From Immigrant to Advocate

Ron and Rita Acho.

Ron Acho is CACC’s Businessperson of the Year

By Sarah Kittle

Ron Acho doesn’t really see himself as a businessman. Had he achieved his dream as a young man, he’d be heading a large grocery franchise. “I wanted to be president of A&P,” he says, only half-jokingly.

Ron’s journey to the courtroom began decades earlier, when he shared a house with, among others, Mike George’s mom, and the Chaldean community in Detroit numbered only in the hundreds. At that time, individuals pooled their resources to support immigrants from Iraq, giving what they could to help the newcomers purchase their own store, or going into partnership with others to bankroll a new way of life in a new land.

Iraqi immigrants were not like European immigrants; most spoke no English, and their culture was very different from that of Americans. “We were dependent on the people who came before us to teach us the culture,” says Ron. The early immigrants would help newcomers with the language and would help them find a way to make money.

“[To] the people from our part of the world, this was like going to Mars,” says Ron. “It was a foreign land.”

Most Iraqi immigrants in Michigan began as merchants, selling produce at local stores serving Detroit’s underserved populations. Coleman A. Young II, the politician and son of former Detroit Mayor Coleman Young, once said that Chaldean store owners saved the city’s residents by not abandoning them when “White Flight” drove affluent citizens out. Young called these store owners “heroes” when presenting a certificate of recognition to Martin Manna, president of the Chaldean American Chamber, at last year’s Awards Dinner.

Life was not always easy for Ron. He was a short, skinny immigrant from the Middle East who couldn’t even speak Arabic, let alone English. By his own admission, he didn’t speak for the first two years of school in the US.

But as Tom Jabero, General Counsel for Plastipak and longtime friend of Ron’s says, “He’s the type of guy who opens doors for himself.”

“He never stops,” says his son, James (Jim) Acho, who also works at the firm of Cummings, McClorey, Davis and Acho. Even at almost 80, Ron routinely works 60 hours a week. “He’s driven to help people,” adds Jim.

Born in Baghdad in 1945, Ron spent most of his early years in Tel Kaif. Some of his memories include sleeping on the roof during the hot Iraqi summers, but some of the strongest ones are of losing two brothers—one older, one younger—and almost losing his sister in the tragic Tel Kaif school flood.

These events shaped his outlook on life, and as a result, Ron takes nothing for granted. “You never know what’s going to happen,” is a phrase he often says to his children. Ron has taught them that the rug could be pulled out at any time.

Another lesson Ron instilled in his kids was that nobody is better than them, but also, “don’t you ever think you’re better than anyone else!”

“He treats the guy working at Jax Car Wash or stocking shelves at Kroger the same way he treats senators and governors,” Jim confirms.

Most people would describe Ron as a nice guy, perhaps even humble, but most of them haven’t seen Ron in the courtroom. “Ron is a relentless and fierce advocate for the client,” says Jabero, “and a strategist when it comes to complex legal matters.”

Jabero first sought out Ron when he was still in law school. A mutual acquaintance gave him Ron’s name, and Ron welcomed him with open arms, spending over an hour with him at their first meeting. Since then, Ron has been a great friend and mentor.

“He is generous with both time and money,” says- Jabero. “And Ron is willing to guide others. He’s helped shape me to be a better person.”

Ron is a tough litigator who uses every tool at his disposal to win cases. “I’ve been involved in five cases with Ron,” says Robert “Bob” George, CEO of GeorgeCo and son of Mike George. “We won them all.”

He shared a story of when Ron forced an admission by a witness by shaking a piece of paper as if it were evidence. It was, in fact, a blank sheet of paper.

“Even for a Chaldean, his work ethic is unparalleled,” says Jim, who should know. His father worked 40 hours a week, went to law school at night and gave one weekend a month and two weeks each summer to the Army Reserve.

Ron’s work ethic follows the example set by his father, who worked so hard at the family store that Ron remembers only one truly “family” dinner per year. On Thanksgiving, Ron’s father would close the store for an hour to allow the family to eat and give thanks before returning to work.

Ron might have inherited his strong work ethic. His granddaughter, James’ daughter, has been working summers since she was 14. “You don’t get complacent, and you don’t get cocky,” Jim quotes his dad. “You just keep working.”

“I believe being an attorney is a calling, like being a priest,” says Ron. “When people come to you, they’re coming with problems, looking for advice and counsel.”

Ron tries to lay out the circumstances in a way that offers several options for his clients, allowing them to make their own decisions and prepare for the consequences. “They have to make the decision that is in their own best interests,” Ron says.

That doesn’t mean he’s boastful.

“My mom never let my dad develop an ego,” explains Jim. When Ron won a big case for the Redford Township Police union and it was all over the news, he came home with a cigar. The family watched the news coverage together and then Rita turned off the TV and said, “Ronny, I’m proud of you. Now get your coat, we are going to deliver food to the homeless.”

He’s been recommended for several appointments, including a post on the bench as a judge. Ron wouldn’t feel comfortable there, though—he says he is too passionate to be neutral.

Ron is funny and fair. He tells the story of being hoodwinked into helping found the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce. The committee invited him to a meeting, where he discovered they not only expected a $5,000 donation from him as a “founder,” but also named him legal counsel—pro bono! “Mike George said, ‘Don’t worry about it,’ when I turned to him in confusion,” Ron laughs. He’s never regretted saying “yes” to the Chamber.

Ron was one of the first few lawyers in the Chaldean community, alongside Peter Abbo (licensed for 56 years) and Gene Esshaki (licensed since 1974). He’s proud of that milestone.

“Now you can’t turn around without running into a Chaldean lawyer, but they were rare 50 years ago,” says Jim. “Many community members didn’t even have a high school diploma. You didn’t need one to work in a store or a factory.

“Personally, it means everything to me that my father is recognized by the community he loves, that he’s worked so hard for, and that he’s so proud of,” shares Jim.

“He’s always willing to help someone,” says George. And that ‘someone’ doesn’t have to be Chaldean, either. Ron has served on numerous boards, including one that helps recently released inmates secure employment.

“He’s funny,” says George, “and always has a story or joke to share.”

Money is not important to Ron, but he does like to dress nicely. “He’s always dressed to impress,” says Jabero.

“Wait until you see my new cufflinks for the dinner!” exclaims Ron with a smile.

Captions:

Ron and Rita Acho.

Ron and Rita Acho with their three children Jim, Stephanie and Greg.