Bio

Ellen Bartman Jannette serves as approved counsel for numerous insurance providers. In this capacity, she handles the defense of complex and high exposure cases. The focus of her practice is in the areas of professional liability, premises and general liability, asbestos litigation and insurance coverage.

A member of the firm's Bloomfield Hills office, Ms. Jannette’s experience in the area of professional liability includes the defense of lawyers in legal malpractice cases, as well as before the Attorney Grievance Commission.  She also represents other professionals including accountants, insurance agents and brokers, real estate agents and brokers, appraisers, and officers and directors.

Ms. Jannette’s experience includes the defense of insurance carriers and their clients in state and federal courts in Michigan and other states, as well as before the Michigan Tax Tribunal, the Michigan Board of Realtors, the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, and the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.

A past chair of Plunkett Cooney's Women's Leadership and Acts of Kindness committees, Ms. Jannette was instrumental in spearheading an award-winning charitable giving campaign in 2013, which was a key component of Plunkett Cooney's 100th anniversary celebration. She recently initiated the firm’s celebration of 143-Day, a day to share acts of kindness and good deeds for others.

Representative Client Work

  • Defended legal malpractice matter with underlying claim in excess of $11 million
  • Defended legal malpractice matter with underlying claims of $6 million
  • Defended wood pallet recycler in a complex commercial transaction involving alleged damages in excess of $8 million
  • Defended psychiatric malpractice matters involving multi-personality disorder, depression, suicide and transference
  • Numerous summary dismissals involving claims of medical, legal, accounting and real estate malpractice, as well as premises liability and other tort and contractual claims
  • Briefed and argued medical malpractice and product liability appeals before the Michigan Court of Appeals and U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
  • Defended insurers in complex coverage litigation involving underlying environmental contamination
  • Drafted coverage opinions and recommendations to insurers on complex environmental contamination, premises liability and construction defect matters

Notable Cases

  • National Union Fire Ins. Co. of Pittsburgh, PA v Alticor, Inc., 466 F3d 456 (CA6 2006)
  • In re Kloian, 115 Fed Appx 768 (CA6 2004)
  • Manzo v Petrella, 261 Mich App 705 (2004)
  • Grace v Grace, 243 Mich App 524 (2003)
  • Braford v O’Connor, 243 Mich App 524 (2000), aff’d 465 Mich 943 (2001)

Professional Affiliations

  • State Bar of Michigan
  • American Bar Association

Publications & Presentations

  • State Professional Liability Trends: Michigan webinar, Co-presenter, CLM, Nov. 13, 2024
  • “Maintaining the Attorney-Client Privilege,” ICLE’s 42nd Annual Labor and Employment Law Institute, Presenter, The Inn at St. John's, Plymouth, MI, April 20, 2017
  • “In a Haze of Smoke: Ethical Issues in the Provision of Professional Services to Marijuana-Related Businesses,” co-author, DRI Riding the E&O Line., Vol. 7, Issue 1, March 5, 2015
  • “Privity and Third-Party Malpractice Actions,” DRI's 56 For the Defense 9, co-author, September 2014
  • “Performance of Additional ‘Professional Services’ – Ethical Obligations that May Extend the Statute of Limitations, co-author, DRI Riding the E&O Line, Vol. 6, Issue 2, June 16, 2014
  • "Ethical Issues for Tax Practitioners - Privity, Conflicts of Interest and Illegal Acts - Oh My!," Michigan Womens Tax Association, presenter, Spring 2014
  • "Professional Liability Insurance Coverage: A Compendium of State Law," chapter co-author, DRI - The Voice of the Defense Bar, Copyright © 2012
  • “Confidentiality of Medical Records for Mental Health Care Providers in Michigan,” presenter, Lansing, MI, September 1999
  • “Michigan Social Work and Behavioral Health Law,” presenter, Grand Rapids, MI, September 1999
  • “Paralegals: Key Players in a Small Firm’s Litigation Practice” published Oakland County Bar Association: Laches, February 1995

Community Involvement

  • Gleaners Community Food Bank 
  • Sleep in Heavenly Peace

Credentials

Education

  • Wayne State University Law School, J.D., 1988
  • University of Pittsburgh, cum laude, B.A. 1984

Admissions

  • Michigan, 1988
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, 1994
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 1988
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan
  • Pro Hac Vice Admissions in the state courts of: Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, Oklahoma and Wisconsin

Honors/Awards

Honors & Recognitions

  • Martindale-Hubbell’s highest rating-AV Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated

Insights