Legal People

Secrest Wardle

Attorney Olga Khessina joins Secrest Wardle’s Troy office as a partner. She is a member of Secrest Wardle’s Motor Vehicle Litigation Practice Group. Khessina has experience handling first and third party cases. She develops litigation strategies on a case by case basis – representing clients during motion hearings, settlement conferences and facilitations. Within the motor vehicle litigation practice area, she is especially focused on fraud and special investigations.

Khessina earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Anthropology from Michigan State University. She pursued her law degree at Wayne State University Law School. She was admitted to the State Bar of Michigan in 2012. She is a member of the Insurance and Indemnity Law, Litigation, and Young Lawyers State Bar of Michigan sections. Khessina was also admitted to the United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan in 2014.

In addition, Secrest Wardle proudly acted as a sponsor of the Insurance Alliance of Michigan (IAM) Annual Claims Seminar at the James B. Henry Center on Michigan State University’s East Lansing campus on Sept. 25. The seminar was attended by attorneys, vendors, and claims professionals in the insurance industry. 

Four of the firm’s attorneys gave presentations on various topics.  Local Secrest Wardle associate Javon David presented on “Emerging Trends of the Court of Appeals in Summary Disposition Motions Based on Serious Impairment of Bodily Function.”
The Insurance Institute of Michigan (IIM) joined with the Michigan Insurance Coalition to form the Insurance Alliance of Michigan (IAM) in 2017.  The IAM is a government affairs and public information association proud to represent more than 80 property/casualty insurance company-related organizations operating in Michigan. IAM’s purpose is to serve the Michigan insurance industry and the insurance consumer as a central focal point for educational, media, legislative and public information on insurance issues.

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Wayne State University Law School

Wayne State University Law School Distinguished Professor Alan S. Schenk is the recipient of the John W. Reed Lawyer Legacy Award from the State Bar of Michigan.

The award was presented last month at the State Bar of Michigan’s NEXT Conference.

This award is given periodically to an educator from a Michigan law school whose influence on lawyers has elevated the quality of legal practice in Michigan. It is named after John W. Reed, former Wayne Law dean and University of Michigan Law School professor who, over the course of his decades-long career, earned a reputation as a pre-eminent scholar and teacher.

“I am honored to be selected for the John W. Reed Lawyer Legacy Award,” said Schenk. “John represents the highest in lawyer ethics and integrity, and receiving this award is indeed a privilege.”

In 2016, Schenk celebrated his fiftieth anniversary at Wayne Law, making him the longest-serving faculty member in the school’s history. He has devoted his academic career to tax law, and he is regarded internationally as an expert on value added taxation. He is currently writing a history of Wayne State University Law School.

Schenk teaches Federal Income Tax, Business Planning, Accounting for Lawyers and Consumption-Based Taxes. He taught or co-taught value added taxation at Harvard Law School’s International Tax Program, at the University of Michigan Law School, Duke University, and in Australia, South Africa, Canada and Taiwan. Schenk is the recipient of numerous awards including the distinguished faculty award from the Michigan Association of Governing Boards of State Universities; WSU President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching; and the Wayne Law Professor of the Year Award. He also is a two-time winner of Wayne Law’s Donald H. Gordon Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Schenk earned his law degrees from New York University and the University of Illinois along with his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois.

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Law Offices of Barton Morris

The Law Offices of Barton Morris recently announced the addition of Chris Urban to its team. Urban joins the firm as a criminal attorney.

Urban brings to the firm his experience working for the DEA and the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office. His decorated background has given him a unique perspective to represent and serve clients, as he will in his capacity with the Law Offices of Barton Morris.

Urban received his B.A. in Sociology from Oakland University in 2012.  He was awarded a full-tuition scholarship to attend  Wayne State University Law School.  Urban passed the Michigan bar exam in October of 2016.

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Dickinson Wright PLLC

Dickinson Wright PLLC is pleased to announce that attorney Eric Gregory has been appointed to serve as chair of the Employee Benefits Committee of the State Bar of Michigan’s Taxation Section. The committee is responsible for analyzing new changes in employee benefits law, preparing employee benefits articles for the Michigan Tax Lawyer, and hosting educational and networking programs for employee benefits practitioners across the state of Michigan.

Gregory is an associate in the firm’s Troy office. In his practice, he advises clients on all aspects of employee benefits including qualified retirement plans, welfare plans, and nonqualified compensation programs. He assists clients with plan design, drafting, and implementation of 401(k), profit sharing, 403(b), 457, and defined benefit plans. Gregory also provides advice on the design, implementation, and administration of insured and self-insured medical plans, dental plans, life insurance, disability, and cafeteria plans, including pre-tax premium plans, and flexible spending account plans.

