SHELTON & DEON LAW GROUP - Key Persons
For her business clients, Amanda is a trusted advisor in the both the courtroom and the boardroom. Intent on management risk and avoiding litigation, she provides counsel on employee relations, employment policies and procedures, and regulatory compliance. When litigation is unavoidable, however, she is equally committed to serving the client's best interests and has obtained numerous favorable outcomes in lawsuits involving employment discrimination, Whistleblower retaliation, wrongful termination, Family & Medical Leave Act claims, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission charges, and other workplace disputes. She also litigates commercial cases involving sales commission disputes, insurance coverage, professional negligence claims against engineering and construction companies, product liability, and bankruptcy preferences.
Amanda is known for her advocacy on behalf of same-sex partners and their families. She assisted the American Civil Liberties Union in National Pride at Work Inc., et al. v. Jennifer Granholm and City of Kalamazoo, a case in which, after three years of litigation, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that Michigan's gay marriage ban prevented public employers from offering employment benefits to the domestic partners of public employees. Despite that unfavorable decision, the ruling paved the way for further cases that ultimately opened the door to marriage equality, including DeBoer v. Snyder, in which the U.S. Supreme overturned Michigan's ban on same-sex marriage.
Amanda's general family law practice includes helping couples seek and obtain divorces, establish parenting time and custody arrangements, and pursue and defend claims for spousal support. She also counsels married and non-married couples, individuals, same-sex couples and business owners on wealth transfer issues, and drafts estate plans designed to ensure that every client has the peace of mind knowing their assets will bypass the difficult and often time-consuming probate process.
Respected by her peers, Amanda has been recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star and a Top Woman Attorney in Michigan. She is active professionally in the State Bar of Michigan, the Federal Bar Association, and the Stonewall Bar Association, and in the community through her volunteer efforts with the Ruth Ellis Center and her children's school. Amanda is admitted to practice in Michigan state courts as well as the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, and the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
A litigator and mediator, Amanda Shelton has been representing businesses and individuals since 2004. Amanda's current practice areas include labor and employment litigation, family and LGBT law, mediation, trust and estates, criminal law and general commercial litigation. Amanda practiced commercial litigation as an associate with Pepper Hamilton LLP for seven years until becoming a partner of The Shelton & Deon Law Group in 2011.
Mary Deon focuses her law practice on employment law, commercial litigation, estate planning, and family law, representing companies, business owners and managers, families, and individuals.
In the employment arena, Mary advises publicly and privately held companies on workplace issues including harassment, employee handbooks and policies, employment agreements, labor relations, and discrimination based on race, age, gender, orientation, national origin, religion, and disability. She appears in state and federal courts throughout Michigan to defend lawsuits alleging hostile work environment, wrongful discharge, and violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Michigan Whistleblower Protection Act, the Family & Medical Leave Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and other state and federal statutes.
Additionally, Mary pursues and defends employment-related litigation centered on defamation, and negligent or tortious interference claims, misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair competition, and non-compete and non-solicitation agreements. Her other litigation work involves the representation of large and small corporations engaged in fraud, breach of contract, product liability, and business tort disputes.
Equally dedicated and compassionate about family law issues, Mary helps clients seeking divorce and enforcing orders and judgments relative to child custody and parenting time, spousal support, and division of property, including family-owned businesses. She also vigorously fights for victims of civil and domestic violence by obtaining restraining orders and other protective measures.
Shelton & Deon is a member of Wealth Counsel, and Mary counsels individuals regarding all of their estate planning needs including the preparation of wills, general and special needs trusts, powers of attorney, advanced health care directives, and asset protection provisions. She also handles a variety of probate matters, including formation and termination of guardianships conservatorships.
Mary is active in the State Bar of Michigan and the Federal Bar Association for the Eastern District of Michigan, which honored her for her pro bono efforts in the greater Detroit area including her successful representation of the Michigan NAACP and Michigan ACLU in federal litigation to enforce provisions of the National Voter Registration Act. She is highly regarded by her peers, as evidenced by her being named a Super Lawyers® Rising Star. Mary is admitted to practice in Michigan state courts as well as the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan, and the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Before becoming a partner of the Shelton & Deon Law Group in 2011, Mary was a commercial litigator at Pepper Hamilton LLP and counsel to the Department of Defense. Mary is an experienced trial court attorney who specializes in employment and labor issues, family law, and general litigation and business issues.