Legal People

Collins, Einhorn, Farrell PC

Collins, Einhorn, Farrell PC is pleased to announce that attorneys Rick Braun, Michael J. Cook, and Nicole E. Wilinski have been elected partners in the firm.

Rick Braun is a partner in the firm’s nationally recognized mass-tort defense group. He focuses his practice on the defense of asbestos claims, and has defended premises owners, non-manufacturing suppliers, and manufacturers of industrial equipment, friction products, and electrical components. Braun is a member of the National Coordinating Counsel team for a client in asbestos litigation, which includes the management of thousands of cases within 25 states across the country.

Braun serves as vice-chair of the Energy, Sustainability, and Environmental Law Committee for the Oakland County Bar Association. He is a member of the Environmental Law Institute, and serves on the Toxic Tort and Environmental Law Committee, Asbestos Subcommittee, and Climate Change Subcommittee for the Defense Research Institute. Braun is on the board of directors for the American Lung Association of Midland States and serves as chairman of the Nominating Committee. Braun was named one of Michigan’s “Rising Stars” by Super Lawyers Magazine from 2012 through 2014. Braun was also selected by his peers for inclusion in the Top Lawyers 2012 and 2013 issues of DBusiness® for his work in product liability.

Michael J. Cook is a partner in the firm’s appellate group. His practice focuses on appellate litigation, which includes trial-level brief writing, especially at the summary-judgment stage. He has represented clients on a wide variety of civil-litigation matters, including professional liability (particularly medical and legal malpractice cases), contractual indemnity, business torts, the Uniform Commercial Code, and general liability.

Cook is a member of the State Bar of Michigan’s Appellate Practice Section, the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel, the Association of Defense Trial Counsel, and the Oakland County Bar Association. He is also the editor of the Michigan Defense Quarterly, an MDTC publication. Cook was selected as a Michigan Super Lawyers “Rising Star” in 2014 and 2015. He also served as a judicial law clerk for Michigan Supreme Court Justice Robert P. Young Jr. from 2007 to 2009.

Nicole E. Wilinski is a partner in the firm’s insurance coverage group. She has experience representing insurance carriers in complex coverage litigation in both state and federal courts throughout Michigan and the Midwest, including in the areas of environmental and construction law. As part of her practice, Wilinski regularly provides coverage opinions and proposed coverage position letters on behalf of insurers arising out of claims for property damage, construction defects, fraud and/or misrepresentations, personal and advertising injury, and bodily injury claims.

Wilinski is a active in a number of organizations: she is past vice chair of the American Bar Association’s TIPS Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee; council member of the State Bar of Michigan’s Insurance and Indemnity Law Section; member and past president of the Women’s Bar Association, Oakland Region of Women Lawyers Association of Michigan; member and past director at large of the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan; member of the Oakland County Bar Association and member of the Defense Research Institute.

In 2010, Wilinski was named one of Michigan’s “Rising Stars” by Super Lawyers Magazine, and was also recognized by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as an “Up & Coming Lawyer.”  Wilinski has been listed as a DBusiness® Top Lawyers from 2012 through 2014 for her work in insurance litigation.

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Williams, Williams, Rattner & Plunkett PC

Williams, Williams, Rattner, & Plunkett PC announces that several of its attorneys were selected for inclusion in DBusiness Magazine’s list of “Top Lawyers in Metro Detroit-2016” including Robert Bick and Richard Rattner.

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Law Offices of Jermaine A. Wyrick PLL

The Law Offices of Jermaine A. Wyrick PLL. is pleased to announce that attorney Jermaine A. Wyrick was the guest on the “Law Power Hour” show, hosted by attorney Barry Keller.  He spoke on the subject “What is Police Misconduct?” 

Wyrick is a graduate of the University of Michigan, where he received a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, and Wayne State University Law School.  Wyrick has practiced law since 1997.  His chosen areas of practice include criminal defense, personal injury, police misconduct, and probate law. 

His previous awards include the 2003 “Five Under Ten” Award from the University of Michigan African American Alumni Counsel; 2004 “Civil Rights and Education” Black History Month  Award from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Michigan; 2004 Jordan Educational Services “Trailblazer Award”; 2006 Pepsi Everyday Freedom Hero Award; and 2007 Detroit Urban Lutheran School “Striving for Excellence”

Wyrick has lectured for several organizations including the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association, Lorman Education Services, and the NAACP George W. Crockett Community Law School.  He currently serves on the board for the Fair Housing Center of Metropolitan Detroit, and the 10 Core Law Society. 

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Honigman, Miller, Schwartz and Cohn LLP

Honigman, Miller, Schwartz, and Cohn LLP is pleased to announce that the firm’s board of directors has elected the following five attorneys as partners.

Philip Desai is a member of Honigman’s Corporate Department and is located in the firm’s Detroit office. He focuses his practice on advising clients on corporate governance matters, mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, corporate restructuring and financing, and general corporate matters.

Desai earned a law degree from Boston College Law School and a B.A. from the University of Michigan.

