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Julie I. Fershtman is a highly experienced lawyer who has served the equine industry honorably and effectively for nearly four decades on a variety of legal matters. When you want to protect your interests in a legal dispute or when you need a contract for your equine-related transaction, you want a lawyer who knows the industry well and has handled a broad range of legal matters involving horses. Julie Fershtman is that lawyer. She is widely recognized as one of the nation's leading Equine Law practitioners. With decades of experience, she has achieved multiple courtroom successes. She is an Equity Shareholder with the law firm Foster Swift Collins & Smith, PC. Julie Fershtman also gives back to the equine industry by assisting associations, writing over 425 articles and 4 Equine Law books, and speaking in-person at conferences in 29 states. She also writes the Foster Swift Equine Law Blog (equinelawblog.com).

The practice. Crossing all breeds and disciplines, she serves a national^** clientele of stables, trainers, professionals, associations, businesses, show management, insurers, clinicians, instructors, equestrian programs, breeders, coaches, landowners, veterinarians, farm owners, and individual horse owners. (**Please read below for national practice restrictions.)

Unmatched Equine Law expertise. Thanks to hard work and great clients, she has achieved numerous courtroom victories in multiple states. One year alone, for example, she won jury trials in 3 states, 2 state court appeals, and a major Federal Court insurance coverage case — all on equine-related matters. She also drafts contracts with the goal of helping her clients avoid disputes. However, when people, businesses, and associations encounter disputes involving contracts, she has extensive experience litigating these disputes.

Types of equine-related matters handled. Examples include: equine sale disputes and/or sales contract drafting for buyers or sellers; equine lease disputes and/or lease contract drafting for lessors or lessees; ownership disputes; stablemen's lien enforcement matters; collection of past-due fees; defamation (slander, libel); business and partnership disputes; personal injury liability (typically, defending equine professionals, associations, show management and horse owners when they have been sued or threatened with suit); real estate disputes; employment matters; insurance disputes (typically representing insurance companies), arbitration, and more.  Some examples can be found below.

National experience.**  Litigation experience in more than 21 jurisdictions nationwide, including Florida, Illinois (4 cases), Missouri (2 cases), Ohio (4 cases), Georgia, Arizona, Kentucky (2 cases), Connecticut (2 cases), South Carolina, Pennsylvania (2 cases), Tennessee, and Wisconsin. Jury trials in Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, and Connecticut. Arbitrations in 2 states. (**Please read further below about requirements for out-of-state matters.)

Background. Graduate of Emory College and Emory Law School. Other areas of law practice include business litigation, contract disputes, sales disputes, insurance coverage, fraud litigation, liability defense, agribusiness law and liability, real estate litigation, construction defect, products liability, premises liability, and more.  

Equine industry involvement. Decades of service on equine industry committees and boards.

Bar association leadership. Past President (2011-12) of the 42,000-member State Bar of Michigan. Past Vice-Chair of ABA-TIPS Section Animal Law Committee. Past State Bar Delegate to the ABA House of Delegates.

National legal consulting (for those with local lawyers). Most lawyers have no experience with horse-related legal matters. Discuss with your lawyer whether you could benefit from hiring Ms. Fershtman as legal consultant on your contract or case. In that capacity, she can assist your lawyer on your case on limited tasks.

NEWS:  Results matter! Serving a horse stable business that had a multi-million dollar Default Judgment issued against it arising from a plaintiff's personal injury, Ms. Fershtman fought hard for her client.  After the Default Judgment against her client was set aside, she successfully defended that court ruling on appeal, winning the appeal.  Extensive litigation followed, and the case ultimately ettled for a mere 0.00014 of the judgment amount.   

