Brooks Kushman P.C.
Brooks Kushman welcomes three new attorneys to the firm. David Coppiellie, Laura Ernst, and Richard Leach will each join the firm as associates.
Coppiellie is a registered patent attorney and focuses his practice on preparing and prosecuting patent applications in the mechanical arts.
He earned a law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from the University of Dayton. Before being hired as an attorney, Coppiellie was a patent agent with the firm.
Ernst concentrates her practice on the clearance, procurement, maintenance and enforcement of trademark rights. She also advises clients on matters relating to trade dress, copyright and internet law.
She earned a law degree from the Boston University School of Law and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Central Michigan University.
Leach counsels clients on domestic and foreign patent prosecution, litigation and IP consultation in the electrical, semiconductor, chemical and electromechanical arts, having over 20 years of experience in the semiconductor and electronics industry.
He earned a law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Science degree in microelectronic engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology.
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Clark Hill PLC
Clark Hill PLC was ranked the number one law firm to have grown by percentage of lawyers in 2013, by the 2014 National Law Journal (NLJ) 350 survey, the publication’s annual ranking of U.S. law firms by number of attorneys.
The survey reports that Clark Hill PLC grew from 210 attorneys in 2012, to 284 in 2013, reflecting an additional 74 attorneys to join the firm or a 35.2% increase by percentage of lawyers. The number one ranked firm to have grown by number of lawyers is K&L Gates, gaining an additional 255 attorneys in 2013.
Overall, the survey shows that the nation’s 350 largest firms grew by 3.9 percent in 2013.
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Maddin, Hauser, Wartell, Roth, & Heller P.C.
James M. Reid IV, a shareholder at Maddin, Hauser, Roth & Heller PC has received the Oakland County Bar Association’s 2014 Distinguished Service Award. The award recognizes OCBA members who provide exceptional voluntary services to benefit the organization.
The announcement was made by the firm’s President and CEO Steven D. Sallen.
Reid works with employers, human resource professionals, and business owners on a range of employment issues including; employment policies and contracts, handbooks, employment agreements, non-competes, non-disclosure agreements, and release and separation agreements.
He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science-Prelaw from Michigan State University and his law degree from Wayne State University Law School.
Reid is a member of the National and Detroit Chapters of the Society of Human Resources Management, Oakland County Bar Association and State Bar of Michigan, Labor and Employment Law Section, and is admitted to practice before the federal and state courts of Michigan.
Reid has authored several articles regarding strategies to update employee handbooks and challenge unemployment claims. He is also a frequent presenter at local and national webcasts, podcasts and conferences regarding best employee handbook practices, as well as strategies for franchisees and other non-union businesses to comply with the National Labor Relations Act and respond to union activity.
In addition, three attorneys from Maddin, Hauser, Roth, & Heller PC have been selected for recognition in the legal research publication Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2014. This is the fourth year in a row that Maddin Hauser attorneys were chosen.
Firm Shareholders Charles M. Lax, Gary M. Remer, and Marc S. Wise were honored in the Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation practice area. Lax and Remer have made this list the past three years. Wise also is a repeat selection.
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Jackson Lewis LLP
Jackson Lewis PC is pleased to announce that the firm’s Detroit managing shareholder has been recognized in the 2014 edition of Chambers USA. Maurice G. Jenkins is one of 65 attorneys from the firm recognized in the 2014 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.
Jenkins is the office managing shareholder and litigation manager of the Detroit and Grand Rapids offices of Jackson Lewis PC. He has practiced labor and employment law for more than 30 years. A trial lawyer, Jenkins, who is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers has first chaired jury trials, labor and civil rights arbitrations, NLRB hearings and state civil rights administrative cases on behalf of employers in such business sectors as automotive (OEM; Tier .5-4 suppliers and retail), pharmaceutical manufacturing, international, national and regional consumer retailers, information technology, telecommunications, gaming, and financial services. Jenkins also advises and represents employers with respect to strategic labor relations matters, collective bargaining and NLRB litigation.
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Barris, Sott, Denn & Driker PLLC
Barris, Sott, Denn, & Driker, PLLC is pleased to announce that Marc E. Seyburn recently joined BSD&D as a member in its tax and estate planning department.
