Our Success Stories

A superintendent who filed a racial discrimination suit against the school district is reinstated – Dr. Benjamin Edmondson was the popular superintendent of Romulus Community Schools when he was suspended, then fired, by a 4-3 Board of Education majority, for reasons that were controversial and arguably illegal. He turned to NachtLaw attorneys Nick Roumel and Amanda Ghannam, who filed a federal lawsuit that was moved to arbitration. They argued that Dr. Edmondson was a victim of racial discrimination, and retaliated against them because he was a whistleblower. After a year of litigation and skillful negotiation, an extraordinary settlement was reached that returned Dr. Edmondson to the superintendency, among other terms that are confidential. At the first school board meeting after his return, Dr. Edmondson was greeted by a packed house that gave him a standing ovation. You can read about the case in the Detroit Metro Times article by Steve Neavling here.

$3 million verdict on behalf of three young men who were groomed and sexually abused –  Attorneys Nick Roumel and Amanda Ghannam have obtained a $3 million verdict on behalf of three young men who were groomed and sexually abused by a man who portrayed himself as a “family friend.” The judge’s opinion stated: “The Court has reviewed Michigan case law and damages awarded in other, similar matters. It is specifically noted that this case stands out from those found in that it involves a series of sexual assaults, perpetrated over a period of years, those assaults being committed after a false trust relationship was established and the victims groomed and isolated by Defendant over time. The Court has apportioned the damages in each case, as follows:  2/5 of each award is made for the serious emotional and mental suffering that occurred during and after the sexual abuse and prior to the date of this Judgment. The remaining 3/5 of each award is for future ongoing emotional and mental suffering. … IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that noneconomic damages are awarded to [the three young men] in the amount of $1,000,000.00 [each].”

It takes courage and resilience for victims to participate in criminal and civil cases related to their sexual abuse, but no survivor is alone. Amanda Ghannam and Nick Roumel are on your side. They have the knowledge and compassion needed to support survivors through the court process, the experience needed to obtain results, and the ability to help survivors reclaim their lives. If you or a loved one has questions or a possible claim related to sexual abuse, call Attorneys Nick Roumel and Amanda Ghannam for a free and confidential consultation.

Reinstated within 24 Hours of Suspension – Our Client was suspended from his college after a Complainant reported unwanted sexual contact. He was not informed where or when the touching occurred and was suspended from school without an opportunity to defend himself. We wrote the college and had him reinstated within 24 hours. He meaningfully defended himself with our help and will complete his academic program with nothing on his record.

Text Record that Vindicated Our Client – We represented a graduate student instructor who was accused of sexually assaulting a student. When he failed to commit to a relationship with her, she accused him of sexually assaulting her and violating a do not contact order. Our team combed a text record with over 6000 texts and found evidence of her requesting and consenting to each of the alleged events where she was assaulted. Our client was found not responsible.

Group Sex and Proof of Sobriety – Our clients, male student athletes, had been accused of sexually assaulting another student athlete after she met them at a party. She alleged that she drank too much to consent. She filed a Title IX complaint with the college and filed a personal protection order in court against our clients. Video footage we secured from the college and testimony from several witnesses on the night in question vindicated our clients. Her behavior in the footage showed that she was sober and could consent. Our Clients were found not responsible and defeated the personal protection order.

Success in a Case of Alleged Assault from Years Ago – We represented a college student who had a long-term relationship with the Complainant and the two had plans of building a future together. When the plans fell apart, the Complainant accused him of assaulting her the first time the pair had sex, years prior. After being told we could not provide text evidence to the college, we fought back and were able to provide texts to the panel hearing the case. Our client was found not responsible.

Vulgar Doesn’t Always Mean Harassment – A supervisor we represented was accused of engaging in sexual harassment of her employees due to alleged jokes and comments. Although there had been unprofessional comments, we worked with our client to find numerous witnesses who said the comments were not offensive, sexual, or harassing in nature. After a hearing, our client was found not responsible, kept her job and returned to work.

$665,000 – Michigan Pre-Lawsuit Severance Negotiation

Criminal Law  –  Felony criminal sexual conduct case, Washtenaw County Michigan, NOT GUILTY verdict.

Criminal Law  –  Felony motor vehicle accident under the influence causing serious injury, Wayne County Michigan, case dismissed.

Criminal Law –  Felony robbery in Washtenaw County, case dismissed.

$1.4 million – Business Fraud Collected for Ann Arbor business owner after trial and appeal
$825,000 – Michigan For a shareholder in a privately held company
$400,000 – Muskegon Woman Fired Retaliation Case for Civil Rights Complaint
$175,000 – Detroit Salesman Age Discrimination
$160,000 – Michigan Illegal Student Restraint
$150,000 – Michigan Student Sexual Assault
$100,000 – Michigan Retaliation