Peter Arvant

Chief Counsel

Pete Arvant is a Vice President and SME’s Chief Counsel. Before joining SME as its first General Counsel, Peter Arvant spent close to 30 years in private practice as a commercial litigator with emphasis on design, professional and construction disputes, insurance coverage questions, and business conflicts. Those cases took him to hundreds of courtrooms across more than 15 states. His work led to a Super Lawyer^® rating by his peers – a designation reserved for the top 10% of lawyers in Michigan. During that time, Pete also served as an Adjunct Professor of Business Law for both the MBA and undergraduate programs at Walsh College. 

Pete has seen the heavy toll that legal disputes take on businesses, projects, and more importantly, people. That’s why he is committed as Chief Counsel to promoting a culture of collaboration where project teams work together to avoid problems and address challenges honestly. Pete is a believer in teaching Risk Management principles that focus on smart solutions, project success, and a client-first perspective. 

Pete received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the University of Michigan and earned his Juris Doctorate from Michigan State University College of Law.