Legal People ...

Butzel Long attorney and shareholder Bushra Malik served as a moderator during an American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Michigan chapter conference on March 4 at Wayne State University.

Malik practices in the area of immigration law, focusing on the representation of multinational and domestic clients’ inbound and global migration needs. Her experience includes Employment-based (Extraordinary Ability, Outstanding Researcher, Multinational Manager, and PERMs) and Family based Permanent Residence Petitions Non-Immigrant Petitions (H-1B/Specialty Occupation, J-1/ Exchange Visitor, L-1/Intracompany Transfers, O-1/Extraordinary Ability, TN/ NAFTA); Employer Compliance (I-9 Audits and H-1B Public Access File Audits); J-1 waivers; Compliance under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiate (WHTI); U.S. Passports; complex naturalization matters; and currency seizures.

She has experience in securing work and residence permits for numerous countries around the globe, including: China, India, Canada, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Russia, Malaysia, Hungary, Poland, Italy, and Belgium. Malik routinely represents clients at U.S. Ports of Entry, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services District Office, U.S. Embassies and Consulates abroad, various Foreign Embassies and Consulates.

Prior to joining Butzel Long, Malik was a vice consul for the United States Foreign Service, Department of State in Seoul, South Korea. She also worked with the Executive
Office of Immigration Review at the Chicago Immigration Court and had externships with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in New Delhi, India, and the legacy Immigration and Naturalization Service, Office of the General Counsel in Washington, D.C.

Malik is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), the American Bar Association, the South Asian Bar Association, the Michigan Muslim Bar Association, and the Japanese Business Society of Detroit. Malik is currently serving as a member of the Steering Committee of AILA’s Global Migration Section as well as a member of the AILA Department of State National Liaison Committee.

She currently serves on the Executive Committee for the Michigan Chapter of AILA as the treasurer, and previously served on the Executive Committee for the Michigan Chapter of AILA as the secretary. Malik previously served on the AILA Customs and Border Protection National Liaison Committee; program chair of the 2015 AILA Global Immigration Forum; program vice chair of the 2014 AILA Global Immigration Forum; program senior vice chair of the 2013 AILA Global Immigration Forum; and presented at the 2014, 2013, and 2012 AILA Global Immigration Forums and 2015 Rome District Chapter AILA Conference in Rome. She also previously served as the chair of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service Liaison Committee for the Michigan Chapter of AILA. Malik speaks Hindi, Japanese and Urdu.

Malik is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School (1998) and Michigan State University’s James Madison College (1996). She is listed in The Best Lawyers in America (Immigration Law) and was named one of DBusiness magazine’s Top Lawyers for 2015 in the field of immigration law.

•            •            •

Maddin, Hauser, Roth, & Heller PC is pleased to announce the addition of associate Vanessa L. Bailey to the firm’s Consumer Finance/Regulatory Compliance and Real Property Litigation practice group.

The announcement was made by the firm’s president and CEO, Steven D. Sallen.

Bailey earned her Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with dual majors in Finance and International Business. During her junior year of high school, Bailey was recruited by the University of Hawaii’s Women’s Soccer Team and received a full, four-year athletic scholarship.

In 2014, Bailey received her law degree from Wayne State University Law School. While in law school, she served as a legal intern to Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Colleen O’Brien.

•            •            •

McKeen & Associates welcomes two new associate attorneys to its law practice: Salvatore Amodeo and David Drwencke.

Amodeo earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan where he majored in history.

Amodeo clerked at the Warren City Attorney’s Office and the law firm of O’Reilly Rancilio PC.  He is a member of the Italian American Bar Association.

Drwencke earned his law degree from University of Detroit Mercy School of Law; a Master’s of Applied Economics from University of Detroit Mercy; a Master’s of Public Administration from Oakland University; and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Policy with a minor in economics from Albion College.

Drwencke clerked for Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Rudy J. Nichols and at McKeen & Associates.

•            •            •

Collins, Einhorn, Farrell PC is pleased to announce that Tanya E. J. Lundberg will receive the 2016 Regional Leadership Award by the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan (WLAM). WLAM will present the award during its 98th Annual Meeting on April 15.

The Regional Leadership Award recognizes and celebrates the accomplishments of a WLAM member who has demonstrated professionalism, excellence and dedication to furthering the objectives of WLAM.

