LEGALPEOPLE

Trott & Trott PC attorneys Marcy J. Ford, Kenneth E. Kurel and William D. Meagher have been recognized as "Top Lawyers" by DBusiness magazine. Trott President and Managing Partner David A. Trott made the announcement. Selected in the Bankruptcy category, Ford currently serves as partner and executive vice president at Trott. She is a 1984 graduate of Western Michigan University, where she earned her Master's degree in 1986, and is a 1993 graduate of Wayne State University Law School. The chair of Trott's executive management team, a recent past board member of the Consumer Bankruptcy Association (Eastern District of Michigan), is active on the loss mitigation subcommittee for the NACTT Mortgage Liaison Committee. Additionally, she serves as a board member and the current vice president of USFN--America's Mortgage Banking Attorneys, a 50-state trade association for mortgage banking attorneys. She will become president of the same organization in 2012. Ford frequently represents the mortgage banking industry in meetings with various governmental agencies and investors in Washington D.C. Kurel, partner and managing attorney of the firm's post-sale department, was selected in the Real Estate Law category. He is a 1995 graduate of Oakland University and a 1998 graduate of Wayne State University Law School. He is also a member of several groups and associations, including the State Bar of Michigan, USFN and the Michigan Mortgage Lenders Association. Selected in the Business Litigation category, Meagher currently serves as partner and managing attorney of litigation at Trott. He is a 1996 graduate of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. He is licensed to practice in the Eastern District and Western District of the United States District Court for the State of Michigan, as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. A published author and frequent speaker, Meagher is an approved circuit court case evaluator in Oakland County and a member of several groups and associations, including the State Bar of Michigan, Oakland County Bar Association and USFN. * * * H. Nathan Resnick, Sandra Alexander and Brian Rookard of Resnick & Moss PC were named 2012 Top Lawyers by DBusiness. Resnick is the founding member of Resnick & Moss and continues to act as the firm's managing partner. He concentrates his legal practice on complex commercial litigation, real estate, corporate law, bankruptcy and creditor's rights. Alexander is an associate with the firm and represents clients in commercial litigation, business and real estate transactions, corporate formation and growth, probate administration, and estate planning. Rookard concentrates on bankruptcy, pre-bankruptcy planning, debt settlements, debtor/creditor rights, and appellate work. * * * Southfield-based law firm Maddin, Hauser, Wartell, Roth, & Heller PC recently hosted its Twentieth Annual Tax Symposium at the Sheraton Detroit-Novi Hotel. The program, attended by tax professionals, including certified public accountants, included a series of presentations made by firm attorneys. The broad range of topics included: * Proposed Carried Interest Legislation. * The 2010 Estate Tax Act: The Benefits of Portability. * Managing Unemployment Tax Liability. * Roundup of Recent Tax Developments. * For Your Health - A Review of Health Care Related Taxes Penalties. * Kicking the Tax Can Down the Road. * Potential Problems Operating Under Direct Pay Permits. * * * The Great Place to Work Initiative at Plunkett Cooney, continues to "reap awards" as evidenced by the firm's inclusion on the Detroit Free Press list of "Top Places to Work" for the fourth consecutive year. Plunkett Cooney ranked 20th out of 35 companies in the survey's medium size category. The firm's "Great Place to Work" initiative goes beyond compensation to focus on added value benefits beyond traditional health, vision, dental and insurance plans offered by most companies. The program includes such opportunities as continuing education, special events, employee convenience services, diversity recruitment and retention, mentoring, wellness programs and more. Plunkett Cooney was also recently honored by the Michigan Business & Professional Association as one of its "101 Best & Brightest Places to Work For," an honor the firm has received since it was first awarded in 2005. * * * Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC is pleased to announce that U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers ranked the firm among the nation's best law firms in the 2011-2012 edition of "Best Firms in America." In addition, several attorneys were named to The Best Lawyers in America® 2012. The local Howard & Howard attorneys and the practice area under which they are listed in The Best Lawyers in America 2012 are as follows: Royal Oak Office: * Lisa S. Gretchko, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolv* ency and Reorganization Law. * Henry P. Lee, Trusts and Estates. * Jeffrey A. Sadowski, Intellectual Property Law. * * * Brian Witus has joined Southfield-based Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer, & Weiss PC as a partner in the firm's Litigation Practice Group specializing in commercial, securities, franchise and employment litigation. Jaffe CEO Richard Zussman made the announcement. Prior to joining the firm, Witus was a partner with Cohen, Lerner, Rabinovitz & Witus PC and with Hertz Schram PC. He began his law career with Pugh, Jones & Johnson PC, in Chicago. Witus earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science from the University of Michigan and his law degree from U of M Law School. * * * Southfield-based Collins, Einhorn, Farrell, & Ulanoff PC announced that attorney Amy Moncion has joined the firm's Asbestos and Toxic Tort Practice Group. Moncion practices with the firm's nationally recognized mass-tort defense group, focusing particularly on defending asbestos claims filed in 31 states, including Michigan. She previously served as a research assistant for Collins Einhorn, researching and writing briefs and memoranda concerning no-fault auto, medical malpractice, premises liability, product liability, legal malpractice, toxic tort and appellate matters. Moncion, a former high school teacher who taught classes for fifteen years in subjects