The Michigan Supreme Court has agreed to review a long-running legal battle involving Tooles Contracting Group LLC, a minority-owned construction company, and the Washtenaw County Road Commission. The case concerns whether Tooles is entitled to additional attorney fees for time spent litigating its right to fees in a lawsuit under Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
The court’s review follows a decision by the Michigan Court of Appeals that limited Tooles’ attorney fee award, citing the company’s role in prolonging the litigation.
Background of the Case
Tooles, a bidder on a $7 million contract to construct a service center for the road commission in 2017, alleged the commission violated FOIA by failing to disclose records regarding its “hiring or utilization of minority-owned and/or disadvantaged business entities.” Although Tooles submitted the lowest bid, the road commission awarded the contract to another company and claimed it had no such records regarding minority-owned contractors.