Dykema recently announced that Monica B. Wilkinson, a member in the firm's Detroit office, has been appointed as leader of Dykema's Health Care Practice Group. She takes over for Maria Abrahamsen, who held the role for the previous six years.
Wilkinson has more than 30 years of professional experience in health care working with hospitals, physicians, managed care organizations, and nonprofit foundations. She has led cross-functional teams of legal, regulatory, compliance, operations and development professionals. Prior to joining Dykema in 2013, Wilkinson served as senior vice president, assistant general counsel and assistant secretary at the Detroit Medical Center, a multi-hospital academic medical center in Southeast Michigan.
Wilkinson focuses her practice on regulatory and compliance matters, complex contracting issues, medical staff matters, research, and patient care issues. She works with hospital systems, physicians, and a variety of post-acute providers.
Wilkinson is a member of the American Health Lawyers Association and the State Bar of Michigan Health Care Law Section, where she served as chair in 2010-11. She also sat on the Legal and Operational Policy Committee of the Federation of American Hospitals.
Wilkinson received a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center and a B.A. from Michigan State University.
- - -
Plunkett Cooney is pleased to announce that five partners have been elected to serve as members of its board of directors.
At the firm's annual meeting held in February, Peter D. Cronk, the managing partner of Plunkett Cooney's East Lansing office, and Timothy F. Sheridan, the managing partner of the firm's Grand Rapids office, were elected for the first time. Re-elected to the board were longtime members Michael P. Ashcraft Jr., Michael S. Bogren and Kenneth C. Newa. The board re-elected Bogren as chairman and Ashcraft as secretary/treasurer at its meeting held the following month.
Ashcraft, who serves as a co-leader of Plunkett Cooney's Professional Liability Practice Group, is one of the state's leading professional liability attorneys, focusing his practice primarily on the defense of and accountants in malpractice claims.
A partner in the firm's Bloomfield Hills office, he also represents insurance brokers and agents, securities brokers, real estate brokers and agents, investment advisors, officers and directors, and notaries public in professional liability cases in state and federal courts.
A 1993 graduate of Michigan State University College of Law, Ashcraft is a member of the Oakland County Bar Association's Negligence Section, the State Bar of Michigan's Professional Ethics Committee, and the American Bar Association's Committee on Professional Responsibility and Liability.
Newa is a partner in the firm's Bloomfield Hills office who focuses his practice principally on the representation of insurance companies in a variety of coverage disputes, including complex, high-exposure coverage litigation relating to environmental, asbestos, toxic tort and construction defect claims.
A 1989 graduate of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, Newa is a member of the State Bar of Michigan (Environmental Law and Negligence sections), DRI The Voice of the Defense Bar (Insurance Law Committee and Bad Faith and CGL Subcommittee), the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association, and the Association of Defense Trial Counsel.
- - -
Secrest Wardle Executive Partner Margaret Scott was recently appointed to the DMC (Detroit Medical Center) Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital Advisory Board. The 14 member Hospital Advisory Board reports to the DMC Board who reports to the Tenet Board. Their mission is to help people live happier, healthier lives.
Scott is a member of Secrest Wardle's Motor Vehicle Litigation, Municipal and Property, Fire and Casualty Practice Groups. Scott served as an Oakland County assistant prosecuting attorney from 1988 to 2008. The majority of her career was spent as a special prosecutor of the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office where she was elevated to the office of chief of the Auto Theft Unit in 1996. During her time in that position she successfully prosecuted nearly 100% of the cases assigned to the Auto Theft Unit.
Scott was named to the Michigan Lawyers Weekly Class of 2015 "Women in the Law." She is a member of the North Central Regional Chapter-International Association of Auto Theft Investigators, Michigan Chapter-International Association of Arson Investigators and Michigan Help Eliminate Auto Theft Committee.
