Legal People

Bodman PLC is pleased to announce that Kyle W. Traver has joined the firm’s Enterprise Procurement Group in the Troy office as a staff attorney.

Traver represents business clients in connection with the drafting and negotiation of a broad range of commercial contracts, including vendor contracts for goods and services.

Traver is a graduate of Western Michigan University Cooley Law School and the University of Detroit-Mercy.

Traver is a member of the Business Law, Insurance and Indemnity Law, Arts, Communications, Entertainment & Sports, and Young Lawyers sections of the State Bar of Michigan.

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The Jewish Bar Association of Michigan (JBAM) elected two Foster Swift attorneys to office positions: Jonathan H. Schwartz as president and Frank T. Mamat as executive vice president. Both lawyers are based in the Southfield office.

Co-founded by Schwartz in 2014, JBAM is the leading provider of legal support to the Jewish community in the state through its programs and networking.

A University of Michigan and Wayne State graduate, Jonathan Schwartz specializes in Litigation law while Frank Mamat excels in complex Labor Law issues.

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The founding team at Christensen Law is proud to announce the promotion of one of their most senior attorneys, Sarah Stempky-Kime.

Stempky-Kime has worked alongside the Southfield personal injury firm since its inception in 2010. In her 7-plus years with the firm, Sarah has won several million-dollar trials and settlements, including one named by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as one of the largest obtained in history by a Michigan court.

Stempky-Kime initially went to school for psychology and earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan. Shortly after, she was pulled to study law and received her legal training and degree from the University of Michigan Law School, with an emphasis on trial practice. Her previous background in psychology lent Stempky-Kime a strong backbone of empathy and she delivers a high level of compassion in all of her work.

“As a psychology graduate, I always thought I could better advocate for clients in a more public setting like law. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to fight for my clients’ justice on a daily basis while also helping to develop future attorneys in the firm,” says Stempky-Kime.

In her new role, Stempky-Kime manages the firm’s fleet of attorneys and paralegals to ensure a smooth case for all of their clients. She is tasked with overseeing all stages of each client’s case to ensure efficiency and maximum outcome, from the beginning of the case to settlement or trial.

Stempky-Kime has been named one of Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s “Up and Coming Lawyers” and was crowned “Rising Star” by Thompson Reuters. A strong believer in the power of continuing education, Stempky-Kime gives back to the legal community through ICLE (Institute of Continuing Legal Education) and MAJ (Michigan Association for Justice) events.

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Bloomfield Hills based Colombo & Colombo PC is pleased to announce that attorney Nick Ranke has joined the firm as an associate in the firm’s Litigation and Automotive Dealership groups.

Ranke ‘s experience includes serving as the lead attorney on real estate, family law, personal injury, No-Fault, and criminal law cases. His litigation experience also includes premises liability, bodily injury and arson fraud cases. He has worked as the lead legal liaison between the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the Governor’s Office, and as an intern he conducted research and drafted bench memoranda and advisory opinions for Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Marilyn Kelly and U.S. District Court Judge Marianne O. Battani, Eastern District of Michigan.

Ranke graduated from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of Literature, Science and the Arts. He earned a law degree from the Wayne State University Law School.

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Collins, Einhorn, Farrell PC, a defense litigation firm in Southfield, is pleased to announce that partner Kellie L. Howard-Goudy has been named a 2017 Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s Women in the Law Award recipient. The selection criteria included commitment to excellence in the practice of law, inspiring and accomplished leadership in the profession, mentoring and significant contributions of time and effort to volunteer and pro bono activities. Howard-Goudy is one of 30 lawyers who were chosen to receive this award.

Howard-Goudy, a partner of the firm, focuses on professional liability claims that arise out of any number of different factual and legal scenarios, including medical malpractice, commercial litigation, commercial transactions, and personal injury litigation. Her experience representing clients ranges from pre-litigation and claims resolution to successful trial representation. Howard-Goudy also provides clients with training and workshops focused on education and prevention.

Howard-Goudy is a member of the Wolverine Bar Association, the Defense Research Institute, the National Bar Association, and the Oakland County Bar Association. She has also been an appointed instructor for the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards, and the Detroit Medical Center Risk Management Group. She is also a leader within Collins Einhorn, where, as a young partner, she takes it upon herself to mentor and train young associates.

Howard-Goudy will be formally honored at an awards ceremony hosted by Michigan Lawyers Weekly on Sept. 9 at the Detroit Marriott Troy.