THURSWELL LAW - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Member of the State Bar of Michigan
Ms. Culaj is a second-generation attorney, following her parents, who served as a prosecutor and a judge in their native Kosovo. She earned a bachelor's degree with honors in political science from Oakland University in 2003 and a law degree from Wayne State University in 2007. While in law school, she interned for Justice Marilyn Kelly of the Michigan Supreme Court and served as a student attorney in the Wayne State Disability Law Clinic.
Ms. Culaj is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and the Michigan Association for Justice. She is also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western District of Michigan, as well as the United States Court of the Federal Claims. She serves as a case evaluator on the Mediation Tribunal Association - Medical Malpractice Panel for the Wayne County Circuit Court.
In 2015, Ms. Culaj was recognized as one of the top 30 women lawyers in Michigan, following her victory in the Court of Appeals on a wrongful death case involving a non-viable fetus (< 24 weeks gestation). Her determination and zealous representation resulted, for the first time in Michigan history, in the legal recognition of a wrongful death action on behalf of a non-viable fetus. Her major success in Simpson v. Pickens, et al, 311 Mich. App. 127 (2015) has helped pave the way for parents who seek justice and accountability for the loss of their non-viable fetus resulting from negligence. As a result of her efforts, families can seek damages such as the loss of love, affection, society, and companionship for the death of their loved one. Fewer than 10 other states recognize such claims.
Ms. Culaj handles complex birth trauma cases against health care providers and has secured multi-million dollars in settlements on behalf of her clients. She was named in the Michigan Rising Stars List 2009, 2013-2018, published by The Law and Politics Magazine®.
She is fluent in Albanian.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Member of the State Bar of Michigan
Cary M. Makrouer specializes in personal injury and victim's rights cases, including slip and fall accidents, automobile negligence, dog bites, and police misconduct. He was the winner of the 10th-largest trial verdict in the State of Michigan in 2001 and the 13th-largest trial verdict in the State of Michigan in 2005. Mr. Makrouer is BV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell, which recognizes a combination of achieving a very high legal ability and ethical standards rating. In 2008, 2009, and 2010, he was recognized as a Super Lawyer by Law & Politics magazine.
Mr. Makrouer has been with Thurswell Law since 1988. He graduated with honors from Michigan State University, where he received a bachelor's degree in psychology, and earned a law degree from the Detroit College of Law. Mr. Makrouer was admitted to the Michigan Bar in 1976. He is also admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern Division of Michigan, the U.S. District Court for the Division of Ohio, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit.
Mr. Makrouer is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and the Michigan Association for Justice, for which he served as a moderator and Executive Board member. He is a member of the State Bar of Michigan - Negligence Section and serves as a hearing arbitrator for the Michigan State Bar Grievance Commission. He is a member of the Case Evaluation Tribunals for Wayne County Circuit Court, Macomb County Circuit Court, and Oakland County Circuit Court.
Honored as one of The Best Lawyers in America by the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession, Gerald Thurswe ll is a highly regarded expert in medical malpractice, birth injury, auto accident litigation, and police misconduct. Mr. Thurswell has obtained numerous multi-million dollar jury verdicts and settlements for injured people in courts throughout Michigan and other states. He is a past president of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America - Metropolitan Detroit as well as a member of the Birth Trauma Litigation Group of the American Association of Justice. He is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell, a designation showing that he has reached the highest degree in legal ability and ethics.
The founder of Thurswell Law, Mr. Thurswell is recognized as a Super Lawyer by Law & Politics magazine, a listing of the top 5 percent of attorneys in Michigan. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Wayne State University, where he was on the Dean's List as an undergraduate. He received his Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from Wayne State University Law School, at age 23. He is admitted to the State Bar of Michigan, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court. In addition to Michigan, Mr. Thurswell is also licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia, Illinois, New York, and Colorado.