 Visit the Foster Swift Law Firm Web Site 

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Julie I. Fershtman, Esq.
Foster Swift Collins & Smith, PC
28411 Northwestern Hwy., Ste. 500
Southfield, Michigan  48034

Direct Phone Line: (248) 785-4731

Main Office Line: (248) 539-9900

Legal Profession Honors - Partial List

• The Best Lawyers in America ^® Listed in 2013 and every consecutive year after in categories of Commercial Litigation and Insurance Law (2013-2025)
• Michigan Lawyers "Hall of Fame" by Michigan Lawyers Weekly (2024)
• "Woman of the Year" in Michigan's legal profession in 2016 by Michigan Lawyers Weekly
• "Leader in the Law" by Michigan Lawyers Weekly (2010)
• Listed in Michigan Super Lawyers^® in 2008 and every consecutive year after. (2008-2025)
• Listed among the "Top 50 Women Lawyers in Michigan" (2013-2025) by Michigan Super Lawyers
• Listed among the "Top 100 Lawyers in Michigan" (2019-2025) by Michigan Super Lawyers 
• Senior Fellow and Member of Trial Law Institute, Litigation Counsel of America
• Rated “AV” 5.0/5 (highest possible rating for abilities and ethics) by Martindale-Hubbell - www.martindale.com 
• Listed in Who's Who in American Law for over 35 years
• Highest possible rating (10.0/10 "Superb") by website www.avvo.com

Equine Industry Accolades

Recipient of these prestigious equine industry awards:

"Excellence in the Advancement of Animal Law Award" - ABA Tort Trial & Insurance Law Section Animal Law Committee
"Distinguished Service Award" - American Youth Horse Council
"Industry Service Award" - Michigan Equine Partnership
“Catalyst Award” - Michigan Horse Council
“Outstanding Achievement” Award - American Riding Instructors Association
"Partner in Safety Award" - American Riding Instructors Association
"Associate Service Award" - United Professional Horsemen's Association
"Partnership in Safety Award" - Certified Horsemanship Association

Results Delivered for Clients - Partial List 

No lawyer can guarantee results, but we work hard to achieve them for our clients. Some examples:

• In 2025, successfully handled a complex appeal of a real estate dispute involving neighboring properties in a rural area. The case had been through two jury trials (which Ms. Fershtman did not handle), and the opposing side insisted that their property was severely damaged, causing substantial economic losses. Fershtman won the appeal for her client, bringing the case to a halt, sparing her client hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages, and preventing further litigation. (Michigan Court of Appeals)

• Successfully defended a horse rental stable and its owner in the trial court in 2023. All claims against Ms. Fershtman's client were dismissed when the Court granted her motion to dismiss them, and the Court ruled in her clients' favor on their Counterclaim seeking reimbursement of legal fees and costs based on a signed waiver.  (Livingston County, MI.)         

• Successfully defended a horse stable and riding instructor in the trial court and in a subsequent appeal in the Michigan Court of Appeals.  Molnar v. Tenacity Farm, Inc., 5 N.W.3d 90 (Mich. App. 2023)

• Defended a horse boarding stable in a lawsuit brought by a horse owner who claimed a boarded horse was injured due to the stable's negligence.  Case against the boarding stable was dismissed when court granted Ms. Fershtman's motion to dismiss. 

• Represented defrauded horse buyers in a trial against sellers. Horse buyer clients/plaintiffs won the trial, and the Court ordered the defendants/horse sellers (who lost the case) to reimburse 100% of the buyers' legal fees and court costs.  (Livingston County, Michigan)  

• Lead counsel for insurance company in Hauser v. Great American Assurance Company, 971 F. Supp.2d 824 (N.D. Ill. 2013)(affirming denial of coverage on an equine mortality insurance policy based on policy terms). 

• Lead counsel for insurance company in Jahn v. Great American Assurance Company, 2004 WL 765240 (N.D. Ill. 2004)(affirming denial of coverage on an equine mortality insurance policy based on policy terms).

• Rivera v. R.P. Gordon, Inc., 2004 WL 1109153 (Mich. App. 2004)(defending horse trail ride business that was sued by a customer injured during the ride, securing dismissal of the case at trial court level and won the appeal).

• Mounts v. Van Beest, 2004 Mich. App. LEXIS 2062 (Mich. App. 2004)(defending individual horse owner who was sued by friend who was injured when a horse bucked him off, securing dismissal of the case at the trial court level and won the appeal). 

