Legal People

The Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan selected William W. Swor as the recipient of their Right to Counsel Award. This award recognizes the contributions of a group or individual in the form of legal representation or other extraordinary service.

Swor’s courtroom successes include US v. David Stone, US v. Kem, and US v. Abdel El-Mardoudi.  Swor was also a volunteer in Does v. Snider case which ruled that many SORA reporting and location requirements were unconstitutionally vague.

Swor serves on the board of the Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan; the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission; is vice-president for the American Board of Criminal Lawyers; is a member of the Practitioner’s Advisory Group for the United States Sentencing Commission; and is active in the American Civil Liberties Union. Swor also mentors law school students and less experienced lawyers.

In his volunteer time, William Swor remains on the board of the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services having most recently served as president.

Swor will be recognized at CDAM’s Annual Dinner and Awards Banquet on Friday, March 16, at the Troy Marriott. The cocktail reception begins at 6:15 p.m. with dinner at 7 p.m. For those interested in attending, visit www.CDAMonline.org. Tickets are $65 per person. For additional information, contact CDAM at 517-579-0533.

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Secrest Wardle Senior Partner Nathan J. Edmonds, of the firm’s Troy location, and Partner Drew W. Broaddus, of the firm’s Grand Rapids office, have participated in an A.M. Best Company podcast discussing legal issues pertaining to Transportation Network Companies and Autonomous Vehicles in Michigan.  John Czuba, managing editor of “Best’s Recommended Insurance Attorneys” served as moderator.  To listen to the podcast and read the transcript, visit Legal Talk Network at http://bit.ly/2kG4HgR.

A.M. Best Company provides news, credit ratings and financial data products and services for the insurance industry. 

Edmonds has been in practice for more than 20 years, specializing in defense litigation.  He is experienced in defending all aspects of motor vehicle litigation, including first party, third party, uninsured, and underinsured motorist litigation. He also works closely with fraud investigators to obtain the best possible results for his clients. 

Edmonds has authored several articles for the firm’s Automobile Negligence publication.  He most recently authored a No-Fault Newsline article that served as an informative update regarding the recent Michigan House and Senate approval of bills imposing no-fault and liability insurance regulations on ride-sharing services. 

Secrest Wardle is a law firm specializing in defense litigation and counsel for insurance, municipal, and commercial clients headquartered in Troy, with additional offices in Grand Rapids and Lansing. 

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Bodman PLC is pleased to announce that Mary E. Comazzi has joined the firm.

As a member of Bodman’s Business and Aviation Law and Finance practice groups, Comazzi helps clients structure, negotiate, and document mergers, acquisitions, reorganizations, joint ventures, and other complex commercial transactions.

Before joining Bodman, Comazzi worked with CHI Aviation, a Michigan-based helicopter services company, as general counsel. In that role, Comazzi developed, implemented, or managed programs involving all aspects of CHI’s business, including human resources, import/export regulatory compliance, Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration regulatory compliance, and facility/employee security clearances. Before taking her position at CHI, Comazzi was in private practice, focusing on general business law, commercial and residential real estate, construction, and contracts.

Comazzi has held various leadership positions within the Delta Theta Phi Law Fraternity both while in law school and post-graduation. She received the fraternity’s Detroit Alumni Scholarship and the National Foundation Scholarship as a student and was awarded Most Outstanding Alumnus in the Nation for 2011-2012. She was a judicial extern to Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Daniel P. Ryan. She is a member of the State Bar of Michigan’s Aviation Law, Business Law, and Labor & Employment Law sections.

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Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC is pleased to announce that Jason M. Schneider has joined the firm. He will practice out of the firm’s Royal Oak office.

Schneider focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation in federal and state courts. He has experience at the trial and appellate levels in areas such as commercial contracts, the Uniform Commercial Code, product liability, condemnation, and patent infringement. Before entering private practice, he gained experience by serving as a law clerk for U.S. District Court Judge Jean C. Hamilton, Eastern District of Missouri, and as an intern for U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Charles E. Rendlen, Eastern District of Missouri.

Schneider received his law degree from Washington University in St. Louis  He received his B.S. in Business Administration from the University of South Carolina.

Schneider is licensed to practice in the State of Michigan and before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.