The Googasian family was well represented at the swearing-in ceremony. Pictured (l-r): George and his wife Emily, Sam, Nina, Dean, Phyllis, and George.
By Tom Kirvan
Legal News
Even as the son of one of the most prominent lawyers in the state, Dean Googasian expressed a certain reluctance about following in his father’s legal footsteps after graduating from the University of Michigan in 1992.
Armed with a U-M degree in economics, Googasian had plenty of career options to consider, any of which had the potential to lead to a fulfilling and financially successful life.
But shortly after graduating from the Big Ten school, Googasian unexpectedly became the plaintiff in a small claims court action, eventually prevailing in a suit to recover damages to his Jeep Cherokee that were caused by an auto repair shop.
“When I won, it gave me the confidence to say that ‘I can do this,’ that this isn’t rocket science,” Googasian recalled of his first experience in court. “It was a turning point in my life.”
Now, as the recently installed president of the Oakland County Bar Association, Googasian also can reflect on his nearly lifelong involvement with the OCBA.
“I’ve been involved since I was a kid, helping my dad at various OCBA events such as the fun run, picking up T-shirts and trophies, and setting up the course with him on race morning. It was just one of the fun things about being his son.”
His father, of course, is George Googasian, a past president of the OCBA who served as president of the State Bar of Michigan from 1992-93. His dad also is the named partner at the Bloomfield Hills law firm where the two family members work, teaming with attorneys Tom Howlett and Craig Weber in handling catastrophic injury, wrongful death, auto injury claims, medical malpractice, nursing home claims, and commercial litigation matters.
In short, the firm represents plaintiffs “whose lives have been altered by the misconduct of others,” while also selectively representing clients involved in business disputes.
“I am very lucky to practice with lawyers of integrity who I respect immensely,” Googasian said of his partners.
A product of Rochester Adams High School, the 54-year-old Googasian joined his father’s firm in 2001 after spending the first four years of his legal career working in the rarefied air of the Michigan Supreme Court, the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., and Honigman, the largest law firm in Detroit.
Those heady assignments came after Googasian distinguished himself at Wayne State University Law School, where he graduated summa cum laude and was ranked first in his class while serving as editor in chief of the Wayne Law Review.
“Working as a law clerk for Justice Marilyn Kelly at the Supreme Court was truly an honor,” Googasian said of his first job after graduating from law school in 1997.
His work there and while at Wayne State also caught the eye of Jim Robinson, the former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan who had recently accepted an appointment as an Assistant Attorney General in the Clinton administration. Robinson, who had previously served as the dean of Wayne State Law School, asked Googasian to join him as a Special Assistant in the Criminal Division of the DOJ.
“I had the privilege of working with Jim Robinson and having regular contact with Attorney General Janet Reno, who I greatly admired,” Googasian related. “They were among the giants of the legal profession.”
After spending one year in the nation’s capital, Googasian returned to his native state to work for Honigman, practicing in the firm’s commercial litigation department for the next two years before he was approached by his father about joining The Googasian Firm.
“It wasn’t necessarily a given that I would join, as there is something about the stability and security of being with a major law firm,” Googasian admitted. “But there also was something intriguing about working with my father and doing clients’ work with a talented team of attorneys.”
One of those attorneys, Tom Howlett, can offer some advice to Googasian on the responsibilities of being an OCBA president, as the Harvard alum and U-M Law School grad served in that leadership capacity from 2014-15.
“Dean is someone you want in your corner,” said Howlett. “His sharp mind and his tireless advocacy always focus on achieving the best outcome in the most dignified manner possible. Dean’s clients have come to know that you’re not going to find a more able, caring or professional person to represent you. He’s applied his intellect and commitment for decades to each case, regardless of whether he’s been working on behalf of thousands of consumers in a class action or one young child.
“But Dean also is something else that distinguishes him from many others who lead and achieve in our profession: He is devoid of ego,” Howlett noted. “Dean is refreshingly selfless.
He focuses on those he serves, while copiously avoiding taking credit or drawing attention. Much of the work that Dean has done for clients and for the profession during the time I’ve known him has been done completely out of the limelight.
“So frankly, I’m thrilled both for Dean and for the Bar that all that he does for clients and for the profession can be recognized and celebrated during his year as OCBA president. I’m also hoping that the spotlight will introduce more folks to Dean’s wickedly funny sense of humor. Those fortunate enough to have attended his OCBA swearing-in as president know what I’m talking about and will be reminded by these words: those boyhood haircuts.”
Howlett and his wife, Kim, were among scores of others who attended Googasian’s swearing-in ceremony at the OCBA Annual Meeting in June. It was a festive affair in which Googasian lauded the work of his predecessor, Melinda Deel (see related story), while also poking some pictorial fun at himself – and his father.
“Being George’s kid made it easy,” said Googasian of his esteemed father who is renowned as a talented trial lawyer and legal leader. “I never walked into a room of lawyers when at least one of them didn’t know him and have nice things to say about him . . . It seems like there’s almost nothing he can’t do.”
Almost.
