20 | OCTOBER 12 • 2023
OUR COMMUNITY
J
ordan Bolton and his family
have deep roots in the Metro
Detroit Jewish community from
Mount Clemens to Birmingham trac-
ing back generations. Bolton grew up
embracing entrepreneurship, commu-
nity service and leadership.
“Mount Clemens used to be a real-
ly vibrant community,
” Bolton said.
“It had these spas and salt baths and
through Prohibition that is where a
lot of the Purple Gang was running
around.
”
Bolton’s great-grandfather founded I.
Rubin Distributing, a beer distributor-
ship, just after Prohibition. “That was
the family business for a couple of genera-
tions.
”
Bolton’s early childhood started in Mount
Clemens. His family belonged to and was
significantly active at Congregation Beth
Tephilath Moses (BTM). The congregation
was founded in 1909 in a Mount Clemens
home and transitioned to its first building
in 1921 and current building in 1977. Rabbi
Mordechai Waldman, a past leader of the
community, called the congregation “The
Miracle East of Dequindre.
”
Bolton’s grandfather, Martin Rubin, who
died last year at 103, served as treasurer
of the synagogue for decades. Bolton’s late
great-aunt and great-uncle, Shirley and
Larry Goldberg, were also instrumental in
keeping the Mount Clemens Jewish com-
munity going.
FROM METRO DETROIT TO
TUCSON AND BACK
Bolton started his studies at the Roeper
School. In third grade, after his fam-
ily moved from Mount Clemens to
Birmingham, he transferred into
Birmingham Public Schools. Graduating
from Seaholm High School in 1996 with
honors and as a four-year varsity letter-
winner.
Judaism was an integral part of Bolton’s
home life growing up, filled with regular
Shabbat dinners and frequent trips to BTM
when schedules permitted. Upon moving
to Birmingham, Bolton’s family attended
Beth Achim. This is where Bolton attended
Hebrew school, administered by United
Hebrew Schools, three days a week until
he had his bar mitzvah. “United Hebrew
Schools was very difficult. It was very strict,
”
Bolton recalled.
“I was miserable. My mom said, ‘Get
through your bar mitzvah and you can do
what you want.
’”
Following his bar mitzvah, Bolton began
to attend synagogue only on High Holidays.
After high school, Bolton attended
Michigan State University his freshman
year. He then transferred to the University
of Arizona to chase his dream of playing
college hockey. In addition to ample ice time
as the team goalie, Bolton graduated cum
laude with a bachelor’s in political science
and sociology.
Bolton then moved back to Michigan to
attend Wayne State University Law School
and chase his next dream of becoming a
lawyer, like his father, Michael, and his
uncle, Bob, before him.
As a student at Wayne State Law School,
Bolton knew exactly the field of law he
would practice and pursue: corporate liti-
gation. Upon graduating from Wayne State
Law School cum laude in 2003, Bolton
began his legal career at Clark Hill PLC,
now a global law firm, first established
in Detroit in 1890.
PUTTING THE CLIENT FIRST
Bolton pours his energy and passion
into learning and practicing business
law. His breadth of practice includes
outside general counsel, commercial
litigation, arbitration and mediation,
as well as class action, derivative and
multi-party litigation, to name a few.
A testament to Bolton’s work and
the high regard of his colleagues, is his
frequent selection by peers to mediate
and arbitrate complex commercial dis-
putes. Bolton is consistently recognized
for excellence in law. Among his honors
are Leading Lawyer in Michigan (Leading
Lawyers), Best Lawyers in America for
Commercial Litigation (Best Lawyers in
America), Top 100 Attorneys and Top 50
Business Attorneys (Super Lawyers) and Top
Lawyer (dBusiness).
Judge David Groner, recently retired from
the Third Judicial Circuit Business Court,
shared glowing reviews of Bolton, including
that Bolton is hard-working, likable and a
great business lawyer.
“He is a very bright lawyer. Quite accom-
plished,
” Judge Groner shared. “What makes
him unique is not only is he a very intelli-
gent lawyer who is very prepared … he has
a very infectious personality. People like
Jordan.
”
In 2023, after two successful decades
with Clark Hill, Bolton, as well as three
colleagues, felt it was time to leave the firm
for a new challenge. “Originally, the game
plan was to found a firm, build it over a few
years, and then ultimately scale it over a few
more years,
” Bolton reflected.
“The golden handcuffs of the practice
of law are such that you always have lots
of ideas and you almost never execute on
them. Although, when we decided to leave
Clark Hill, we were a day away from starting
our own firm,
” Bolton said.
Bolton, along with his partners, Stuart
L
’Dor V’Dor:
From Generation to Generation
YEVGENIYA GAZMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
continued on page 22
Jordan
Bolton