Legal People

Holli Targan, a partner at Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer, & Weiss PC, has been appointed presidential advisor to the Merchant Acquirers Committee Board of Directors.

The Merchant Acquirers Committee (MAC) is an organization dedicated to providing universal risk management solutions through ongoing communication and cooperation among acquirers, card associations and enforcement agencies.

In her role as presidential advisor, Targan will advise the president of MAC and participate in deliberations of the MAC board of directors.

Targan is chairperson of Jaffe’s Electronic Payments Group, and specializes in credit and debit card processing, stored value, merchant cash advance and payment systems law.

As counsel to companies in the card processing industry domestically and internationally, she advises clients on compliance, contract issues, strategic direction and merger and acquisition transactions, assisting in buying and selling portfolios and companies.

In addition to her position with MAC, Targan is a frequent author and speaker at industry forums.

She is founder and a member of the Board of Directors of W-net: Women’s Network in Electronic Transactions, a past president of the Electronic Transactions Association, and past chairman of the Certified Payments Professional Commission.

Targan has been named a Best Lawyers’ Best Lawyer in America, DBusiness Top Lawyer, and PaymentSource Most Influential Women in Payments.

In addition, Deborah Rubin, an associate attorney at Jaffe, has been appointed secretary to the Bankruptcy Section of the Commercial Law League of America’s Executive Council for a one-year term. Jaffe CEO William Sider made the announcement.

The Commercial Law League of America (CLLA) is North America’s oldest creditors’ organization with a sole purpose to provide legal, educational and professional services to the business and credit communities.

In her role as secretary, Rubin is responsible for fostering communication and diligence through proper management and utilization of important records, as well as providing advice and resources to the executive council.

As an associate of Jaffe’s Insolvency and Reorganization, and Litigation Practice Groups, Rubin specializes in all areas of bankruptcy law, including the representation of creditors’ committees and corporate debtors in bankruptcy proceedings and commercial litigation.

She also has experience in representing plaintiffs and defendants in avoidance litigation and collection proceedings.

In addition to her position with CLLA, Rubin is a member of the American Bankruptcy Institute and the International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation.

She is also a frequent author for the State Bar of Michigan, Debtors and Creditors’ Rights Section.

Rubin earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Oakland University and is a graduate of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.

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For the second consecutive year, Honigman, Miller, Schwartz, and Cohn LLP has earned a place on the State Bar of Michigan’s list of firms at the leadership level in its annual Pro Bono Circle of Excellence.

The leadership level recognizes that Honigman has achieved 100 percent participation at the highest level of the voluntary pro bono standard set by the Bar.

Qualifying activities include volunteer legal services for low-income individuals and organizations, and financial contributions to support legal services for those clients.

“Honigman has been recognized by the State Bar for its pro bono work every year since the Circle of Excellence was created more than 10 years ago and at the leadership level since its inception last year,” said Khalilah V. Spencer, chair of the firm’s Pro Bono Committee. “Since our firm was founded more than 65 years ago, Honigman has been dedicated to providing free legal services to the underserved in our community.”

In addition, Kenneth R. Marcus, a partner in Honigman’s Health Care Practice Group, has been named to the Life Members Council of the American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA).

The purpose of the Council is to provide a forum for upwards of 3000 AHLA attorneys who have been members for more than 15 years to encourage their continued involvement in the organization.

Marcus conceived of and coined the name “Life Members,” served as co-chair of the Life Members Steering Committee from 2013-2015, and led the efforts resulting in the formal establishment of the Life Members Council. 

The objectives of the Life Members Council include establishment of advanced educational programs, enhancement of mentoring, participation in public interest activities and providing a networking forum for seasoned health law practitioners. 

This appointment reflects AHLA’s recognition of the past contributions of Marcus who is a frequent speaker and author for AHLA, and who served as vice chair of AHLA’s Regulation, Accreditation and Payment Practice Group.

Marcus is nationally recognized for his work on hospital Medicare and Medicaid payment appeal issues for numerous hospitals and on individual and group appeals before the Provider Reimbursement Review Board, the federal district courts and federal courts of appeals.

He also advises clients on Medicare and Medicaid Anti-Fraud and Abuse Provisions, the Stark Act and the Federal False Claims Act.

In his 30 year career as a health care attorney, Marcus also has represented clients in major business transactions such as establishment of health systems, hospital mergers, managed care contracting,
integrated delivery system development, hospital-physician joint ventures, hospital physician practice acquisitions and physician contracting.

