Legal People

Cooley Law School COOLEY LAW SCHOOL recently announced promotions at its Auburn Hills campus. FRANK AIELLO was promoted to associate professor. Before joining Cooley, he was an associate with Bodman LLP representing financial institutions in the structuring, negotiation, and documentation of commercial and real estate loans. He represented several banks in complex, multi-million dollar real estate transactions involving retail, office, residential, and office projects throughout the United States. His current research interest is focused on effective land use and conservation techniques, and he has provided hundreds of hours of pro bono legal service to land trusts in Michigan. He earned his B.A. from Michigan State University and his law degree from Wayne State University Law School. DUSTIN FOSTER was promoted to associate professor. He joined the full-time faculty at Cooley in 2009. He was formerly an adjunct professor and a visiting professor. Foster was previously in private practice at Bernick, Omer, Radner, & Ouellete PC in Lansing where he focused on estate and long-term care planning, probate, estate and trust administration, and family law. His decade in private practice also included service as Of Counsel with Worman, Dixon, & Manis PLC in Lansing, and as an attorney with the Berrien County (Michigan) Legal Services. He earned his B.A. from La Salle University and his law degree at Cooley Law School. Cooley Law School also announced faculty promotions at its Lansing campus. LISA DEMOSS was promoted to associate professor. She is the director of the Master of Laws Program in Insurance at Cooley. Previously, she was senior vice president, general counsel, and corporate compliance officer for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan in Detroit. Before her tenure with Blue Cross Blue Shield, Professor DeMoss was a partner in the Detroit law firm of Fitzgerald, Peters, Dakmak, and Bruno. While in private practice, she focused her career in the areas of product liability and insurance disputes. She earned her B.A. at Michigan State University, and her law degree from Wayne State University Law School. ---------- Dykema Gossett PLLC DYKEMA GOSSETT PLLC is pleased to announce that CAMERON H. PIGGOTT, a member of the firm and the immediate past Director of the Real Estate and Environmental Department, has been named to Midwest Real Estate News' 2011 Hall of Fame. Notably, Piggott was one of only two law firm attorneys included among this year's Hall of Fame inductees, and the only one in Michigan. Piggott practices general real estate law, with an emphasis on commercial and residential development, leasing, renewable energy, public/private projects, complex real estate transactions, real estate workouts and foreclosures, and eminent domain. His projects include the sale of Detroit's Renaissance Center, the development of the Majestic Star Casino in connection with the establishment of a joint venture with Trump, Inc. for riverboat gaming at Buffington Harbor in Gary, Indiana, and numerous development and redevelopment projects throughout Michigan. Piggott currently is representing M-1 Rail in connection with a $125,000,000 rail/streetcar project in Downtown Detroit. Piggott has served on the firm's management committee. He has lectured for the Real Property Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan, Federal Publications and other bar or professional associations. He also was a principal author of the Michigan legislation that authorizes business improvement districts. Piggott has been named as one of Top 100 Super Lawyers in Michigan five times. He also is recognized by Chambers USA, America's Leading Business Lawyers (Real Estate), and as a Top Lawyer in dbusiness magazine. Piggott is on the Board and Executive Committee of Downtown Detroit Partnership, Inc., the Board of Trustees of Beaumont Hospitals and the Board of Tomorrow's Child - Michigan SIDS. Piggott earned his B.S.M.E. from Michigan State University, and his law degree from the University of Michigan. He is a member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers. ---------- Maddin, Hauser, Wartell, Roth, & Heller P.C. GEORGE V. CASSAR JR., a shareholder at Southfield-based MADDIN, HAUSER, WARTELL, ROTH, & HELLER P.C., has been selected to serve on the board of directors for Legatus and The Judson Center. Both terms are for two years. In his involvement with Legatus, a Catholic business owner's association, Cassar will assist in growing membership and programming by enhancing the experience of the members in his chapter. In his position with The Judson Center, a non-profit human service agency which helps children, adults and families improve their lives, he will assist in the organization's planned giving and fundraising efforts. Cassar also serves as secretary on the board of directors for Don Bosco Hall, on the board for Miracle League of Plymouth, is a tax council member for the tax section of the State Bar of Michigan and is an executive member and finance committee member of Inforum. Cassar earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan and his master's in tax law from Wayne State University Law School. He focuses his practice in the areas of estate and business succession planning, taxation and probate. Additionally, the legal research publication Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business 2012, has awarded special recognition to GARY M. REMER, a shareholder at Maddin Hauser. Chambers has named Remer as one of the "Leaders in their Field in the Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation" (Michigan). ---------- Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. (Ogletree Deakins) OGLETREE, DEAKINS, NASH, SMOAK, & STEWART PC has relocated its Metro Detroit office to the Greenleaf Trust Building, a new Class A development in the heart of Birmingham. The move underscores the firm's strategic approach and investment in the market and signals its continued growth in Metro Detroit. Ogletree Deakins worked with Colliers International and Grubb-Ellis to secure the lease of more than 10,000 square feet in the five-story, mixed-use building that is designed and constructed according to the LEED Green Building Rating System. "We are serious about the firm's growth here and look forward to our continued integration and partnership with metro Detroit's business community," said Michelle LeBeau managing shareholder for the firm's Metro Detroit office. "In making this move, we are able to achieve greater collaboration with our colleagues