Gabriel J. Edelson is a member of Honigman’s Corporate Department and is located in the firm’s Detroit office. He advises privately and publicly held companies, private equity firms and their portfolio companies, financial services companies and financial advisory firms regarding mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, corporate governance, restructuring and general corporate matters.

Edelson earned a law degree from New York University School of Law and a B.A. from the University of Michigan.

Chauncey C. Mayfield II is a member of Honigman’s Corporate Department and is located in the firm’s Detroit office. He focuses his practice on representing entrepreneurs and private and public companies on a variety of matters, including acquisitions and dispositions, capital market transactions, commercial contract negotiations, supply-chain management, bankruptcy and general corporate law.

Mayfield earned his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School and a B.A. from Purdue University.

Gregory M. Nowakowski is a member of Honigman’s Health Care Practice Group within its Corporate Department and is located in the firm’s Detroit office. He advises health care companies on risk management strategies and alternative risk financing, including regulatory compliance, and general corporate and governance strategies.

Nowakowski earned his law degrees from Wayne State University Law School. He received a B.A. from Michigan State University’s James Madison College.

Rory M. Wellever is a member of Honigman’s Corporate Department and is located in the firm’s Detroit office. His practice focuses on transactions involving information technology,  intellectual property, media and entertainment (including the licensing and/or transfer of trademarks, copyrights, software, data, content and technology), as well as information technology, data security and privacy issues arising in mergers, acquisitions, private equity and debt financing transactions.

Wellever earned a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School and a B.A. from Michigan State University’s James Madison College.

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Fraser Trebilcock

The shareholders of Fraser Trebilcock have re-elected Michael P. Donnelly as president of the law firm.

The other officers elected for 2016 include Brian P. Morley and H. Kirby Albright as vice presidents,  Elizabeth H. Latchana as treasurer, and Thomas J. Waters as secretary.
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McKeen & Associates

McKeen & Associates (www.mckeenassociates.com) is opening a new branch office in western Michigan, Brian McKeen, managing partner, announced recently.

McKeen has hired Raymond Steadmon as associate attorney to head up the new expansion in the Kalamazoo area. Steadmon was raised in the Kalamazoo area and now lives in Portage.

“Western Michigan can provide a lot of opportunities for our firm’s growth,” said McKeen. “We are thrilled to have someone with Raymond’s legal expertise and deep roots in western Michigan to begin our expansion.” 

Before joining McKeen & Associates, Steadmon was a civil litigation attorney in Chicago, where he specialized in wrongful death; products liability; medical and legal malpractice; and other personal injury matters.  Steadmon earned his law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology and a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from Ferris State University.

“I had the privilege of working with Brian McKeen and his law firm on numerous matters while a trial attorney in Chicago and quickly became aware that McKeen & Associates is comprised of skilled attorneys who fight hard for each and every client. I am thrilled to be a part of a team filled with fantastic, genuine people and to be back living and working in western Michigan,” said Steadmon.

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Dykema
Dykema recently announced the addition of Frederick A. Fromm Jr. to its Corporate Finance Practice Group as a senior counsel in the firm’s Detroit office. Prior to joining Dykema, Fromm served as vice president and general counsel of GM International Operations, based in Shanghai and then Singapore.

Prior to his previous position, Fromm served as associate general counsel of GM, where he was responsible for the legal staff’s global process teams consisting of lawyers from each of GM’s four regions around the world. He also previously served as assistant general counsel responsible for legal affairs for GM North America.

Fromm received a law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and a B.S. in Urban Planning from Michigan State University.

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Butzel Long

Butzel Long attorneys Laura E. Johnson and Roxana Zaha have been elected shareholders. Previously, they were associates with the firm.

Based in Butzel Long’s Bloomfield Hills office, Johnson practices in the area of business and corporate law.  Johnson assists clients in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, nonprofit organizations, corporate governance, entity formation and general corporate and business law.  Johnson is the co-chair of Butzel Long’s Pro-Bono Committee and a member of the firm’s Recruiting, Diversity and Retention Committee. 

Johnson is part of the Business Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan and is a member the OESA’s Young Leadership Council 3.  She is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the Federal Bar Association, and the American Bar Association.  She is admitted to practice in Michigan and New York. 

Johnson is a graduate of Michigan State University College of Law.  She also graduated from the University of Michigan.

Prior to joining Butzel Long, Johnson worked as a law clerk in the office of the General Counsel for DaimlerChrysler Financial Services Americas and also held several positions with DFCU Financial Federal Credit Union.

Zaha, based in Butzel Long’s Bloomfield Hills office, concentrates her practice in the area of commercial real estate. She assists clients in all aspects of acquisition, disposition, leasing and financing real estate transactions. She advises clients regarding title matters and regularly works with title insurance companies and land surveying companies. She also has represented purchasers of distressed real estate assets. She represents borrowers and lenders in multi-million dollar real estate financing transactions.

Zaha is certified by the National Association of Development Companies (a trade association of companies that have been certified by the U.S. Small Business Administration to provide funding for small businesses) to close SBA loans under the SBA’s 504 Loan program.

Zaha also represents clients in residential real estate matters, including purchasing and selling residential property, drafting lease agreements and representing both landlords and tenants in lease disputes litigated in landlord-tenant court.

