MacArthur, MacArthur & Associates is the successor of a law firm established in 1976 by Richard L. MacArthur and his long-time friend and colleague, Charles C. Cheatham. Before founding their firm, Richard and Chuck attended law school together at the Detroit College of Law (now Michigan State University Law School).
After passing the bar in the early 1960s, Richard and Chuck both worked for Markle & Markle, a prestigious Detroit-based insurance defense firm. In 1976, they left Markle & Markle to form Morbach, Cheatham & MacArthur, which shortly thereafter became MacArthur & Cheatham. By the late 1980s, the firm established itself as a preeminent Detroit-based insurance defense firm, located in the iconic Buhl Building in downtown Detroit.
In 1989, Richard and Chuck amicably parted ways to form their own individual law firms. Richard moved his practice to the northern suburbs of Detroit, first to Royal Oak and then Troy, before settling in the present location in historic Rochester Hills. Randall L. MacArthur, Richard’s son, became a partner in the firm in 1998. Randall became the firm’s managing partner in 2007.
As Michigan’s economy diversified, the law firm also diversified, by providing legal services to businesses and industries beyond the automotive industry. The firm also established a statewide presence by opening offices in Lansing and Gaylord.
On January 19, 2021, our beloved founder passed away. During his 58 years of practice, Richard instilled in every attorney an expectation for honorable advocacy, creative legal insight, economic efficiency, and clear communication, a tradition that MacArthur, MacArthur & Associates carries forward to this day.