Bodman PLC is pleased to announce that Nicholas P. Scavone Jr., chair of the firm's Real Estate Practice Group, has been appointed chair-elect of the Real Property Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan. Gregory J. Gamalski, a member of the Real Estate Practice Group, has been appointed secretary of the Council.
With more than 3,600 members, the Real Property Law Section is one of the largest groups within the State Bar of Michigan. The section provides education and information on real property law issues through seminars, publications, and networking events, as well as advocacy in the Legislature and in precedential cases involving real property law.
Scavone, of Bodman's Detroit office, has represented banks and other financial institutions in a wide variety of complex, multi-million dollar, secured loans and other financial arrangements involving real estate. He also represents clients in complex transactions involving real estate ranging from single family homes to multi-million dollar commercial properties. He is a member of the Michigan Land Title Standards Committee and a fellow of the American College of Mortgage Attorneys.
Scavone is listed as a leading real estate practitioner in The Best Lawyers in America 2017, Chambers USA 2017, Michigan Super Lawyers 2017, and DBusiness Top Lawyers 2017.
Gamalski, of Bodman's Troy office, counsels individuals and public and private businesses on real estate matters involving zoning, land use, acquisition, disposition, development, financing, and property tax issues. He has experience in the real estate industry.
Before joining Bodman in 2017, Gamalski practiced with another Detroit-area business law firm where he led the Condominium Team and served as vice chair of the Real Estate Practice Group. Gamalski is listed in as a leading real estate practitioner in The Best Lawyers in America 2017 and in DBusiness Top Lawyers 2017.
Bodman is also pleased to announce that Kathleen O'Callaghan Hickey, a senior member of the firm's Banking Practice Group, has been named to the 2017 Class of "Women in the Law" by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.
Hickey was selected for the honor along with 29 other distinguished women attorneys based on their status as inspiring and accomplished leaders who have demonstrated a commitment to excellence in the practice of law. The honorees will be celebrated at a luncheon on Sept.7.
Hickey focuses her legal practice in representing lenders in loan originations. Her practice encompasses secured transactions, loan workouts, and counseling lenders on lender liability and loan structure issues.
She is involved in firm and community activities. Hickey is a member of Bodman's Office of the Executive and Executive Committee, which manage the firm's day to day business affairs, and is co-chair of the Diversity and Inclusion and Social Action Committee. For years, she served as co-chair of the firm's Banking Practice Group. She is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the Detroit and American Bar Associations, and the Association for Corporate Growth. She has lectured for the Michigan Institute of Continuing Legal Education on commercial loan documentation matters.
She serves on the boards of directors of the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion and the Walsh College Foundation. Hickey volunteers with Detroit-based non-profit VIP Mentoring, where she serves as an adult mentor to two students at Detroit's Spain Elementary-Middle School.
Hickey is listed in The Best Lawyers in America 2017 under Banking and Finance Law, in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business 2017 under Banking & Finance, and Michigan Super Lawyers 2007-2017 under Banking. She is listed as a 2017 "Top Lawyer" by DBusiness magazine and has been ranked one of the Top 50 women attorneys in Michigan by Michigan Super Lawyers.
In addition, Bodman is pleased to announce that Nathan D. Dupes and Thomas J. Rheaume, Jr., both members of the firm's Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Practice Group, have been named to Benchmark Litigation's Under 40 Hotlist, a comprehensive listing of the most talented litigation attorneys under the age of 40 in the United States and Canada.
Dupes and Rheaume are among only four attorneys in the State of Michigan to earn placement on the 2017 Hotlist.
Dupes, of Bodman's Detroit office, represents clients involved in complex commercial and environmental litigation and counsels clients on a wide variety of environmental matters, including permitting, regulatory compliance, and environmental risk in real estate transactions. He is a former assistant city attorney for the City of Grosse Pointe Park.
Dupes currently serves as an executive board member of the Federal Bar Association, Eastern District of Michigan Chapter, as vice president and secretary of the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center, and as vice president of the Grosse Pointe Newcomers Club.
Rheaume, of Bodman's Detroit office, focuses his practice on complex commercial and insurance litigation. He has served as local counsel for national and international law firms. He is vice president of the Michigan Chapter of the Federalist Society.
Rheaume serves on the Alumni Board of the Sigma Chi Fraternity of Michigan State University and is also a board member of the Detroit Economic Club's Young Leader Program. He is a volunteer mentor to students at Cornerstone Schools, a Christian chartered K-12 school system located in Detroit. Rheaume has been listed since 2013 on the Michigan Super Lawyers Rising Stars list for business litigation.
