(BridgeTower Media Newswires) — A bill allowing for more disputes to be heard in Michigan’s popular business courts has been signed into law by Gov. Rick Snyder.
The cases will no longer have to include a monetary amount, as was previously required.
Senate Bill 333, now Public Act 101 of 2017, specifies that “business courts have authority over business and commercial disputes that seek declaratory and equitable relief rather than just monetary damages,” according to a release from the governor’s office.
Business courts were launched statewide in circuit courts in 2013. Macomb County began its specialized business docket in November 2011, followed by Kent County in March 2012 and Oakland County in July 2012.
Early judicial involvement and a variety of alternative dispute resolution practices are at the strategic core of the effort.
The legislation won support from the Michigan Judges Association and State Court Administrative Office.
The Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony in support of the bill in May from business court judges James M. Alexander of Oakland County and Christopher P. Yates of Kent County, along with Michigan Supreme Court Justice Bridget M. McCormack.