Marcus has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America, Michigan Super Lawyers, and DBusiness’ Top Lawyers. He earned a law degree from Wayne State University Law School. He also earned an M.H.S.A. from the University of Michigan and a B.A. from the State University of New York

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Cantor Colburn LLP is pleased to announce that it has hired Justin D. Spurlock as an associate in its Troy office. 

Spurlock, an experienced patent attorney with an advanced degree in aerospace engineering, worked in the automotive, aerospace, and defense industries before beginning his legal career.

Spurlock is a registered patent attorney with experience in preparing and prosecuting domestic and international patent applications in the mechanical, electronics, and electro-mechanical arts.

He also has experience in litigation matters, intellectual property licensing, and patentability and infringement opinions.

Prior to his legal career, Spurlock spent many years in the automotive, aerospace, and defense industries.

As an engineer, he gained experience in manufacturing, product development, research and development, and field service.

These experiences provide Spurlock with a deep understanding of his clients’ business and technical needs and with a strong foundation for advising clients on the management and protection of intellectual property.

He  received a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering and a Master’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan with a focus in fluid mechanics and combustion systems.

Spurlock received a law degree from Wayne State University Law School.  He is admitted in the state of Michigan and to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

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McKeen & Associates (www.mckeenassociates.com) of Detroit is expanding its offices in the historic Penobscot Building.

The additional 3,291 square feet on the 43rd floor will increase McKeen’s footprint in the building to a total of more than 14,000 square feet.

McKeen already occupies the entire 42nd floor and more than 3,000 square feet on the 41st.

Brian McKeen, managing partner of the firm, said the expansion is a result of the team’s hard work and success in achieving great results for victims of medical malpractice and personal injury.

“More and more attorneys refer clients to us and more clients come directly to us,” said McKeen. “We’ve added some really great experienced staff members and we simply needed more room for them.”

McKeen & Associates has been in Detroit since McKeen started his law career and founded the firm in 1998.

The firm has been in the Penobscot Building for the past 14 years.

“We are glad we that we stayed true to our commitment to the city and it’s gratifying to see the city on the upswing,” said McKeen. “I look forward to many more years practicing downtown and servicing the
people of the city of Detroit.”

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Collins, Einhorn, Farrell PC proudly announces the election of its partner Colleen H. Burke to the Board of Directors for the Association of Defense Trial Counsel (ADTC).

The ADTC is an organization of lawyers whose practice consists chiefly in representing defendants in damage suits and other litigation.

It exists to promote the efficiency of insurance and corporate trial defense as practiced in southeastern Michigan.

Elected in June of this year, Burke was sought for her experience in defense litigation.

She currently focuses her practice in the area of professional liability, including defending lawyers in legal malpractice cases and grievance matters with the Attorney Grievance Commission, and defending judges in matters brought by the Judicial Tenure Commission.

She has also represented accountants, land surveyors, and real estate brokers. Colleen also has experience in insurance coverage work, premises liability, and product liability.

Burke obtained her law degree from the University of Toledo in 2001. She received her Bachelor of Arts in 1994 from Ferris State University.

Burke is also an active member of the ABA, the Defense Research Institute (DRI), the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers, and the Oakland Country Bar Association.

She was also recently elected to the Detroit Catholic Central Mother’s Club Board for the 2015-2016 school year.

In addition, Collins Einhorn Farrell PC is pleased to announce that attorney Ryan R. Clark has joined the firm’s Appellate Practice Group.

Clark will focus his practice on appellate litigation and writing dispositive motions in the trial courts.

He has represented clients on a wide variety of civil litigation matters, including professional negligence (construction defect claims), contractual indemnity, breach-of-contract claims, business torts, third-party automobile negligence, premises liability, and general negligence.

Clark received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan in 2006 and went on to obtain a law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 2011.

Clark is a member of the Appellate Practice Section, the Litigation Practice Section, and the Negligence Practice Section of the State Bar of Michigan.

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Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC is pleased to announce that Amanda E. Hill has joined the firm.  She will practice out of the firm’s Royal Oak Office.

Hill concentrates her practice in intellectual property.

Hill has experience preparing, filing and prosecuting patent applications in fields related to chemical, mechanical and electrical engineering.

She has also prepared patentability, infringement and invalidity opinions on behalf of her clients.

Hill received her law degree from Michigan State University College of Law in 2011 and her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Wayne State University in

She is licensed to practice in the State of Michigan and before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.