CMU pays law firm more than $77,000 during four-month contract spat
Central Michigan University paid its law firm more than $77,000 for representation in the Faculty Association labor case.
Robert Vercruysse was the primary attorney representing CMU in the FA case, said CMU Legal Counsel Manuel Rupe in an email. He is paid $290 an hour. Gary Fleak, of the same law firm, assisted him with the case for $245 an hour.
"As with most law firms, the hourly rate is different depending on the attorney’s years of experience in a particular practice area," Rupe said.
Vercruysee, Murray & Calzone is a law firm from Bingham Farms that specializes in labor and unemployment issues. The firm has been representing CMU in the faculty case from July 2011 to January.
The invoices, obtained by Central Michigan Life through the Freedom of Information Act, include all payments to the firm from July to Oct. 31, 2011.
Legal work for this time included fact-finding hearings, unfair labor practices filed by both sides and an injunction to send the FA back to work after their strike on Aug. 22.
Not included in the $77,000 is payment for any work on the case since Oct. 31, including the 14-hour bargaining session to reach a tentative agreement Dec. 1 where Vercruysse was present.
Also not included is any legal work provided when CMU released its "final" offer on Nov. 11, or rejected the FA's counter offer Nov. 22.
"For litigation matters in which a law firm is defending CMU, the legal services are paid through the Michigan Universities Self-Insurance Corporation," Rupe said.
It was not answered whether any tuition money was used to pay the firm.
Vercruysse declined comment Thursday regarding the FA case.
On the topic of his salary, he declined comment on behalf of himself and CMU.
"I don't think that's really public information," he said.
In addition to the faculty case, CMU has paid the firm about $118,200 during the invoice's time frame to represent the university in several other cases. These include cases titled the Hari Bidasaria United States district court case, Wilson arbitration, and CMU office professionals vs. CMU.
Central Michigan Life is investigating these cases further.
In total, CMU paid Vercruysee, Murray & Calzone more than $195,200 for the four-month period.