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Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer, & Weiss PC partner Julianne Cassin Sharp has been honored as only one of 30 "Women in the Law" by Michigan Lawyers Weekly for 2017. Jaffe CEO William Sider made the announcement.
Through her work in the firm's immigration practice group, and as a mentor to younger associates, Sharp was chosen as an exceptional law practitioner this year. Honorees will be recognized at the award ceremony luncheon on Thursday, Sept. 7 at the Detroit Marriott in Troy.
As a member of the firm's immigration practice group, Sharp specializes in employment-based and family-based immigration law. She is the co-chair of Jaffe's Women's Caucus Group, where she develops programming to help female attorneys and paralegals in the firm. Throughout her career, she has made it a priority to reach out to new attorneys to share advice and experiences as they grow into their new roles.
Sharp has been a frequent speaker at the national level for the American Immigration Lawyers Association, and has been a guest speaker at the Michigan Diversity Council and other community organizations. Her presentations include information on the topic and practice of immigration law, as well as how to become a better law practitioner by being a person of influence and making a difference in clients' lives.
Among her accomplishments, Sharp is most proud of being named Alumni of the Year by the Department of Spanish at Western Michigan University and Law Student Intern of the Year in Immigration Law by the Strategic Partnership of Michigan. She is a graduate of the Carl and Winifred Lee Honors College of Western Michigan University and earned her law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.
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The National Black State Troopers Coalition (NBSTC) is pleased to announce that attorney Leonard Mungo of The Mungo Law Firm PLC has been retained to act as its general counsel. On Wednesday, Aug. 2, at its 32nd Annual Summer Training Conference & Membership Meeting in Houston Texas under the leadership of its Board of Directors, the NBSTC unanimously voted to retain Mungo as its general counsel.
Mungo is an employee rights attorney, a graduate of the University of Michigan, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree, and the Detroit College of Law. Mungo formerly served as general counsel to the Michigan State Conference of NAACP Branches and as a member of Advocates and Leaders for Police and Community Trust (organized by the U.S. Attorney's Office Eastern District of Michigan and the National Conference for Community and Justice).
Mungo is a member of the National Employment Lawyers Association, Michigan Association for Justice, the American Bar Association, and the State Bar of Michigan. He currently serves as a plaintiffs case evaluator, Employment Panel, for the Wayne County Mediation Tribunal Association.
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Dickinson Wright PLLC is pleased to announce that attorney Sherry D. O'Neal has been selected as a "2017 Women in the Law" Honoree by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.
O'Neal is a member in the firm's Detroit office and serves as the firm's pro bono coordinator. She focuses her practice on labor & employment litigation, commercial & business litigation, and insurance & ERISA litigation. She has represented clients in federal and state court with respect to unlawful discrimination, retaliation, harassment, wrongful discharge, FLSA, defamation, breach of contract and ERISA claims.
As Dickinson Wright's pro bono coordinator, O'Neal is the liaison between the firm and several organizations in our efforts to serve our communities through pro bono service. She is a member of the State Bar of Michigan's Pro Bono Initiative and co-chair of the Pro Bono Committee for the Federal Bar Association.
O'Neal is a member of the American Bar Association, the Detroit Bar Association, the State Bar of Michigan, the Wolverine Bar Association, and the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan. She received her B.S. from Wayne State University and her law degree from Wayne State University Law School.
The "2017 Women in the Law" will be honored at an annual luncheon and awards celebration on Sept. 7 at the Detroit Marriott in Troy.
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Secrest Wardle Senior Partner Nathan J. Edmonds, of the Troy office, will serve as a panelist for A.M. Best Company's upcoming webinar, "Reptile Hunters: Insurers' Defense Counsel Responds to Next Wave Plaintiff Strategies," on Wednesday, Aug. 23. For more information on the webinar or to register, visit www.ambest.com/webinars/reptile17/.
Edmonds has been in practice for more than 20 years, specializing in defense litigation in a variety of practice areas. Edmonds is a member of Secrest Wardle's Motor Vehicle Litigation, Premises Liability, and Property, Fire and Casualty Practice Groups. He is known for his expertise in the defense of all aspects of motor vehicle litigation, including first party, third party, uninsured, and underinsured motorist litigation. He works closely with fraud investigators to obtain the best possible results for his clients.
Edmonds possesses experience in defending and subrogating matters in a wide variety of claim scenarios relating to loss and damage of property, including fraud and arson claims. He is well-versed in navigating complex investigations of such matters, and in working with specialized experts in this arena.