“There is one skill he never mastered,” Googasian claimed. “When we were kids, he cut our hair. I don’t know why. But he did. I was the youngest of three and you’d have thought by the time he got to me, his skills would have improved. Sadly, that is not the case.
“I spent my entire childhood with, quite literally, the world’s dumbest looking bowl cut,” Googasian declared. “Although he lacked barber skills, George was ahead of his time because he gave me a look that would one day become the inspiration for a movie star in a major motion picture role. Unfortunately, the movie star is Jim Carrey in his role as Lloyd Christmas in the movie ‘Dumb and Dumber.’”
Eventually riding to Googasian’s rescue was his mother, Phyllis, “who took pity on me and got me a real haircut from a real barber.” It was among her many contributions to the upbringing of a future OCBA president.
“She read to me, and taught me to read,” Googasian said of his mother, who holds a business degree from U-M. “She taught me lessons, big and small. She taught me the importance of being courteous, being honest, standing up for others, and standing up for what you believe in. And the importance of opening doors for others, literally and figuratively.”
Googasian has two older siblings, Karen and Steve. His sister, a U-M alumna with a master’s in counseling from Denver Seminary, is a partner in Oakland Hills Counseling with her husband, Rob Shive. His brother, a U-M grad who earned his law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy, works for the Christian Broadcasting Network in Atlanta.
Googasian and his wife, Nina, met in college and recently celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary. A Detroit Mercy Law grad, Nina serves as the Executive Administrator of Shades of Pink Foundation, a Birmingham-based nonprofit that supports those undergoing breast cancer treatment in Southeast Michigan.
The couple has two sons, George and Sam. George is an Oakland University grad who is wrapping up a master’s degree in school counseling while working for Birmingham Schools.
For good measure, he also is the varsity water polo coach at Groves High School and recently was married to Emily Sutton, who works for the Boys & Girls Club of Troy. Sam, who earned a criminal justice degree from Michigan State University, is currently pursuing a master’s degree in cyber-crime and digital investigations with hopes of a career in federal law enforcement.
As he embarks on his year as OCBA president, Googasian doesn’t shy away from the challenges that bar associations face in terms of membership and relevancy.
“I’d also like us to expand on our strengths,” Googasian told those gathered at the Annual Meeting. “One of the best things that the OBCA does, in my opinion, is humanize our practice of law. We are in an adversarial profession and it can be a stressful one. The OCBA for me has been a place that helps take the edge off that stress. When we work on bar activities, we don’t do it as adversaries, or opposing lawyers and judges, but as people. And that is a good thing. And that, in my opinion, is maybe the best thing that we can do.”
Legal News
Even as the son of one of the most prominent lawyers in the state, Dean Googasian expressed a certain reluctance about following in his father’s legal footsteps after graduating from the University of Michigan in 1992.
Armed with a U-M degree in economics, Googasian had plenty of career options to consider, any of which had the potential to lead to a fulfilling and financially successful life.
But shortly after graduating from the Big Ten school, Googasian unexpectedly became the plaintiff in a small claims court action, eventually prevailing in a suit to recover damages to his Jeep Cherokee that were caused by an auto repair shop.
“When I won, it gave me the confidence to say that ‘I can do this,’ that this isn’t rocket science,” Googasian recalled of his first experience in court. “It was a turning point in my life.”
Now, as the recently installed president of the Oakland County Bar Association, Googasian also can reflect on his nearly lifelong involvement with the OCBA.
“I’ve been involved since I was a kid, helping my dad at various OCBA events such as the fun run, picking up T-shirts and trophies, and setting up the course with him on race morning. It was just one of the fun things about being his son.”
His father, of course, is George Googasian, a past president of the OCBA who served as president of the State Bar of Michigan from 1992-93. His dad also is the named partner at the Bloomfield Hills law firm where the two family members work, teaming with attorneys Tom Howlett and Craig Weber in handling catastrophic injury, wrongful death, auto injury claims, medical malpractice, nursing home claims, and commercial litigation matters.
In short, the firm represents plaintiffs “whose lives have been altered by the misconduct of others,” while also selectively representing clients involved in business disputes.
“I am very lucky to practice with lawyers of integrity who I respect immensely,” Googasian said of his partners.
A product of Rochester Adams High School, the 54-year-old Googasian joined his father’s firm in 2001 after spending the first four years of his legal career working in the rarefied air of the Michigan Supreme Court, the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., and Honigman, the largest law firm in Detroit.
Those heady assignments came after Googasian distinguished himself at Wayne State University Law School, where he graduated summa cum laude and was ranked first in his class while serving as editor in chief of the Wayne Law Review.
“Working as a law clerk for Justice Marilyn Kelly at the Supreme Court was truly an honor,” Googasian said of his first job after graduating from law school in 1997.
His work there and while at Wayne State also caught the eye of Jim Robinson, the former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan who had recently accepted an appointment as an Assistant Attorney General in the Clinton administration. Robinson, who had previously served as the dean of Wayne State Law School, asked Googasian to join him as a Special Assistant in the Criminal Division of the DOJ.