Gregory is also an active member of the legal and civic communities. He is a member of the Oakland County Bar Association’s Employee Benefits Committee, where he served as chair (2016-2017) and vice chair (2015-2016). He also is a board member of Lakeshore Legal Aid and a past board member of the Free Legal Aid Clinic – Detroit.

Gregory has been named a “Rising Star” by Michigan Super Lawyers and a “Top Lawyer” in employee benefits law from DBusiness Magazine. He earned his law degrees from Wayne State University Law School and Georgetown University Law Center.

In addition, Dickinson Wright is pleased to announce that attorney Dan Ujczo will be speaking on the U.S.-Canada Trade Relations Panel, hosted by the Society of Automotive Analysts, on Tuesday, Oct.17, in Southfield.

 The U.S.-Canada Trade Relations Panel will discuss the state of NAFTA and the renegotiations along with examining the Canada-U.S. trade relationship and impact on the automotive industry. Panelists include Dickinson Wright attorney Dan Ujczo; Scott Paradise, executive vice president of global marketing and new business development for Magna International; Douglas George, consul general, Consulate General of Canada; Dr. Christopher Sands, director of the Center for Canadian Studies, John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies; and David Andrea, executive vice president of research for the Center for Automotive Research.

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Warner, Norcross, & Judd LLP

Michael G. Brady, a partner in the law firm Warner, Norcross, & Judd LLP, has been named to the board of directors of Junior Achievement of Southeastern Michigan.

Brady joins a group of business and community leaders on the board which seeks to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. From its headquarters in Detroit, JA focuses on high-impact programs that drive long-term outcomes in areas of financial literacy, career readiness and fostering the entrepreneurial spirit for students from kindergarten through high school.

Brady is a litigator who concentrates his practice on representing clients in complex business litigation, supply chain disputes and class action matters. He chairs the firm’s Litigation Practice Group and the Class Action Group, and he co-chairs the Automotive Industry Group. He serves as legal counsel to the Original Equipment Supplier Association’s CEO Council.

Brady is recognized for his litigation work by Best Lawyers in America, Michigan Super Lawyers, and DBusiness. He is also a member and former chair of the board of trustees of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Michigan Chapter.

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Butzel Long

Attorney Catherine M. Karol has joined Butzel Long as counsel practicing in the firm’s Detroit office. She concentrates her practice in transactional negotiations, regulatory compliance, mergers and acquisitions, and divestitures.

Karol recently retired from a 38-year career on the General Motors (GM) Legal Staff, where she advised all levels of management on a wide range of global legal and business issues. Working with internal leadership, peers, subordinates, outside counsel, and other advisers, Karol developed and implemented strategies for issue resolution and business planning with automotive suppliers, regulators, other OEMs and adversaries.

While at GM, she was part of an executive team that negotiated complex multi-million dollar global transactions and relationships. She was responsible for structuring, negotiating, drafting and reviewing agreements with other OEMs, Tier One parts and services suppliers, and major financial institutions world-wide. Additionally, while serving as GM’s chief privacy officer, she led a global multi-disciplinary team (including IT, OnStar, Marketing, and HR) in developing and implementing GM’s global privacy policy.

Working with its divisional and corporate marketing groups, Karol had primary legal responsibility (including through General Motors bankruptcy proceedings) for GM’s advertising, promotional, and media-buying agency agreements/ relationships, celebrity endorsement agreements, and its SAG/AFTRA relationship. She also had experience negotiating with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA), the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG), the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), and the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

Karol is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame Law School and the College of New Rochelle, New Rochelle, NY.

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Varnum LLP

The White House has announced that Varnum attorney Dennis Devaney has been nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as a commissioner of the United States International Trade Commission. Devaney is nominated for a term expiring in 2023.

Devaney’s practice focuses on labor and employment disputes, international trade, and legislative and regulatory matters. He currently serves as chair of the firm’s Labor and Employment practice.

Prior to entering private practice, Devaney’s public policy career included serving several federal agencies, including the ITC for 11 months in 2001-2002, in a recess appointment. He served on the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) from 1988 to 1994, appointed by Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush; as general counsel to the Federal Labor Relations Authority in 1988, appointed by Reagan; and on the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board from 1982 to 1988, appointed by Reagan.

Devaney’s nomination is expected to go before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee for confirmation early next year.

The U.S. International Trade Commission is an independent, bipartisan, quasi-judicial federal agency providing trade expertise to both the legislative and executive branches. The agency determines the impact of imports on U.S. industries and directs actions against unfair trade practices, such as subsidies, dumping, patent, trademark and copyright infringement.

