Overview
"Effective advocacy starts long before litigation. The best outcomes are rooted in understanding a client's long-term goals and finding solutions that preserve value, protect important relationships, and position the business for future success.”
Businesses, manufacturers, suppliers, employers, and insurers throughout Michigan turn to Brian Akkashian for experienced counsel in complex commercial litigation and business disputes.
A co-managing partner of the firm’s Detroit office, Brian is a seasoned trial lawyer, business advisor, and mediator. He represents clients in matters involving contract disputes, shareholder conflicts, automotive litigation, fraud claims, employment litigation, insurance defense, and torts. Beyond advocacy, he helps clients navigate legal challenges while keeping future growth and profitability in focus. This approach allows clients to make informed decisions during disputes, positioning them for long-term success.
Why Clients Choose Brian
- Experienced Outside Counsel. Serving as outside general counsel to dozens of companies, Brian advises clients on contracts, employment matters, real estate, insurance, compliance, and intellectual property issues to manage risk before problems escalate into litigation.
- Keeps Critical Automotive Supply Chains Moving. Brian regularly represents Tier I and Tier II automotive suppliers in high-stakes disputes involving stop-ship claims, pricing disputes, supplier re-sourcing, and emergency injunction proceedings, helping clients avoid costly production interruptions and protect key business relationships.
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Protects Business Relationships While Resolving Disputes. A trained civil mediator, Brian approaches conflicts with a practical, solutions-oriented mindset. Clients benefit from strategic counsel that seeks to preserve valuable commercial relationships when possible while still protecting their legal and business interests.
- Brings Clarity to Complex Shareholder Disputes. Brian helps shareholders, LLC members, and business owners navigate partner disputes, member oppression claims, breaches of fiduciary duty, and business separations.
- Resolves Commercial and Financial Conflicts. Brian represents lenders, borrowers, developers, financial institutions, and business owners in loan defaults, fraud claims, contract disputes, construction-related matters, and other high-stakes business litigation.
Experience
Membership & Involvement
- Member: Oakland County Bar Association; Michigan Mediation Innovation Group
- State Bar of Michigan: Member, ADR Section; Member, Litigation Section
- Federal Bar Association for the Eastern District of Michigan: Executive Board (2009–2012); Past Co-Chair, Complex Commercial Litigation Committee; Past Co-Chair, New Lawyers' Seminar Committee
- Past Executive Board Member: Armenian-American Bar Association
Court Admissions: Michigan; U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan; U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan; U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
Honors
- Selected to DBusiness Magazine Top Lawyer List: 2024, 2027
- Selected to the Michigan Super Lawyers in Business Litigation list: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026
- Selected to Michigan Lawyers Weekly, Leaders in the Law: 2024
- Selected to the Michigan Super Lawyers "Rising Stars" list: 2008–2009
Resources & Insights
In the Media
Published Works
Firm News
- Amundsen Davis Expands Into Michigan Through Combination With Paesano Akkashian
Amundsen Davis Expands Into Michigan Through Combination With Paesano AkkashianWe are excited to share another milestone in Amundsen Davis’s continued growth! Effective September 1, 2026, Detroit-based firm of Paesano Akkashian, PC, joined Amundsen Davis, establishing the firm’s first office in Michigan and further strengthening our presence across the Midwest.
- Lew Bricker, Anthony Paesano, and Brian Akkashian Discuss Amundsen Davis's Michigan Expansion with Law360
Lew Bricker, Anthony Paesano, and Brian Akkashian Discuss Amundsen Davis's Michigan Expansion with Law360In an article for Law360, Lew Bricker, Anthony Paesano, and Brian Akkashian discuss Amundsen Davis's recent merger with Paesano Akkashian and expansion into Michigan.
Education
University of Detroit-Mercy School of Law, J.D., cum laude
Michigan State University, B.A.
Admissions
- Michigan