William L. Henn
Attorney

William L. Henn is a founding member of Henn Lesperance PLC. He regularly represents clients—including government entities, individuals, corporations and health care professionals—at all levels of state and federal courts throughout Michigan. Mr. Henn also acts as corporate counsel for numerous government entities throughout the state of Michigan. Prior to entering private practice in 2001, Mr. Henn served as a law clerk for the Honorable Richard F. Suhrheinrich of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

In his law practice, Mr. Henn is guided by the need to pursue justice wherever it leads, to be consummately diligent in all aspects of client representation, and to act at all times with the highest level of professionalism and ethics. Mr. Henn believes that the pen is mightier than the sword, and that underlying even the world’s greatest complexities are simple truths. Mr. Henn strives in his advocacy to identify and convey those simple truths, as they are the gateway to successful resolutions of legal problems.

When not practicing law, Mr. Henn enjoys traveling, biking, sporting events, and spending time with his three children.

Phone Number: (616) 551-1352

Contact

Direct: (616) 551-1352
Fax: (616) 323-3658
Email: whenn@hennlesperance.com

Awards/Achievements

Top Rated State, Local & Municipal Attorney, Super Lawyers: 2014-2016, 2021-2025
Grand Rapids Magazine Top Lawyer in Appellate Law: 2019
Super Lawyer Rising Star: 2013
AV (Preeminent) Peer Review Rated, Martindale Hubbell

Practice Areas

Civil Litigation
Appeals
Professional Malpractice Defense
Business Disputes
Governmental Law

Education

University of Michigan Law School, J.D., cum laude, 1999
Central Michigan University, B.A., summa cum laude, 1997

Bar and Court Admissions

State Bar of Michigan
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan

Professional Affiliations

Michigan Defense Trial Council
Defense Research Institute
County Road Association of Michigan

Presentations

  • History of Roads; Michigan County Road Commission Self-Insurance Pool Manager’s Meeting (Bill Henn) August 2024
  • Hot Mix of Issues: Current Topics of Interest for County Road Commissions; Michigan County Road Commission Self-Insurance Pool Annual Meeting (Bill Henn) July 2023
  • Writing Policy: Liability Considerations: County Road Association of Michigan (Bill Henn) November 2022
  • It’s getting crowded in here: The Rules for Permitting All Kinds of Stuff in the Right-of-Ways; County Highway Engineers’ Workshop (Bill Henn) February 2022
  • What the Heck: Five Stories from the sometimes weird, never dull, and always unpredictable world of litigation; Michigan County Road Commission Self-Insurance Pool Virtual Training Series (Bill Henn) February 2021
  • Stay Connected: What’s New with Wireless, Telecommunications and Video Service Facilities in the Right-of-Way; Michigan County Road Commission Self-Insurance Pool Annual Meeting (Bill Henn) July 2019
  • Contracts Workshop; Michigan County Road Commission Self-Insurance Pool (Bill Henn and Greg Nemmers), Mt. Pleasant, MI, October 2019
  • Professional Liability: Engineering the Perfect Deposition: Michigan County Highway Engineers’ Workshop, Sault Ste Marie, MI (Bill Henn and Burt Thompson P.E.), February 2019
  • A Case Study in Public Engineering: “Water You Doing?”; Michigan County Highway Engineers’ Workshop, Sault Ste Marie, MI (Bill Henn), February 2019
  • Surviving a Lawsuit: Bringing Law and Order to the Litigation Jungle; Michigan County Road Commission Self-Insurance Pool Annual Meeting, Mt. Pleasant, MI (Bill Henn with joint presenters), July 2018
  • Hot Coffee and Lost Trousers: What Every Defense Lawyer Should Know About the Law of Damages; Michigan Defense Trial Council Conference (Bill Henn, Judge Douglas Shapiro, Judge Brock Swartzle) May 2018
  • Professional Liability for Engineers; SAM Conference, Bellaire, Michigan (Bill Henn), February 2018
  • Communication Service Provider (CSP) Permits; Berrien County Road Commission, Monroe County Road Commission, Saginaw County Road Commission, Blue Water Highway Council, County Road Association of Michigan, and Networks Northwest, various locations throughout Michigan (Bill Henn) 2017
  • Minimize Your Liability Exposure: Discussion of Real World Scenarios; Association of County Road Superintendents, Manistee, MI (Bill Henn with joint presenters), October 2017
  • Vehicle Accident Investigation and Reconstruction; Michigan County Road Commission Self-Insurance Pool Annual Meeting, Pleasant, MI (Bill Henn with joint presenters), April 2017
  • The Rewards of Risk Management; Association of County Road Superintendents, October 2016
  • Blurred Line: Golf Carts, ORVs, Bicycles and Lawn Mowers on Local Roads; County Road Association of Michigan First Annual Legal Issues Symposium, December 2015
  • Challenges to County Road Agency; County Road Association of Michigan Annual Meeting, March 2014
  • Should you settle?; Michigan County Road Commission Self-Insurance Pool Workshop, 2014 (joint presenter)
  • Mock Trial; Michigan County Road Commission Self-Insurance Pool Annual Meeting, July 2013
  • Case of Hagerty v Board of Manistee County Road Commissioners – Is a Dust Cloud a Defect in the Physical Structure of the Roadbed; County Road Association of Michigan 2013 Highway Conference, March 2013
  • Governmental Immunity: Past, Present, and (Back to?) the Future; Michigan County Road Commission Self-Insurance Pool Annual Meeting, July 2011
  • Rapid Fire – Notable Appellate Decisions; Michigan Defense Trial Counsel Annual Meeting, May 2011
  • MCRCSIP Celebrity Squares; Michigan County Road Commission Self- Insurance Pool Annual Meeting, July 2010 (joint presenter)

