Neuman Anderson PC, a Birmingham-based business law firm specializing in complex commercial litigation, announced that three of the firm’s shareholders — Kenneth F. Neuman, Jennifer M. Grieco, and Leif K. Anderson — have been named to the highly regarded 2015 Super Lawyers list, published each year by Super Lawyers Magazine.
Managing Partner Kenneth Neuman was named one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Michigan for the fourth consecutive year and one of the Top 50 Business Lawyers in Michigan for the third consecutive year in a row. Neuman concentrates his practice in complex commercial litigation and business consulting, with a focus on corporate, real estate/construction and contract disputes. He has more than 30 years of experience in the courtroom and has obtained multiple verdicts and arbitration awards in excess of one million dollars.
Partner Jennifer Grieco was honored as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Michigan for a third consecutive year, one of the Top 50 Women Lawyers in Michigan for a fifth consecutive year, and one of the Top 50 Business Lawyers and Top 25 Women Business Lawyers in Michigan for the third consecutive year in a row. Grieco concentrates her practice in the areas of complex commercial litigation, professional malpractice and coverage disputes. She possesses more than 18 years of trial experience and has been awarded multiple high-profile verdicts and arbitration awards.
Partner Leif Anderson was also named a Super Lawyers Honoree in Michigan for the seventh consecutive year in a row. Anderson concentrates his practice in the area of complex commercial litigation, with a focus on business, corporate, real estate/construction and contract disputes. He has more than 18 years of legal experience and successes within the courtroom.
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Michigan Court of Appeal Judge William B. Murphy is the recipient of the National Center for State Courts’ (NCSC) 2015 Distinguished Service Award, one of the highest awards presented by the organization. The Distinguished Service Award is presented annually to those who have made significant contributions to the justice system and who have supported the mission of NCSC. The award was presented to Murphy October 9, during the annual meeting of the National Council of Chief Judges of State Courts of Appeal in New Jersey.
Murphy was appointed to the Michigan Court of Appeals in 1988 after being in private practice for 17 years. He served as the court’s chief judge from 2009 until 2015. During this time, Murphy led a reengineering project to address budget shortfalls that redesigned the fundamental internal business operations of the court. Under his guidance, the Michigan Court of Appeals was named a leader in automation of court business practices by the National Center for State Courts. He serves on the Executive Committee of the National Council of Chief Judges of State Courts of Appeal and was in strumental in developing a major policy paper for that organization titled: “The Role of State Intermediate Appellate Courts: Principles for Adapting to Change.”
Murphy has been a member of the Open Justice Commission and the Michigan Justice Project. He is a lecturer for the Michigan Judicial Institute and is an adjunct professor at Western Michigan University Cooley Law School.
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Super Lawyers Magazine has named eleven Barris, Sott, Denn, & Driker attorneys to the 2015 Michigan Super Lawyers list, and two more to the Rising Stars list.
The attorneys on the Michigan Super Lawyers list are Eugene Driker, William Barris, Sharon Woods, Stephen Glazek, Robert Kass, Daniel Share, Morley Witus, James Fontichiaro, C. David Bargamian, Todd Mendel, and Dennis Barnes. The attorneys on the Rising Stars list are Erica Fitzgerald and Matthew Bredeweg.
Additionally, Driker was ranked among the top 10 lawyers in Michigan, and Woods was ranked among the top 50 women lawyers in Michigan and the top 100 lawyers in Michigan.
Barris, Sott, Denn, & Driker is also pleased to announce that Benchmark Litigation has, for the sixth year, named Sharon M. Woods as a Litigation Star for 2016.
Woods is the chairperson of Barris, Sott, Denn & Driker’s litigation department and served as the firm’s managing member for twenty-four years. She is known for handling “bet the company” business litigation and specializes in legal and accounting malpractice defense, construction law, employment law, business torts, and alternative dispute resolution.
Woods was elected a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers in 1989 and was elected to its national Board of Regents for 2001-2005. She was elected a fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers in 2003.
