Kienbaum Opperwall Hardy & Pelton, P.L.C.
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder recently announced the reappointment of Eric Pelton to the Board of Law Examiners.
The Board of Law Examiners is responsible for the investigation and examination of anyone applying for admission to the State Bar. Board members are nominated by the court and appointed by the governor for terms of five years.
Pelton is a founding principal and managing member of Kienbaum Opperwall Hardy & Pelton, P.L.C., a law firm with offices in Birmingham and Detroit. Previously, he worked as an associate and partner for Dickinson, Wright, Moon, Van Dusen, & Freeman.
Pelton currently serves as a fellow for the Michigan State Bar Foundation and the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, and a member of the Oakland County Bar Foundation board of trustees and the board of advisors for the Michigan Chapter of the Federalist Society.
He earned a bachelor's degree from Michigan State University, a master's degree in public administration from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, and a law degree from Syracuse University.
Pelton will serve a five-year term expiring June 30, 2022.
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Bodman PLC
Jasmine D. Rippy, an associate attorney practicing at Bodman PLC, has been elected to the board of directors of the Wolverine Bar Association.
The new board was sworn in at the Annual Presidents Reception hosted by the Wolverine Bar Foundation, the Wolverine Bar Association, and the Association of Black Judges of Michigan in Detroit on Friday, June 23.
Rippy, a member of Bodman's Business Practice Group, represents businesses in matters involving a broad range of corporate law issues including business formation and commercial transactions. Before joining Bodman, she served as a judicial extern to U.S. District Court Judge Jack Zouhary, Northern District of Ohio, and to U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Thomas Tucker, Eastern District of Michigan.
Rippy is a graduate of University of Toledo Law School.
The Wolverine Bar Association was established during the 1930s by a group of African-American attorneys. The association was organized to coordinate the energies and talents of the increasing number of African-Americans admitted to practice throughout Michigan. Since its inception, the Wolverine Bar Association assumed a leadership role in community and political activities, a precedent that continues to this day.
Bodman PLCis also pleased to announce that Celeste E. Arduino, a member of the firm's Tax and High Net Worth practice groups, has been named the 2017 Outstanding Young Lawyer by the American Bar Association's Nonprofit Organizations Committee.
In announcing the award, the Nonprofit Organizations Committee cited Arduino's long-term commitment to the law of nonprofits and her work with "an amazing variety of clients on projects vital to southeast Michigan." Those projects have ranged from efforts to provide basic quality of life improvements for low-income residents to the formation of public/philanthropic partnerships and complex funding arrangements that have helped bring ambitious plans to reality.
The Nonprofit Organizations Committee of the American Bar Association's Business Law Section recognizes one attorney each year with its Outstanding Young Lawyer Award. To qualify, the attorney must demonstrate distinguished service to the nonprofit sector and be under the age of 35 or in practice for less than ten years.
Arduino, who practices in Bodman's Detroit office, represents community and family foundations, public charities, religious organizations, and other tax-exempt and charitable organizations in securing and retaining exempt status, advising on corporate governance issues, and counseling on general operational matters. She guides non-profit and philanthropic clients on matters including unrelated business taxable income, advocacy and lobbying activities, charitable solicitations, grantmaking, and social investing.
She is co-chair of the Nonprofit Corporations Committee of the Business Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan. She has been listed as a Metro Detroit "Top Lawyer" by DBusiness Magazine in the area of Non-Profit/Charities Law in 2012 and 2014, and she has been selected to the Michigan Super Lawyers® "Rising Stars" list.
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Butzel Long
Butzel Long attorney Alexander J. DeWitt received the 2016-2017 Pro Bono Service Award from the Detroit Bar Association during its Annual Meeting on June 21.
As part of DeWitt's commitment to pro bono efforts in the Detroit area, he has volunteered at the Detroit Legal Services Clinic, where he provides free advice and consultations to clinic participants on a variety of legal issues including child support and custody, landlord-tenant disputes, domestic violence and expungements. Notably, he also serves on the Board of Directors of the Detroit Bar Association, Barristers Section (2015-present). He is currently co-chair of its Charitable and Community Outreach Committee.
At Butzel Long, DeWitt concentrates his practice on commercial litigation and labor and employment. He has represented businesses and executives in matters involving complex contract disputes, employment discrimination, trade secrets and intellectual property, antitrust and class action litigation.
DeWitt is a graduate of Wayne State University Law School and the University of Michigan. While in law school, he interned with U.S. District Court Judge Avern Cohn, Eastern District of Michigan, and clerked both in-house at Owens Corning's World Headquarters and at a national litigation firm.
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Sommers Schwartz
Norman Tucker of Sommers Schwartz served as co-chair for the 16th Annual Advanced Forum on Obstetric Malpractice Claims held at the historic Union League in Philadelphia on June 26-27, 2017.
In addition to his leadership role, he gave a presentation on the medical and legal consequences of newborn cooling, or hypothermia, on infants born asphyxiated.
The conference was attended by plaintiff and defense attorneys from across the U.S., as well as malpractice insurance representatives and in-house hospital claims representatives.
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Health Law Partners PC
Health Law Partners PC is proud to announce that one of its founding partners, Robert S. Iwrey, has been listed as a top-rated attorney in several 2017 publications.
Iwrey was named a Super Lawyer for Health Care Law in Michigan, a recognition limited to the top five percent of attorneys in the state and a distinction he has received consecutively since 2010. DBusiness magazine also named Iwrey a Top Lawyer in Health Care, a recognition he has received in previous years. Additionally, Iwrey has maintained a "Superb" rating by Avvo since 2011 and was just listed in June 2017 as a Leading Lawyer in Michigan in Health Law.