Scott is past chair of the Michigan Anti-Car Theft Campaign Committee. She has also served as chair of the Michigan Arson Prevention Committee's Governmental Resource Committee. During her years of service to the people of the State of Michigan, Scott testified before the Michigan State Senate and House on various proposed legislation involving auto theft and insurance fraud.
Scott currently serves on the Women Officials Network (WON) Board of Directors. WON empowers the leaders of today and mentors women leaders of tomorrow while encouraging women to become involved in public policy through elected and appointed office. She has practiced insurance defense litigation since 2009 as private counsel for various companies. During this time, she defended claims involving automobile and structure arson fires, No-Fault PIP, third party, and uninsured motorists.
- - -
Brooks Kushman is pleased to announce that Managing Intellectual Property has recognized Shareholder John LeRoy as Michigan's Outstanding IP Litigator of the Year. This award is based on rigorous and impartial research, as well as nominations from both within an attorney's firm and from outside competitive firms.
Managing Intellectual Property is a trade publication that covers news in the world of IP law.
With more than 15 years of software and electrical patent litigation experience, LeRoy was awarded for his litigation strategies and work in the courtroom. LeRoy leverages his electrical engineering and legal background to create efficient solutions to complex legal issues in the computer industry.
He also started the firm's Open Source Software Compliance practice, where he has been working with corporations to navigate the proper use of open source software in today's products. He has been recognized for his commitment to pro bono service and his history of success in federal courts nationwide.
The award is given each year during the publication's Americas Awards dinner. Brooks Kushman members attended the ceremony honoring the recognized attorneys in New York City on March 15.
- - -
McDonald Hopkins, a business advisory and advocacy law firm, has once again been nominated by Advisen as a finalist for their 2018 Cyber Risk Awards in the category of Cyber Law Firm of the Year. The firm's national Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice, led by co-chairs James J. Giszczak and Dominic A. Paluzzi of the Detroit office, was previously nominated as a finalist for Advisen's Cyber Risk Awards in 2017 and 2015 in the categories of Cyber Law Firm of the Year and Cyber Risk Pre-Breach Team of the Year, respectively.
Voting is now open through Friday, April 20, at 11:45 p.m. via Advisen's online ballot. The winners will be announced on June 6 at Gotham Hall in New York City.
"Breaches can be devastating not only for a company's bottom line, but also for their reputation," Giszczak said. "Organizations are now judged on their response to the breach, rather than the existence of the incidents itself."
"While no industry or business is immune to cybersecurity incidents, it is crucial for businesses to have a proper plan in place, knowledge of regulations and effective and efficient legal support ready to respond to an incident 24/7," added Paluzzi.
More information on the 2018 Cyber Risk Awards can be found on Advisen's website, www.advisenltd.com/2018/06/06/-cyber-risk-awards.
- - -
The Detroit Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) has announced that it will honor R. Jamison Williams Jr. with its 2017 M&A Lifetime Achievement Award.
Williams-managing shareholder of Williams, Williams, Rattner, & Plunkett PC in Birmingham-has been an active supporter and participant in ACG's local activities and programming. He has been a driving force behind many substantial mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures in the region, and for his accomplishments, he has also received "Deal Maker of the Year" awards from The M&A Advisor and Crain's Detroit Business.
ACG Detroit will formally recognize Williams at its M&A All Star Awards ceremony on April 10 at the Townsend Hotel in Birmingham.
- - -
Southeast Michigan labor attorney Brandon Fournier has been honored with the Outstanding Service Award by the Michigan Municipal League. He received the award during the League's annual Capital Conference Awards Gala March 20 in Lansing.
Fournier was recognized for his long-time assistance with the League, including most recently in the League's effort on Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) reform.
Fournier is a labor attorney with the Howard Shifman Law Firm, representing municipalities in southeast Michigan and across the state with labor and contract negotiations. He also is a former city administrator for the City of Southgate and continues to serve as their city attorney. He has served for many years on the League's internal Municipal Finance Committee and has always made himself available to League staff, answering questions and providing feedback.
Published: Mon, Mar 26, 2018
