Bruce Sendek, Butzel Long Photo

Corporations and individuals have sought the counsel of Bruce L. Sendek for more than 40 years. He is recognized for his experience in litigating complex disputes involving a wide range of corporate and commercial matters. Mr. Sendek has extensive trial and appellate experience in federal and state courts and has arbitrated and mediated numerous commercial disputes.

Overview

Bruce Sendek counsels and represents a broad spectrum of clients of all sizes—plaintiffs and defendants—in an array of industries. He has represented large corporations including major health care systems and automotive and aerospace manufacturers and individuals such as professionals in the medical industry, and suppliers and business owners doing business in a variety of sectors.

Mr. Sendek has prevailed on behalf of clients in cases involving commercial contract disputes and business litigation, including acquisitions and other business sale transactions, automotive supply chain disputes, sales commission disputes, non-compete agreements, and trade secrets. He has obtained successful results for clients in matters including franchise terminations, environmental claims, construction, real estate, securities, and class action litigation, antitrust law violations, civil Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) violations, and financial institution matters.

The list of significant matters Mr. Sendek has litigated during his career is lengthy. He has obtained jury verdicts, arbitrated, and settled countless matters where multi-million-dollar awards were at stake.

An example involving a large jury verdict obtained on behalf of a health care client involved a $5 million lawsuit brought by a major hospital/health care system in connection with acquisition of a client’s optometric centers. The plaintiff-hospital claimed that the defendants misrepresented financial statements and fraudulently induced the hospital to purchase the business. After a two-week trial, the jury found for the defendants on all counts, and our client was awarded approximately $700,000 in fees and costs.

In a lawsuit claiming breach of representations and warranties and fraud against the seller, guarantors, and seller’s actuaries involving the sale of a piston manufacturing company, a $7.25 million settlement was obtained for a German automotive corporation. The client discovered that the acquired company’s balance sheet significantly understated pension and retiree medical benefit obligations. The case raised complex actuarial, accounting, and damage issues.

An example of an arbitration where Mr. Sendek secured a favorable result includes a matter involving a breach of supply contract between an aerospace supplier and an aircraft manufacturer. The client was awarded over $6 million in damages and an additional $680,000 in fees and costs which were collected after the successful seizure of the manufacturer’s accounts. The aircraft manufacturer was awarded nothing on its counterclaim against our client. In an international arbitration dispute, our client, an English aerospace/automotive corporation, recovered a $1.6 million award in a claim against a prior property owner for reimbursement of environmental cleanup expenses at a Superfund site.

There are but a few examples of the noteworthy matters Mr. Sendek has handled. He is renowned for his tenacious dedication to obtaining results that matter to clients.

Bruce Sendek is a Shareholder based in Butzel's Detroit office. He serves as a Chair of the firm's Litigation Department. Mr. Sendek has been consistently recognized for several decades by numerous respected legal publications for his experience in business, commercial, and antitrust litigation.

Credentials

Education

Notre Dame Law School, J.D.

Michigan State University, B.A.

Admissions

  • Michigan

Memberships

  • American Bar Association
  • State Bar of Michigan – Litigation Section
  • Detroit Bar Association

Awards & Recognitions

Awards & Recognitions

Crain’s Detroit Business - Notable Litigators and Trial Attorneys, 2025

The Best Lawyers in America® - Commercial Litigation, 2003-2025

DBusiness Top Lawyers in Metro Detroit - Appellate Law, Business Litigation, 2011, 2013 Litigation-Commercial, 2011-2021, Antitrust Litigation 2018-2023

Michigan Super Lawyers - Business Litigation, 2013-2024

Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business - Litigation: General Commercial, 2018-2024

Experience

  • Defended and Represented counter-claimant in aviation supplier litigation
  • Successfully defended landscape company in breach of contract action brought by commercial developer.
  • Successfully arbitrated breach of supply contract between aerospace supplier and aircraft manufacturer.
  • Successful defense of wrongful termination claim on behalf of major waste management company tried before a Wayne County jury. The jury came back with a de minimis award, with a near total win for our client.
  • Obtained jury verdict and substantial economic award, with attorney fees and costs, on behalf of a nickel metals supplier in a breach of supply contract dispute.
  • Represented party in their claim of fraudulent misrepresentation against seller of business
  • Automotive supplier dispute
  • Successfully defended jury trial in Oakland County defending multi-million-dollar fraud claim arising out of the purchase of our client’s manufacturing company.
  • Defended party in business fraud action
  • Successfully handled Michigan Supreme Court appeal concerning enforceability of common law arbitration agreements.
  • Successfully defended fraud, RICO and breach of contract claims, in federal court, brought by NASCAR racing promoter against sponsor. All claims were dismissed against our client.
  • Defended client in contract dispute
  • Obtained dismissal following bench trial of wholesale food distributor’s breach of contract claim against chain of retail grocery stores.
  • Obtained jury verdict that denied substantial claim for liquidated damages in breach of contract claim against non-profit entity.
  • Obtained jury verdict in favor of defendants in a $5 million lawsuit brought by a major hospital/health care system in connection with an acquisition of client’s optometric centers.
  • Recovered a $1.6 million award in an international arbitration dispute for our client, an English aerospace/automotive corporation, in a claim against a prior property owner for reimbursement of environmental clean-up expenses at a Superfund Site.
  • Successfully defended electrical component manufacturer in action brought by neighboring manufacturing facility alleging substantial injury to its business due to toxic emissions.
  • Obtained injunction against medical professional for opening competing optometric center in breach of non-compete agreement.
  • Represented a private equity investor in the lengthy and complicated effort to purchase all of Ford Motor Company's glass manufacturing operations in North America
  • Successfully prosecuted indemnification action in Kansas federal court on behalf of aerospace manufacturer against prior owner for environmental clean-up costs.
  • Obtained jury verdict and substantial economic award, with attorney fees and costs, on behalf of shopping center owner in a commercial lease dispute with anchor tenant.
  • Successfully defended small English paintball distributor against multi-million-dollar breach of contract claim brought in federal court by the major U.S. soft gel manufacturing company.
  • Defended party in contract dispute
  • Successfully defended waste management company against breach of contract claims brought by minority landfill owners. The case involved a complicated mix of contract and environmental issues.
  • Obtained a $7.25 million settlement for German automotive corporation in connection with acquisition of a piston manufacturing company.

News & Events

News

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