Miller Canfield elects eight new principals

The law firm of Miller Canfield recently announced that the following people have been elected principals of the firm effective Jan. 1, 2012. Ann Arbor, Michigan office: Emily C. Palacios, from senior attorney to principal. Palacios focuses her practice on litigation in state and federal court, arbitration, and appellate advocacy. She also has significant experience in drafting and litigating commercial leases, drafting professional design service agreements, land use and zoning matters, and construction contracts. Her active matters typically include commercial disputes, loan enforcement actions, including judicial foreclosures, receiverships, and guaranty actions, real estate and leasing matters, land use, zoning, and construction matters, and the defense of consumer claims against lenders and other businesses. She received her J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School and an M.U.P. and A.B., with high honors, from the University of Michigan. She resides in Ann Arbor. Chicago, Illinois office: Kathleen E. Koppenhoefer, from senior attorney to principal. Koppenhoefer's practice focuses on the representation of corporations and individuals in all areas of complex commercial and intellectual property disputes. She has a strong background defending employers in discrimination lawsuits, the enforcement and defense of non-compete agreements, and cases involving trade secrets disputes. She received her J.D. from the University of Notre Dame Law School and her B.A., magna cum laude, from Albion College. She resides in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. Detroit, Michigan office: Steven D. Mann, from associate to principal. Mann focuses his practice on serving the needs of public agencies. He serves as bond counsel helping clients understand the options available for financing public improvements, including water and sewer projects, building and facilities improvements, street and drainage improvements, and economic development initiatives. He also specializes in all facets of tax increment financing, special assessments, construction contracts for public projects, and complex issues related to the Freedom of Information Act and the Open Meetings Act. Mann received his J.D., cum laude, from Thomas M. Cooley Law School and his B.B.A., summa cum laude, from Cleary College. He resides in Plymouth Township, Mich. Nelson O. Ropke, from senior attorney to principal. Ropke has expertise in all aspects of state and federal commercial litigation. He assists clients with all pre- and post-judgment remedies including receiverships, sale of collateral, foreclosures, repossessions, evictions, debt sales and debt restructures. His practice has a particular emphasis on commercial litigation and creditors rights resolution with a concentration on loan enforcements, insolvency, bankruptcy and receiverships. He received his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Notre Dame Law School and his B.A., with high honors, from Michigan State University Honors College. He resides in the City of Grosse Pointe, Mich. Saura J. Sahu, from associate to principal. Sahu specializes in complex class action, multi-party and single-party litigation in matters ranging from employment discrimination and employee-benefit cases to fraud, corruption, and government-contract related disputes. In the criminal defense practice area he assists with felony and misdemeanor litigation from pre-charge investigation through trial and appeal. He received his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and his A.B., with high honors, from the University of Michigan. He resides in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Kalamazoo, Michigan office: Danielle Mason Anderson, from associate to principal. Mason Anderson assists clients with all pre- and post-judgment remedies including receiverships, sale of collateral, foreclosures, repossessions, evictions, debt sales and debt restructures. Her practice has a particular emphasis on commercial litigation and creditors rights resolution with a concentration on loan enforcements, insolvency, bankruptcy and receiverships. She also does general litigation for corporate clients involving collection, loans, mortgages and defaults. She received her J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law and B.S., cum laude, from Michigan State University. She resides in Portage, Michigan. Lansing, Michigan office: David P. Massaron, from associate to principal. Massaron has drafted and implemented various public finance legislation in the State of Michigan. He has extensive experience structuring numerous types of public financings, including financings for the State of Michigan and various state level issuers; financings for communities facing market access challenges; water utility issues financings; cash flow financings, multi-jurisdictional financings and a wide variety of other major municipal facilities financings such as airports, waste water facilities. He has served as bond counsel and underwriter's counsel on public finance transactions in both Michigan and Illinois. He received his J.D. from William and Mary School of Law and his B.A. from Michigan State University, James Madison College. He resides in Royal Oak, Mich. Warsaw, Poland office: Marcin Jakubaszek, from associate to principal. Jakubaszek, a licensed legal advisor (radca prawny), heads the M&A practice for the firm's Polish offices. He specializes in mergers and acquisitions, corporate, commercial, securities, private equity venture capital transactions and law. He has represented private investors in the privatization of several state-owned entities and mergers and acquisitions of other publicly and privately held companies. He has advised and represented numerous European, American, Asian companies, and funds. He received his Master of Law from the University of Warsaw. Published: Fri, Feb 10, 2012