ranging from history to economics, graduated from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. She served on the Law Review Board of Editors and was awarded Certificates of Merit ("Book Awards") for achieving the highest grade in Research & Writing, Advanced Writing, Evidence, Pretrial Skills, Civil Procedure, Property, Criminal Law and Torts. * * * The law firm of Miller Canfield announces that Tim Attalla, Of Counsel in the Detroit office, received the 2011 Distinguished Award for Philanthropy from the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding at their recent annual banquet. Attalla is fluent in Arabic, has more than 20 years of experience providing expertise on Middle Eastern cultures and was also recently appointed a Council Member to the International Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan. At Miller Canfield, he assists family-owned businesses and privately held companies resolve business disputes. He earned his law degree from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School and his B.A. from Wayne State University. * * * Attorney Rebecca Robichaud has joined the healthcare law firm of Wachler & Associates PC. Wachler & Associates' Managing Partner Andrew B. Wachler made the announcement. Robichaud has represented clients in Medicare audits, Medicaid audits and other third-party payer audits, appeals and healthcare litigation. She also counsels clients in contract negotiations, Stark, anti-kickback, regulatory compliance, licensure and fraud and abuse matters. In addition to her health care experience Robichaud has litigation experience and has worked extensively on immigration and employment matters. Robichaud graduated from the University of Notre Dame Law School in 2003. Robichaud earned her B.A. in Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy from Michigan State University. Robichaud is admitted to the State Bar of Michigan as well as the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. She is a member of the American Health Lawyers Association and is an active member of the Gloria and Thomas Kitchen Foundation, which raises money and awareness for the treatment and research for cystic fibrosis. Additionally, Jessica Lange has joined Wachler & Associates PC as an associate. Wachler & Associates' Managing Partner Andrew B. Wachler made the announcement. Lange will represent health care providers and suppliers in the defense of RAC, ZPIC, MIC, MAC, Medicare, Medicaid and third-party payer audits. Her practice also includes the representation of clients in regulatory compliance, licensure, staff privilege, Stark, anti-kickback, and fraud and abuse matters. Lange graduated from Wayne State University Law School. Lange interned for U.S. District Court Chief Judge Gerald E. Rosen, Eastern District of Michigan. She graduated from Albion College with a B.A. in Political Science and a concentration in Public Policy from the Gerald R. Ford Institute of Albion College. * * * Honigman, Miller, Schwartz, and Cohn LLP ranked sixth on the Detroit Free Press 2011 Large Top Workplaces in Michigan list. Honigman is the only law firm ranked among the 25 companies in the large workplace category. Honigman has recently received a number of prestigious workplace awards. It is the only Michigan law firm recognized as one of the top 50 "Best Law Firms for Women" in the United States in 2008, 2009 and 2011 by the National Association of Female Executives (NAFE) and Flex-Time Lawyers (rankings were not created in 2010). Honigman also earned the designation as one of Metropolitan Detroit's 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work for by the Michigan Business and Professional Association in 2004, 2010 and 2011. The firm's Kalamazoo office received the same recognition by the same professional organization for West Michigan in 2011. Additionally, Honigman again has been ranked among the nation's most prominent law firms in several key practice areas by U.S. News - Best Lawyers® "Best Law Firms" in its National Rankings. Honigman's Corporate Department received high rankings nationally in Mergers and Acquisitions, Private Equity, Venture Capital, Corporate Governance and Securities/Capital Markets. The firm's litigation disciplines received national recognition in several areas, including Commercial litigation, Real Estate litigation, Bankruptcy litigation and Regulatory Enforcement litigation. In addition, Honigman's tax and trust and estates practices were recognized nationally. Also, in virtually every major area of practice, Honigman received top rankings in Best Lawyers®' Michigan Metropolitan Rankings. Honigman is also pleased to announce that Alexander G. Domenicucci, a partner in the firm's Tax Department, has been elected as a council member of the State Bar of Michigan Taxation Section for a three-year term ending in 2014. Domenicucci concentrates his practice on counseling individuals and businesses on a wide range of matters involving federal, state and local taxation with particular emphasis on the taxation of pass-through entities such as partnerships, limited liability companies, S corporations and real estate investment trusts. He has been recognized by Michigan Super Lawyers as a "Rising Star" in 2009 and 2011. Domenicucci is a member of the Partnerships and LLCs Committee and the Real Estate Committee of the American Bar Association Tax Section. He is also a member of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts. Domenicucci earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School and his B.B.A. in accounting from the University of Michigan. * * * Timothy P. Flynn, a partner in the Clarkston-based firm, Karlstrom Cooney LLP, presented at ICLE's 10th Annual Family Law Institute on the topic of "Emerging Legal Issues in Social Media." The presentation focused on recent privacy-based litigation, social media subpoenas, as well as family law marketing in the social media context. * * * The State Bar of Michigan Animal Law Section congratulates two of its members, Raj Prasad and Amy Slameka, for receiving the Animal Welfare Institute's Albert Schweitzer Award. U.S. Assistant Attorney General Laurie Robinson presented the awards to Prasad and Slameka, as well as Virginia Assistant Attorney General Michelle Welch, on Nov. 14 at The Hill Center