Brian R. Laxton

Brian R. Laxton

also known as Attorney and Counselor at Law PLLC

4.9
Rating: 9.9

Licensed for 26 years

Ethics and professional responsibility Lawyer at East Lansing, MI
Practice Areas: Ethics & Professional Responsibility, Criminal Defense, Administrative Law, Appeals

PO Box 4925, East Lansing, MI

About Brian

Practice Areas

4

Practice Areas

Ethics and Professional Responsibility 65%

Character and Fitness and Attorney Discipline

26 years | 300 cases

65%
Administrative Law 15%

Professional Licensing and Driver's License Restoration

26 years | 100 cases

15%
Criminal Defense 15%

State and Federal; Drunk Driving

26 years

15%
Appeals 5%

State and Federal Criminal and Civil, State Bar of Michigan Examination Appeals

26 years

5%

Fees and Rates

We have not found any cost information for this lawyer


Looking for an attorney? Avvo can help.

search module image

Search our directory

Quickly connect with top attorneys through our legal directory to get help with your legal issue.

chat module image

Avvo's live chat agents can help coordinate a consultation with a local attorney.

Chat with a live agent who can match you with the right attorney for your legal needs.

Chat with

Licenses

Licensed in Michigan for 26 years

State: Michigan

Acquired: 1999

Active in Good Standing

No misconduct found

Location

Brian R. Laxton Attorney at Law PLLC

PO Box 4925, East Lansing, MI, 48826

Ad

Transform legal challenges into solutions.

Connect now to review your situation.

The Avvo Rating explained

display-bg

The Avvo Rating explained

Brian R. Laxton's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.9 /5.0

32 Client Reviews

Filter Avvo Reviews (32) Refine reviews to match your needs. Use the filters to quickly surface reviews that align with your case or priorities.

Showing 16 - 20 of 32 reviews

Posted by KMH | June 30, 2015 | Appeals

By far the Best

When faced with the possibility of appealing my bar exam, there was no doubt in my mind that I would choose to work with Brian. He is incredibly knowledgeable, straight forward and by far the best attorney that I have ever worked with. Brian walked me through all aspects of my appeal, and kept me app...rised of all decisions along the way. He was incredibly thorough and would always respond to any question or concern, no matter how small. It is because of him that I was able to successfully appeal my bar exam to a passing score!

Posted by anonymous | March 02, 2015 | Ethics & Professional Responsibility

Excellent Attorney

I retained Mr. Laxton to handle my issues with regard to the Character and Fitness process with the State Bar. The minute that I hired Mr. Laxton I felt confident that no issue was too big and he acted as both a counselor with regard to my issues as well as my personal concerns. He was able and will...ing to tailor his availability to my schedule and often would prepare with me late into the evening. Mr. Laxton is extremely knowledgeable attorney and is well respected and well known in the community. Thanks to Mr. Laxton, I am now a practicing attorney and I owe much of my success to him.

Posted by Scott | March 02, 2015 | DUI & DWI

Excellent

I hired Brian to represent me for my character and fitness review and for my DLAD hearing in 2014/2015. I got stung with 2 drinking and driving offenses during. My 2nd year of law school and knew I had a tall mountain to climb. Brian was extremely helpful, knowledge, honest, and diligent in every asp...ect of the relationship. He was always fully prepared and was a zealous advocate in front of judges and those who conducted hearings. He was excellent and thorough in preparing me for hearings and outcomes, and was sure to answer any questions I had. With his help, I was able to earn positive outcomes beyond what myself, Brian, and even LJAP and the State bar expected. In short, Brian made it so that I had nothing to worry about besides passing the bar and doing what the DLAD and State Bar asked of me. I could not be happier with the representation I received. When it comes to the privilege to drive and/or practice law, you cannot afford anything but the best possible representation and advocacy. I can assure you that this is what you will get if you hire Brian Laxton.

Posted by Robert | August 19, 2014 | Administrative Law

Stellar Professional Who Provides Realistic Expectations and Peace of Mind

I was very nervous going into the character and fitness process. I knew that I needed an attorney that would understand my circumstances, who was intimately familiar with the process, and could best prepare me. Brian was the best choice: he provided me with superior quality insight and strategy deriv...ed from years of experience, as well as invaluable peace of mind. I could not have gotten through the process without him!

Posted by anonymous | August 15, 2014 | Ethics & Professional Responsibility

Brian Laxton: Fantastic attorney and a great person who gets results when you most need them.