which results in greater efficiencies for our clients. Another factor in selecting this location is that it offers high visibility in a LEED certified building with room to grow." The firm's Metro Detroit office has seen substantial growth during the last six months as four attorneys have joined the firm bringing the number of labor and employment law attorneys in the office to 14. ---------- Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP HONIGMAN, MILLER, SCHWARTZ, AND COHN LLP is pleased to announce that HERSCHEL P. FINK, a partner in its Litigation Department, recently facilitated a workshop titled "Hot Issues in Reporters Privilege" at the 17th Annual Conference of the American Bar Association's Forum on Communications Law in Orlando, Florida. The presentation included information regarding defenses to subpoenas by news reporters, subpoena battles and the emerging use of technology to identify reporter sources without their participation. In his practice, Fink represents news organizations and entertainment companies on a broad range of issues, including newsgathering-related litigation and intellectual property matters. He has defended a number of high-profile cases on behalf of motion picture studios, television networks, novelists, composers, filmmakers and entertainers. Fink was a daily newspaper reporter and editor for more than 10 years before becoming a practicing attorney. Fink received the 2010 First Amendment Award from the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and is the only attorney to have earned the SPJ Michigan Chapter's Lifetime Achievement Award. He also co-authored the "Michigan Freedom of Information and Open Meetings Act," a guidebook published by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. He has been recognized by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as one of 25 "Leaders in the Law" in 2009, a Power Lawyer in Crain's Detroit Business in 2008, in Best Lawyers in America from 1991 to 2012 and by Michigan Super Lawyers from 2007 to 2011 and recognized in its "Top 100" ranking. Additionally, Fink has been recognized by Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business every year since 2007. Fink earned his law degree from Michigan State University College of Law and a B.A. from Wayne State University. Additionally, DAVID FOLTYN, Honigman chairman and CEO, has been appointed to a three-year term on the Board of Directors for United Way for Southeastern Michigan (United Way). The mission of United Way is to mobilize the caring power of Detroit and Southeastern Michigan to improve communities and individual lives in measurable and lasting ways, focusing on education, income and basic needs. Foltyn has been an active member of the organization's Agenda Results Committee, charged with ensuring measurable results and driving performance toward the United Way's efforts in education. As a partner and member of Honigman's Corporate and Securities Department, Foltyn counsels publicly- and privately-held businesses, boards of directors and financial service firms in corporate mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, financial transactions, public offerings and private placements of securities and debt. He also advises clients on applicable state and federal corporate governance laws. Foltyn has been recognized by Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business from 2004 to 2011 and as one of the top Corporate/Mergers and Acquisition lawyers in Michigan. He has also been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America from 1995 to 2012 and by Michigan Super Lawyers as one of Michigan's top 100 lawyers from 2006 to 2011. Foltyn is a member of the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors; the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit Board of Governors; the vice president of the Temple Beth El Board of Directors and a member of its Executive Committee; and a JVS past chair. Foltyn earned his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School and a B.B.A. from the University of Michigan. ---------- Howard & Howard HOWARD & HOWARD ATTORNEYS PLLC is pleased to announce that JOSEPH J. DEVITO has been named chair and MIRIAM LESKOVAR BURKLAND assistant chair of the firm's Corporate Practice Group. DeVito, who practices out of the firm's Royal Oak office, concentrates his practice in complex business, financial and real estate transactions, including acquisitions, divestitures and reorganizations, and has counseled management of multi-national corporations, especially with respect to mergers and acquisitions, securities and international business matters. Burkland practices out of the firm's Chicago office. "Ms. Burkland and I look forward to helping solidify and enhance the firm's position as a national and international platform for complex commercial, securities and financial transactions, with primary focus on our private equity, venture capital, banking and healthcare clients." stated DeVito. "In addition, we continue to look for opportunities to expand in strategic locations such as the southwest and southeast regions of the country." ---------- Hispanic/Latino Commission of Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder recently appointed Wayne County Circuit Court Judge MARIA OXHOLM to the HISPANIC/LATINO COMMISSION OF MICHIGAN. This 15-member commission works to develop a unified policy and plan of action to serve the needs of Michigan's Hispanic and Latino residents. Oxholm, of Grosse Pointe Woods, serves as a judge in the Third Circuit Court's Family Division in Wayne County. Previously, she served as Wayne County's assistant county prosecutor and on the 36th District Court. Oxholm earned a law degree from the University of Michigan. She replaces Alicia Villarreal. She will serve a three-year term expiring Dec. 10, 2014, and her appointment is subject to the advice and consent of the Senate. ---------- Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss, P.C. INGRID SZURA has been named partner at Southfield-based JAFFE, RAITT, HEUER, & WEISS PC. Jaffe CEO Richard Zussman made the announcement. Szura is a member of the firm's Real Estate practice group, where she represents owners, developers and investors in all aspects of commercial real estate transactions, including acquisitions, leasing and financing. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and Cornell Law School. A published author, Szura is a member of several professional associations, including the State Bar of Michigan and CREW Detroit. Published: Mon, Mar 5, 2012