James F. Hewson,
Former Chairman of the Board

James F. Hewson is former Chairman of the Board at Hewson & Van Hellemont, P.C. Mr. Hewson graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a B.S. in 1974, and then graduated, magna cum laude, from the University of Detroit Law School with a Juris Doctor in 1976, while in law school he was an invited participant in the National Senior Moot Court competition. Admitted to the State Bar of Michigan in 1977, he is licensed in all Michigan and all Federal Courts. Mr. Hewson is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, The Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States and the Macomb County Bar Association.

After practicing law in his own general practice firm, Mr. Hewson accepted a position with the Macomb County Prosecutors office in 1980, and then became a senior trial attorney for AAA’s house counsel until 1985.  Since that time his practice has focused on insurance defense litigation and trial for a variety of insurance companies.

He successfully has tried hundreds of jury trials in Michigan courts and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. On numerous occasions, he has argued in the appellate courts of Michigan and the Sixth Circuit. He has tried and succeeded in the appellate decisions of Burris v. Allstate, Allstate vs. Broe Rehabilitation, State Farm vs. Broe Rehabilitation, Muci vs. State Farm, and numerous other decisions in the Federal Courts, including Armistead vs. State Farm.

He was appointed as a hearing panelist for the Attorney Discipline Board in 1985 and has maintained that position ever since.  He was appointed by the Supreme Court of Michigan to participate as a member of the Supreme Court Committee for the Michigan Model Civil Jury Instructions.  Mr. Hewson was selected to Super Lawyers in 2010–2011 and in 2016 Mr. Hewson was selected as one of 30 Leaders in the Law by the Michigan Lawyers Weekly.

Mr. Hewson is an instructor/faculty member of ICLE for No-Fault seminars and previously has spoken for the Negligence Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan. Additionally, he has been an instructor and presenter of various programs for the Michigan State Police, the International Association of Arson Investigators, the Michigan Arson Prevention Committee, International Association of Auto Theft Investigators, the Downriver Arson Task Force and the International Association of Special Investigation Units. He was a 2016 invited speaker at the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation convention in New Orleans on the issues of medico-legal practice and requirements. He is a didactic lecturer at the Rehab Center of the DMC in the department of psychology and neuropsychology and presents at various times.