Seyburn specializes in structural planning, flow-through taxation, cash-flow modeling, and investment opportunities. He also designs estate plans with a focus on both income taxes and estate taxes.
Seyburn has experience in jet acquisitions and in the use of Michigan’s incentives for digital productions, such as apps, motion comics, interactive websites, and console games.
Seyburn is a graduate of Wayne State University Law School. He also earned a Master of Accountancy degree from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan.
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Appellate Defender Commission
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder recently announced the reappointment of Douglas Messing to the Appellate Defender Commission.
The seven-member commission develops a system of indigent appellate defense services, and oversees the State Appellate Defender Office and Michigan Appellate Assigned Counsel System.
Messing is the assistant research director for the Michigan Court of Appeals. He has more than 25 years of experience with appellate case management and procedure, previously serving in numerous capacities for the Michigan Court of Appeals.
Messing earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Dayton and a law degree from the Detroit College of Law. He will continue to represent the Court of Appeals.
Messing will serve a four-year term expiring May 24, 2018. His appointment is not subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.
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Secrest Wardle
Secrest Wardle Executive Partner Caroline Grech-Clapper has been appointed as vice-president of the Women Officials Network (WON) Foundation. She will serve as vice-president for a two-year term. Grech-Clapper previously held a director position with the WON Foundation.
Established in 1997, WON is dedicated to encouraging women to become involved in public policy through elected and appointed office. WON provides networking opportunities for women officials and presents training to inspire and empower current and future policy makers.
Grech-Clapper is an executive partner and member of Secrest Wardle’s Employment, Family Law and Premises Liability Practice Groups. Her primary focus is defending business owners in the areas of Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Employment Policy Handbooks, and Whistleblower Protection Act/Retaliation Claims.
Grech-Clapper received her law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 2001. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree from Madonna University in 1996. She was admitted to the State Bar of Michigan in 2001, as well as the United States District Court for the Western and Eastern Districts of Michigan. Grech-Clapper has received the following awards: Who’s Who in North America-2010; Who’s Who Among American Law Students-1999; The Sol Siegel Award-1998; and Who’s Who Among American Colleges-1996.
Grech-Clapper has appeared as a featured speaker at the Troy Chamber of Commerce Women’s Business Forum, “Top of Troy: Women of Influence.” She is also a frequent contributor to Secrest Wardle’s newsletter, “On the Job,” a publication focusing on employment-related issues.
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Task Force on the Prevention of Sexual Abuse of Children
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder recently announced appointments to the Task Force on the Prevention of Sexual Abuse of Children.
The task force was established in accordance with “Erin’s Law,” which protects against the sexual abuse of children. The 15-member task force has one year to provide recommendations for reducing child sexual abuse.
Members serve one-year terms expiring June 17, 2015. The appointments are not subject to the advice and consent of the Senate. Among the local appointees are:
Deborah Carley, the division chief for children and youth services for the Department of the Attorney General, with experience in child abuse and neglect, physical child abuse and sexual assaults. She previously worked in the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office and was an assistant prosecutor in the juvenile justice division, district court division, circuit court division, and the child sexual assault unit. Carley earned a bachelor’s degree in English and speech communication from Albion College and a degree from Detroit College of Law. She will represent individuals who have experience and expertise in the fields of intervention and prevention of child abuse.
Jerry Dorsey, the chief of trials and litigation for the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office where he works in the child abuse unit and is deputy chief of the special victims unit. He has more than 20 years of experience with the prosecutor’s office. Dorsey is chair of the Wayne County Council Against Family Violence and a member of the board of directors of the Guidance Center. Dorsey earned a bachelor’s degree in history and psychology and a law degree from Wayne State University Law School. He will represent individuals who have experience and expertise in the fields of intervention and prevention of child abuse.
Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Cheryl Matthews, a family court judge. Previously, she was an Oakland County prosecutor, serving as chief of the child sexual assault unit, and worked in private practice. Matthews earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Michigan and a degree from Fordham University School of Law. She will represent circuit court judges.
