B. Andrew Rifkin

B. Andrew Rifkin has more than 17 years of experience representing clients in complex matrimonial and litigation cases, business and entertainment matters, and other intricate personal and contractual relationships.  He is recognized by his peers in Michigan Super Lawyers as one the premier family law attorneys in Michigan. Martindale-Hubbell, a nationally-recognized directory of attorneys, has rated Mr. Rifkin "AV," the highest possible rating of his legal ability and ethical standards, as established by confidential opinions from members of the Michigan Bar.  He has had extensive first-chair trial experience in matrimonial, personal injury, product liability, and commercial lawsuits, having successfully tried cases to judges and juries in federal and state courts throughout Michigan.
 
Mr. Rifkin has published a wide variety of articles in professional texts and periodicals, including ICLE Michigan Family Law Practice, the Michigan Bar Journal, Laches, and the Michigan Trial Lawyers Association Quarterly.  He was unanimously appointed by the Oakland and Wayne County Bar Associations to sit as a civil litigation mediator in Wayne and Oakland counties, and he has served on the Oakland County Circuit Court Family Law Bench-Bar Committee.  Mr. Rifkin is admitted to practice in Michigan and Colorado, and he is a member of the American Bar Association, the Oakland County Bar Association, the Colorado Bar Association, and the University of Michigan Alumni Association.
 
After many years of general litigation experience, Mr. Rifkin joined The Law Firm of John F. Schaefer in 2000, becoming a partner specializing in matrimonial matters, business and entertainment representation and contract negotiation, and other complex relationships.  In addition to the extensive legal experience that he has acquired in his 17 years of practice, Mr. Rifkin brings a unique academic background and perspective to our client’s matters.  After graduating cum laude from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and as a member of the Honors College, he attended the University of Michigan Medical School before becoming a marketing staff consultant at the University of Michigan Medical Center, where he designed a prototype system for computer access to Medical Center patient data, and he also developed programs for data analysis as part of a survey project that won a Touchstone National Marketing Award.  Mr. Rifkin then went on to the University of Michigan Law School, where he won the Henry M. Campbell Moot Court Competition and taught legal research and writing, winning an award as the year’s outstanding legal research and writing instructor.
 
Mr. Rifkin is married with three children and lives in Oakland County.