Woods earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in biology and mathematics and a law degree both from the University of Detroit Mercy.
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Attorney Mark S. Kopson, who serves as Plunkett Cooney’s Healthcare Industry Group Leader, has been elected as the 2015-2016 chair of the State Bar of Michigan’s Health Care Law Section.
Kopson, a partner and member of the Board of Director of Plunkett Cooney was elected during the annual meeting of the bar association’s Health Care Law Section on Sept. 25.
Kopson represents healthcare providers, integrated delivery systems, payers and other managed care entities in Michigan and throughout the United States. He has experience and expertise in the areas of commercial and governmental managed care contracting and dispute resolution, performance/outcomes-based reimbursement and revenue cycle, as well as regulatory compliance and agency investigation response. His practice also includes the formation and counseling of integrated delivery networks, certificates of need and regulatory issues related to for-profit acquisitions of non-profit providers.
Kopson’s involvement in the Heath Care Law Section includes previous service as council chair- elect (2014-2015), secretary (2013-2014), chair of the Council Legislative Committee (2013-2014), chair of the Payers Substantive Law Subcommittee (2009-2010) and a member of the Technology Substantive Law Subcommittee (2008-2009). He also is a member of the State Bar’s Business Law Section. Kopson also chairs the Payers, Plans and Managed Care Practice Group of the American Health Lawyers Association and is a member of the Business Law, Health Law, and Law Practice Management sections of the American Bar Association.
Kopson earned his law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 1985 and his undergraduate degree from the University of Detroit Mercy in 1981.
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Beth S. Gotthelf, attorney, shareholder, and director of Innovation and External Relations at Butzel Long, will lead a panel presentation during FABTECH 2015 on November 11, in Chicago. FABTECH is North America’s largest metal forming, fabricating, welding and finishing event.
Gotthelf will provide opening remarks, introduce speakers as well as facilitate questions and answers for a program titled “Saving Costs on Your Plating Line: Save Money Through Compliance.” The discussion will focus on new laws, regulations and the importance of compliance.
Gotthelf represents and counsels a diverse mix of clients. She also is chair of Butzel’s Aerospace and Defense Industry Team and co-chair of the Energy and Sustainability Practice Team. Moreover, Gotthelf counsels clients in governmental contracting, ITAR, EAR, and Foreign Military Sales.
At the same time, she is an executive-in-residence with the Macomb-OU INCubator. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Better Business Bureau and serves on its Executive Committee. Gotthelf also is the newly elected president of the Michigan Israel Business Bridge.
Gotthelf has been very active in bar associations, including in the State Bar of Michigan, Environmental Law Section, where she served as past chair and the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Natural Resources, Energy and Environmental Law.
She is chair of the City of Birmingham Brownfield Redevelopment Authority. She represented industry on the Federal Advisory Committee charged with recommending stormwater rules.
In April, Gotthelf served as co-chair of the highly successful Gleaners Women’s Power Breakfast, raising funds for approximately 1.2 million meals. Her charitable activities include serving as past president of the Board of Trustees for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Michigan Chapter; past Trustee of the
JVS Vocational Services; and member of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, State Government Relations Oversight Committee.
Gotthelf was selected as one of 20 influential leaders by Michigan Lawyers Weekly - Women in Law (2010). She also was named to the Best Lawyers in America, Environmental Law, 2013-2015.
She was named in Michigan Super Lawyers (2006-14) and as one of the “Top 50 Female Michigan Super Lawyers” (2006-2014). Gotthelf is listed in DBusiness Top Lawyers in Metro Detroit, Environmental Law, 2011-2015; Energy Law, 2011-2012; Government Relations Law, 2011-2012. She is a past Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America.
