Legal People

James W. Burdick, of Burdick Law PC in Bloomfield Hills, has been selected to the 2015 list as a member of the Nation’s Top One Percent by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel. 

He has been practicing law for more than four decades and has been nationally recognized by the bench and bar as an outstanding leader, forward thinker and exceptionally skilled trial advocate in the field of white collar criminal defense, as well as in representing health professionals in licensing and discipline matters.

The N.A.D.C. is an organization dedicated to promoting the highest standards of legal excellence. 

Burdick is one of the very few who practices federal health care criminal defense, as well as representing health professionals in discipline and reinstatement cases. 

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During the March meeting of the Oakland County Bar Association Probate, Estate and Trust Committee, attorney Phillip E. Seltzer was invited to speak on three “hot topics” on the defense side of legal malpractice law:

1) The status of the law concerning limitations on lawsuits by non-clients who pursue claims of negligent drafting of testamentary documents.

2) Risk management issues relating to “conflicts of interest” that can confront an Estate Planner.

3) The new six year statute of Repose for legal malpractice claims.

Seltzer has practiced professional liability law for more than twenty-eight years, and is a principal of Lipson, Neilson, Cole, Seltzer, Garin PC.

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On May 5, Sheryl Laughren of Berry Moorman PC provided a legal update to the Michigan Assisted Living Association (MALA), sharing important decisions, laws and perspectives on how recent court, administrative and statutory changes impact workforce and human resource management.

Laughren’s discussion included issues related to social media, DOL and EEOC “targets” (including their focus on pregnancy discrimination, work-from-home and leaves of absence as ADA accommodations) and new issues bubbling to the top in regard to the FMLA and NLRA.

MALA is a nonprofit organization representing 4200 assisted living, residential and vocational services programs serving 40,000 individuals statewide.

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Bowman and Brooke LLP is pleased to announce that twelve new attorneys have joined the firm in offices across the country.  Locally, Elizabeth A. Favaro joins the Detroit office.

Favaro is a trial attorney focused on defending automobile manufacturers, information technology companies and healthcare organizations in product liability and consumer actions. She has served as counsel in eight jury trials and has represented clients in a variety of disputes including personal injury and class action litigation.

With more than eight years of experience, Favaro has built a diverse trial practice relating to complex commercial and employment matters. She has managed class actions and pattern litigation on behalf of municipalities across the state of Michigan and the country. Clients look to Favaro for her experience with non-competes, trade secrets and shareholder/member disputes. She also has represented clients involving issues relating to health insurance, physician-patient privilege and copyright and trademark infringement. Favaro has argued multiple motions for summary judgment and has appeared before the Michigan Court of Appeals as well as the Michigan Supreme Court.

Apart from her work in the courtroom, Favaro has published and spoken on many topics relating to commercial law.  Before becoming an attorney, Favaro was an Emmy award-winning television reporter.

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Collins, Einhorn, Farrell PC is pleased to announce that attorney Scott J. Pawlak has joined the firm’s General & Automotive Liability Practice Group. Pawlak will focus his practice on first- and third-party automobile defense, premises liability, and construction liability matters. Prior to joining Collins Einhorn, Pawlak handled cases at the state and federal level, gaining valuable experience in matters involving real estate, criminal defense, and family law.

Pawlak graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Central Michigan University in 2010. He received his law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 2014.

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Retired Judge Edward Sosnick is moving to: Of  Counsel to Hertz Schram PC, 1760 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302 (located in the Oakland County Bar Association Building).  The phone numner is 248-335-5000 and email address is edward@sosnickmediation.com.

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Attorney Rochelle L. Ralph recently joined Plunkett Cooney as an associate in its Insurance, Professional and Governmental Law Department.

Ralph, who focuses her practice primarily in the areas of medical liability, professional liability and governmental law, works in the firm’s Bloomfield Hills office. Her clients include hospitals, physicians, physician groups, municipalities and various other clients with general liability matters.

Prior to working for Plunkett Cooney full-time, Ralph worked as research clerk in the firm’s East Lansing and Flint offices. She also previously worked as a research assistant for Michigan State University College of Law, as a student attorney for the Alvin L. Storrs Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic, and as a legal extern for the Flint City Attorney’s office.

A member of the Genesee County Bar Association and the State Bar of Michigan, Ralph received her law degree from Michigan State University College of Law in 2014 and her
undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in 2011.

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Gov. Rick Snyder recently announced the reappointment of David Marmon to the Michigan Tax Tribunal.

The Tribunal is an administrative court responsible for hearing tax appeals for several categories of Michigan taxes. Most of the Tribunal’s appeals involve property taxes, though it also hears business and individual tax disputes.

Marmon was an attorney at Hoffert & Associates PC, before being appointed to the Tax Tribunal in 2014. He served as an adjunct professor at Wayne State University, had a private practice, and was deputy treasurer for the city of Warren. Marmon is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, Oakland County Bar Association, and the American Bar Association. He received the Deloitte & Touche award for taxation research. Marmon earned a bachelor’s in business administration from the University of Michigan, and law degrees from Wayne State University Law School. He continues to represent attorneys.

Marmon will serve a four-year term expiring June 30, 2019. His appointment is subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.