• Successfully defended individual horse owners who have been sued by others who were injured when riding or near horses. Successfully defended stables that have been sued for injuries to boarded horses.

• Lead trial counsel in defense of an Illinois trail ride operation at a state park that was sued by an injured customer, seeking hundreds of thousands of dollars. Case proceeded to a week-long jury trial. Won the trial, with the jury unanimously issuing a "no-cause" verdict in the stable's favor.  

• Falmouth Cooperative Co. v. Bontekoe Farms, 2020 WL 6110928 (Mich. App. 2020)(defending manufacturer/seller of custom livestock feed against claims that the feed caused death of livestock. Secured dismissal of all claims against the client at the trial court level, and won the appeal).  

• Counsel for stable in a complex equine business dispute involving claims of theft and conversion and seeking return of horses from a horse breeder. Won a nine-day trial, and client recovered possession of horses through the lawsuit.

• Defended a horse boarding and riding lesson stable against a lawsuit brought by a visitor who was injured in the barn. All claims against the stable were dismissed by the court after court granted stable's motion to dismiss the case.

• Defended horse owners in a lawsuit brought against them by their horse trainer who was injured while training their horse.  All claims against the clients/horse owners were dismissed by the court, after court granted horse owners' motion to dismiss the case.

• Drafted a boarding stable's contract, but a customer later sued the stable. On the strength of the contract, the trial court dismissed the case against the client, and the court of appeals affirmed dismissal.

• Defended a horse breeder against claims of defamation (slander/libel) by another horse breeder. All claims against the client were dismissed by the court, after court granted horse breeder's motion to dismiss the claims.  

Published Works on Equine Law - Books

Equine Law and Horse Sense (ABA Publishing, 2019). Recipient of 4 national book awards. More information below.

Co-author/co-editor, Litigating Animal Law Disputes: A Complete Guide for Lawyers (ABA Publishing, 2009).

MORE Equine Law & Horse Sense (Horses & The Law Publishing, 2000). Testimonials from industry icons.

Equine Law & Horse Sense (Horses & The Law Publishing, 1996).  Testimonials from industry icons.

Published Works on Equine Law - Articles (Partial List)

EQUUS Magazine (3 articles)

Horse Illustrated  (5 articles)

Stable Management Magazine (12 articles)

Riding Instructor Magazine (regular/monthly column contributor 1994-2024)

American Quarter Horse Journal (4 articles)

International Arabian Horse Magazine (2 articles)

AHSA Horse Show Magazine

Saddle and Bridle Magazine

Michigan Bar Journal

Equine Chronicle

American Bar Association-TIPS Animal Law Committee Newsletter (15 articles)

American Bar Association-Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Law Journal (8 survey of the law articles)

Contributor, American Youth Horse Council Horse Industry Handbook

450+ articles appearing in equine industry publications nationwide since 1993. 

Featured in (Partial List)

"Horse Sense: Fershtman Brings Legal Knowledge to the Equine Industry," Michigan Super Lawyers Magazine

"Equine Lawyers: A breed apart," Lawyers Weekly USA

"Equine Lawyer Represents a New Breed of Clients," Michigan Lawyers Weekly

"ABA Profiles in the Profession" (online)

"The Galloping Lawyer," Detroit Free Press

"Galloping to Glory," Texas Bar Journal

"Riding High," The Oakland Press

"21 Lawyers Leading Us Into the 21st Century," ABA Barrister Magazine

"Lawyer Clears Liability Hurdles," Chicago Tribune

"The Horse Lawyer," WJBK TV-2 News

"Horses in the Morning" Podcast.

Legal Talk Network

Quoted In (Partial List)

ESPN.com

New York Times

CBS News Newspath

Practical Horseman

Horse Illustrated

Horse & Rider Magazine

The Blood-Horse Magazine

Stable Management Magazine

American Paint Horse Journal

Appaloosa Journal

American Quarter Horse Journal

Quarter Horse News

International Arabian Horse Magazine

Hoof Beats (USTA) Magazine

Miniature Horse World

Performance Horse Digest

Horses USA Magazine

Paulick Report