Gotthelf has received several awards and special recognitions, including as an emerging leader by the Detroit Regional Chamber (2003); the National Association of Metal Finishers (2002); Corp! Magazine as one of “Michigan’s 95 Most Powerful Women” (2002); Corp! Magazine’s “Top 10 Business Attorneys for Southeast Michigan” (1999); and Crain’s Detroit Business’ 40 Under 40 in1994.
She is a graduate of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law (1985) and Oakland University (B.S. Public Administration and Public Policy, 1980). In 2009, Gotthelf received an Oakland University Distinguished Alumni Award.
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Jonathan Sriro has joined Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer & Weiss PC as an associate in the firm’s Litigation Practice Group. Jaffe CEO William Sider made the announcement.
Prior to joining Jaffe, Sriro was an associate for a law firm in Farmington Hills where he was responsible for representing clients in complex litigation matters involving commercial, real estate and bankruptcy law. He was also responsible for advising and representing technology companies in business transactions.
Sriro has represented companies such as Sprout Social, LevelEleven, Echo Global Logistics, InnerWorkings, Detroit Labs, BenchPrep and MBuy. He has drafted terms of use, privacy policies, SaaS agreements, affiliate agreements, SLAs and various licensing agreements for both the client-side and server-side software.
As an associate in the firm’s Litigation Practice Group, Sriro will continue his practice representing clients in both litigation and business transactions, with a
focus on technology companies.
Sriro is an active member of the State Bar of Michigan and the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the James Madison College at Michigan State University and his law degree from the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis.
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Plunkett Cooney partner Patrick E. Winters is hovering at the center of the topic of drone liability within the insurance industry as Insurance Law Committee’s co-chair for DRI – The Voice of the Defense Bar’s (DRI) 2015 Annual Meeting. DRI’s Insurance Law Committee offered a presentation on drone liability issues during the meeting, which took place on Oct. 7-11 at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park in Washington, D.C.
The session, titled: “Game of Drones: Legal and Insurance Implications of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles,” was presented by Kate Browne, senior vice president, Corporate Solutions, Swiss Reinsurance America, on Oct. 8. The presentation focused on the current and anticipated recreational and commercial uses of drones, regulatory concerns, liability issues that may arise out of drone use, and insurance industry responses for coverage and liability.
“Drone use, both commercial and recreational, is proliferating right now and understanding the potential liability and resulting insurance coverage implications is top of mind for everyone in the insurance industry,” said Winters.
Winters is a member of the Bloomfield Hills office of Plunkett Cooney. His practice focuses exclusively on the area of insurance coverage law and the representation of insurance companies in coverage disputes involving alleged environmental contamination, professional liability, automotive, trucking, construction defects, product liability, bad faith and personal and advertising injury.
Winters is a member of the Oakland County and the American bar associations and the State Bar of Michigan. A graduate from Michigan State University College of Law in 2003, he received his undergraduate degree from Michigan State University in 1999.
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Honigman, Miller, Schwartz, and Cohn LLP has been recognized as a finalist for the Law Firm of the Year and as an advisor for a Real Estate Deal of the Year finalist by M&A Advisors. New York-based M&A Advisors is an organization that offers insights and intelligence on M&A activities and recognition to leaders in the industry.
“Honigman has an outstanding reputation in M&A legal work across the country,” said Donald J. Kunz, chair of the firm’s Corporate Department. “We provide high-end legal services to the often underserved middle market and lower middle market. In 2014, our M&A team closed 103 deals at a value of $8.4 billion, almost double the transaction value of the year before, with 2015 looking just as promising.”
In addition to the Law Firm of the Year category, Honigman is also named as an advisor for Treetops (a Michigan spa and resort), which is a finalist for the Real Estate Deal of the Year. The firm represented the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of Treetops Acquisition Company, LLC in connection with its Chapter 11 bankruptcy case. The result of the case was a settlement among the Creditors’ Committee, the debtor and the senior lender resulting in a confirmed consensual Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization that provided for the financial restructuring of the golf and ski resort.