Edmonds frequently serves as a presenter at educational seminars for clients and colleagues. He 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. Edmonds also recently served as a panelist alongside Secrest Wardle Partner Mark C. Vanneste for A. M. Best Company's webinar, "Pileup in Commercial Auto."
In addition, Secrest Wardle Executive Partner and Municipal Attorney Derk W. Beckerleg has received the Distinguished Municipal Attorney Award from the Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys (MAMA). The Distinguished Municipal Attorney Award is given for outstanding contributions to the practice of municipal law on behalf of cities, townships and villages throughout Michigan, and acknowledges the highest level of professional accomplishment while also recognizing service to their colleagues through professional organizations such as MAMA and the International Municipal Lawyers Association. The award ceremony and luncheon are set to take place in Holland, Michigan on Sept. 13 at City Hall.
Beckerleg was nominated by Tom Tanghe, Auburn Hills city manager, for his dedication to representing numerous municipalities in virtually all aspects of municipal law. Bruce Truex, senior partner, president and co-managing partner at Secrest Wardle, also nominated Beckerleg for the Distinguished Municipal Attorney Award.
Beckerleg is currently the city attorney for the City of Auburn Hills and the city attorney for the City of Bloomfield Hills. He is also the village attorney for the Village of Bingham Farms, the township attorney for Southfield Township, and one of the township attorneys for West Bloomfield Township. Beckerleg is also the attorney for the North Oakland County Water Authority.
With more than 35 years of experience, Beckerleg has handled municipal matters including, but not limited to, zoning, condemnation and drafting of ordinances, resolutions and contracts. Beckerleg also has more than 28 years of experience handling property tax matters in the Michigan Tax Tribunal and appellate Courts and is especially renowned for his expertise in this area of the law.
As managing partner of the Municipal Law Practice Group at Secrest Wardle, Beckerleg is responsible for the general oversight of the attorneys in the practice group. In this position, he continually shares his knowledge of municipal law through mentorship of other attorneys in the group.
Beckerleg is active in the legal community through his memberships in the Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys, the Oakland County Bar Association, and the State Bar of Michigan-Public Corporation Law Section. He is also giving of his time and knowledge to clients and others in the municipal law community. He has conducted numerous seminars on a variety of municipal topics, including the Michigan Tax Tribunal and zoning board of appeals and planning commission practices and procedures.
"I am honored and humbled to receive this prestigious award. I thank and greatly appreciate the persons who nominated me and the MAMA Board for bestowing the award on me," said Beckerleg of receiving the Distinguished Municipal Attorney Award.
The Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys (MAMA) is a chartered section of the Michigan Municipal League, which is a Michigan nonprofit corporation. MAMA was established in 1935 as an affiliated organization of the League. The Association is governed by a Board of Directors elected by the member municipal attorneys. Membership consists of every city and village attorney, who represents a member of the Michigan Municipal League, their deputies and assistants, and League staff members duly admitted to practice law in the State of Michigan.
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Sabrina Balgamwalla has joined the faculty of Wayne State University Law School as an assistant (clinical) professor and director of the Asylum and Immigration Law Clinic.
The clinic's former director, Associate Professor Rachel Settlage, was recently promoted to director of Clinical Education.
Balgamwalla's scholarly research examines intersections of gender, race, and citizenship in immigration and labor policy and enforcement.
Most recently, Balgamwalla taught at the University of North Dakota School of Law and supervised the Immigrant Rights section of the law clinic. Previously, she served as a fellow with the University of Baltimore School of Law Immigrant Rights Clinic. Prior to entering academia, she was a nonprofit immigration and domestic violence attorney in Washington, D.C.
Balgamwalla's international experience includes a Fulbright grant to Jordan, where she studied gender mainstreaming practices in labor programs. In summer 2014, she travelled to Mindanao as a legal expert with the International Senior Lawyers Project and the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines to advise developing legal aid programs based at law schools in the region.
Balgamwalla earned her law degree from American University Washington College of Law and her bachelor's degree from Bryn Mawr College.
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Southfield law firm Maddin, Hauser, Roth, & Heller PC is pleased to announce that 15 of its attorneys have been named Michigan Leading Lawyers.
