Legal People

Butzel Long

Butzel Long attorney and shareholder Robin Luce Herrmann will moderate a panel program presented by the Association of Women in Communications (AWC) and the Detroit Press Club (DPC) on March 24 at the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) in Southfield.

The program is titled “Investigative Journalism in the Age of Buzzfeed.” Speakers will discuss the challenges they face to provide a public service, bringing the real stories in a time when citizen journalism is pervasive and the facts can be elusive.

Herrmann, a Practice Department chair for one of Butzel Long’s two Business Litigation Groups, concentrates her practice in the areas of media law, particularly defamation and access issues; commercial litigation, including Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO); non-competes and trade secrets; and civil rights.

She previously taught Law of the Press in the Journalism Department at Oakland University. Herrmann has been a guest speaker on Law of the Press at Wayne State University, Central Michigan University, and Oakland University.

Herrmann earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan in 1984 and a law degree from the Detroit College of Law in 1993.

In addition, Butzel Long attorney and shareholder George B. Donnini is one of 30 attorneys named to Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s “Leaders in the Law” Class of 2016. Honorees were recognized at a luncheon and awards celebration on March 17 at the Detroit Marriott Troy.

Donnini is a vice president and serves on the firm’s Board of Directors. Based in Butzel Long’s Detroit office, Donnini’s practice is focused on white collar criminal defense, SEC civil enforcement actions, antitrust investigations. Donnini routinely conducts corporate internal investigations.

Donnini counsels his clients through both criminal charges and civil liability/enforcement actions. Accordingly, he must manage complex litigation involving multiple adversaries, multiple jurisdictions, and interrelated issues.

He has experience in a wide range of criminal and civil cases, representing clients at both the trial and appellate levels in federal and state courts across the country. Donnini has experience representing clients in criminal cases involving allegations of revenue recognition, securities, and tax fraud, theft of trade secrets, insider trading, stock options back-dating, health care, environmental and mortgage fraud.
Donnini has conducted internal investigations for both private and publicly traded companies. He aggressively, creatively, and successfully represents clients in a wide variety of federal and state criminal matters.

Prior to joining Butzel Long, Donnini served as a judge advocate for the United States Marine Corps from 1999 to 2003. He was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps in 2003 after serving as counsel of record in numerous criminal trials.

Donnini is affiliated with the American Bar Association (ABA), Criminal Justice Section, White Collar Crime Committee, Young Lawyers’ Division; National Co-Chair (2006-2009); ABA, Criminal Justice Section, White Collar Crime Committee; Midwest Regional co-chair (2005-Present); and, ABA, Criminal Justice Section, Book Board, appointed member (2008-present). He is admitted to practice in Michigan, California and New York.

He frequently presents at conferences on various topics involving white collar criminal defense. He was named to DBusiness’ Top Lawyers in Metro Detroit, White Collar Criminal Defense; Non White Collar Criminal Defense; Professional Malpractice Law, 2011-2012, 2014. He was named a Michigan Super Lawyers Rising Star (Criminal Defense: White Collar) 2011-2012. Michigan Super Lawyers, Criminal Defense: White Collar, 2013-Present. In 2008, he was named to Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s 2008 Class of “Up and Coming Lawyers.”

Donnini is a 1995 graduate of The George Washington University and a 1998 graduate of the Duke University School of Law.

Butzel Long also announces that attorney and shareholder Geaneen M. Arends was recently elected to serve as a member of the Detroit Educational Television Foundation/ Detroit Public Television (DPTV) Board of Trustees.

“Detroit Public TV offers unique educational programming for all ages,” said Arends. “Many of the programs are produced right here in southeast Michigan. I am truly honored to serve our community in this important leadership role.”

 Based in the firm’s Detroit office, Arends concentrates her practice on general business law and commercial real estate.

Arends assists business clients with general business planning, entity formation and maintenance, mergers, acquisitions, private placements, woman-owned/minority-owned/disadvantaged business certification, insurance and risk management issues and general business contracts. She also has advised business clients on a variety of real estate transactions, including acquisition, development and leasing of multi-family residential, retail, office and industrial properties throughout the United States. She has represented both borrowers and lenders in multi-million dollar real estate financing transactions.
She also serves on the Board of Directors for Michigan Community Resources (formerly known as Community Legal Resources), a non-profit organization that provides technical assistance and free legal services to non- profit organizations revitalizing and bringing economic development to underserved communities in Detroit and throughout Michigan.

