Unlocking the Law

Brandon Grysko
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Business
  • Updated Bimonthly

Unlocking the Law pulls back the curtain on real-world legal stories that business owners don't hear until it's too late. Blending engaging true cases, hard-earned lessons, and candid legal insight to help business owners, CEOs, and executive directors avoid costly mistakes. Join us every episode as Brandon unpacks the "how" and "why" behind legal pitfalls that can derail a company.  Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice. Listening does not create an attorney–client relationship.

  1. Oct 9

    Served With A Lawsuit In The Middle Of A Council Meeting | Jay Murray (Pt 2)

    Another episode with Jay Murray!   We started at the old Sears at Seven Mile and Middlebelt. It's sealed up now and still for sale.   Then I sprang a couple of questions on him he didn't see coming. A council member served with a lawsuit in the middle of a public meeting. Another council member opening a bid package while bidding was still live, then voting on that project.   What we covered: → What the crew found inside the Sears building → Why serving a lawsuit during a council meeting was a choice → How one login on a bidding site can make contractors wonder if they have a shot → Why putting everything out to bid can cost the city a good deal → The Scott Barr fan club shirts we are absolutely making   Most of what happens in local government happens in plain sight. You just need someone willing to read all 56 pages.   Jay, thanks for coming back for round two! I appreciate having you here.   *Chapters* 00:00 Intro 00:49 Jay Murray is back 03:04 Where the Sears building stands now 04:30 What the crew found inside Sears 08:04 A lawsuit served in the middle of a council meeting 13:57 A council member's digital footprint on a city bid 19:48 How the bid site actually logs you 23:59 Looking for corruption and breaking rules to find it 26:31 Why not everything goes out to bid 30:08 The Scott Barr fan club ~~~ Follow us to be notified when new episodes drop! https://linktr.ee/unlockingthelaw   This episode is brought to you by Fausone & Grysko, PLC https://www.thefgfirm.law/   #UnlockingTheLaw #Podcast #LocalGovernment #CityCouncil #PublicRecords #Ethics #Livonia

  2. Sep 25

    Why Did The LJAL Walk Away From Bentley Field? | Jay Murray (Pt. 1)

    Why did LJAL choose to walk away from Bentley Field? In this episode, my guest Jay Murray breaks down what led to that decision.   Jay Murray is back, and this time he showed up with a new byline. Somebody online called him the big ugly white guy, and his editor made it official. He’s a local journalist, co-host of The Local Pod, and a former LJAL parent whose daughters cheered at Bentley Field.   For about 50 years, the Livonia Junior Athletic League played football at Bentley Field on what started as a $1 handshake deal with Livonia Public Schools. LPS had just put about $100,000 into the fence, the league still wants to rent other district fields, and nobody has a deal for those fields yet.   What we covered: → How a light agreement on a school field turns into a fight over who fixes the track → Why realtors say moms ask about youth sports early in a home search → The liability math a school district runs on property its students don't use → How Jay checks a story before he posts a word about it   Jay, thanks for coming back on the podcast - glad to have another great conversation with you!   *Chapters* 00:00 Intro 01:00 Jay Murray is back! 06:12 Fifty years at Bentley Field on a $1 handshake 13:28 Who pays for the fence, the track, and the water? 16:30 Two sides and a simmering fight 22:24 Why moms ask realtors about youth sports 30:58 The $140,000 bleachers and press box 37:44 The Facebook post nobody at LPS saw coming 41:48 McCullough, the NIMBY veto, and the yellow shirts 53:13 Why confidence gets mistaken for facts ~~~ Follow us to be notified when new episodes drop! https://linktr.ee/unlockingthelaw   This episode is brought to you by Fausone & Grysko, PLC https://www.thefgfirm.law/   #UnlockingTheLaw #Podcast #Livonia #YouthSports #LocalNews #Michigan

  3. Sep 11

    Why Has Nobody's Touched the Old Sears Building in Years? | Mike Balow

    Mike Balow has spent over twenty years on the other side of that math. Naval Academy grad, commercial real estate broker, and one of the people behind some of Livonia's biggest redevelopment projects, including the Amazon site on Eckles Road.   We start with the Noble Library. The city put it out for RFP, looking for someone to redevelop it and keep part of the space open to the public. Nobody bid. Mike walks through why, and what that silence actually says about risk and return.   What we covered: → Why the Noble Library RFP got zero bidders → How a land lease could work for a public building → Brownfield tax increment financing, and how it pays developers back → Why property taxes jump after a sale or a major renovation → What Mike would actually build on the old Sears site   A vacant building doesn't stay empty because nobody wants it. It stays empty because the math never worked.   Thanks for making the time, Mike. Glad to have you on this podcast!   *Chapters* 0:00 Intro 1:18 Meet Mike Balow: two decades in commercial real estate 3:33 What developers weigh before committing to a project 10:39 The real economics behind a redevelopment deal 14:14 The Noble Library's failed RFP and what it says about ROI 18:03 Capital stacks, land leases, and public private partnerships 23:12 How brownfield tax financing pays developers back 32:57 Why your tax bill jumps after a sale or a renovation 35:27 PA 198 and the tax freeze few people know about 43:25 Deferred maintenance, buyer risk, and what Mike would build on 20 vacant acres ~~~ This episode is brought to you by Fausone & Grysko, PLC https://www.thefgfirm.law/   *Prefer to listen? https://pod.link/1849177096

