We are pleased to announce that Michigan Lawyers Weekly selected Associate John M. Malone III to the 2025 class of Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s “Up & Coming Lawyers.” He will formally receive the honor at an awards luncheon at the Mint at Michigan First Conference Center on April 25th.

According to Michigan Lawyers Weekly, the honor is bestowed upon attorneys who “have excelled in the profession and are standouts among their peers – all in their first 10 years of practice. These lawyers are establishing themselves as future leaders through their ambition and accomplishments, and their drive and dedication to the practice of law.”

With a potent combination of advocacy, empathy, and commitment, John Malone has amassed an enviable record of courtroom success that would be impressive for an attorney twice his age. At the trial court level, where he has second-chaired multiple jury trials and helped secure millions of dollars for his clients, John’s work on behalf of personal injury and medical malpractice victims is driven by a sincere and deeply held belief in the power of the law to change the lives of individuals and families struggling to emerge from their darkest days. But what makes John truly exceptional, what supports his recognition as an Up & Coming Lawyer, is that his efforts don’t just make lives better – they make the law better.

In the past year alone, John’s appellate advocacy, including arguments before the Michigan Supreme Court, led to a decision that expanded the rights of medical malpractice victims in the state and made their quest for justice and accountability much more obtainable.

The victory John obtained as part of Sommers Schwartz’s appellate team in Danhoff v. Fahim will make it less likely that medical malpractice victims will be denied justice just because their injuries and losses have not yet been the subject of published scientific studies. In its 5-2 decision, the Court agreed with the arguments posited by John that a retained medical expert can reliably support their opinion on the standard of care even if the adverse event is so rare that no published, peer-reviewed medical literature exists on the subject. Because the inability to cite a study can often be the basis for disqualifying the opinions of a plaintiff’s expert, this ruling means injury victims won’t be penalized or see their claims evaporate simply because their specific injury or occurrence has yet to be extensively studied.

This outcome illustrates both the passion and persuasiveness John brings to his practice. Much of plaintiff-side personal injury work can be seemingly clinical or esoteric, whether reflected in page after page of dense medical records or lengthy expositions of statutory construction set forth in court opinions. But for every minute he spends immersed in such details, John never loses sight of why he chose to dedicate his career to representing those whose lives have been shattered by negligence or recklessness.

John understands that the people who turn to him for help need an ally as well as an advocate. They need a champion who can thunder away in court, but they also want a steady hand, a compassionate ear, and a shoulder to lean on throughout an unfamiliar and stressful ordeal.

Congratulations, John, on this well-deserved honor!

Note: Several of John’s Sommers Schwartz colleagues attended the ceremony, and shareholder Dina Zalewski, a previous Up & Coming Lawyer honoree, had the privilege of introducing John and presenting him with his award.