Legal People

Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss, P.C. JYOTSNA BALAKRISHNAN has joined Southfield-based JAFFE, RAITT, HEUER, & WEISS, P.C. as an associate in the firm's corporate practice group, specializing in commercial contracts, corporate advisory, regulatory compliance, intellectual property and cross-border legal issues. Jaffe CEO Richard Zussman made the announcement. Prior to joining Jaffe, Balakrishnan served as an associate attorney at Dickinson Wright PLLC with a focus on private company mergers, acquisitions, private equity investments, and restructurings. Prior to her work at Dickinson Wright, she spent three-years as an associate attorney at the law firm of Anand and Anand in New Delhi, India. Balakrishnan earned her law degree from the National Law School of India University. She completed her Master of Laws degree at Columbia University School of Law. She is currently a member of the State Bar of Michigan. ---------- Engle & Associates, P.C. The law firm of ENGLE & ASSOCIATES, P.C. welcomes its newest attorney AMANDA A. BREASBOIS to its expanding legal team. Ralph Engle is excited to announce that his firm and areas of practice are growing. Breasbois joined the firm in April and brings her bankruptcy expertise to the firm. Currently the firm provides comprehensive legal services in the following areas of law: bankruptcy, criminal, family, probate, real property, landlord/tenant, commercial contracts/transactions, and mediation. Breasbois has been an attorney for more than six years and has previous experience with creditor's rights in foreclosures, landlord tenant issues, bankruptcies and debt collection. After several years representing banks and collection companies Breasbois decided to switch her area of practice and help individuals during their financial crisis and hardships with both bankruptcy and non-bankruptcy options. The previous experience of representing creditors allows Breasbois to provide her clients with an insider perspective on creditors. Her goal is to assess the circumstances of each individual and provide the best course of action to ensure that her clients can move forward toward a financially secure future. ---------- DO Foundation Attorney PAUL M. HUGHES has recently been selected to sit on the Board of Directors for the DO Foundation. Hughes played varsity hockey at Bowling Green State University before he transferred and graduated from Michigan State University in 1976. He earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School in 1983 while attending their evening program. He practices in downtown Detroit and specializes in police misconduct 42 USC 1983 litigation and criminal law. Hughes in addition to actively participating in the work of the Do Foundation, stays very active by working out regularly, running 5K's and has set a personal goal of completing his first sprint triathlon this summer. "Wish me luck" and don't forget the DO Foundation says Hughes. ---------- Fakhoury Law Group PC FAKHOURY LAW GROUP, a Troy-based business immigration law firm, announced that it has hired seven new professionals to join its team in Troy, expanding its global staff to nearly 50 employees. The need for additional employees is a result of strong growth the firm experienced in 2011. Last year, Fakhoury Law Group increased its U.S. business by more than 25 percent, while its global business increased by over 35 percent. "I'm pleased to welcome these talented new employees to our team," said Rami Fakhoury, founder and managing partner of Fakhoury Law Group. "Their skills will help us better serve clients and continue to expand globally." According to Fakhoury, the firm will create a number of new positions in 2012 to meet the growing demands of companies and organizations for skilled workers. Fakhoury Law Group was founded in 1997 and has experienced steady growth since its inception. ---------- Howard & Howard HOWARD & HOWARD ATTORNEYS PLLC is pleased to announce that STEVEN W. HAYS has joined the firm. He will practice out of the firm's Royal Oak Office. Hays concentrates his practice in all aspects of patent and trademark law including, preparation, prosecution and litigation. He assists his clients in protecting and enforcing their intellectual property rights. Hays has experience providing infringement/freedom to operate and invalidity opinions, trademark clearance opinions, and preparing and reviewing licensing and nondisclosure agreements for a wide variety of businesses and individuals. Prior to joining Howard & Howard, Hays was a partner at a Pittsburgh-based general practice firm and was primary outside counsel for both a Fortune 500 Chemical Company in the areas of substrate protection and automotive OEM coatings, as well as for a Michigan-based Biotechnology Company in the area of medicinal chemistry. He was also the plaintiff lead counsel in a patent infringement lawsuit for a Fortune 500 automotive supplier in the Eastern District of Michigan where the case settled in the plaintiff's favor. Hays earned his law degree from Loyola University School of Law in 1995 and his B.S. in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Michigan in 1988. He also has 18 credits towards his M.S. in Polymer Chemistry from the University of Detroit-Mercy. Hays is licensed to practice in the states of Michigan and Pennsylvania and before the U.S. Court of Appeals; U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts; U.S. Supreme Court; U.S. Patent and Trademark Office; and the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern District of Michigan and the Northern District of Illinois. ---------- State of Michigan Board of Ethics Gov. Rick Snyder recently announced the appointments of ALBERT NELSON JR. and Joseph Walker to the STATE BOARD OF ETHICS. The seven-member board serves as an advisory and investigatory committee which determines the ethical conduct of classified and unclassified state employees and public officers in the executive branch of Michigan state government. Nelson is president of the defense practice firm ALBERT TAYLOR NELSON JR. PLC and has served as counsel to Giarmarco, Mullins, & Horton PC in Troy since 2001. Previously, he served as senior partner at Kemp, Klein, Umphrey, & Endelman in Troy and partner at Evans, Nelson, Pletkovic and Hays in Huntington Woods. Nelson also worked as a teacher at Cass Technical High School, where he was a member of the school's North Central Accreditation Committee. He earned a bachelor's degree in history and a master's degree in public administration, both from the University of Detroit, and a law degree from Wayne State University. Nelson replaces Paul Yedwab. Walker has served as president of MAPLE BAY CONSULTING LLC since 2009, where he provides strategic planning, leadership and