Attorneys

Alan S. Helmore counsels businesses and corporate employers on general negligence liability, insurance, risk management and claims avoidance. He has developed particular expertise in the defense of workers' compensation claims. Mr. Helmore is a trial attorney with years of experience in the courtroom and is a nationally credentialed American Arbitration Association arbitrator in labor employment and contract disputes. He was a litigator in the Law Department of The Travelers Insurance Company for four years before joining Sullivan, Ward, Asher & Patton, P.C. in 1976 as an associate attorney. He became a shareholder in the firm in 1981.

Mr. Helmore is formerly a member of the American Arbitration Association's distinguished National Panel of Arbitrators, the Negligence and Compensation Sections of the State Bar of Michigan and the Detroit Bar Association. He has spoken on workers' compensation and employment discrimination at seminars and regional meetings of business education groups, a labor union, a board of education and to the boards of directors, officers and managers of several corporate employers. The survey articles he has prepared on workers' compensation law in Michigan have been published and distributed by the National Business Institute, Lorman Board Services and at Sullivan, Ward, Asher & Patton, P.C. client seminars. He is also an Associate Professor of Business Law at Oakland University teaching at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. Mr. Helmore served on the State Bar of Michigan Workers Compensation Section Counsel for 8 years. The counsel reviews and makes recommendations to the State Legislature, Michigan Supreme Court and other government agencies regarding matters significant to workers' compensation. During his tenure on the counsel, he was elected to various officer positions including serving as its Chairperson for the 2004-2005 term. After serving as Chairperson, Mr. Helmore has remained active with the counsel as an advisor to subsequent Chairpersons as well as other officers and members of the counsel.

Mr. Helmore completed the National Institute for Trial Advocacy litigation training, receiving his certificate in 1983. Always interested in the issues of labor and employment, Mr. Helmore earned his bachelor's degree in business administration, with an emphasis on personnel, labor and employment and economics from Western Michigan University.

Mr. Helmore received a Distinguished Military Graduate Award from Western Michigan University's ROTC program and served in the U.S. Army to the rank of Captain.