Legal People

Miller Canfield The law firm of MILLER CANFIELD announces that SUZANNE SUKKAR has joined the firm as senior counsel office. She will focus her practice on immigration law, including employment-based visas and EB-5 immigrant investor visas. Sukkar has years of experience in all aspects of immigration law, including obtaining employment-based visas (such as H, L, E, O, P, R, TN, and PERM labor certifications), family-based immigration and naturalization. She has interceded on behalf of clients before the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) when they have been accused of fraud or benefit ineligibility. She is fluent in Arabic and Spanish. She is a board member of the American Arab Chamber of Commerce and chair of the American Arab Professionals Network. She is a director-at-large for the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan. She is also a member of the American Bar Association; State Bar of Michigan; American Immigration Lawyers Association; and, the Washtenaw County Bar Association. Sukkar received the 2011 National Woman of the Year Award from the National Association of Professional Women. Prior to joining Miller Canfield, she was owner of Sukkar Legal of Plymouth, Michigan. She earned her B.A. from the University of Michigan and law degree from Wayne State University Law School. Additionally, LARA FETSCO PHILLIP, a partner in the Litigation Department at Honigman Miller, has been elected to the Board of Directors of HAVEN. The organization's mission is to eliminate domestic violence and sexual assault across Oakland County and the surrounding communities through treatment and prevention services. Phillip focuses her law practice on complex litigation in the areas of white collar criminal defense, antitrust, securities, media law and commercial matters in federal and state courts and before regulatory agencies. She also advises manufacturers and other corporations regarding export compliance and international trade related issues and serves as the vice chair of the International Trade Committee of the State Bar of Michigan's International Law Section. Aside from her volunteer work with HAVEN, Phillip is a member of the Crittenton Hospital Charitable Giving Committee and serves as pro bono amicus counsel to the National Association of Counsel for Children. Phillip earned her law degree from the University of Michigan Law School and a B.A. from Dartmouth College. ---------- Potestivo & Associates P.C. POTESTIVO & ASSOCIATES P.C. is pleased to announce the hiring of attorney JESSICA M. OLIVERI. Oliveri joined the attorney team on Monday, March 26. Based in the firm's Rochester Hills office, she will serve as an associate attorney supporting the firm's Michigan Foreclosure Department. Prior to her new role, Oliveri served as an intern for the Office of State Representative Fran Amos in Lansing. She earned her law degree from Wayne State University Law School and Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Michigan State University. ---------- Michigan Supreme Court/ Court of Appeals/State Court Administrative Office Attorney TROY A. SCOTT is the new director of Human Resources for the Michigan Supreme Court, Michigan Court of Appeals, and the State Court Administrative Office, the Supreme Court announced recently. Scott previously served as director of human resources and general counsel for Lansing- based Dean Transportation, a company of over 1,200 employees. His responsibilities included employee training and benefits, worker's compensation, unemployment claims, and labor relations. State Court Administrator Chad C. Schmucker said that Scott brings the right blend of experiences to the Court's Human Resources division. In addition, Scott will be available to advise the state's trial courts on their human resources issues. Scott earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and his law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. While in law school, he served as a law clerk for the Michigan Tax Tribunal, researching and drafting legal decisions. After being admitted to the practice of law in 1994, he served as referee for the Tax Tribunal, presiding in property tax cases. Scott then opened his own law practice in Lansing, where he specialized in tax issues and trademark infringement litigation. In 2001, he joined the Traverse City law firm of Smith & Johnson PC. where his practice included litigation and supervising debt collection practices for bank and credit union clients; he joined Dean Transportation in 2003. A member of the State Bar of Michigan, Scott is admitted to practice in the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and both U.S. District Courts (Eastern District and Western District) in Michigan. Certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources by the Human Resources Certification Institute, Scott is a member of the State Bar's Labor and Employment Law Section and of the Society for Human Resource Management. ---------- Bowman and Brooke LLP BOWMAN AND BROOKE LLP will be ranked for the first time on The National Law Journal list of the 250 largest law firms in America, it was announced this week. The firm has an office in Troy, in addition to Minneapolis, Phoenix, San Jose, Los Angeles, Richmond (Va.), Columbia (S.C.), Dallas and Austin. The milestone comes after consistent growth over the past two years as a result of the firm's focus and strength in product defense litigation. That growth included new offices in