Goodman Acker P.C.
Goodman Acker PC announced that Amanda Warner has recently joined the Southfield based firm as an associate attorney and will focus on personal injury liability. Warner, who has nearly ten years of legal experience, is dedicated to helping accident victims recover both physically and financially by providing top legal representation.
Warner earned her law degree from Wayne State University Law School and her bachelor's degree from University of Michigan-Flint. Warner is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the American Bar Association, the Michigan Association for Justice, and the Oakland County Bar Association. She was also honored and selected in the 2015-2016 list of Rising Stars by Super Lawyers.
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Butzel Long
Two attorneys have joined Butzel Long with their individual practices - Ron Cheli and Bill Lyshak. Cheli is a shareholder who focuses his practice in the area of corporate real estate. Lyshak is Of Counsel and focuses his practice on estate planning. Both attorneys will be based in the firm's Bloomfield Hills office.
Cheli is an attorney and Certified Public Accountant. His practice is focused on representing business entities and commercial transactions, with a substantial emphasis in tax matters. He provides specialized advice in the areas of: business organizations; mergers and acquisitions; loans and alternative financing; tax planning and controversies; and real estate transactions.
He has held leadership positions with several professional and civic organizations. Cheli has authored articles concerning various aspects of Federal tax law. He also has been a frequent lecturer on matters concerning business succession and taxation.
Cheli earned a B.S.B.A. (with majors in both Accounting and Business Administration) from Aquinas College (1973) and a law degree from Wayne State University with a concentration in taxation (1977).
Lyshak is an attorney and a Certified Public Accountant. His practice is focused on estate planning; estate and trust administration; guardianships; conservatorships; and taxation. He provides specialized services in the areas of Wills, Trusts, Durable Powers of Attorney for both financial and health care matters and tax returns (Estate, Gift and Fiduciary).
He is admitted to the State Bar of Michigan, the State Bar of California and the U.S. Tax Court. He also has served as an adjunct professor at Walsh College's MST Program, the Thomas M. Cooley Law School and Wayne State University's School of Business Administration.
Lyshak earned a B.A from Florida Atlantic University (1976), law degrees from Gonzaga University (1978) and the University of Florida (1980), and an MBA from the University of Michigan (2001).
Plunkett Cooney
Roderick Fracassi, a 17-year veteran of the trucking and logistics industries, recently joined Plunkett Cooney as a senior attorney in its Transportation Law Practice Group.
Fracassi, a member of the firm's Detroit office, formerly served as chief counsel and assistant secretary of a $3.8 billion, multinational, less-than-truckload division of an American transportation and logistics company. He will focus his practice primarily on servicing the transactional and regulatory needs of the firm's clients.
Fracassi has experience handling commercial transactions, implementing corporate compliance programs, managing litigation and providing counsel on labor and employment issues. He routinely drafts, negotiates and enforces commercial transactions in a range of business capacities, including the areas of sales, licensing, vendor services and procurement. Fracassi has also collaborated with corporate decision-makers to identify and communicate legal risks associated with company transactions.
In addition, Fracassi has handled numerous matters involving mergers and acquisitions, real estate law, intellectual property, risk management and bankruptcy.
Fracassi is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the Transportation Lawyer's Association and the American Trucking Association. In 1994, he simultaneously received his law degree from Michigan State University College of Law and his master's degree from Wayne State University.
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Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss, P.C.
Shirley A. Kaigler, a partner in the Southfield office of Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer, & Weiss PC, has been appointed to the Oakland County Bar Foundation (OCBF) Board of Trustees. Jaffe CEO Bill Sider made the announcement.
OCBF promotes and funds programs designed to increase access, affordability, and understanding of the law and legal system. The program supports worthy causes in the Oakland County community through the support of its Oakland County Bar Association members. As a member of the OCBF Board of Trustees, Kaigler will be responsible for supporting and advancing the goals of the foundation.
Kaigler is a current member of Jaffe's estate & wealth planning practice group, and a former practice group coordinator for the firm's estate planning, wealth planning and probate practice groups. She specializes in probate and trust administration; estate, tax, retirement and business succession planning; elder law; and health care proxy and special needs issues. Kaigler also has experience principally in the area of gift, estate and tax planning for all size estates. Her client base includes business owners, professionals in sole and group practices, corporate executives, educators, retirees and individuals with special needs.