Arends is an alumna of Leadership Detroit, Class XXVII. She also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Detroit Historical Society. At the same time, she serves on the Steering Committee for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s Classical Roots Celebration.

Arends is a graduate of Michigan State University (B.A., History, 1994) and of Boston College Law School (1998). She is admitted to the State Bar of Michigan and the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Michigan.

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Oakland County  Circuit Court

On March 4, Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Michael Warren presented an innovative history and civics curriculum to the Education Section of the Michigan Academy of Science Arts & Letters Annual Conference held at Grand Valley State University. His presentation, titled “Rejuvenating the Declaration of Independence in Education - Key to Liberty,” was very well received by conference attendees.

Summarizing his wide ranging research, Warren explained that many state educational standards are designed to all but guarantee that students fail to retain even basic information about the origin, text, meaning, and underlying First Principles of the Declaration of Independence. Some state standards fail to mention the Declaration at all; many omit it in high school; and most have multiple year gaps when the Declaration is ignored.

“None of the reviewed states actually require repeated exposure to the Declaration in a systematic, comprehensive way that has some realistic probability that students will learn and retain knowledge about this indispensable part of American history and civics,” Warren explained. In fact, multiple studies reveal that K-12 students, college graduates, and the general public struggle to understand even the basics of American history and civics.

Warren also reviewed his work as education board chair with Cornerstone Schools in which he is personally drafting content standards that ensure that all preK-12th grade students learn about some aspect of the Declaration each year. Using the pedagogical technique of “spiraling,” the Cornerstone curriculum will provide that as students move up grades, content is frequently revisited with more complexity. “This curricular structure is designed to ensconce in the minds of students the meaning and importance of the Declaration of Independence in our history and Constitution, and more importantly, why it is vital to preserving our freedoms today,” stated Warren. Once the Declaration curricular program is completed, he will continue the work with a similar program with the Constitution.

“As a republic, we are responsible for protecting our liberties,” warned Warren. “The Declaration of Independence is the foundation on which our Constitution rests, and if we don’t understand it, we have little chance of preserving our liberties. Rejuvenating our understanding of the Declaration is the only surefire way to guard our Constitution and unalienable rights.” He urged all schools to adopt an American Freedom Curriculum addressing the Declaration and Constitution for all students each year.

Founded in 1894, the Academy’s mission is to “disseminate research and diffuse knowledge,” and the 2016 conference was attended by professors from a wide range of fields, scientists, students, teachers, and other professionals.

Warren is the co-founder of Patriot Week with his then 10-year-old- daughter Leah (www.PatriotWeek.org), a board member of Cornerstone Schools Association, former member of the State Board of Education, and author of America’s Survival Guide, How to Stop America’s Impending Suicide by Reclaiming Our First Principles and History (www.AmericasSurvivalGuide.com).

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Brooks Kushman P.C.

Brooks Kushman Shareholder Kristin Murphy will moderate a panel discussion at the Women’s Leadership Forum presented by the Women’s Bar Association and the State Bar of Michigan Young Lawyers Section at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law on March 24.

Murphy will join six panelists that include women leaders from various legal fields and lead a discussion on their careers, career paths and challenges unique to women. The event is open to law students as well as attorneys.

Murphy’s practice encompasses all aspects of intellectual property. She advises companies of all sizes on the development of their patent and trademark portfolios, brand enforcement and patent litigation. She earned a law degree from the University of New Hampshire and a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Western New England University, where she is a member of the Board of Trustees.

Murphy serves on the Board of Managers of the Michigan Intellectual Property Law Association and is a council member of the Intellectual Property Section of the State Bar of Michigan. She has served in leadership roles with the Women’s Bar Association of Oakland County and is heavily involved with Inforum, a professional women’s development alliance.

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Plunkett Cooney

 Five attorneys from Plunkett Cooney were selected to participate in the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association (DMBA) Inn of Court program.