Columbia, opened in 2009 and, in 2011, two offices in Dallas and Austin. Bowman and Brooke now has 189 lawyers and is ranked No. 221 on The National Law Journal list. Bowman and Brooke previously was named to The National Law Journal's 2010 Midsize Hotlist for its work in high-exposure product liability and commercial cases. ---------- Oakland County Circuit Court OAKLAND COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT Judge MICHAEL WARREN presented the legal consequences of becoming an adult to scores of high school seniors from Wylie E. Groves High School. The students attended a Senior Seminar at the Kensington Church Campus in Troy, where they learned about a variety of topics. Warren spoke to a crowded room of high school seniors about how life changes once they turn 18. Warren, was appointed to the Oakland County Circuit Court in 2002 by Governor John Engler and currently serves in a leadership position as the presiding judge of the Civil/Criminal Division of the court. Warren addressed a wide range of topics in his address, including the need to become educated and engaged participants in our political system; the need to contribute to the civil society and follow the rule of law; the importance of committing to family obligations; the importance of self-motivation and personal responsibility; and the disastrous consequences of obtaining a felony. His address was well received, and he answered more than a dozen questions from the students. Warren stressed the importance of taking citizenship, personal responsibility, and integrity seriously. Some of the students were shocked to learn about just how much responsibility and accountability comes with adulthood, and many eyes were opened to the legal consequences of adulthood. His love for his country has involved him in shaping American education at some of the highest levels in the state. Warren urges: "If we are to maintain our liberty in a free republic, our citizens must have a deeply rooted understanding of our Constitution, its generating history, and its underlying First Principles." Warren expressed the need for the students to become deeply knowledgeable about the nation's history and First Principles to preserve the nation's freedom. Alarmed that large portions of our students and the general public are ill-informed, Warren and then 10-year-old Leah created Patriot Week in 2009. The week is anchored by the key dates of Sept. 11 (the anniversary of the terrorist's attacks) and Sept. 17 (Constitution Day, the anniversary of when the United States Constitution was signed). Patriot Week is a grassroots effort to celebrate and honor America by commemorating its First Principles (the rule of law, equality, unalienable rights, the Social Compact, limited government, and the right to alter or abolish an oppressive government), key historical figures, founding documents, and symbols. It is intended to fill the void left by the commercialization or disregard of our existing holidays. Warren believes that citizens cannot overstate the importance of the need to reinvigorate our understanding and appreciation of American history to ensure that we remain a free people. Detailed information about Patriot Week is available at patriotweek.org. Warren is also the author of "America's Survival Guide, How to Stop America's Impending Suicide by Reclaiming Our First Principles" (Mill City Press; www.AmericasSurvivalGuide.com). A former member of the State Board of Education, he is the chair of Cornerstone Schools Association and Patriot Week Inc. He has taught constitutional law as a visiting professor at Cooley Law School and recently authored the 2010 and 2011 Constitutional Law Surveys for Wayne Law Review. ---------- Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. (Ogletree Deakins) OGLETREE, DEAKINS, NASH, SMOAK, & STEWART, P.C. welcomes ALLYSON MILLER as an associate to the firm's Detroit Metro office. Prior to joining Ogletree Deakins, Miller was an associate with Dickinson Wright. Earlier, she served as law clerk to U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Cornelia G. Kennedy. Miller focuses her practice on employment litigation and represents employers in federal and state courts and in administrative proceedings on a wide range of employment issues, including discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims. Miller also defends and counsels employers on matters related to employee discipline and termination, disability accommodation obligations, e-mail and Internet use policies and privacy rights, enforceability of non-compete agreements, and compliance with the Family and Medical Leave Act. She has also defended employers in single and multi-plaintiff actions alleging violations of federal and state civil rights laws at both the trial and appellate court levels. In addition to Miller's litigation experience, she also drafts employee handbooks, employment agreements, and severance agreements for high-level executive departures. In an effort to help employers avoid litigation, Miller conducts discrimination and harassment prevention training and counsels employers on the enforceability of non-compete and non-solicitation agreements. Miller is an active member of the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association, State Bar of Michigan, and the Federal Bar Association. She earned her law degree from Wayne State University Law School in 2007. Published: Mon, Apr 2, 2012

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