In addition to her position with OCBF, Kaigler is a Probate and Estate Planning Section Advisory Board member of the Institute of Continuing Legal Education, and a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the State Bar of Michigan Diversity and Inclusion Committee, American Bar Association Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, and the National Bar Association Probate and Estate Planning Law Section.
Kaigler earned her bachelor's degree from Wayne State University and her law degrees from the University of Michigan Law School and Wayne State University Law School.
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Collins, Einhorn, Farrell
Attorney Rick Braun, asbestos and toxic tort attorney for Collins, Einhorn, Farrell PC, was recently appointed by Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett to the city's Brownfield Redevelopment Authority.
The City of Rochester Hills Brownfield Redevelopment Authority (BRA) was established by the City Council on November 13, 2002, pursuant to and in accordance with the provisions of the Brownfield Redevelopment Financing Act, Act 381 of the Public Acts of the State of Michigan of 1996, as amended, for the purpose of facilitating the implementation of plans relating to the identification and treatment of environmentally distressed areas so as to promote revitalization in the City of Rochester Hills.
Braun will serve for a three year term.
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Michigan Court of Appeals
Gov. Rick Snyder recently announced the appointment of Brock Swartzle to the Michigan Court of Appeals, 4th District.
Swartzle has been the chief of staff and general counsel to the Michigan House of Representatives since 2015. He has handled operational management, along with being counsel in respect to litigation, personnel and internal investigations. Prior to joining the House of Representatives as the Majority Legal Counsel in 2013, Swartzle was a partner at Honigman, Miller, Schwartz, and Cohn LLP, where his primary focus of litigation was on issues related to antitrust, securities, white-collar crime, intellectual property, immigration, and healthcare fraud.
He also served as law clerk and senior law clerk to both U.S. Court of Appeals Judge David W. McKeague and U.S. District Court Judge Steven D. Pepe. Swartzle is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan, the American Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, and the Federalist Society. He also has served as the editor-in-chief, ABA Appellate Practice Journal, and is currently an editorial board member.
Swartzle earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan in 1993 and his law degree from George Mason University School of Law in 1998. He fills the vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Donald Owens that takes effect Jan. 1, 2017.
Swartzle must seek re-election in November 2018.
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Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC
Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC is pleased to announce that attorney Steven M. Van Beek has been named to Michigan Lawyers Weekly "Up & Coming Lawyers" Class of 2016.
Van Beek concentrates his practice in the area of financial regulations. He represents credit unions throughout the country to help ensure they comply with the regulations and guidance issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the National Credit Union Administration, the Federal Reserve Board as well as the underlying legal statutes. Beyond the regulations, Van Beek has intimate knowledge of the operational issues facing credit unions and best practices credit unions can follow to reduce compliance, strategic and reputation risks.
Van Beek is a frequent speaker at national and regional industry events delivering information on new and existing laws and regulations impacting financial institutions. Prior to joining Howard & Howard, Van Beek served as the vice president of Regulatory Compliance and senior federal counsel at the National Association of Federal Credit Unions (NAFCU). There, he was responsible for all aspects of NAFCU's compliance assistance program and compliance-related products and services.
Van Beek received his B.A. from Hope College in 2004 and his law degree from George Mason University School of Law in 2007. He is a member of the American Bar Association and is vice chair of the Credit Union Committee's Operations Subcommittee. He is licensed to practice in the States of Michigan and Virginia.
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Secrest Wardle
Secrest Wardle is proud to announce that it has been selected among The Top Workplaces in Michigan for 2016. The firm has been selected as a Top Workplace determined solely on employee feedback.
The employee survey is conducted by Workplace Dynamics LLP. This year 100 Michigan businesses were recognized among small, midsize, and large categories. Secrest Wardle was ranked on the midsize list.
The Detroit Free Press honored the best places to work in Michigan at an award reception held at the Detroit Marriott Troy in Troy on November 15.
Published: Mon, Dec 05, 2016