The Maddin Hauser attorneys recognized as 2017 Michigan Leading Lawyers are (name, title and practice areas recognized):
• Stuart M. Bordman, shareholder
-Franchise & Dealership Law
-Tax Law: Business
• Martin S. Frenkel, shareholder and co-chair of Consumer Finance/Regulatory Compliance and Real Property Litigation Group
-Real Estate Law: Commercial and Finance
• Michelle C. Harrell, shareholder and chair of Complex Litigation and Risk Advisory Practice Group
-Commercial Litigation
-Land Use, Zoning & Condemnation Law
-Real Estate Law: Commercial
• Mark R. Hauser, firm co-founder, CFO and Executive Committee member
-Mergers & Acquisitions Law
-Publicly Held Corporations Law
-Real Estate Law: Commercial, Finance and Tax
• Harvey R. Heller, shareholder, Executive Committee member and chairman of Defense and Insurance Coverage Practice Group
-Commercial Litigation
-Insurance, Insurance Coverage & Reinsurance Law
-Personal Injury Defense Law: General
-Professional Malpractice Defense Law: Legal, Technical and Financial
• Robert D. Kaplow, shareholder
-Tax Law: Business and Individual
-Trust, Will & Estate Planning Law
- Kathleen H. Klaus, shareholder
-Civil Appellate Law
-Commercial Litigation
-Insurance, Insurance Coverage & Reinsurance Law
• Charles M. Lax, shareholder
-Employee Benefits Law
-Tax Law: Business
• Michael W. Maddin, firm co-founder, president emeritus and Executive Committee member
-Closely & Privately Held Business Law
-Real Estate Law: Commercial and Finance
-Trust, Will & Estate Planning Law
-Named in Top 10 Transactional Business and Top 100 Leading Lawyers in Michigan
• Richard J. Maddin, Of Counsel
-Closely & Privately Held Business Law
-Commercial Litigation
-Construction Law
-Land Use, Zoning & Condemnation Law
-Real Estate Law: Commercial
• Richard F. Roth, shareholder
-Closely & Privately Held Business Law
-Real Estate Law: Commercial and Finance
-Tax Law: Business
-Trust, Will & Estate Planning Law
• Steven D. Sallen, shareholder, president, CEO, Executive Committee member, and co-chairman of Real Estate Practice Group
-Real Estate Law: Commercial and Finance
• William E. Sigler, shareholder
-Closely & Privately Held Business Law
-Employee Benefits Law
-Tax Law: Business and Individual
-Trust, Will & Estate Planning Law
• Marc S. Wise, shareholder
-Employee Benefits Law
• Steven M. Wolock, shareholder
-Commercial Litigation
-Professional Malpractice Defense Law: Legal, Technical and Financial
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Dinsmore & Shohl LLP is pleased to announce three of its attorneys have been named to the Michigan Super Lawyers and Rising Stars list for 2017.
Dinsmore attorney recognized as Super Lawyers are:
- Theresa Smith Lloyd, Employment & Labor
Dinsmore attorneys recognized as Rising Stars are:
- John D. Mackewich, Business/Corporate
- Jason M. Renner, Liability: Defense; General Litigation
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Collins, Einhorn, Farrell PC is pleased to announce that attorney Peter J. Tomasek has joined the firm's Appellate Practice Group. Tomasek will focus his practice on appellate litigation and writing dispositive motions in the trial courts. Before joining the firm, he worked as a law clerk for Judge Colleen A. O'Brien and as a research attorney with the Michigan Court of Appeals.
Tomasek received a Bachelor of Arts from Adrian College and went on to obtain law degrees from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School.
Tomasek is a member of the Appellate Practice Section of the State Bar of Michigan, the Washtenaw County Bar Association, and the American Bar Association.
Collins Einhorn is also pleased to announce that attorney Matthew S. LaBeau has joined the firm's General and Automotive Liability practice group. LaBeau will focus his practice on the defense of first and third-party No-Fault claims, uninsured and underinsured motorist claims, automobile negligence, premises liability, general negligence, and contractual disputes.
LaBeau has experience in defending catastrophic No-Fault claims, as well consulting insurers regarding catastrophic claims prior to litigation. His background also includes involvement in all aspects of the litigation process from the discovery process through trial, routinely resulting in successful results for his clients. LaBeau has frequently made presentations throughout the State of Michigan on various topics relating to claims under the Michigan No-Fault Act, uninsured/underinsured motorist claims, and automobile negligence.
LaBeau received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Western Michigan University in 2003 and went on to obtain a law degree from Wayne State University Law School in 2006. LaBeau has been a listed "Rising Star" by Michigan Super Lawyers® Magazine every year since 2012.
LaBeau is involved with a number of organizations including the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association, the Monroe County Bar Association, and the Association of Defense Trial Counsel, including as past president. He is also active in his local community, where he currently serves as a member of the city's Parks and Recreation Commission for Grosse Pointe Park.
Published: Mon, Aug 14, 2017
