May 4, 2006 — The law firm of Dudley, Topper and Feuerzeig, LLP has announced that Stefan B. Herpel has recently joined the firm as Of Counsel in its litigation section. His work at the firm will be primarily in the areas of commercial litigation and insurance defense.
Herpel is a 1982 graduate of Michigan Law School, where he served as senior editor of the "Michigan Law Review." Following graduation from law school, he joined the Detroit, Mich., law firm of Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone as an associate, and later became a litigation partner of the firm. In 1992 Herpel left that firm to form his own practice in Ann Arbor, which specialized in commercial litigation, land-use law, and appellate practice. Herpel was working in his solo practice when he accepted a position with Dudley, Topper and Feuerzeig earlier this year.
Herpel has litigated cases at the trial and appellate level in a wide variety of substantive areas of the law. His complex litigation experience is extensive and includes the prosecution and defense of class actions. In 1995 he argued an important and widely publicized civil forfeiture case in the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of the owner of a forfeited car. The case, Bennis vs. Michigan, concerned the constitutionality of the forfeiture of an innocent person's property.
For Herpel, having the opportunity to live and practice law in the Virgin Islands is a dream come true. "I first visited the Islands in 1989, and was immediately drawn to their beauty, weather and ambience," he said. "My wife, Melanie, and I are excited to be living here," he added. "And since I thrive on challenging and interesting work, I feel fortunate to have been asked to join Dudley, Topper and Feuerzeig's outstanding litigation team."
In addition to being licensed to practice law in the Virgin Islands, Herpel is also licensed in Michigan and California.