Lundberg focuses her practice on the defense of professional liability claims and has represented attorneys, real estate and insurance professionals. Her experience also includes representing businesses and individuals in construction defect litigation, commercial litigation, consumer financial litigation, real estate litigation, and bankruptcy matters. She has achieved successful outcomes for her clients in state, federal, and appellate courts, as well as various forms of alternative dispute resolution.

Lundberg has been actively involved with the Women’s Bar Association (WBA), Oakland County region of WLAM, since 2012, and currently serves as an officer on the WBA Executive Board as the regional representative to the WLAM. She is also active in the Oakland County Bar Association, the OCBA’s Inn of Court, and the Association of
Defense Trial Counsel.

Lundberg earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan – Dearborn in 2003 and her law degree from Wayne State University Law School in 2007. 

•            •            •

Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC is pleased to announce that Lee A. Sartori has been named a 2016 “Leader in the Law” by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.

Sartori concentrates his practice in general corporate, commercial transactions, real estate, and tax law. He represents and counsels a number of individuals, and closely-held and publicly-traded businesses, engaged in a diverse array of industries on a wide variety of legal and business matters including mergers and acquisitions, transaction structuring, contract negotiations and drafting, licensing, financing, entity structuring, succession planning, estate and tax planning, and general corporate matters.  Sartori has made appearances on his clients’ behalf in various federal and state courts and has acted as an arbitrator in complex closely-held business dispute
matters.

Sartori received a B.S. degree in accounting from Oakland University in 1983, an M.B.A. degree from Oakland University in 1986, and an M.S. degree in taxation from Walsh College in 1993.  In January 1998, he received a law degree from Michigan State University College of Law.

Sartori has been qualified as a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Michigan since 1989 and practices from the unique perspective of having owned and operated his own business prior to becoming an attorney or CPA.   

Sartori is a member of the American Bar Association and its sections on Business Law, International Law, and Taxation, and the State Bar of Michigan and its sections on Business Law, International Law, Real Property, and Taxation. He is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and its Division of Taxation, and the American Association of Attorney-Certified Public Accountants.  

Sartori is an adjunct professor of law at Michigan State University College of Law and an Adjunct Professor of Business Law and Taxation for Walsh College’s graduate school of business.  He has taught almost fifty semesters of graduate school education in corporate law and taxation. Sartori periodically teaches a course he designed in “business divorce” at Michigan State University College of Law titled, “Closely-Held Business: Shareholder and Member Disputes.” Sartori has acted as legal counsel in numerous shareholder and member disputes matters having an aggregate business value in excess of one-hundred million dollars.  

Sartori’s publications include: Communications Made to Tax Advisors for Tax Planning or Defending Tax Controversy Purposes: “When What You Say May Be Used Against You,” CCH State Tax Review, Vol. 60, Issue No. 31 (1999).  Sartori is also acknowledged by the authors of Federal Tax Research 7th and 8th Editions (Raabe, Whittenburg, and Sanders, Thomson South-Western Publishing, 2005, 2008) for his contributions to their text.  

Sartori is admitted to practice in the state courts of Michigan, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, and the U.S. Tax Court.

•            •            •

Jeffrey S. Horowitz, who has nearly 13 years of experience in real estate law, joins Honigman, Miller, Schwartz, and Cohn LLP as a partner in its Real Estate Department’s Lending and Finance Practice Group.

Horowitz focuses his practice on real estate transactions, including acquisitions and dispositions, leasing, workouts and foreclosures, and loan originations. He advises owners and lenders in a variety of commercial financing transactions. Horowitz joins Honigman from Kus, Ryan, & Associates PLLC in Auburn Hills. He is admitted to practice in Michigan.

Horowitz earned a law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Honigman is also pleased to announce that partner Linda S. Ross has been named one of 30 “Leaders in the Law” for 2015 by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.

Ross, co-leader of Honigman’s Health Care Practice Group, has 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.

Ross serves as a vice chair of the Health Information Technology Practice Group of the American Health Lawyers Association and is a member of 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 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 and received an M.S. in Dental Public Health from Boston University and a B.S. in Dental Hygiene from the University of Michigan.

•            •            •

Barris, Sott, Denn & Driker is pleased to announce that Dennis M. Barnes has been selected as a fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America.  He joins Sharon M. Woods, another Litigation Counsel of America fellow from Barris, Sott, Denn, & Driker.