Notable Decisions

Governmental Immunity

  • Sunrise Resort Ass’n v Cheboygan County Road Commission, 509 Mich 983 (2022)
  • Denney v Kent County Road Commission 317 Mich App 727 (2017)
  • Streng v Bd of Mackinac Co Rd Com’rs, 315 Mich App 449 (2016)
  • Duffy v Irons Area Tourist Ass’n, 300 Mich. App. 542 (2013)
  • Oshtemo Charter Twp. v. Kalamazoo County Road Commission, 302 Mich. App. 574 (2013)
  • Wesche v Mecosta County Road Commission, 480 Mich 75 (2008)
  • Rowland v Washtenaw County Road Commission, 477 Mich 197 (2007)
  • Kik v Sbraccia, 272 Mich. App. 388 (2006)
  • Mann v St. Clair County Road Commission, 470 Mich 347 (2004)

Land Use

  • Hucul Advertising, LLC v. Charter Twp. of Gaines, 748 F.3d 273 (2014)
  • Scholma v Ottawa Co Rd Com’n, 303 Mich App 12 (2013)
  • Cummins v Robinson Twp, 283 Mich App 677 (2009)
  • Great Lakes Society v Georgetown Charter Twp, 281 Mich App 396 (2008)

Premises Liability

  • DeBusscher v Sam’s East, Inc., 505 F3d 475 (6th Cir 2007)

Civil Rights

  • Long Lake Township v Maxon, 511 Mich 963 (2023)
  • Widgren v Maple Grove Township, 429 F3d 575 (6th Cir 2005)

Venue

  • Colucci v McMillan, 256 Mich App 88 (2003)

Medical Malpractice

  • Jesse v Lakeland Specialty Hospital at Berrien Center, 328 Mich App 142 (2019)
  • Decker v Rochowiak, 287 Mich App 666; 791 NW2d 507 (2010)
  • Boodt v Borgess Medical Center, 272 Mich App 621 (2006)
  • Vega v Lakeland Hospitals, 267 Mich App 565 (2005)