Mr. Thurswell is recognized in Who's Who in the World, Who's Who in American Law and Who's Who in the Midwest. He is recognized by the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, an organization limited to the most prestigious groups of trial lawyers in the United States that have achieved several multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements. He is an investigator and arbitrator for the State Bar of Michigan and has been the Hearing Panel Chairman for the Attorney Discipline Board. Mr. Thurswell is a member of the Brain Injury Association of Michigan. He has also been featured in Michigan Lawyers Weekly and the Detroit Legal News.
Mr. Thurswell currently serves on the Wayne County Circuit Court - Case Evaluation Tribunal and has served as an arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association. He has also served as a facilitator for the Oakland County Circuit Court and has lectured at law schools.
Attorney Lawrence D. Thurswell specializes in Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). He is also an expert in cases involving auto accidents, slip and fall accidents, dog bites, and medical malpractice. Following his father and grandfather, Lawrence D. Thurswell is a third-generation attorney.
He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona in 1995 and his law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 1998, where he received academic awards and an Excellence for the Future award for his outstanding achievements.
He is licensed to practice in the State of Michigan, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan, and the Illinois region. He is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the Michigan Association of Justice, and the National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives.
Attorney Mark Boegehold has expertise in personal injury cases, including automobile negligence, trucks, bus, motorcycle and pedestrian accidents, slip and fall accidents, dog bites, and police misconduct.
Mr. Boegehold is a graduate of Michigan State University and the Detroit College of Law. He was admitted to the Michigan Bar in 1986 and the United States District Court for the Eastern District and Western District of Michigan in 1988. Mr. Boegehold is also a member of the Michigan Association of Justice.
He was featured on the front page of Michigan Lawyers Weekly newspaper for obtaining a large verdict in a complex negligence case.
Mr. Thurswell graduated from Wayne State University Law, J.D. cum laude, at age 23. He is past president of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America - Metropolitan Detroit. For the past 20 years, he has achieved an "AV" rating, the highest possible rating for superior legal ability according to the Martindale-Hubbell organization. He serves on the Executive Board of the Michigan Association for Justice.
At Thurswell Law, Gerald Thurswell leads a legal team of 14 expert attorneys. His 47 years of legal experience represent thousands of hours of formal education, research knowledge, and repeated success in the courtroom. Mr. Thurswell is a highly regarded expert in medical malpractice, birth injury, police brutality, products liability, and auto accident litigation. He is also among the top 5 percent of attorneys in the state of Michigan, a "Super Lawyer" who has received the highest point totals, as chosen by his peers and through the polling and research of Law & Politics Magazine. Mr. Thurswell has been recognized in Who's Who in American Law, Who's Who in the Midwest, and Who's Who in the World.
Nadia Ragheb is admitted to practice in Michigan and Illinois. She specializes in medical and dental malpractice cases, as well as personal injury claims, including automobile crashes, police misconduct, slip and fall, dog bites, injuries caused by faulty products, and other negligence claims. She is also experienced in representing people in cases involving denial of insurance benefits, including no-fault claims, property loss and fire loss claims.
Ms. Ragheb was admitted to the Michigan Bar in 1987 and to the Illinois Bar in 2012. She is also admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, where she was admitted to the Trial Bar. She is a member of the Michigan Association for Justice, where she serves on the Amicus Curiae Committee, writing briefs on important legal issues pending before the Michigan Supreme Court. She is also a member of the American Association for Justice, and was recognized as an Advocate by the association's National College of Advocacy in September of 2012.
Ms. Ragheb earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1982, and a law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 1986, where she served on the University of Detroit Mercy Law Review. During law school, she received a Best Brief award for writing the best appellate brief in the Moot Court Competition, as well as an oral advocacy award. Ms. Ragheb enjoys courtroom trial practice and concentrated her law school curriculum on trial advocacy. While in law school, she gained jury trial experience as a Student Attorney with the Legal Aid and Defender Association of Detroit, where she independently tried cases to a jury.
Ms. Ragheb speaks Arabic