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Oakland County Bar Association
Oakland County Circuit Court Judge James Alexander received the Oakland County Bar Association’s “Distinguished Public Servant” Award at the OCBA Annual Meeting held in West Bloomfield on Wednesday, June 11.
The award recognizes those in the public sector who have made outstanding contributions to the Bar Association. The recipients are those who have shown superior dedication to the OCBA, the legal community and the general public.
Alexander was appointed to the court in September 2001 by Governor John Engler. At the time of his appointment, Alexander was serving on the governor’s staff in the position of director of the governor’s Southeast Michigan Office. He
is the immediate past chancellor of the Oakland County Bar Association’s Inn of Court and was a past chairman of the bar’s Legislative Committee. In addition to his local bar activities, he is a past president of the Michigan Judges
Association where he currently serves as Co-chair of its Legislative Committee. He is currently vice chairman of the State Bar’s Judicial Council and will chair that group next year.
is the immediate past chancellor of the Oakland County Bar Association’s Inn of Court and was a past chairman of the bar’s Legislative Committee. In addition to his local bar activities, he is a past president of the Michigan Judges
Association where he currently serves as Co-chair of its Legislative Committee. He is currently vice chairman of the State Bar’s Judicial Council and will chair that group next year.
Alexander’s community involvement includes positions with committees for both Walsh College and Central Michigan University. He also serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Michigan Thanksgiving Day Parade Foundation. He has previously served on the Board of Directors of the Jewish Community Relations Council and the Jewish Vocational Service.
His prior governmental service includes eight years on the Board of State Canvassers and a term on Brooks Patterson’s County Executive’s Ethics Commission. Prior to joining the Engler Administration, Alexander was a shareholder at Foster, Swift, Collins, and Smith where he led the Government Relations Practice Group.
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Wayne State University Law School
Wayne State University Law School Dean Jocelyn Benson was honored Wednesday, June 11, with the Frederick Douglass Equality Award.
The award was given by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Task Force Inc. at its Justice and Equality Awards Ceremony in Southfield. The award honors leadership and significant contributions to promote justice and equality.
Benson’s areas of expertise include civil rights law, education law and election law. Prior to becoming dean, she served as associate director of Wayne Law’s Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights.
Prior to joining the law faculty in 2005, Benson clerked for Keith on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. She also worked as a legal assistant to Nina Totenberg at National Public Radio and investigated hate groups and hate crimes for the Southern Poverty Law Center.
She is the founder and executive director of the nonpartisan Michigan Center for Election Law, which hosts projects that support transparency and integrity in elections.
Benson was nominated for the award by Dorothy J. Dean, president of the task force. The all-volunteer organization, established in 1985, sponsors the annual MLK Peace Walk Celebration in Southfield each year, offers scholarships and promotes the importance of celebrating diversity.
“Wayne Law is proud of our commitment to serving the public interest, and I’m truly blessed to be able to work with talented students and faculty every day to advance civil rights locally,” Benson said.
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Dickinson Wright PLLC
Dickinson Wright attorney Daniel D. Quick received the Frances R. Avadenka Memorial Award at the Oakland County Bar Association’s Annual Meeting on June 11.
The award was established by the board of directors in memory of Frances R. Avadenka, the first female president of the Oakland County Bar Association, who passed away in 1987 leaving a legacy of leadership, industry and community involvement. The award is presented to an OCBA member who has made significant contributions to the community outside the legal profession.
Quick partnered with Oakland Schools to develop the OCBA’s Elementary Mock Trial program, which they designed to fit within the state of Michigan’s Social Studies Content Expectation and within the Michigan Citizenship Collaborative curriculum for second- and third-graders. Volunteer attorneys go into the classroom and talk with the students about the legal system and court procedures. The students then visit the local district court or the Oakland County Circuit Court and perform a mock trial applying what they have learned to their case. Now in its third year, more than 800 Oakland County students have participated in the program.
Quick also served this year as president of the Oakland County Bar Foundation. The OCBF awards grants to programs in Oakland County that fulfill the foundation’s mission.