Benjamin M. Glazebrook, Mitchell McIntyre, and Kimberly K. Seibert from Plunkett Cooney’s Detroit office, as well as Olivia M. Paglia and Ellisse S. Thompson from the firm’s Bloomfield Hills office, were selected to participate in the program, which started at the beginning of this year.

The DMBA Inn of Court is designed to promote strong relationships between attorneys in different firms and practice areas, to create more frequent mentorship and training opportunities, and to foster more regular and constructive contacts between the bench and the bar. Based on the English model of legal apprenticeship, the DMBA Inn of Court program involves monthly, team-led programs over a five-month period that address issues of law, ethics and practice.

The 2015-2016 DMBA Inn of Court is under the leadership of Inn Chancellor Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Kirsten Frank Kelly.

A member of Plunkett Cooney’s Transportation Law Practice Group, Benjamin Glazebrook focuses his litigation practice in the areas of motor vehicle liability and no-fault law. He represents clients involved in first and third-party liability claims, as well as in lawsuits involving uninsured and underinsured motorists. A graduate of Wayne State University Law School, Glazebrook has experience resolving cases of alleged fraud and suspicious claims involving insureds and medical providers.

Mitchell McIntyre is also a member of the firm’s Transportation Law Practice Group who focuses his practice on insurance-related work involving coverage disputes, entitlement issues and catastrophic injuries, as well as no-fault and motor vehicle liability matters. In addition to the areas of Michigan No-Fault Personal Injury Protection and third-party liability, McIntyre has experience representing clients in cases involving medical malpractice, premises liability and employment litigation. He graduated from Wayne State University Law School.

Olivia Paglia is a member of Plunkett Cooney’s Insurance Law Practice Groups. She represents major property and casualty insurance companies in insurance coverage disputes throughout the Midwest. Her coverage work includes handling a variety of issues, including high-exposure product liability, environmental contamination and construction defect claims. Paglia received her law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.

A member of the firm’s Transportation Law Practice Group, Kimberly Seibert focuses her practice in the areas of motor vehicle negligence and no-fault law. She routinely defends insurers, rental car companies, trucking companies and corporations in no-fault coverage disputes and negligence suits. Seibert received her law degree from Wayne State University Law School.

Ellisse Thompson is a member of the firm’s Tort & Litigation Practice Group who focuses her litigation practice in the areas of premises liability, retail liability, municipal liability, no-fault liability and motor vehicle negligence. Ellisse is admitted to practice in state and federal courts in Michigan, as well as the U.S. Tax Court. She is a graduate of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.

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Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP
Carl M. Levin, former U.S. Senator and current senior counsel at Honigman, Miller, Schwartz, and Cohn LLP, recently received the Wade H. McCree Jr. Award for the Advancement of Social Justice. The award is granted by the Federal Bar Association – Eastern District of Michigan Chapter to individuals or organizations that have made significant contributions to the advancement of social justice. Throughout his career, Levin has demonstrated his dedication to the fair and equitable treatment of all people.

Levin, who served 36 years in the U.S. Senate, focuses his legal practice on assisting publicly and privately held companies in identifying and addressing legal, business and reputational risks that may bring them under public or government scrutiny and result in legal action or loss of business; providing strategic advice to companies regarding public policy and regulatory issues, and issues being considered by federal, state and local legislative bodies. He also provides mediation and alternative dispute resolution services regarding complex disputes, particularly in relation to governmental units.

Levin earned a law degree from Harvard Law School and a B.A. from Swarthmore College.

In addition, Honigman recently was named Corporation of the Year by Cass Community Social Services, a nonprofit organization that works in areas of poverty to provide programs for food, health, housing and jobs. The award also named Honigman’s Tax Consultant Len Kutschman, a member of Honigman’s Tax Appeals Practice Group, for assistance with tax issues. Kutschman has more than 35 years of experience in property tax assessment administration.

Honigman’s Tax Appeals Practice Group has achieved substantial tax savings for thousands of corporate and business clients, as well as winning several landmark decisions favorably affirming taxpayer rights. The experienced attorneys in the practice represent businesses in property tax appeals, valuation disputes and real estate transaction planning.