In addition, Linda S. Ross, a partner in and leader of the Health Care Practice Group at Honigman, has been reappointed to the Quality and Accountability
Committee of the Michigan Health and Hospital Association. This committee assists in the development of the MHA’s assessment of healthcare quality management and patient safety issues, including performance improvement and accreditation/regulatory compliance.
Ross is an attorney with experience representing health care systems, hospitals, physicians and other providers and suppliers. She regularly serves as lead counsel in affiliations, acquisitions, divestitures, mergers, reorganizations, joint ventures and other alignment transactions. In addition, Ross regularly advises clients on health information technology, HIPAA and regulatory compliance matters.
She also continues to serve as a vice chair of the Health Information Technology Practice Group of the American Health Lawyers Association. In addition, Ross serves on the board of trustees of Alternatives for Girls in Detroit.
Ross has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America since 2005 and in 2015 received special recognition from the publication as the Detroit Information Technology Law “Lawyer of the Year.” She also has been recognized as one of the top 50 women attorneys by Michigan Super Lawyers since 2007.
Ross earned a law degree from Wayne State University Law School. She received an M.S. in Dental Public Health from Boston University and a B.S. in Dental Hygiene from the University of Michigan.
Honigman also announces that Judy B. Calton, a partner in the Bankruptcy, Reorganization, and Creditor Rights Practice Group, has been elected vice chair of the State Bar of Michigan’s Business Law Section. The mission of the Business Law Section is to foster the highest quality of professionalism and practice in business law and to enhance the legislative and regulatory environment for conducting business in Michigan.
Calton counsels banks, finance companies, manufacturers and other businesses regarding commercial law, corporate reorganizations and transactions. She represents clients in negotiations, disputes and insolvency, and bankruptcy-related litigation, and possesses extensive experience in preference litigation.
In addition to her position with the Business Law Section, Calton is a member of the Advisory Committee and a reporter for its Rules Subcommittee for the Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Calton has been recognized as a top lawyer by The Best Lawyers in America, Michigan Super Lawyers and DBusiness. She recently was recognized with a Turnaround Atlas Award for her role in representing the Detroit Institute of Arts in the City of Detroit Chapter 9 case, which was named Turnaround of the Year. Calton also was named the 2012 State Bar of Michigan’s Unsung Hero.
She earned a law degree from Wayne State University Law School. She received a B.A. from the University of Illinois.
The fim is also happy to announce that Anessa Kramer, a partner in the Intellectual Property Department at Honigman, was named among the “Esteemed Women of Michigan” by the Dr. Gary Burnstein Health Clinic, which provides free health services to people in need. This is the sixth year that the clinic has honored Michigan women who have made extraordinary contributions through personal, volunteer and professional avenues; and have made a significant difference in the lives of others.
Kramer is a member of the firm’s Trademark and Copyright Practice Group. She represents a number of owners of famous and well-known trademarks in procuring and protecting their global brands. Kramer has received numerous professional accolades, including Crain’s 40 Under 40 in 2007, one of the Top 25 Women Business lawyers in Michigan by Michigan Super Lawyers for 2014, 2015 and 2016, and one of Managing Intellectual Property magazine’s “Top 250 Women in Intellectual Property in the U.S.” in 2013 and one of its IP Stars since 2013. She is regularly featured in The Best Lawyers in America, DBusiness magazine’s “Top Lawyers,” and The World’s Leading Trademark Professionals.
In addition to Kramer’s professional achievements, she plays an active role in a number of community and philanthropic organizations. She is a current board member of both the Roeper School, where she chairs the Trusteeship Committee, and the Jewish Fund. In 2010, the Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit recognized Kramer’s leadership when they presented her with the Sylvia Simon Greenberg Young Leadership Award.
Kramer earned a law degree from George Washington University Law School and a B.A. from Michigan State University.