Recently, Zaha was selected to participate in Leadership Oakland’s LOXXVI Class. She is admitted to practice in Michigan state courts and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. She is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the Federal Bar Association, and the American Bar Association.

Zaha is a graduate of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and a graduate of Oakland University.

Prior to joining Butzel Long, Zaha worked as an assistant prosecuting attorney at the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, where she prosecuted criminal cases in district court and tried jury and bench trials.

In addition, Daniel B. Tukel, a labor and employment attorney with Butzel Long, will conduct a training session during a Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce program on Wednesday, Jan. 20, at Baker College in Flint.

His presentation is titled “The Most Often and Repeated Labor and Employment Mistakes Employers Make.” This is the first in a series of quarterly training sessions featuring Butzel Long labor and employment attorneys in 2016.

During the program, Tukel will discuss common mistakes and misconceptions in areas of employment law including: wage and hour, discrimination, discipline, and recordkeeping. He also will discuss potential liabilities and give practical advice on how to avoid these common mistakes.

Tukel is chair of Butzel Long’s Labor and Employment Law Department and based in the firm’s Bloomfield Hills office. His practice is devoted to representing both public and private
employers in state and federal discrimination and wrongful discharge litigation, as well as traditional labor matters such as collective bargaining and union organizational drives.

He regularly counsels employers in all aspects of labor and employment law, in statutory compliance and in creating, implementing and administering employee handbooks and other personnel policies and practices.

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Secrest Wardle
Mark C. Vanneste, a partner located in Secrest Wardle’s Troy location, serves as revisor for the Michigan section of A.M. Best’s Insurance Law Digest.  The Michigan section was recently updated by Vanneste.  He is responsible for annually reviewing and summarizing insurance laws in Michigan for the publication. 

A.M. Best Company is a global credit rating company serving the insurance industry.  The Insurance Law Digest is a resource providing a summary of insurance laws for each state and several Canadian Provinces.

Vanneste is a member of Secrest Wardle’s Motor Vehicle Litigation Practice Group and currently serves as co-chair.  Vanneste represents insurers, corporations, and individuals in a variety of no-fault first-party and third-party automobile negligence claims, including claims for uninsured/underinsured motorist benefits. He was named to the list of Michigan Rising Stars in Super Lawyers magazine for 2014 and 2015.

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LeClairRyan

Thomas T. Moga, a partner with the national law firm LeClairRyan in its Dearborn office, has been appointed to the American Intellectual Property Law Association’s (AIPLA) Board of Directors.  Moga assumed his duties at the AIPLA’s Annual Meeting that was recently held in Washington, D.C.

AIPLA has approximately 14,000 members involved directly or indirectly in the practice of patent, trademark, copyright and unfair competition law and is headquartered in Arlington, Va. 

Board members are appointed by the immediate past-president for three-year terms.  Moga has been actively involved in the AIPLA since 1998.  He has been the chair, co-chair, or vice chair of various committees, including the International & Foreign Law Committee, the International Education Committee, the Genetic Resources and Traditional Knowledge Committee, and the IP Practice in China Committee.

Moga focuses his practice on intellectual property and international business transactions.  His experience includes the development of domestic and foreign patent portfolios, the acquisition of registrations for trademarks and copyrights, licensing, litigation, dispute resolution and mediation, and policy development.  He also manages patent enforcement and anti-counterfeiting actions in China, where he lived and worked. 

Moga’s work in these areas includes overseeing initial counterfeit product investigation, selecting and working with local investigators, selecting and working with local counsel, preparing administrative and judicial documents, and participating in raids.

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Nemeth Law PC

Patricia Nemeth, founder of Detroit-based labor and employment law firm Nemeth Law PC, has been named by her peers as a Leading Lawyer in Michigan for 2015-2016.  Nemeth was selected in the areas of employment law-management, Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) law – employment, and labor law - management.  The list is included in the recently released Crain’s Detroit Business 2016 Book of Lists.

Separately, Nemeth was named to the Leading Lawyers Michigan Advisory Board.  Advisory Board appointments are based on three criteria:

1. The exceptional number of recommendations they receive from their peers.

2. Their reputation and professional ethics.

3. Their knowledge of the lawyers within their areas of the law and/or their respective region of the state.

 Nemeth founded Nemeth Law as a solo practitioner in 1992.

The firm is now the largest woman-owned law firm in Michigan to exclusively represent management in the prevention, resolution and litigation of labor and employment disputes.

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Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer,  & Weiss?PC

Kiefer J. Cox has joined Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer, & Weiss PC as an associate in the firm’s litigation practice group. Jaffe CEO William Sider made the announcement.

As an associate in Jaffe’s litigation practice group, Kiefer will focus his practice on all aspects of litigation, including commercial litigation, securities litigation and shareholder disputes. Prior to joining Jaffe, Kiefer served as a judicial intern for U.S. District Court Judge Avern Cohn, Eastern District of Michigan.

Kiefer earned his Bachelor of Science in political science from Central Michigan University. He is a graduate of Wayne State University Law School.