Born: Grosse Pointe, Michigan, March 13, 1970.
Bar Admissions: Michigan U.S. District Courts: Eastern District of Michigan;
Education: MichiganStateUniversity (B.A.,1992); DetroitCollege
of Law at MichiganStateUniversity
(J.D., 1997).
Member: State
Bar of Michigan
(Negligence Section; Consumer Law Section), Oakland County Bar Association.
Legal Experience
Prior to graduation from law school in 1997, Margaret
Mason Erskine began her legal career as a Case Manager for Consumer/Warranty
Litigation. She first worked in the
Office of the General Counsel at Ford Motor Company and then at the Chrysler
Corporation. Upon graduation and
admission to the bar she continued to
work for the DaimlerChrysler Corporation.
Maggie managed the defense of lemon law litigation in several states as
well as defending property damage, fire and personal injury matters within the
Warranty Litigation department. Beginning
in 2001 Maggie helped to establish processes and implement standards in the recovery
of sales tax in vehicle buyback transactions.
In doing so, Maggie has worked with Departments of Revenue, Attorneys
General and even state legislators to come to favorable outcomes. To date, the Recovery Group at DCC has been
reimbursed several millions of dollars by the various states.
In 2002 and 2003 Maggie worked with the Alliance of
Automobile Manufacturers and Management at DaimlerChrysler to interpret and
introduce the TREAD Act. In doing so,
she helped found the CCRG Department at DaimlerChrysler Corporation. Lastly, Maggie spearheaded several projects
designed to avoid potential litigation. Once
possible liabilities were identified, they were assigned to Maggie to devise a
plan of attack to reduce the Company’s exposure.
In January 2007, Maggie decided to take the leap into litigation. After managing and attempting to avoid litigation for so long, she wanted to gain her own courtroom experience. Maggie has argued various motions in the defense of lemon law actions, drafted pleadings, settled cases, and taken lay witness, party and expert depositions. She continues to assist DaimlerChrysler Corporation with exposure issues. Further, she is actively involved in suing several states to get reimbursement of sales tax monies paid out by DaimlerChrysler Corporation to consumers. She has benchmarked with Ford Motor Company and MBUSA regarding sales tax issues as well.
Significant Accomplishments
- Supervised
Summary Judgment at trial in a lawsuit filed by a Plaintiff in Alaska, arising out of a
fire loss in a Dodge Ram. The customer
alleged product defect but was unable to show proper causation. The customer’s
insurance had denied the claim.
- Effectively
completed the legal integration of the Front Seat DVD in DaimlerChrysler
vehicles.
- Managed
the Summary Disposition of a multi-million dollar sales tax case against the
State of Michigan
while working in-house at DaimlerChrysler, successfully arguing that the State
was obligated to refund money to the manufacturer that the manufacturer had
paid to its customers. Case settled for more
than $1,500,000.00.
- Successfully
worked with several law enforcement agencies in the extrication of EDR data
from DC vehicles.
- Helped
draft legislation in several states allowing automobile manufacturers a refund
for sales tax returned to consumers in the vehicle buyback process.
- Drafted
instructions on how auto manufacturer personnel should treat buyback
transactions to ensure refund of sales tax.
Business patent pending.
- Helped
engineer process redesign in the Consumer Litigation Department at Ford Motor
Company and the Warranty Litigation Department at DaimlerChrysler Corporation.
- Designed
a Tread Act-friendly matrix for the Consumer Complaint Resolution Group at
DaimlerChrysler Corporation.
Contact Information
342 South
Main Street
Rochester,
Michigan48307
Tel: (248) 601-4499
Fax: (248) 601-4497
merskine@erskinelawgroup.com