1-810-227-3103

Abby H. Cooper

Partner

Contact Number:

(810) 227-3103

Extension:

x1115

Location:

Brighton, MI

E-Mail:

Overview

I always knew I wanted to be a lawyer. I eagerly anticipated going to law school and learning the rules so I could master the game. This plan wasn’t universally held. My father ran a nursery/garden center in our community and was also a beloved basketball coach (and yes, I played). His dream was for me to take over the family business and embrace the local community. The more he tried, the less interest I had in the trees, shrubs, land, and local area. Instead, I went off to college and law school and learned the rules. And I love to play with them, whether in transactions or in the face of a good court challenge when the matter calls for it.

So, I’m a lawyer. A lawyer that specializes in real estate. I did a few other things before focusing on real estate, but it turns out I have a passion for all things having to do with dirt after all. I represent residential and commercial buyers, sellers, landlords, tenants, developers, homeowners, brokers, investors, and lenders in complex and everyday matters. I am a creative problem solver. Knowing a particular area of the law well allows you to do that. I will handle, and do my best to resolve, any real estate issue. My unique expertise puts me frequently in a teaching role in front of Realtors®, business owners, and fellow attorneys. My expertise includes zoning and land use laws. I am the municipal attorney to two local townships and a water authority, and also advise private commercial and residential clients on how to navigate the bureaucracy of zoning and land use regulations.

Some of my favorite things in life include running trail 5Ks with one son, cheering on the Spartans with the other, and enjoying wine on the porch with my husband. I’ve designed my life with purpose, including the choice to both live and work in the same town where I grew up, where I pass by my (now) brother’s nursery/garden center daily, and where I might happen upon anyone of my 20+ family members who live nearby, especially the one that lives next door. I will encourage my boys to experience the world, follow their passions, and build a life they love wherever that might be, but this lover of the local lands hopes that place isn’t too far down the road.

PRACTICE AREAS

Commercial and Residential Real Estate Law
Zoning and Municipal Law
Business and Real Estate Litigation
Business & Commercial Law

EDUCATION

Wayne State University Law School, J.D., Cum Laude
Michigan State University, James Madison College, B.A., with High Honors

BAR ADMISSIONS

State Bar of Michigan
United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan

ASSOCIATIONS & DISTINCTIONS

  • State Bar of Michigan
    • Co-Chair of the Real Property Law Section Commercial Development, Ownership, and Finance Committee
  • Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE) Real Property Law Advisory Board Member & Author
  • Livingston County Bar Association
  • Livingston County Association of Realtors® (LCAR), Affiliate Member
    • 2016, 2019 Affiliate of the Year
    • Forms Committee Member
    • Affiliate Committee Member
    • Education Committee Member
  • Legal Services of South Central Michigan, Volunteer Attorney (*nominated for the State Bar of Michigan’s John W. Cummiskey Award)
  • Voted Best Attorney in Livingston County, 2023 Community Choice Awards

PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS

PUBLICATIONS

HOA Bylaws: Not an End Around Existing Covenants, State Bar of Michigan Real Property Law Section e-Newsletter, April 2017

Finding the Right Real Estate Lawyer: An Interview with Abby Cooper of Cooper & Riesterer, PLC, Michigan Homes, 2014 (http://www.michiganhomes.com)

$1 Per Lot for Affordable Housing in Detroit: Non-monetary Benefits Can Constitute Fair Value in the Sale of city-Owned Surplus Property to Community Development Corporations, 48 Wayne L. Rev. 1191, Fall 2002 (Received Richard B. Gushee Writing Award)

PRESENTATIONS

Abby is a frequent speaker, presenter, and moderator for Livingston County Association of Realtors®, the State Bar of Michigan’s Real Property Law Section, local real estate brokerages, and various other community organizations. Her classes have focused on riparian rights and water law, title insurance, title issues, purchase agreements, lease and land contracts, easements, and other hot topics in real estate. Abby is a certified instructor for CE Marketplace, Michigan’s continuing education center for real estate professionals.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Brighton Rotary Club, Member
Greater Brighton Area Chamber of Commerce
Brighton Youth Boys Lacrosse (former Board Member)
AmeriCorps*VISTA Volunteer, Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago (1999-2000)

Areas of Practice

  • Business & Commercial Law
  • Commercial & Residential Real Estate
  • Business & Real Estate Litigation
  • Franchise Law
  • Mediation
  • Estate Planning