Bio

Timothy F. Sheridan is a member of Plunkett Cooney's Board of Directors and Managing Partner of the Grand Rapids office. In addition, he serves as Co-leader of the firm's Alternative Dispute Resolution Practice Group.

Mr. Sheridan focuses his civil litigation practice in the areas of professional liability (legal and accounting malpractice), construction liability, trucking and transportation liability, premises liability and product liability. His clients include general contractors and construction managers who become involved in construction related disputes, law firms and accounting firms and their professional staff members, and numerous other commercial insurance policyholders when they become entangled in civil litigation.

Having completed the ICLE 40-hour General Civil Mediation Training, Mr. Sheridan has conducted over 200 live and Zoom mediations since 2020. He has mediated cases involving a variety of matters, including first-party No-Fault and third-party auto negligence disputes, commercial vehicle personal injury and property damages matters, premises liability disputes, construction accident and construction defect matters, legal and accounting malpractice, and commercial business disputes. In 2020, Grand Rapids Magazine named Mr. Sheridan a Top Mediation Attorney in West Michigan. He is also a member of the Michigan Chapter of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals.

Representative Client Work

  • Defended general contractors, construction managers and various subcontractor trades in personal injury actions and large property damage claims exceeding $2 million
  • Defended lawyers and accountants in west Michigan against claims involving legal and accounting malpractice and professional negligence
  • Obtained summary disposition on behalf of Kalamazoo County law firm regarding claims of legal malpractice and professional negligence involving the handling of a wrongful death claim arising out of a motor vehicle accident
  • Successfully defended numerous dram shop claims on behalf of large national restaurant chains through case evaluation, facilitative mediation and dispositive motions on such issues as failure to comply with the statutory “name and retain” provision or failure to comply with other aspects of Michigan’s dram shop statute
  • Obtained a favorable verdict following an eight-day Allegan County Circuit Court trial on behalf of residential builder client involving claims of negligence, breach of contract and violation of the Michigan Consumer Protection Act
  • Obtained no cause of action at a binding arbitration on behalf of concrete subcontractor client on a $1.5 million property damage claim involving alleged defective flooring at a west Michigan high school
  • Defended various trucking firms and their drivers in multiple fatality accidents
  • Obtained numerous dismissals via dispositive motions on behalf of restaurants and bars involving dram shop claims pertaining to serious injuries and death
  • Obtained numerous dismissals via dispositive motions on behalf of several general contractors, construction managers and subcontractors involving the Statute of Repose

Professional Memberships

  • Grand Rapids Bar Association (Pro Bono Committee)
  • State Bar of Michigan
  • Michigan State Bar Foundation (Fellow, 2024)
  • Incorporated Society of Irish American Attorneys
  • DRI
  • Michigan Defense Trial Counsel
  • National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals, Michigan Chapter 

Credentials

Education

  • University of Toledo College of Law, J.D., 1993
  • Michigan State University - James Madison College, B.A., 1988

Admissions

  • Michigan, 1995
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan, 1997

Honors/Awards

Honors & Recognitions

  • Best Lawyers in America® for Construction Litigation / Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants / Product Liability Litigation - Defendants, 2024 - 2025
  • Moot Court National Trial Team Member

Insights