Our Storied History
In August of 1945, Lt. William W. Brashear, U.S. Navy, returned from service in the South Pacific to join his younger brother, Lonnie H. Brashear, recently retired from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, to form the partnership of Brashear and Brashear in the Penobscot Building in Detroit.
In 1948, William W. Brashear became the attorney for the township of Livonia. He was instrumental in effecting the incorporation of the city in 1950, drafting its charter and handling difficult litigation that threatened this accomplishment. He subsequently served as the city of Livonia’s first city attorney and third mayor.
In the meantime, the firm opened a branch on Five Mile Road, west of Farmington Road in Bill White’s small real estate office. This building is now part of the city of Livonia’s Greenmead Historical Park. When the firm moved into its own Livonia building, the Livonia location became the main office and the Detroit office the branch.
The firm continued to grow and added several partners. James Mies, who subsequently became a Wayne County circuit court judge, joined the office in 1951. William W. Brashear’s son, William R. Brashear, joined the firm a few years later and remained a counsel with the firm until his passing in 2013.
Over the years, the firm’s name has changed several times from the original Brashear and Brashear to the present name of Creighton, McLean & Shea, PLC. The general objectives of the firm, however, have remained constant: to engage in the general practice of civil law, providing services to both individuals and businesses in Livonia and surrounding communities.