Ariel Wilson

Partner ( Ann Arbor )

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Direct 734.773.4914 awilson@rshc-law.com

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Named a Rising Star for each of the past four years, Ariel Wilson has made a name for herself in the legal world early in her career. Her accolades follow her outside the courtroom, where clients turn to Ariel for her attention to detail, persuasive writing, winning oral arguments, and her unwavering and reassuring advocacy of their interests.

Entrusted with substantive and complex roles and responsibilities early in her career, Ariel is a mentally strong, well-prepared, and respected rival in the courtroom. Analyzing cases with a detail-oriented and creative perspective, she understands that the best result for her clients requires being a fierce advocate both in and out of the courtroom. But above all, Ariel is personally invested in her clients. She is deeply devoted to them as people first and foremost, and works hard to achieve the outcome they desire.

Ariel is a litigator and feels at home in a courtroom. She has handled all aspects of litigation, from counseling clients, developing case strategy, and conducting discovery, to defending and taking depositions, drafting pleadings and motions, arguing motions in court, and leading trial teams. She has successfully litigated cases in trial and appellate courts throughout the United States in a wide variety of areas, including white collar crimes, antitrust law, labor and employment, insurance litigation, malpractice, transactional work, franchise law, fraud, and general commercial litigation.

Experience

Clerkships

Judicial Intern — Hon. Arthur J. Tarnow, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (2012)

Representative Engagements

Secured a $60 million settlement on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and client in a False Claims Act case involving fraudulent hospital upcoding.
First-chaired a jury trial team in a construction and fraud case filed against homeowner client. On the eve of trial, the plaintiff construction company not only dismissed its lawsuit in full, but also provided the homeowner with a favorable settlement in order to get out of a case that it had originally filed.
Drafted a motion to dismiss a fiduciary duty and breach of contract case based on a complex and little-known pleading deficiency that implicated federal and state procedural law. The Northern District of Illinois granted the motion and the decision was affirmed by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in an opinion by Judge Easterbrook.
Successfully drafted and argued a motion for summary judgment in front of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in a white collar and employment retaliation case. The Western District of Kentucky granted the summary judgment motion, and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed on appeal, resulting in a dismissal of the lawsuit filed against client.

Credentials

Education

University of Michigan Law School, J.D., 2014, cum laude
Contributing Editor, Michigan Law Review
University of Michigan, B.A., Political Science and International Studies, 2010, with highest distinction
James B. Angell Scholar
LSA Student Government, Executive Board

Bar Admissions

Illinois
Michigan
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin

Professional Memberships

Michigan Law Alumni Club of Chicago, Steering Committee

Honors & Awards

Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch (Commercial Litigation and Criminal Defense: White Collar, 2022‑2025), Best Lawyers®
Michigan Emerging Lawyer in Commercial Litigation, Law Bulletin Media Leading Lawyers® (2024)
Michigan Rising Stars, Thomson Reuters' Michigan Super Lawyers (2021-2023)
Illinois Rising Stars, Thomson Reuters' Illinois Super Lawyers (2019-2020)

Community Service

Ariel feels a professional and moral duty to make public service a key part of her career and, therefore, has devoted significant time to pro bono initiatives. This work has included defending homeowners and families against improper house foreclosures, breach of contract claims, and fraud claims, acting as a field attorney during elections to ensure voter access and eliminate voting barriers, and presenting courses on legal issues to public school students.