in Washington, D.C., for aggressively pursuing animal cruelty and animal fighting cases and raising awareness about the need to take such cases seriously. Prasad and Slameka, both assistant prosecutors in the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, received the award for work they've done with the Animal Protection Unit, which they founded in 2008 to combat the underground criminal community that breeds, trains, houses and sells fighting animals. In addition to handling animal abuse and cruelty cases, they have also taken on mauling cases, worked with the state legislature on dog-fighting laws, and trained animal control officers and Humane Society investigators on how to properly identify and preserve evidence when responding to crime scenes. Prasad joined the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office in 2005, and is currently assigned to the General Trials Division, which handles murder, armed robbery, and extortion cases. He is the chairman of the SBM Animal Law Section's Prosecutors Committee and serves on its Legislative Committee. Prior to his service with the prosecutor's office, he served for five years as assistant state attorney in Tampa. He earned his law degree from Washington and Lee University. Slameka joined the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office in 2001, and has served in the Felony Trial Division for the majority of her career. She is currently assigned to the Special Prosecutions Unit on a grant involving energy theft. She serves as a council member for the SBM Animal Law Section, and also serves on the SBM Character and Fitness Committee. Slameka is a board member of the Grosse Pointe Animal Adoption Society. She earned her law degree from Michigan State University College of Law. * * * Southfield-based Collins, Einhorn, Farrell, & Ulanoff PC announced that attorney Brian E. Devilling has joined the firm's General and Professional Liability Practice Groups. Devilling focuses his practice on professional liability defense and business litigation. He has experience in litigating professional malpractice, transportation, construction, product liability, premises liability, breach of contract, fraud, employment and sales related disputes. Prior to joining Collins Einhorn, the Rochester resident practiced for eight years in Chicago defending doctors, medical device manufacturers, transportation companies and consumer product manufacturers accused of negligence, malpractice and strict liability. Devilling also handled numerous business and commercial disputes involving sales, breach of contract, employment, fraud, and partnership issues. The Loyola University Chicago School of Law alum developed a practice concentrating on employment-related transactional and litigation issues with respect to non-competition agreements and restrictive covenants. Devilling has handled many jury trials, including medical malpractice, employment, premises liability and product liability cases. He served as an adjunct professor of Advocacy and head coach of the trial team at Loyola University Chicago from 2003-2010. * * * The law firm Dalton & Tomich PLC recently announced Daniel Cortez has joined the organization as an attorney. Cortez will support the firm's specialty areas, including business law, zoning and land use, religious entity and non-profit, financial Institutions, commercial litigation and employment law. Cortez will assist the firm in state and federal litigation throughout the country, with a particular focus on land use and commercial litigation, as well as assisting religious organizations. He will also work with banking clients and other financial institutions. Cortez earned a bachelor's degree from Indiana University and attended law school at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. He splits time between Chicago and Detroit. Previously, he served as a law clerk with the firm. Prior to attending law school, Cortez was a reporter at the Detroit Free Press covering local government, politics, and other general assignments. He was also a reporter at the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, where his editors nominated his coverage of the war in Afghanistan for a Pulitzer Prize. Cortez served a summer internship with Macomb County Circuit Court Judge Edward A. Servitto Jr. in 2009. He later completed a semester-long externship in 2010 with U.S. District Court Judge Marianne O. Battani, Eastern District of Michigan. * * * Butzel Long attorneys Ziyad I. Hermiz and Danielle J. Hessell received awards during the Legal Aid and Defender Association, Inc.'s First Annual Laddy's Pro Bono Awards Ceremony on Nov. 3 in Detroit. "The Laddys" were presented to attorneys, law firms and others for their exceptional volunteer service through the Private Attorney Involvement Program. Hermiz and Hessell were among a group of attorneys who demonstrated a strong commitment to pro bono service and performed more than 50 hours of pro bono legal service in the last year. Based in Butzel Long's Detroit office, Hermiz concentrates his practice in the area of business litigation. Hermiz is a graduate of The University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. He completed his undergraduate business studies at Michigan State University (2004). Hermiz is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and the American Bar Association and serves on the Board of Directors for the Chaldean American Bar Association. He is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Based in Butzel Long's Bloomfield Hills office, Hessell concentrates her practice in commercial and business litigation. She has experience in the areas of automotive supplier disputes, construction litigation, administrative compliance issues, consumer protection and collections matters, and real property litigation. She is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the American Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, and the Oakland County Bar Association. Hessell is admitted to practice in the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan and the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Hessell is a graduate of Michigan State University College of Law (2005) and of Central Michigan University (B.S., 2002). Published: Mon, Nov 28, 2011