  4. Aug 28

    The Michigan Library Nobody Would Save | Robert Donovic

    Rob Donovic, who spent years on Livonia's city council, breaks down the numbers behind the 2019 closure of the Noble Library. What does it cost to renovate a 15,000 square foot building? Why did the RFP's own terms ruled out most for profit buyers before anyone even applied? And would it have been a smarter move to tear the library down and put the land back on the tax rolls? We answer all of these questions plus: → What Livonia voters gave up when they rejected the bond → Why commercial buildings age nothing like a house → A quick tease of the Sandburg boiler situation Rob, thanks for coming on the show to talk about libraries, budgets, and Livonia politics with me. I appreciate you making the time, brother! *Chapters* 0:00 Welcome back and Rob's background 0:42 Military service, real estate, and the family diner 1:53 Why local stories hit harder than legal ones 4:07 Setting up the Noble Library debate 5:21 How Livonia city council terms actually work 6:26 Noble Library's history and the 2019 closure 7:48 Walking the building and finding the mold 8:49 The case for one consolidated library 9:42 Could the land just be sold instead 10:49 The task force, the RFP, and zero bids 11:29 Breaking down the real cost to renovate 20:20 The bond Livonia voters rejected 21:14 What the city gave up in tax revenue 24:01 Why commercial buildings age differently than homes 26:09 Teasing the Sandburg boiler situation  ~~~ This episode is brought to you by Fausone & Grysko, PLC https://www.thefgfirm.law/ *Prefer to listen? https://pod.link/1849177096

  5. Jul 24

    Only 2% Of Cases Ever Make It To Trial | Jack Gilbreath

    Jack Gilbreath has been on every side of a courtroom. He became a trial attorney and a judge. It all started with an invoice: Jack handed a client a bill outside Washtenaw Circuit Court, who looked at him and said he never thought it would cost that much. Even though Jack explained the process,. The client didn't understand. That communication gap is where most legal relationships go sideways. In this episode of Unlocking The Law, we covered:  → Where Gilbreath's Paradigm came from  → Why clients hear their attorney and still don't understand what's coming  → The jargon that trips people up  → What changes when a lawyer becomes a client's counselor  → What fairness looks like from the other side of the bench The clients who do the best in litigation are the ones who understand the deal before they sign it, not the ones who find out halfway through. Thanks Jack for making the time to sit down and walk through this. This conversation will definitely help others learn more and communicate better about the law. *Chapters* 00:00 Intro 01:00 Meet Jack Gilbreath, the judge who started as a social worker 05:27 The origin story: an invoice that shocked a client 09:07 Why clients stop listening the moment they walk in 13:27 Legal jargon, discovery, and the paradigm's two lines 20:16 Fairness from the bench and the Auburn Hills trial 24:36 Drawing the paradigm for clients in private practice 29:40 From attorney to trusted counselor 34:08 What judges control, and the 2 percent that go to trial 39:06 Bedside manner, jargon, and why the law touches everything  ~~~ This episode is brought to you by Fausone & Grysko, PLC https://www.thefgfirm.law/

  6. Jul 10

    They Said The Records Didn't Exist | Carol Beth Litkouhi

    Carol Beth Litkouhi is a Rochester Community Schools board trustee who asked a simple question: what are kids actually learning in the new ethnic and gender studies class? After filing an FOIA request, she was told no records existed. She appealed but they stayed silent… Now she's in the middle of a First Amendment lawsuit. We got into: → Why parents were are pulling their kids from Rochester schools → The FOIA loophole that let a district claim curriculum didn't exist → What "the board speaks with one voice" costs voters → How a bylaw about confidential information got used to punish public speech Carol Beth, thank you for making the time to come on and walk through all of this! *Chapters* 00:00 Introduction 01:00 Who Carol Beth Is and What Set This Off 05:00 Running for School Board in 2022 09:20 What the Campaign Was Actually Like 12:00 Why Enrollment Was Declining 16:00 The Ethnic and Gender Studies Class and the FOIA Fight 19:00 Taking It to Court With the Mackinac Center 21:30 The Loophole in the Statute 32:00 The Academic Freedom Clause and What It Signals 35:00 The Tax Proposal and the Censure 41:00 What the Board Did Next 49:00 The Role of a Trustee and Who They're Accountable To 56:00 The First Amendment Lawsuit  ~~~ This episode is brought to you by Fausone & Grysko, PLC https://www.thefgfirm.law/

