Michigan Lawyers Weekly has named Christensen Law founder Dave Christensen and managing partner Sarah Stempky-Kime to its Michigan Legal 250 in the Personal Injury category. The program is the publication's premier recognition of the most influential and accomplished attorneys across the state, honoring lawyers across dozens of practice areas for their impact on clients and the profession.
The dual recognition marks the second time both leaders of the Southfield-based firm have been singled out by Michigan Lawyers Weekly, which inducted Christensen into the inaugural class of its Hall of Fame in 2021 and named Stempky-Kime a Leader in the Law. A recognized authority on Michigan No-Fault law and complex traumatic brain injury litigation, Christensen has tried more than 60 jury trials over his three-decade career, including a $17.8 million verdict for a non-fatal crash that stood as a state record at the time. This year's honor places them among a select group of personal injury attorneys the publication identified as shaping outcomes for injured clients across Michigan.
Christensen, who founded the firm 16 years ago, said the recognition means more because he's sharing it with Stempky-Kime, who joined him early in the firm's history and has since risen to managing partner. "Being recognized among Michigan's Top 250 attorneys is a tremendous honor, but sharing it with Sarah makes it especially meaningful. Over the last 16 years I have watched her become an exceptional trial lawyer and leader, and I could not be prouder of what she and our entire team have accomplished for our clients."
Christensen also has worked to advance access to justice in Michigan and nationally, advocating to protect the No-Fault system, jury-trial rights and fair compensation for injury victims. He led the modernization of Michigan's civil discovery rules and served on the national Civil Justice Improvements Committee, helping develop model reforms to make state courts more efficient and accessible. He has chaired the State Bar of Michigan's Negligence Section and served more than 20 years on the Executive Board of the Michigan Association for Justice.
The recognition carries significant implications for the legal community and injured plaintiffs. It spotlights attorneys who have shaped personal injury law in Michigan, particularly through Christensen's efforts to preserve No-Fault protections and modernize civil discovery. For other practitioners, the Michigan Legal 250 serves as a benchmark of excellence and influence, while for clients, it signals which lawyers have demonstrated sustained success in complex, high-stakes litigation. The honor also reinforces the role of trial lawyers in safeguarding access to justice and fair compensation, issues that remain central to ongoing debates over tort reform and insurance law.
Christensen Law represents clients across Michigan in traumatic brain injury, wrongful death and motor vehicle accident cases, with offices in Detroit, Southfield, Ann Arbor, Troy and Grand Rapids. The firm has built its reputation on large verdicts and settlements for catastrophically injured clients, along with a practice culture the firm says is grounded in direct client contact throughout a case.
