Michigan's Competition Lawyer™
R.J. Cronkhite specializes in solving the specific challenges involved in unfair competition, including brand and name protection, trademarks, workforce management, non-competes, non-solicits, trade secrets, antitrust, and related contracts, employment agreements, and lawsuits.
My Story
Michigan-born, Chicago-educated, trench-trained.
I was born and raised in a working-class family outside of Detroit. I learned how to fight early. Later on, I learned how to fight for others. That is now my life’s privilege.
For nearly a decade, I have been litigating, negotiating, and settling contract disputes on behalf of individuals and businesses. I now litigate under the banner of Dinsmore & Shohl LLP — an Am Law 200 firm.
I discovered that my experience fighting over and resolving these issues on the back-end—often in court—enabled me to help clients identify and prevent problems on the front-end, at the contract-drafting stage. My litigation insight empowers me to help protect clients against costly disputes—and ensures that my clients hold the winning hand if and when a dispute escalates.
R.J. is an exceptional, results oriented attorney.
R.J. is an exceptional, results oriented attorney. He is efficient, thorough as they come. He worked on our cases as if they were his own. He is a prime example of hiring “an attorney” and not a “firm.” His business knowledge and aggressive approach kept us using him repeatedly. -Leonard I.
Cronkhite obtains $40,020.00 award against delinquent tenant.
March 18th, 2021 / R.J. Cronkhite
Many tenants have abused COVID protections by overstaying their welcome without paying a dime. My client provides a critical service, relocating disaster victims to temporary housing. Most homeowners have insurance policies that cover relocation costs. But those costs have a limit. The defendant in this matter used all of her insurance proceeds. But she then […]
Cronkhite successfully defends client in five-day arbitration against $3,700,000 in contractual and partnership claims while simultaneously obtaining injunction on behalf of client.
January 28th, 2021 / R.J. Cronkhite
One of my clients provides sophisticated IT services to the Department of Defense. The client recently won a lucrative multi-million federal contract. The client’s subcontractor then sued my client for more than $3.7 million. The subcontractor asserted that my client breached alleged partnership and contractual obligations—including a right of first refusal—by not hiring the subcontractor […]
Cronkhite obtains $405,120.20 arbitration award and attorney’s fees against former director who defrauded staffing company.
January 6th, 2021 / R.J. Cronkhite
A Michigan arbitrator recently awarded $405,120.20 to my client—a national staffing company—after arbitration proceedings. In 2018, the staffing company hired a director-level employee to manage a new staffing division. The employee had represented to the staffing company that he had a well-established network of existing clients, as well as a large roster of individuals to […]
Results
Achieved Trademark Injunction and $39,464.75 in Attorney Fees for Trademark Misappropriation.
Issue: Tradename Misappropriation | Customer Diversion | Injunction
Court: Oakland County Circuit Court
Industry: Finance
Judge: Hon. Martha D. Anderson
My client is a well-respected business that provides 401k services to self-employed entrepreneurs small business owners. One day, my client discovered from a customer that one of my client’s employees was soliciting business from its customers. My client investigated and found that its employee had been mass emailing solicitations to my client’s customer base. My […]