  7. Jun 26

    Spitfire Linda! | Linda Ferrante

    Linda Ferrante has been recruiting for 28 years. She co-founded RFT Search Group out of Farmington Hills, focused almost entirely on family-owned and privately held businesses. She's been published in the Wall Street Journal. She's appeared on national radio. And two months ago, she replied to a LinkedIn post and accidentally became Spitfire Linda on Reddit. Things we talked about in this episode: → Why a candidate asking about salary upfront is actually a sign of business sense → The hunter vs. farmer distinction and how to hire for the right one → How AI is being used on both sides of the hiring process, and where it's going wrong → Why small businesses get sued over documentation they never kept → What right to work actually means (it has nothing to do with at-will employment) Thank you Linda For sharing your story and your takes on recruiting! *Chapters* 0:00 - Intro  1:00 - Meet Linda Ferrante and how she got into recruiting  4:00 - The LinkedIn post that started it all  6:00 - Going viral on Reddit as Spitfire Linda  8:00 - Is it wrong for a candidate to ask about comp upfront  14:00 - Hunter vs. farmer: hiring for the right behavior  19:00 - Should job postings include salary ranges  24:00 - How AI is being used in job postings and resumes  36:00 - How Linda uses AI in her own recruiting work  40:00 - Applicant tracking systems and disparate impact risk  44:00 - The commute problem and what the market actually supports  50:00 - Employer documentation mistakes that end up in court  55:00 - What right to work actually means and why people get it wrong  58:00 - Where to find Linda and RFT Search Group  ~~~ This episode is brought to you by Fausone & Grysko, PLC https://www.thefgfirm.law/

  8. Jun 12

    An Attorney's Argument Against the Wayne County Transit Millage | Matthew Wilk

    Matthew Wilk spent eight and a half years on the Northville School Board. He's a commercial real estate attorney who went on to work in lending. When House Bill 6088 passed during Michigan's lame duck session and removed Wayne County communities' right to opt out of the regional transit system, Matthew paid attention. In this episode we covered: → How Wayne County communities lost their opt-out rights during lame duck session and what that means for the upcoming millage vote → Matt's argument that the average SMART bus carries fewer than 4 passengers and what he says that means for the case being made for the millage → Why the ballot language uses the word "replace" and why Matt says that word is legally problematic → What happened in Oakland County in 2022 when SMART made similar bus line commitments to communities there Matt, thanks for coming on and walking through all of this in detail. *Update:* Wayne County Circuit Judge Kathleen McCarthy dismissed the lawsuit on June 1, 2026 https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/wayne-county-public-transportation-millage-on-ballot-lawsuit-dismissed/ *Chapters* 0:00 - Introduction: Matt Wilk and the Wayne County Transit Millage 1:22 - Matt's Background: School Board, Law, and Local Politics 2:41 - The History of Opt-Out Communities in Wayne County 4:29 - Livonia's Decision to Leave SMART in 2005 5:18 - Detroit Is an Opt-Out Community Too 6:42 - Lame Duck: How the Opt-Out Right Got Taken Away 10:14 - The Wayne County Transit Authority: A Body With Little Public Footprint 13:35 - The FOIA Request and the Alleged Missing Meeting 20:26 - The March 19th Social Media Post 22:08 - Open Meetings Act: What the Law Requires 24:43 - The Policy Case Against the Millage 25:04 - 3.88 People Per Bus: Breaking Down Wilk's Math 29:18 - Density, Detroit, and Wilk's Case Against Fixed Bus Lines 32:54 - Where the $57 Million Would Go 34:52 - Oakland County 2022: Unfulfilled Bus Line Commitments, Per Wilk 43:22 - The Cross-Party Nature of the Opposition 54:57 - Inside the Lawsuit: Alleged OMA Violations and Ballot Language Concerns 1:03:40 - The Word "Replace" and Why Wilk Says It's Legally Problematic 1:15:09 - What Happens Monday at 2:00 PM 1:22:10 - Closing and Where to Learn More ~~~ This episode is brought to you by Fausone & Grysko, PLC https://www.thefgfirm.law/

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Unlocking the Law pulls back the curtain on real-world legal stories that business owners don't hear until it's too late. Blending engaging true cases, hard-earned lessons, and candid legal insight to help business owners, CEOs, and executive directors avoid costly mistakes. Join us every episode as Brandon unpacks the "how" and "why" behind legal pitfalls that can derail a company.  Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice. Listening does not create an attorney–client relationship.

Information

  • Creator
    Brandon Grysko
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Unlocking the Law

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