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Timothy J. Currier, CEO of Beier Howlett PC, is pleased to announce that Jon Feikens, Lee Stevens, Barbara A. Roulo, and Jeffrey Feikens have joined the firm. Collectively they bring to the 112 year old firm, located in Bloomfield Hills, experience in general civil trial litigation on the trial and appellate levels in state and federal courts. Their practices focus on medical malpractice defense, health care law, employment, complex construction accident litigation and commercial disputes involving insurance coverage and indemnification.
Jon Feikens and Lee Stevens have been recognized as Michigan Super Lawyers for several years. Feikens earned the honor of Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Both Stevens and Feikens have been selected by their peers in the Plaintiffs’ and Defense Bar for membership in the American Board of Trial Advocates.
Feikens was a member of the Wayne County Character and Fitness Committee of the State Bar of Michigan and remains active in the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association.
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Bodman PLC attorney R. Craig Hupp has been appointed by Governor Rick Snyder to the recently formed Michigan Pipeline Safety Advisory Board.
The Michigan Pipeline Safety Advisory Board was created to insure that oil, gas, and hazardous liquid transportation is balanced with protecting public health, safety, and natural resources. The board will work to ensure the safety, upkeep, and transparency of issues related to the state’s network of pipelines and will advise state agencies on pipeline routing, construction, operation, and maintenance.
The 15-member board is comprised of representatives of the Governor’s cabinet, federal response agencies, the tourism industry, environmental and conservation organizations, pipeline operators, the oil and gas industry, and the public. Hupp was appointed to represent the general public on the Board.
Hupp counsels clients with regard to all major environmental laws. He has served as plaintiff or defense counsel in numerous environmental suits. He has represented clients in a wide variety of commercial and local government matters and litigation. He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America and Michigan Super Lawyers as one of the state’s leading practitioners in Environmental Law.
Hupp earned degrees in mechanical engineering and transportation planning. He is a registered professional engineer in Michigan. He has taught Environmental Law at Wayne State University Law School. Hupp served on the legislative drafting committees of Michigan’s Environmental Audit Privilege and Immunity Statute, 1996 P.A. 132, and the Basement Flooding Liability Statute, 2001 P.A. 222. He is a director of The Ecology Center and of Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision. He is a former director of the East Michigan Chapter of the Air and Waste Management Association and served two terms on the State Bar’s Environmental Law Section Council. He was a member of the Market Based Policies Technical Group of the Governor’s Climate Action Council (2007-09).
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Secrest Wardle Executive Partner John G. Mitchell, of the firm’s Troy location, recently submitted several questions to A.M. Best webinar panelists discussing the legal, claims, and risk issues surrounding drones. Mitchell’s questions pertain to whether there are current, or proposed, federal statutes that address the ownership and use of drones; what the statutory limitations, if any, may be on the allowable space in which drones may operate; and whether the fact that there is public awareness of the potential misuse of drones creates potential liability (product based, or otherwise) for manufacturers of drones; and finally, does the doctrine of abuse and misuse insulate such companies from liability?
A.M. Best’s webinar, “Insurance Attorneys Examine the Legal, Claims and Risk Issues of Drones Part II” was the second in a series surrounding the drone topic, and was originally broadcast on September 22, 2015.
A.M. Best Company provides news, credit ratings and financial data products and services for the insurance industry. For additional information, visit http://www.ambest.com/. To view to the webinar, and discover the panel’s answers to Mitchell’s questions, go online to http://bit.ly/1LmO2ee.
Mitchell is a member of Secrest Wardle’s Construction, Drug and Medical Device, Environmental and Toxic Tort, Malpractice/Professional Liability, and Product Liability Practice Groups.
In addition, Paul Shkreli joins Secrest Wardle’s Troy office as an associate attorney and member of the Firm’s Motor Vehicle Litigation and Premises Liability Practice Groups.
Prior to joining Secrest Wardle, Shkreli was an associate attorney at a Michigan firm handling defense litigation in the areas of first-party automobile claims, third-party automobile negligence, personal injury, premises liability, and general negligence.
