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