Quick is a member in the firm’s Troy office and is Practice Department Manager for Commercial Litigation, Antitrust & Trade Regulation, ADR and Sports & Entertainment. He is a litigation attorney with a focus in the areas of commercial litigation (including shareholder disputes, trade secrets and non-compete cases) and copyright, entertainment, and intellectual property. He holds leadership positions in the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Michigan, the Federal Bar Association, the Oakland County Bar Association and the Oakland County Bar Foundation. Quick received his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School.
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Cooley Law School
Cooley Law School Professor Gerald A. Fisher received the Oakland County Bar Association’s (OCBA) Distinguished Service Award at the 19th Annual Awards during the association’s 80th Annual Meeting on June 11.
The Distinguished Service Award recognizes a member of the OCBA who provides exceptional volunteer service to benefit the organization and who has shown superior dedication to the OCBA, legal community and the general public.
Fisher is a past president and has been a member of the Board of the OCBA for more than 20 years. Before joining Cooley Law School, he was a senior partner and manager of the Municipal Practice Group at Secrest Wardle, a firm with offices in Farmington Hills, Mt. Clemens, Lansing, and Grand Rapids. At Cooley, Fisher teaches property, secured transactions, constitutional law, zoning and land use law, and state and local government law.
“I am honored to receive the Oakland County Bar Association’s Distinguished Service Award and want to thank the outstanding legal community in Oakland County in return,” said Fisher.
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Meisner Law Group PC
The Meisner Law Group PC is pleased to announce that Robert M. Meisner was selected as one of Michigan’s 2014 Top 30 Leaders in the Law. He was honored as one of only thirty (30) distinguished Michigan lawyers as the 2014 “Leaders in the Law” by Michigan Lawyers Weekly for his “reputable work and success in the legal community.”
Meisner is the founding member of The Meisner Law Group PC and a practicing attorney specializing in Condominium and Community Association Law, Real Estate Law and Commercial and General Civil Litigation for more than 40 years, He earned a B.A. from the University of Michigan and a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School.
Meisner has the distinction of being Michigan’s first inductee into the CAI College of Community Association Lawyers. He has also been selected many times as a Michigan Super Lawyer, and again as a 2014 Top Metro Detroit Real Estate Lawyer by DBusiness.
Meisner authored the recently published second edition of the popular book “Condo Living 2: An Authoritative Guide to Buying, Selling and Operating a Condominium,” and he is a co-draftsperson of the 1978 Michigan Condominium Act and contributor to the 2001-2002 Amendments thereto.
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Aviation Law (B.C.S.)
Michigan attorney Mark Kelley Schwartz was designated as a Board Certified Specialist in Aviation Law (B.C.S.) by the Florida Bar. Board certification represents the highest level of competency and experience for attorneys in an area of law and represents “Legal Expert” status following peer review, examination and substantial involvement in the field of aviation law by the Florida Bar.
Admitted in both Michigan and Florida, Schwartz practices aviation law and represents individuals in hotel, resort, cruise ship and travel-related personal injury matters on a national and international basis.
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Brinks Gilson & Lione
Intellectual property law firm Brinks, Gilson, & Lione’s Detroit and Ann Arbor offices have again this year received high recognition in IAM Patent 1000 — The World’s Leading Patent Practitioners, placing in the Silver Band in Michigan for patent firms.
IAM noted in its rankings that Brinks does a great job maintaining the utmost standards in both prosecution and litigation services, and that with its skill mix, the firm is ideally suited to post-grant work and finds itself in high demand in the post-America Invents Act environment. The publication cites the firm’s mastery of the electrical arts and its recruitment of marquee names from the International Trade Commission (ITC) as foundations of its “muscular Section 337 practice,” and notes that medical device and biopharmaceutical litigation are also strongholds for the contentious division.
In Michigan, adds IAM, Brinks “has a finger on the pulse of the state’s academic and industrial centers.” An IAM source calls the firm’s offices in Ann Arbor and Detroit “a formidable presence.”
The IAM Patent 1000 also featured two individual Michigan-based Brinks attorneys who market sources identified for their exceptional skill sets and profound insights into patent matters. IAM sources report that “the indomitable Kelly K. Burris leads the Detroit team with energy and verve,” while Ann Arbor managing shareholder Steven L. Oberholtzer “has a considerable practice. He is a pleasure to work with.”