talent development and teambuilding services for organizations in need of transition or transformation. Previously, he served as president of Polk Global Automotive, a division of R.L. Polk & Co., senior vice president and general counsel for R.L. Polk & Co. and president, CEO, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Plunkett & Cooney. Walker serves as chairman of the board for the Providence Health Foundation board of directors and is a member of the St. John Providence West Region board of trustees. He earned a bachelor's degree from Xavier University and a law degree from the University of Detroit School of Law. Walker replaces Frederick Dillingham. Appointees will serve four-year terms that expire Feb. 7, 2016, and their appointments are subject to the advice and consent of the Senate. ---------- Wachler & Associates PC AMY K. FEHN of WACHLER & ASSOCIATES PC, along David W. Hilgers and moderator Julian Rivera, presented "Accountable Care Organizations: A Physician Perspective" in an American Bar Association Webinar. Fehn has represented physicians and health care organizations in health care regulatory and corporate matters as well as the defense of Medicare Audits and other third-party audits for the past 14 years. Prior to graduating from law school, she served as a registered nurse in the coronary care unit, and later worked as a clinical systems analyst for the hospital's information systems. ---------- Miller Canfield B'nai B'rith International has bestowed the 2012 Great American Traditions Award upon the international law firm of MILLER CANFIELD in recognition of its commitment to diversity, education, community service and philanthropic involvement in the Great Lakes region and beyond. Chief Executive Officer Michael W. Hartmann accepted the award on the firm's behalf at a dinner and presentation on March 29 at the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel in Detroit. Diversity is more than a value for Miller Canfield. Diversity encompasses the firm's culture, behavior, inspiration and motivation. Instead of simply stating that diversity is important, it institutes programs and efforts to demonstrate it, including establishing a Multicultural Committee to involve the firm in various ethnic communities, working with local groups and businesses to give community members a voice for advancement. The firm also developed a Women of Miller Canfield initiative. The law firm has also demonstrated its dedication to local youth by establishing a reading and math tutorial program at a local middle school; participating in a six-week paid summer internship for high school students through the Detroit Summer Finance Institute; and teaching college courses on diversity issues at universities throughout the Midwest, in addition to sponsoring management seminars on recruiting and retaining women and minority lawyers. ---------- Collins, Einhorn, Farrell & Ulanoff PC Southfield-based COLLINS, EINHORN, FARRELL, & ULANOFF PC announced that attorney TANYA E. JUAREZ LUNDBERG has joined the firm's Professional Liability Practice Group. Lundberg's practice focuses on the defense of professional liability claims. Her experience also includes representing businesses and individuals in commercial litigation, consumer financial litigation, real estate litigation and bankruptcy matters. She has achieved successful outcomes for clients at the state, federal and appellate courts as well as various forms of alternative dispute resolution. The Wayne State University Law School alumna is admitted to practice in the State of Michigan, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan. Lundberg, who earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan, is active in the Oakland County Bar Association and Wayne State University Law School Alumni Association. ---------- Sullivan, Ward, Asher, & Patton, P.C. At its annual shareholder meeting, SULLIVAN, WARD, ASHER, & PATTON PC announced three new members to its Board of Directors - JONATHAN M. JAFFA, CRAIG S. THOMPSON, and KEITH P. FELTY. They join the Board of Directors currently in place - ANTHONY A. ASHER, LEE C. PATTON, A. STUART TOMPKINS, SCOTT D. FERINGA, GERARD J. ANDREE, KEVIN J. GLEESON, MICHAEL J. ASHER, and SHERI B. CATALDO. Jaffa earned his law degree from University of Detroit Law School in 1974. He earned his undergraduate degree from Wayne State University in 1970. Jaffa's areas of practice include Medical Malpractice and Long-Term Care Facility Defense; General Negligence and Premises Liability. Thompson earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School in 1992. Felty earned his undergraduate from Albion College in 1990. Thompson's area of practice is primarily Construction Law. Felty earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School in 1992 and his undergraduate from Michigan State University in 1989. Felty's area of practice is Dental Malpractice Defense; Medical Malpractice Defense; Licensing Actions; Medicare/Medicaid Fraud; and Rick Management/Loss Prevention. ---------- Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP HONIGMAN, MILLER, SCHWARTZ, AND COHN LLP is pleased to announce that PAOLA ABI-NADER has joined the firm as an attorney in the Intellectual Property and Technology Practice Group (IP) of Honigman's Corporate and Securities Department. She will be located in the firm's Oakland County office. Honigman's IP practice has grown significantly in recent years, with the number of IP attorneys tripling in the last three years. Honigman's IP attorneys include engineers, scientists, biologists, chemists and researchers. Abi-Nader will assist with patent prosecution for high-tech companies. Prior to joining Honigman, she was a patent examiner at the United States Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, Virginia. She worked as an engineer in the auto supply industry before attending law school. Abi-Nader earned a law degree from University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Wayne State University. In addition, Honigman is pleased to announce that KARLA VELIKAN has joined the firm as an attorney in its Business Immigration Practice Group of Honigman's Corporate and Securities Department. She will be located in the firm's Detroit office. Velikan will concentrate her practice on employment-based business immigration representing national and international companies in obtaining authorization for employees to work temporarily and permanently in the United States. Prior to joining Honigman, she was an immigration attorney at the Law Offices of Afaf Vicky Farah in Ann Arbor. Velikan earned a law degree from Wayne State University Law School and a B.A. in English from Wayne State University. Published: Mon, Apr 23, 2012

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