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George W. Gregory is proud to announce he has become a community partner of the Southeast Michigan program of Leave a Legacy®. Through their partnership, Gregory maintains his commitment to the community by supporting and promoting the need for individuals to support their favorite charities in their wills or estate plans.
Founded in 1997, the Southeast Michigan program of Leave a Legacy is a public awareness campaign conducted by the Planned Giving Roundtable of Southeast Michigan to inspire people to make charitable bequests, a type of planned gift to be distributed sometime in the future to a charity meaningful to the donor.
Gregory practices law in Troy specializing in tax law, estate planning, business law, and probate. He is active in the Taxation Section and the Probate and Estate Planning Section of the State Bar of Michigan. Gregory has a B.A. from Michigan State University (B.A., Economics), and an M.B.A. and law degree from Wayne State University. Gregory has been a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel since 1998. He has been listed in every issue of The Best Lawyers in America since 2000, and every issue of Michigan Super Lawyers since 2006.
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The Hensel Award Committee of the State Bar of Michigan’s Arts, Communication, Entertainment and Sports Section is pleased to announce that U.S. District Court Chief Judge Gerald E. Rosen, Eastern District of Michigan, is the recipient of the 2015 John Hensel Award.
The Hensel award recognizes a Michigan attorney or judge who has contributed significantly to the arts, entertainment or sports in Michigan.
The Hensel Award is given this year in recognition of the Grand Bargain Rosen initiated, facilitated and achieved as the chief judicial mediator for the Detroit Bankruptcy case, thereby saving from threat of liquidation the Detroit Institute of Art’s world class art collection.
Through his perseverance, perspicacity, and relationships, Rosen’s concept of an “Art Trust” evolved into the Grand Bargain, a triple bank shot which monetized the DIA’s iconic art collection by raising $820 million (over 20 years) from 13 visionary philanthropic foundations, the state, and private donors, locked it off from creditors in perpetuity, and gave all of the art proceeds to the city’s retirees to dramatically reduce their pension losses.
Appointed by President George H.W. Bush in 1990 to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Rosen has served as chief judge of the court since 2009. He has written and published a wide range of articles for professional journals and the popular press. A co-author of “Federal Civil Trials and Evidence,” “Federal Employment Litigation” and “Michigan Civil Trials and Evidence,” Rosen also is a contributing editor of “Federal Civil Procedure Before Trial” and the senior editor of West Publishing Company’s Michigan Practice Guide series.
Rosen has been an adjunct professor of law, teaching Evidence at University of Michigan Law School, Wayne State University Law School, and Western Michigan University Cooley Law School. He has lectured at international conferences and most recently consulted with the Judiciaries of Thailand and the Ukraine, through the State and Justice Departments.
From 1995 to 2001, Rosen served on the U.S. Judicial Conference’s Committee on Criminal Law where he was actively involved in developing sentencing and criminal law and procedure policy for the judicial branch of government. He has been selected by his colleagues to serve on the Board of Directors of the Federal Judges Association. Currently, Rosen serves as a member of the Sixth Circuit Judicial Council.
Rosen’s local community and charitable involvement includes service on the boards of directors of Focus: HOPE, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Community Foundation of Southeastern Michigan, and the Michigan Chapter of the Federalist Society.
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The Michigan Defense Trial Counsel (MDTC) honored George T. Sinas with the 2015 Respected Advocate Award on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the State Bar of Michigan Awards Banquet. Sinas, managing partner with the Sinas Dramis Law Firm, was recognized for his leadership in protecting Michigan auto no-fault law and adhering to the highest standard of ethics.
The Respected Advocate Award is presented each year by MDTC to a member of the plaintiff’s bar and by the Michigan Association for Justice (MAJ) to a
defense practitioner. The tradition of this award promotes mutual respect and civility between the two associations. The 2015 MDTC recipient chosen by MAJ is Robert F. Riley of Riley & Hurley PC.