I had the privilege of being sworn in to the State Bar today and it would not have happened without attorney Brian Laxton's counsel and representation. After graduating law school I knew that past issues would likely require further investigation and--ultimately--approval within the State Bar's char...acter and fitness process. When discussing these issue with trusted law school faculty and a number of Michigan attorneys, I was invariably told that I should talk to attorney Brian Laxton. I took their advice, and it was the best decision I could have made. For those with character and fitness issues, the process of navigating that requirement to obtaining a law license is anything but intuitive and can be a significant source of anxiety. Considering what hangs in the balance, having an attorney like Brian in your corner makes every difference in the world. He explained to me the inner workings of the process--with whom we were working and where they fit in the larger picture. He drew on his years of considerable experience to explain what was important to those persons making the decisions affecting my future and why they were important to them. What's more, Brian Laxton thoroughly and objectively reviewed every detail of what was a fairly complicated case and provided an honest appraisal of strengths and weaknesses. He was very knowledgeable. And when my hearing came and attorney Laxton advocated for me, I knew I put my trust in the right lawyer. Beyond the above, the way Brian Laxton services his clients is impressive. He returned every phone call and email in very short order. He would take time out of his personal life to answer questions, and he would always stick with me until my questions were answered to my satisfaction. Weekends, evenings, whenever...he always responded promptly and in a way that was helpful. They way he treats his clients ought to be a model for other attorneys. And lastly, beyond his expertise and knowledge in a rather esoteric area, Brian Laxton is just a genuinely good person who really cared about my success and truly wanted to help me become an attorney. I can't thank him enough.

See All Client Reviews

Brian R. Laxton's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Brian
Toby White headshot
Toby White

Criminal defense lawyer | Mar 06

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I have worked with Mr. Laxton on numerous matters, together, as a fellow attorney and as opposing counsel. We always, and always get things done, and done right. He is fights for his clients and is informed and communicative."

Michael S. Waddington headshot
Michael Waddington

Criminal defense lawyer | Jun 14

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse Brian. He is a highly skilled attorney that is well respected in the legal community."

William Joseph Bieke Jr. headshot
William Bieke

Ethics and professional responsibility lawyer | Jul 29

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"Mr. Laxton is passionate advocate of his clients. He is a prompt and great communicator, he always keeps his clients up to date and informed, and he is diligent about getting his filings in on time. With great pleasure I recommend his services."

Adam Yarussi headshot
Adam Yarussi

Ethics and professional responsibility lawyer | May 14

Relationship: Worked for lawyer

"I endorse this lawyer. Attorney Brian Laxton, is a caring, diligent, and hard-working. I had the pleasure of working for Attorney Laxton during law school. He is someone I greatly admire, and he is a great role model."

Peter James headshot
Peter James

Ethics and professional responsibility lawyer | Sep 06

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I endorse this lawyer. Brian is very knowledgeable and helpful, friendly and professional. I have worked with many attorneys across many disciplines and in my experience Brian is probably the single best one: he has knowledge of the law without arrogance, a professional demeanor without being distant. He works hard and is very intelligent."

Nicholas A. Leydorf headshot
Nicholas Leydorf

Appeals lawyer | Jul 19

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Mr. Laxton is an excellent lawyer and I have referred several potential appellate clients to him."

Michael J. Nichols headshot
Michael Nichols

General practice lawyer | Jan 23

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Brian is very smart, works hard and will give you good common sense guidance."

View All Endorsements
Nicholas A. Leydorf headshot
Nicholas Leydorf

Criminal defense lawyer

Experience

Rating:  9.9 (Superb)

Honors

2015

Best Lawyer, Best Lawyers in America

2014

Best Lawyer, Best Lawyers in America

2013

Best Lawyers in America, Best Lawyers in America

2012

Best Lawyers in America - Drunk Driving, Best Lawyers in America

2011

Best Lawyers in America, Best Lawyers in America

2010

David vs. Goliath, Thomas M. Cooley BLSA

2010

Best Lawyers in America, Best Lawyers in America

Work Experience

2011 - Present

Attorney, Brian R. Laxton, Attorney and Counselor At Law PLLC

2007 - 2010

Partner, Mertens, Laxton and Clement, PLLC

2006 - 2014

Visiting Professor, The Thomas M. Cooley Law School

2002 - 2007

Partner, The Reynolds Law Firm, PC

Associations

State Bar of Michigan

Member

Ingham County Bar Association

Member

Eaton County Bar Association

Member

American Inns of Court

Member

Education

1998

The Thomas M. Cooley Law School

JD - Juris Doctor

N/A

Central Michigan University

Speaking Engagements

2014

Lunch with a Lawyer

Character and Fitness Updates

2014

Federal Bar Association

Character and Fitness - Procedure and Common Mistakes

2011

FLAPP

Ethical Considerations In Representation

2010

Career and Professional Development

Character and Fitness

2009

Thomas M. Cooley Law School

Character and Fitness

2009

Ingham County Bar Association, Criminal Law Section

Criminal Law Update

2008

Speaker Series

Character and Fitness

2008

Ingham Count Bench Bar Conference

Attorney Client Privilege Issues

2007

Ingham County Bar Association

Ethical Pitfalls for Private Practitioners

2006

State Bar of Michigan, Young Lawyers Section

Character and Fitness

Publications

2009

Briefs (ICBA) Superdrunk Legislation Update Co-Authored with Attorney Michael J. Nichols

2006

Briefs (ICBA) Death of the Minimum Fee?

Languages

English

Activity

Avvo Rating

Our Rating is calculated using information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to the information we collect from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals. Attorneys who claim their profiles and provide Avvo with more information tend to have a higher rating than those who do not.

What determines Avvo Rating?
  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
  • Legal community recognition Peer endorsements, associations, awards
  • Legal thought leadership Publications, speaking engagements
  • Discipline Disciplinary information may not be comprehensive, or updated. We recommend that you always check a lawyer's disciplinary status with their respective state bar association before hiring them.
Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution