Joseph M. Fischer has built a law practice specializing in bankruptcy and reorganization law, business law, commercial law and civil trial practice.

Many industry representatives, observers and other professionals refer to Mr. Fischer as "The Dean" of the automotive supplier school of bankruptcy and reorganization representation. He has extensive expertise in debtor companies and committee representation in the area of complex Chapter 11 reorganizations and out-of-court restructuring. A significant portion of his practice has been focused on representation of Tier One and Tier Two automotive suppliers to General Motors Corporation, Chrysler Corporation, Ford Motor Company, Toyota Motor Manufacturing North American, Inc., American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., as well as many other automakers, including other non-domestic original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

Mr. Fischer has garnered more of such major representations than any other lawyer or law firm in and outside the state of Michigan during the course of his career. He is best known for representing parties in complex bankruptcies and reorganizations. He brings to the bankruptcy process a substantial knowledge base both of the legal process and an understanding of bankruptcy matters outside the legal process, such as the dynamics of a company's business, and its relations to creditors. Most notably, he was lead bankruptcy counsel for Oakland County in the City of Detroit Chapter 9 which is the largest municipality case ever filed.

Mr. Fischer is a co-founder of Carson Fischer.

• Oakland County Bar Association
• Chairman, Bankruptcy Committee, 1994-1995
• State Bar of Michigan
• Michigan Trial Lawyers Association
• Federal Bar Association
• American Bar Association

• "Representing a Distressed Business," C.L.E. Seminar, Oakland County Bar Association, 1982
• "Professional Compensation 330 + 20/20=?," Federal Bar Association, 1992
• "Protection of Secured Interests in Bankruptcy in Michigan," National Business Institute, Inc, 1992
• "Financially Troubled Auto Suppliers: Bankruptcy and Workout Strategies, Business Bankruptcy Committee," ABA Business Law Section Spring Meeting, 1997
• "Case Study: Auto Industry Supplier," Annual Conference on Corporate Reorganizations, Renaissance American Management/Beard Group, 1999
• "The Restructuring/Turnaround Scenario - How to Avoid It; How To Survive It," Panel Moderator, University of Michigan Business School, Financial Strategies in the Changing Economic Climate: Preparing for Recovery, 2002
• "The 2003 Auto Parts Industry Mergers & Acquisitions Forum," Moderator, Proven Tactics for the Trenches and Distressed Company Transactions, NorthStar Conference, LLC, 2003
• Distressed Company Transactions, Moderator, NorthStar Conferences, LLC, 2003
• "How to Word with OEM's, Deal Structuring & Workouts/Global Automotive Discussion," Lansing Michigan, 2004
• "Accommodation Agreements," Panelist, Turnaround Management Association Panel Discussion, 2004
• "How to Avoid the Restructuring Scenario Equals Sound Business Acumen," Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council Annual Membership Meeting, December 7, 2010

• "Self Defense Under the Michigan Revised Criminal Code," 14 Wayne Law Review 888-847, 1968
• "Overview of the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978 for the General Practitioner," 18 Inter Alia, No. 2 at 6-8, June, 1980m excerpted in 48 Detroit Lawyer No. 2 at 6-7, 21 April - May 1980
• "A Nuts and Bolts Approach to The New Bankruptcy Code," Co-Author, Oakland County Bar Association, 1981
• "Representing a Distressed Business," C.L.E. Seminar, Oakland County Bar Association, 1982
• "Professional Compensation 330 + 20/20=?," Co-Author, Federal Bar Association, 1992
• "Protection of Secured Interests in Bankruptcy in Michigan," Co-Author, National Business Institute, Inc, 1992
• "Financially Troubled Auto Suppliers: Bankruptcy and Workout Strategies, Business Bankruptcy Committee," ABA Business Law Section Spring Meeting, 1997
• "The 2003 Auto Parts Industry Mergers & Acquisitions Forum," Proven Tactics for the Trenches and Distressed Company Transactions, NorthStar Conference, LLC, 2003
• Distressed Company Transactions, NorthStar Conferences, LLC, 2003
 
• "How to Work with OEM's, Deal Structuring & Workouts/Global Automotive Discussion," Lansing Michigan, 2004

• AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rating, Martindale-Hubbell
• Selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 1999-2019 editions in the field of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
• Selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2011-2019 editions in the field of Litigation - Bankruptcy.
• Named the Best Lawyers® 2014 Litigation - Bankruptcy "Lawyer of the Year” in Detroit
• Named the Best Lawyers® 2016 Litigation - Bankruptcy "Lawyer of the Year” in Troy, MI
• Selected to Super Lawyers, Top Attorneys in Michigan, 2006 - 2019 editions
• dbusiness, "Top Lawyers in Metropolitan Detroit", 2010 - 2016