In a keepsake family photo, Mel Paunovich is pictured at far right with his wife Carol, who has served as his paralegal throughout his career as an attorney. Also in the photo is his daughter, Jenna Wright Greenman; grandson, Grant Wright; and his son-in-law, Milt Greenman.
By Tom Kirvan
Legal News
Mel Paunovich – who has enjoyed a three-pronged career as a police commander, a criminal defense attorney, and now a Livingston County commissioner – subscribes to the theory that if “you rest, you rust.”
The phrase, widely attributed to famed actress Helen Hayes who also became a noted philanthropist, serves as a profound message about the importance of staying active and engaged as we age.
Paunovich, a Detroit Cass Tech product who now resides in Brighton Township with his wife Carol, became a firm believer in the message after he retired from a 26-year career in law enforcement, first as a Detroit police officer and then as a lieutenant commander of the Detective Bureau for the Southfield Police Department.
When he left police work in 1993, Paunovich opened his own firm, offering legal services in the areas of criminal law, family law, and estate planning. Paunovich had obtained his law degree from the University of Detroit School of Law in 1979 while working as a police detective in Southfield. An alumnus of Wayne State University with a degree in political science and chemistry, Paunovich also holds a master’s degree in police administration from U of D.
One of the first cases that landed in his legal lap as a sole practitioner was a referral from Fieger Law, the Southfield firm headed by prominent attorney Geoffrey Fieger. The case involved a prominent businessman from a small town up north who was dealing with a child custody case and drunken driving charge.
Due to the fact that the cases were geographically undesirable for a Detroit area attorney, Paunovich was inclined to make them disappear by notifying the prospective client that the cost to handle them would require a hefty retainer fee to be paid up front.
Much to Paunovich’s surprise, the high cost was no barrier, as the soon-to-be client said he could pay the retainer in cash.
“The man’s name was Earl Ruth, who owned the Mio Saloon and other businesses and properties in town,” Paunovich related. “When I successfully represented him in both cases, he started referring a lot of other cases to me from other places up north, such as West Branch, Atlanta, Tawas, and Alpena.”
Before long, Ruth set up Paunovich with his own mini-office in the Mio Saloon, a place where he catered to clients one day a week for more than a decade.
“I was handling a lot of drunk driving cases up there and I won probably more than 80 percent of them, which really helped build my practice and reputation,” he said. “It felt odd to meet with clients in a saloon, but Earl loved the arrangement since it brought in more paying customers who would buy drinks and meals.”
A U.S. Air Force veteran, Paunovich is a former supervisor of Brighton Township who recently was elected to the Livingston County Board of Commissioners.
“I served as the township supervisor from 1991-94, cleaning up a financial mess mainly involving businesses that were not on the tax rolls,” he explained. “Then last year I was being urged to run for a seat on the County Commission, which I agreed to do. Surprisingly, I won, meaning that in retirement I’m starting yet another career.”
Legal News
Mel Paunovich – who has enjoyed a three-pronged career as a police commander, a criminal defense attorney, and now a Livingston County commissioner – subscribes to the theory that if “you rest, you rust.”
The phrase, widely attributed to famed actress Helen Hayes who also became a noted philanthropist, serves as a profound message about the importance of staying active and engaged as we age.
Paunovich, a Detroit Cass Tech product who now resides in Brighton Township with his wife Carol, became a firm believer in the message after he retired from a 26-year career in law enforcement, first as a Detroit police officer and then as a lieutenant commander of the Detective Bureau for the Southfield Police Department.
When he left police work in 1993, Paunovich opened his own firm, offering legal services in the areas of criminal law, family law, and estate planning. Paunovich had obtained his law degree from the University of Detroit School of Law in 1979 while working as a police detective in Southfield. An alumnus of Wayne State University with a degree in political science and chemistry, Paunovich also holds a master’s degree in police administration from U of D.
One of the first cases that landed in his legal lap as a sole practitioner was a referral from Fieger Law, the Southfield firm headed by prominent attorney Geoffrey Fieger. The case involved a prominent businessman from a small town up north who was dealing with a child custody case and drunken driving charge.
Due to the fact that the cases were geographically undesirable for a Detroit area attorney, Paunovich was inclined to make them disappear by notifying the prospective client that the cost to handle them would require a hefty retainer fee to be paid up front.
Much to Paunovich’s surprise, the high cost was no barrier, as the soon-to-be client said he could pay the retainer in cash.
“The man’s name was Earl Ruth, who owned the Mio Saloon and other businesses and properties in town,” Paunovich related. “When I successfully represented him in both cases, he started referring a lot of other cases to me from other places up north, such as West Branch, Atlanta, Tawas, and Alpena.”
Before long, Ruth set up Paunovich with his own mini-office in the Mio Saloon, a place where he catered to clients one day a week for more than a decade.
“I was handling a lot of drunk driving cases up there and I won probably more than 80 percent of them, which really helped build my practice and reputation,” he said. “It felt odd to meet with clients in a saloon, but Earl loved the arrangement since it brought in more paying customers who would buy drinks and meals.”
A U.S. Air Force veteran, Paunovich is a former supervisor of Brighton Township who recently was elected to the Livingston County Board of Commissioners.
“I served as the township supervisor from 1991-94, cleaning up a financial mess mainly involving businesses that were not on the tax rolls,” he explained. “Then last year I was being urged to run for a seat on the County Commission, which I agreed to do. Surprisingly, I won, meaning that in retirement I’m starting yet another career.”
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