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Fraser Trebilcock

Fraser Trebilcock is proud to announce the addition of attorney Norbert T. Madison to the firm’s Detroit office.

Madison is a corporate and real estate attorney with more than three decades of experience. His primary focus is on real estate matters. He represents all facets of the practice including the purchase, sale, leasing and financing of various types of real estate, as well as the development of industrial, office, retail, condominium and residential real estate. Madison also counsels clients in corporate and partnership law, including limited liability companies.

Madison earned his law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.

In addition, 17 Fraser Trebilcock attorneys have been selected for inclusion on the 2017 list of Super Lawyers, with six additional attorneys named “2017 Rising Stars in Michigan.” The attorneys who work at the firm’s Detroit office included Super Lawyers Michael P. Donnelly in Business Litigation and Jonathan T. Walton in Business Litigation; along with Rising Star Paul C. Mallon Jr. in Business Litigation.

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Bodman PLC

Bodman PLC has again been named a “highly recommended” Michigan law firm for business litigation by the internationally-recognized peer and client review journal Benchmark Litigation 2018. 

Benchmark also recognizes individual litigation attorneys as “State Litigation Stars” or “Future Stars.” Bodman attorneys listed as State Litigation Stars include Thomas P. Bruetsch, Michelle Thurber Czapski, Jason R. Gourley, George G. Kemsley, Dennis J. Levasseur, Jeffrey G. Raphelson, Joseph J. Shannon, Thomas J. Tallerico, and Thomas Van Dusen.  Bodman attorneys listed as “Future Stars” are G. Christopher Bernard and Rebecca D’Arcy O’Reilly.  B

Bodman’s Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Practice Group attorneys appear before state and federal courts, and also non-judicial forums such as national and international arbitral panels.  Client issues vary from breach of contract claims to antitrust, securities, professional liability, and other complex matters.  The group’s expertise spans many industries including accounting, banking and financial services, automotive, insurance, healthcare, manufacturing, real estate and zoning, and construction, among others.

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Foster, Swift, Collins, & Smith, PC­

Foster, Swift, Collins, & Smith PC attorney Jonathan H. Schwartz has recently been named to a leadership position during the 2017-2018 term for the State Bar of Michigan’s Arts, Communication, Entertainment and Sports (ACES) Section. Schwartz will serve as this term’s chair.

The ACES Section of the State Bar of Michigan provides education, information, and analysis about issues of concern regarding arts, communication, entertainment and sports through meetings, seminars, the web, public service programs, and the ACES newsletter.

Schwartz, who served on the ACES Section executive board for several years prior to becoming chair, represents companies and individuals in many types of litigation, including business, complex commercial, employment, real estate, and entertainment matters. In addition, he assists clients with transactional matters, such as contract drafting, negotiations, and deal making, and all aspects of risk management, governance, and operation.

Schwartz serves his clients out of Foster Swift’s Southfield and Detroit offices.

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36th District Court

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder recently announced the appointment of Aliyah Sabree to 36th District Court in Detroit.

Sabree currently serves as associate general counsel for the City of Detroit Water & Sewerage Department. Prior to that, she worked in Government Affairs for the Mayor of Detroit from 2014-2017. She began her career in 2010 at the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office where she served in the Community Prosecution Unit handling armed robbery, carjacking, assault, and homicide cases.

Sabree is a member of the Wolverine Bar Association. She serves as finance chair and treasurer of the Detroit Institute of Arts – Friends of African and African American Art. She is also an active member of the Detroit community. She serves as an advisory board member for the Boll Family YMCA.

Sabree earned her bachelor’s degree in 2006 from Youngs­town State University and her law degree in 2010 from Michigan State University College of Law. She is the great-granddaughter of Michigan civil rights activist Daisy Elliott, who co-authored Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act.

Sabree fills the vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Prentis Edwards Jr. She must seek election in November 2018 for a full term.

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Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC

Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC is pleased to announce that Elizabeth V. Johnson has joined the firm. She will practice out of the firm’s Royal Oak office.

Johnson concentrates her practice in patent and trade secret matters. She has skill in negotiating technology agreements and litigating complex patent cases through trial. With a background in electrical engineering, she is well-versed in matters related to a variety of technologies including cell phones, semiconductors, computer and graphics processors, and software. Johnson has represented clients in all phases of complex multi-defendant, multi-patent matters through multiple trials before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), district courts across the country, and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). She has experience recommending patents for assertion in offensive litigation and developing validity and infringement strategies in offensive and defensive litigation.

Johnson received her B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan in 2006 and her law degree from the University of Michigan Law School in 2009. She is licensed to practice in the State of Michigan and the District of Columbia, as well as before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and several other district courts throughout the country.