Fault Automobile Insurance Law and personal injury. He received his law degree cum laude from The Thomas M. Cooley Law School and has been recognized as 'Lawyer of the Year' by Best Lawyers and holds an 'AV Preeminent' rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

Thomas L. Stroble

Mr. Stroble earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan State University and his Juris Doctor degree from Michigan State University College of Law. He handles commercial litigation and personal injury cases and is licensed in Michigan, Washington D.C., and federal courts. He was recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2012, 2013, and 2014.

Kelly M. Neumann, Esq.

Attorney Kelly M. Neumann who is originally from Grosse Pointe, Michigan received a dual major in Criminal Justice and Political Science at Adrian College in Adrian, Michigan and received her Juris Doctor from the New England School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts. Neumann has worked with Boston City Counsel’s Legislation Department, the Trial Division of the Attorney General’s Office of Massachusetts and at an Insurance Defense Law firm. She also ran the Tort and Workers Compensation Department at one of the biggest personal injury law firms on the East Coast. Neumann has successfully settled a personal injury matter for over $9 million, as well as settled a case for $3.8 million on the eve of trial. Neumann has a track record of success and has been known in the State of Michigan, California, and Massachusetts to do what it takes to obtain the absolute best result for her clients. Attorney Neumann is a Law Advisory Board Member at Adrian College and has recently dedicated a Mock Trial room for Adrian College law students. Numerous recent awards received by Attorney Neumann include but are not limited to: Best Criminal Defense Attorneys in Detroit (Expertise), The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyers, The National Academy of Personal Injury Attorney’s Inc. Top 10 Attorney Award, Lawyers Weekly Rising Star, American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys 10 Best Attorneys, and Best Child Support Lawyers in Boston (Expertise). Currently, Neumann represents injured individuals in work injuries, car accidents, slip and falls, product liability, death cases, and other general liability cases at the Southfield, Traverse City and Grand Rapids offices of Neumann Law Group. Neumann also assists clients with estate planning, divorce, real estate, corporate law, business law, employment law, criminal defense, family law, collections, bankruptcy, class actions, mass torts, DUI/DWI, SSDI, and commercial as well as intellectual law.

Jay Zelenock

Mr. Zelenock grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and earned a B.A. in history from the University of Michigan. He graduated from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 1998, and since then has practiced civil justice law in Traverse City. He has successfully represented clients with numerous complex personal injury, business, contract, insurance coverage, employment and property issues over the years. He has assisted numerous clients with negotiating out-of-court settlements, and also in many litigated cases in the trial and appellate courts in state and federal court.

Blake K. Ringsmuth

Blake K. Ringsmuth grew up in Traverse City, MI. After high school, he went on to play NCAA level tennis. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 1987 with undergraduate honors, and then graduated from the University of Michigan Law School in 1990. While at the University of Michigan, he served on a number of student government bodies, and was a recognized and outspoken leader for individual’s rights. Blake started practicing law in the Detroit area specializing in toxic exposure and environmental cases. In 1996, he returned to Northern Michigan with his wife, Yvette. Since then he has practiced in the field of personal injury, civil rights and employment law. Blake has conducted jury trials throughout the State of Michigan, many of those in Northern Michigan. He has tried more than 35 cases to verdict, something most trial lawyers have not done. One of his verdicts stands as the largest in Northern Michigan. He has handled many important high profile cases that have been covered in the news. Due to his experience and success, Blake has received many awards. He has been recognized by his peers as a “Super Lawyer” and a “Leading Lawyer” among others in the field of personal injury and employment law. He has been an invited speaker at trial lawyer seminars over the last several years discussing effective trial techniques in personal injury cases. In addition to injury and death cases, he has a specialty in brain injury cases, either traumatically induced such as in car crashes, or from exposure to harmful substances such as carbon monoxide. Blake is a member of the Brain Injury Task Force, a group of health care providers and other professionals who work with those who have suffered life-changing brain injuries. He served on the Executive Board of that group until recently. He has volunteered many hours in the furtherance of the legal profession in Northern Michigan. He taught personal injury law at Northwestern Michigan College, and has served on numerous community boards, including as the Chair of the Human Rights Commission. He has been recognized in local and national news media as a leader in the field of human rights, and received special recognition in 2003 from the Grand Traverse Area Legal Professionals. In addition to his contributions to the legal practice, Blake has made significant efforts as a volunteer through several non-profit organizations, including “Paperworks”. He, and his family, are also regular volunteers with the “Safe Harbor” program, feeding the homeless, and are active in their church. Blake is one of the few attorneys in the area that has handled multi-million dollar cases through trial. In 2006, he received a personal injury verdict in a product liability case captioned Long v Polaris - $3.4 million - which stands as the largest recorded personal injury verdict in the region. Since that time, he has multiple other million dollar results, including a $3 million settlement, and the largest verdict in Grand Traverse County. Blake lives with his wife, two children and their two dogs in the Traverse City area, and remains active in the community. He is committed to making his community safer and seeking justice for those that have been harmed.