Miller Canfield Welcomes Real Estate Associate James Claborn

July 29, 2026

Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that James Claborn has joined the firm's Real Estate Group as an associate in its Troy office.

Claborn advises clients on commercial real estate, construction and business transactions, including contract drafting and negotiation, commercial leases, purchase agreements, construction agreements, acquisitions and risk management.

Before joining Miller Canfield, Claborn served as corporate counsel for BELFOR Property Restoration. As the lead transactional attorney supporting the company's North American operations, he advised executives and project teams on hundreds of agreements each year, including commercial service contracts, construction contracts, subcontractor agreements, commercial leases and acquisition documents. He also counseled business teams on contract structure, risk allocation and negotiation strategy for large-scale restoration and construction projects involving commercial and institutional properties.

"James brings valuable in-house experience, and a practical understanding of the legal and business issues clients face in real estate and construction matters," Miller Canfield CEO Michael Palizzi said. "We are pleased to welcome him to our growing Real Estate Group."

Claborn previously worked in private practice, where he handled transactional and litigation matters involving real estate, contracts and financial disputes. He also completed a corporate counsel externship with MAHLE Industries Inc.

Claborn earned his J.D. from Wayne State University Law School, where he served as managing editor of the Journal of Business Law and president of the Sports & Entertainment Law Society. He earned his bachelor's degree in political theory and constitutional democracy from Michigan State University's James Madison College. Claborn is a member of the State Bar of Michigan's Business Law Section.