Barnes concentrates his practice on complex business litigation, including professional liability defense, insurance coverage litigation, intellectual property disputes, and other business tort and contract disputes.  In addition, he has become a go-to mediator, facilitator, and arbitrator sought out by lawyers, clients, and judges around the state when they want to resolve controversies outside of court. 

Barnes is a graduate of Notre Dame Law School, Hillsdale College, and Detroit Catholic Central High School.

•            •            •

Dickinson Wright PLLC is pleased to announce that Eric J. DeGroat and Mahesh K. Nayak have joined the firm’s Troy office as Members. Both attorneys join the firm from Clark Hill PLC.

DeGroat concentrates his practice in all aspects of real estate and corporate law. He represents clients in the acquisition, disposition, leasing, development, government entitlements, planning and land use approvals and appeals relating to a variety of retail, office, and affordable housing developments. In the commercial aviation area, he has handled transactions that involve the acquisition, disposition and leasing of full aircraft, airframes, engines and parts to support a global supply chain for airlines, leasing companies and parts suppliers. His practice also involves all aspects of debt and equity financing, representing national and regional middle market lenders, niche lenders, and borrowers. DeGroat has organized dozens of business entities, ranging from professional practices to real estate holding companies, to non-profits. He also consults clients with regard to general management, governance and operating issues affecting various legal structures.

Prior to going into private practice, DeGroat served as a regulatory attorney with the Governor’s Legal Division and an attorney and hearing referee with the Michigan Tax Tribunal handling a broad range of tax matters while serving the state of Michigan. He is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and the International Council of Shopping Centers. DeGroat received his B.S.B.A from Central Michigan University and his law degree from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School.

Nayak will head the firm’s international India Practice.  Utilizing his background representing clients in complex corporate litigation and as a trusted business counselor, Nayak manages the legal affairs of multi-national corporations in all facets of their business operations in the United States and abroad.  Clients ranging from banks, physicians, OEM’s and suppliers, IT services companies and construction companies look to Nayak to oversee their legal interests around the world.

Prior to going into private practice, Nayak served both as assistant attorney general with the Michigan Attorney General’s Office and as a criminal prosecutor with the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office. He is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, Federal Bar Association, Oakland County Bar Association, and the Michigan South Asian Bar Association. He has been named to Michigan Super Lawyers “Rising Stars” list. Nayak received his B.A. from Albion College, his law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, and studied international law in London, England.

•            •            •

Patricia Nemeth, founder of Detroit-based labor and employment law firm Nemeth Law PC, is pleased to announce Nicholas Huguelet has joined the firm as an associate attorney.

At Nemeth Law, Huguelet focuses his practice on traditional labor law, counseling, and employment litigation. Immediately prior to joining Nemeth Law, Huguelet worked as an attorney at Collins & Blaha PC and focused his practice on labor and employment, including employment contract disputes, collective bargaining and union elections for community colleges, public school districts and corporations.

Huguelet earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Political Science from Michigan State University and a law degree from the University of Toledo, College of Law.

Huguelet is licensed to practice in Michigan state courts, Ohio State courts, U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan and U. S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio.

He is a member, State Bar of Michigan, Labor and Employment Law Section and Litigation Section, and member, Ohio State Bar Association. Huguelet’s community service activities include serving as a member of the Board of Directors of Equity Education Detroit.

•            •            •

Bodman PLC is pleased to announce that Jason Currie and Melissa Moore have been admitted as members of the firm. Both were previously associate attorneys with Bodman.

Currie, of Bodman’s Detroit office, is a member of the Banking Practice Group. He concentrates his practice in representing lenders in commercial loan originations. His practice also includes middle market lending, asset based loans, healthcare, educational institution financing, captive insurance financing, real estate financing, aircraft financing, and letters of credit and other liquidity facilities supporting tax exempt and industrial development bonds.

Currie is a graduate of Michigan State University and the University of Toledo College of Law.

Moore, of Bodman’s Troy office, is a member of the Litigation and Alternative Resolution Practice Group. She represents clients in complex commercial litigation matters throughout the country. She has a particular focus in representing clients in lender liability, debtor-creditor rights, collection, and other workout matters. She also defends financial institutions against quiet title actions, wrongful foreclosure claims, and other real property disputes.

Moore is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.