“I am very humbled and grateful that such an outstanding organization as the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel has seen fit to bestow this honor,” said Sinas. “It is particularly gratifying to receive such recognition by lawyers who are typically on the opposing side of legal cases and who I have always held in the highest regard.”
For the last 35 years, Sinas has represented seriously injured people throughout the state of Michigan in a variety of matters, primarily involving motor vehicle accident litigation. He has also participated in number of important appellate court cases dealing with the auto no-fault law. In addition to representing injured people and their providers, Sinas serves as general counsel for the Coalition Protecting Auto No-Fault (CPAN), a broad-based coalition of over 20 major medical and consumer groups opposing efforts to minimize lifetime comprehensive medical coverage under the Michigan No-Fault Law. He has authored two textbooks and numerous articles on the subject and serves as an adjunct professor at the Michigan State University College of Law.
The Respected Advocate Award adds to a growing list of significant honors for Sinas, who was named the 2014 MAJ Champion of Justice and Lawyer of the Year by Michigan Lawyers Weekly in March 2013. Sinas has been named a “Super Lawyer” every year since 2007.
In 2013, CPAN honored Sinas with its Protection & Preservation Award and the Southfield-based ACS Foundation awarded him the Catalina Andres Humanitarian Award. Both awards were given for Sinas’s longstanding efforts to protect the Michigan Auto No-Fault law.
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With its build-out recently completed, the Varnum law firm is now occupying its new downtown Detroit office in the Federal Building at 160 W. Fort Street.
Varnum’s move into the fifth floor space completes occupancy of the Bedrock Real Estate-owned Federal Building. Varnum now has six offices across the state.
The firm worked with the Rossetti design firm, which redesigned the Federal Building a few years ago and also occupies the third floor of the building. Varnum’s new office space features iconic furnishings from West Michigan-based Herman Miller, including chairs and tables from the Eames and Nelson lines. Herman Miller is a long-time client of the firm.
“We are very pleased with our decision to locate in the Federal Reserve Building and with the finished space created by our design team,” said Varnum Partner Dick Hooker who serves as administrative partner of the new office. Hooker noted that the firm intentionally avoided “typical mahogany and granite” law firm finishings.
“It was great to work with both an innovative Detroit-based design team and a West Michigan-based furniture icon,” Hooker said. Coincidentally, the inaugural event in the law firm’s new space was an “East meets West” reception for the Detroit Regional Chamber.
In addition to Hooker, attorneys now based out of the Detroit office include Matt Bower, Barbara Buchanan, Kevin DiDio, Tim Kroninger, Terry Miglio, and Bethany Sweeny. Other attorneys based in the Novi office also plan to spend one or more days a week in the downtown office. Additionally, the office is set up to accommodate visiting attorneys from the firm’s other offices who work with clients or courts in Detroit.
For the past 11 years, Varnum has served clients in the Metro Detroit area primarily from its office in Novi. That office has grown to more than 30 attorneys, including 14 who joined the firm in just the past 18 months. In addition to the Novi and Detroit offices, the firm recently opened a satellite office in Ann Arbor.
Varnum Managing Partner Scott Huizenga said the expansion to downtown is reflective of the firm’s growth strategy as well as a commitment to clients in the region.
“Our investment in this second Southeast Michigan location is driven in large part by a commitment to our growing client base in the Detroit area,” Huizenga said. “This office, with its location in the Financial District and close proximity to several courts, will help us more efficiently serve many of our corporate clients as well as other clients with business in this area.”
A downtown Detroit office also provides additional growth opportunities, both through the addition of new clients and as experienced attorneys join the firm, Huizenga said.
“Our attorneys who practice in Southeast Michigan have flourishing, growing practices and many attorneys from our other offices do a significant amount of work with clients in the Metro Detroit area,” Huizenga said. “The general state of the economy and level of opportunity in Southeast Michigan right now is providing the kind of high-level, challenging work on which our attorneys thrive. We are very excited to have a bigger role in this growing market and look forward to having an expanded physical presence.”