“I had the privilege of working with Jim Robinson and having regular contact with Attorney General Janet Reno, who I greatly admired,” Googasian related. “They were among the giants of the legal profession.”
After spending one year in the nation’s capital, Googasian returned to his native state to work for Honigman, practicing in the firm’s commercial litigation department for the next two years before he was approached by his father about joining The Googasian Firm.
“It wasn’t necessarily a given that I would join, as there is something about the stability and security of being with a major law firm,” Googasian admitted. “But there also was something intriguing about working with my father and doing clients’ work with a talented team of attorneys.”
One of those attorneys, Tom Howlett, can offer some advice to Googasian on the responsibilities of being an OCBA president, as the Harvard alum and U-M Law School grad served in that leadership capacity from 2014-15.
“Dean is someone you want in your corner,” said Howlett. “His sharp mind and his tireless advocacy always focus on achieving the best outcome in the most dignified manner possible. Dean’s clients have come to know that you’re not going to find a more able, caring or professional person to represent you. He’s applied his intellect and commitment for decades to each case, regardless of whether he’s been working on behalf of thousands of consumers in a class action or one young child.
“But Dean also is something else that distinguishes him from many others who lead and achieve in our profession: He is devoid of ego,” Howlett noted. “Dean is refreshingly selfless.
He focuses on those he serves, while copiously avoiding taking credit or drawing attention. Much of the work that Dean has done for clients and for the profession during the time I’ve known him has been done completely out of the limelight.
“So frankly, I’m thrilled both for Dean and for the Bar that all that he does for clients and for the profession can be recognized and celebrated during his year as OCBA president. I’m also hoping that the spotlight will introduce more folks to Dean’s wickedly funny sense of humor. Those fortunate enough to have attended his OCBA swearing-in as president know what I’m talking about and will be reminded by these words: those boyhood haircuts.”
Howlett and his wife, Kim, were among scores of others who attended Googasian’s swearing-in ceremony at the OCBA Annual Meeting in June. It was a festive affair in which Googasian lauded the work of his predecessor, Melinda Deel (see related story), while also poking some pictorial fun at himself – and his father.
“Being George’s kid made it easy,” said Googasian of his esteemed father who is renowned as a talented trial lawyer and legal leader. “I never walked into a room of lawyers when at least one of them didn’t know him and have nice things to say about him . . . It seems like there’s almost nothing he can’t do.”
Almost.
“There is one skill he never mastered,” Googasian claimed. “When we were kids, he cut our hair. I don’t know why. But he did. I was the youngest of three and you’d have thought by the time he got to me, his skills would have improved. Sadly, that is not the case.
“I spent my entire childhood with, quite literally, the world’s dumbest looking bowl cut,” Googasian declared. “Although he lacked barber skills, George was ahead of his time because he gave me a look that would one day become the inspiration for a movie star in a major motion picture role. Unfortunately, the movie star is Jim Carrey in his role as Lloyd Christmas in the movie ‘Dumb and Dumber.’”
Eventually riding to Googasian’s rescue was his mother, Phyllis, “who took pity on me and got me a real haircut from a real barber.” It was among her many contributions to the upbringing of a future OCBA president.
“She read to me, and taught me to read,” Googasian said of his mother, who holds a business degree from U-M. “She taught me lessons, big and small. She taught me the importance of being courteous, being honest, standing up for others, and standing up for what you believe in. And the importance of opening doors for others, literally and figuratively.”
Googasian has two older siblings, Karen and Steve. His sister, a U-M alumna with a master’s in counseling from Denver Seminary, is a partner in Oakland Hills Counseling with her husband, Rob Shive. His brother, a U-M grad who earned his law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy, works for the Christian Broadcasting Network in Atlanta.
Googasian and his wife, Nina, met in college and recently celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary. A Detroit Mercy Law grad, Nina serves as the Executive Administrator of Shades of Pink Foundation, a Birmingham-based nonprofit that supports those undergoing breast cancer treatment in Southeast Michigan.
The couple has two sons, George and Sam. George is an Oakland University grad who is wrapping up a master’s degree in school counseling while working for Birmingham Schools.
For good measure, he also is the varsity water polo coach at Groves High School and recently was married to Emily Sutton, who works for the Boys & Girls Club of Troy. Sam, who earned a criminal justice degree from Michigan State University, is currently pursuing a master’s degree in cyber-crime and digital investigations with hopes of a career in federal law enforcement.
As he embarks on his year as OCBA president, Googasian doesn’t shy away from the challenges that bar associations face in terms of membership and relevancy.
“I’d also like us to expand on our strengths,” Googasian told those gathered at the Annual Meeting. “One of the best things that the OBCA does, in my opinion, is humanize our practice of law. We are in an adversarial profession and it can be a stressful one. The OCBA for me has been a place that helps take the edge off that stress. When we work on bar activities, we don’t do it as adversaries, or opposing lawyers and judges, but as people. And that is a good thing. And that, in my opinion, is maybe the best thing that we can do.”
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