Iwrey has been a practicing litigator since 1993 and has been practicing health care transactional law since 1999. He provides counsel in all areas of health care law including, but not limited to: licensure; DEA investigations; staff privileges; employment and health care related contracts; physician practice issues; third-party payor issues; government health care investigations; and audit defense.
Iwrey graduated from University of Michigan and earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School. He is a member of both the Michigan and New York bars, a recognized leader for his work with the Health Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan, and has been recognized twice as an AHLA Pro Bono Champion.
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Christensen Law
Christensen Law is delighted to announce the recent onboarding of its newest attorney, Thomas Economy, a trial lawyer with nearly two decades of experience representing clients in personal injury cases. He joined Christensen Law's team a few months ago to continue his passion for helping the injured in his community.
For the past 18 years, Economy has dedicated his career to helping injured victims as a trial attorney with an emphasis on automobile negligence, no-fault insurance, lead poisoning in children, and premises liability litigation. His experience working as a defense attorney has provided him with valuable insight into how insurance companies and defense attorneys view and defend personal injury cases. Economy is also a skilled appellate lawyer, having briefed and argued numerous cases before the Michigan Court of Appeals as well as the Michigan Supreme Court.
As one of Christensen Law's lead attorneys, Economy will be working with his clients to develop case strategy, document implementation, testimony and expert witnesses. In the discovery phase of cases, Economy will prepare a detailed summary of the case and present it to court-appointed evaluators or a mediator. Dependent on the result, he will represent his clients in court.
"The best part of my job is getting a hug or 'thank you' from my client after a hard fought case," said Economy. "Our clients have suffered pretty terrible wrongs and injuries. The opportunity to apply my training to protect someone that needs help is tremendously rewarding."
Economy received a bachelor's degree in law studies from the University of Michigan and a law degree from Michigan State University College of Law.
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Collins, Einhorn, Farrell PC
Collins, Einhorn, Farrell PC is pleased to announce that our partner David C. Anderson has been elected to the board of commissioners of the State Bar of Michigan. The State Bar Board of Commissioners provides oversight to the various operations of the State Bar, such as finance, public policy, professional standards, and member services and communications. Anderson will represent District I (Oakland County), serving for a three-year term expiring at the close of the 2020 Annual Meeting.
A shareholder at Collins, Einhorn, Farrell, Anderson has practiced for nearly two decades, defending a wide variety of professional liability claims ranging from legal malpractice to claims against accountants, insurance agents, and real estate appraisers. He has also successfully defended numerous corporations against product liability claims, including claims involving wrongful death and serious personal injury.
Anderson has made an impact through his service to the bar, contributing his time to a number of legal associations and groups, including having previously served as an appointee on the State Bar's Character and Fitness Committee. He is also the immediate past president of the Oakland County Bar Association and has served on the OCBA Board of Directors for the better part of the last 11 years.
Anderson is an AV-preeminent rated attorney, has been listed by Super Lawyers® since 2008, and in 2016 he was listed "Lawyer of the Year" in Metro Detroit for the defense of legal malpractice cases by Best Lawyers©. Anderson was also recognized as a "Leader in the Law" by Michigan Lawyers Weekly in 2016.
Anderson earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and his law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.
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Dickinson Wright PLLC
Dickinson Wright PLLC is pleased to announce that attorney Dan Quick has been elected to the State Bar of Michigan's Board of Commissioners. He will represent Oakland County and serve a three-year term that expires in 2020.
Quick is a member in the firm's Troy office and is practice department manager for Commercial Litigation, Antitrust & Trade Regulation, and Alternative Dispute Resolution. He is a commercial litigation trial attorney who specializes in business torts (including minority shareholder and "business divorce disputes," trade secrets, and noncompetes) and all facets of intellectual property litigation. He frequently writes and lectures on business torts and is a coauthor of the national "Trade Secrets" portfolio published by BNA.
Quick is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America and is recognized as a leader in his field by Chambers USA, Best Lawyers in America, Michigan Super Lawyers, and DBusiness. He received the Frances R. Avadenka Community Service Award and the Distinguished Service Award from the Oakland County Bar Association. Quick received his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School.
The State Bar of Michigan's Board of Commissioners provides oversight to the State Bar on finance, public policy, professional standards, and member services and communications.
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Michigan Supreme Court
Michigan Supreme Court Justice Kurtis T. Wilder was recently presented with the Association of Black Judges of Michigan (ABJM) "Honorable Harold Hood Award." In addition, Wilder has been inducted into the Michigan Chronicle "Men of Excellence" Class of 2017.
Wilder was appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder to the Michigan Supreme Court in May to replace retired Justice Robert P. Young Jr. Prior to his Supreme Court appointment, he spent nearly 20 years as a judge on the Michigan Court of Appeals and previously served as a Washtenaw County trial judge.
The "Honorable Harold Hood Award" was presented to Wilder by outgoing ABJM President Oakland County 46th District Court Judge Debra Nance. The award, named in honor of the late Michigan Court of Appeals judge from Detroit, recognizes an ABJM member who exemplifies integrity and dedication to equal justice. Hood founded the ABJM in 1979, and the award in his name was established in 2003 following his retirement as chief judge pro tem of the Michigan Court of Appeals. Throughout his time on the bench, he was known for his dedication to fairness for all who encountered the legal system. Hood passed away in 2015 at the age of 84 following a battle with leukemia.
Now in its 10th year, the Michigan Chronicle "Men of Excellence" celebration honors 50 African American men who inspire others through leadership, exceptional achievement, and public service. These inductees serve as examples of success to all living in Michigan.
Published: Mon, Jul 10, 2017
