Legal People

Potestivo & Associates PC announces that it has been selected by MReport magazine, one of the country’s leading sources for mortgage banking news, as one of the “Top 25 Companies to Work For” in the mortgage and housing industries.

Published in the magazine’s November issue, MReport’s “Top 25 Companies to Work For” list recognizes the industry’s leading organizations across five categories: Law Firms, Lenders/Servicers, Minority/Women-Owned or Operated, Service Providers, and Tech.

Brian A. Postestivo, president and managing attorney, stated, “We are excited to add yet another award to our growing list. We pride ourselves on having a dynamic workplace that helps our employees to learn and grow. This award shows that we are excelling in these efforts.”

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Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak, & Stewart PC is pleased to announce that the firm has been named a “Law Firm of the Year” for the eighth consecutive year. In the 2019 edition of the U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” list, Ogletree Deakins is named the “Law Firm of the Year” in the Employment Law - Management category.

Additionally, Ogletree Deakins’ Detroit (Metro) office earned metropolitan “First Tier” practice area rankings in two categories: Employment Law – Management and Litigation – Labor & Employment. Nationally, the firm earned “First Tier” practice area rankings in six categories: Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law; Employment Law - Management; Labor Law - Management; Litigation - ERISA; Litigation - Labor & Employment; and Construction Law. 
Earlier, 228 of the firm’s attorneys were selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2019.

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Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC is pleased to announce that David L. Coppiellie has joined the firm. He will practice out of the firm’s Royal Oak office.

Coppiellie concentrates his practice on intellectual property with a focus on drafting and prosecuting patent applications.

His experience includes working with inventors and engineers to draft and prosecute patent applications in areas ranging from chassis and safety to mobility and fleet management for a major automotive OEM.

Recently, his experience grew to include evaluating foreign patent applications for priority filing, and prosecuting in the United States.

Coppiellie received his law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 2013. He also earned his M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan in 2017 and his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Dayton in 2010.

Coppiellie is licensed to practice in the State of Michigan and before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

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Secrest Wardle Partner Terri L. Antisdale, of the firm’s Troy location, is scheduled to speak alongside Jane Boudreau, of Jane Doe Investigations, at The Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE) 17th Annual Family Law Institute Seminar taking place Nov. 15-16 at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi.

Antisdale and Boudreau will be presenting, “Private Investigations: The Inside Scoop,” on November 15, 2018.

Their presentation will discuss how to manage client expectations during the private investigation process and work together to obtain desired results.

Attendees will be briefed on the types of legal and illegal investigation tactics and how important a well-executed investigation can be.

Antisdale is chair of Secrest Wardle’s Family Law Practice Group. She is also a member of the firm’s Motor Vehicle Litigation and Property, Fire and Casualty Practice Groups.

With more than 22 years of legal experience, Antisdale provides representation in the areas of adoption assistance, divorce, custody, visitation, child support proceedings, domestic violence (child abuse, personal protection orders, visitation rights), grandparents’ rights, paternity rights and post-divorce judgment property litigation.

In addition, Secrest Wardle has proudly received multiple rankings on the U.S. News & World Report – Best Lawyers 2019 “Best Law Firms” list in the following categories:

National Tier 3 – Troy
•  Land Use & Zoning Law
Metropolitan Tier 1 – Troy
•  Insurance Law
Metropolitan Tier 2 - Troy
•  Litigation – Municipal
•  Municipal Law
•  Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
Metropolitan Tier 3 - Troy
•  Land Use & Zoning Law

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Patricia Nemeth, founder of Detroit-based management side labor and employment law firm Nemeth Law PC, has been selected by her peers for inclusion in DBusiness Magazine’s Top Lawyers for 2019.  She was listed under the practrice areas of Arbitration and Labor and Employment law.

In addition to being an attorney, Nemeth is an arbitrator and a certified mediator for all types of civil litigation, including employment. Her areas of legal expertise include all aspects of traditional labor and employment litigation law, including complex employment investigations and analyses, discrimination/harassment, age, disability, sex, race, whistleblowers, wrongful discharge, union organizing activities and union issues, and multi-party lawsuits.

She founded Nemeth Law as a solo practitioner in 1992. The firm is the largest woman-owned law firm in Michigan to exclusively represent management in the prevention, resolution and litigation of labor and employment disputes.  

Nemeth earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan and law degrees from Wayne State University School of Law. 

In April 2016, she received a Distinguished Alumni award from the Wayne State University School of Law at its annual Treasure of Detroit celebration, honoring those who have made significant contributions to the practice of law, as well as the growth and success of the Law School.

She is an ABA Foundation Fellow and a member of the Michigan, Illinois, Federal and the United States Supreme Court Bar.

Along with being included on the DBusiness Top Lawyers list in 2019 and 2018, Nemeth has received multiple Best Lawyers, Leading Lawyers and Michigan Super Lawyers honors throughout the years.

In addition, Nicholas Huguelet, a senior attorney at  Nemeth Law,  has been named an Up and Coming Lawyer by the legal trade publication, Michigan Lawyers Weekly. 

Huguelet and his fellow honorees will be recognized at the Up and Coming Lawyers luncheon celebration on December 13 at the Detroit Marriott – Troy.
At Nemeth Law, Huguelet practices in the areas of labor and employment. He has represented clients before federal and state courts, administrative agencies and arbitrators in both Michigan and Ohio.

He has experience representing and counseling both private and public sector clients in collective bargaining, employment disputes, and statutory and regulatory compliance.

While at Nemeth Law, he has successfully served as lead counsel in employment arbitrations, before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, among others.  As a result of Huguelet’s representation, many matters were dismissed or decided in the client’s favor.  

Huguelet is active in civic and professional activities.  He is a member of Michigan Defense Trial Counsel and is co-chair of the Labor an Employment Law Section and co-chair of the Section Chairs.

He is a regular contributor of articles on employment law for the Michigan Defense Quarterly. He is a member of the Oakland County Bar Association and previously served as program development chair for the Labor and Employment Committee. He is also a contributing editor for Developing Labor Law, a labor law treatise published and updated annually by BNA. 

Huguelet is a regular presenter on labor and employment law topics and most recently presented “Solving the Puzzle of Just Cause” for the American Arbitration Association.

He has served since 2016 as a member of the Board of Directors of Equity Education, a local non-profit organization dedicated to providing strong neighborhood schools and greater access to quality education to traditionally underserved populations.

Huguelet earned a law degree from the University of Toledo College of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Michigan State University.

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Jessica Woll, managing partner of Woll & Woll PC, a divorce and family law firm specializing in child-centric divorceSM matters and complex family law issues, has been selected by her peers for inclusion in DBusiness Magazine’s Top Lawyers for 2019. She was named under the category of family law.
Woll is a leader in divorce and family law issues and an experienced litigator, counselor and negotiator serving men, women and families in Michigan.

She has expertise in change of domicile cases and custody issues and is known for modifying the steps the court must take when determining whether a parent may leave the state with a minor child in the 2007 case of Rittershaus v. Rittershaus.

In 2014, Woll began a crusade to keep detailed, and often messy, divorce information and court filings off the internet to protect the innocent, minor children involved — and has found success in convincing many attorneys and judges to request that certain divorce and custody information harmful to children not be made part of the public file.

Woll has also been a vocal opponent of proposed Michigan legislation which revises several provisions of the Child Custody Act of 1970, Public Act 91 and aims for granting automatic joint custody and equal parenting time to both parents following divorce. Well-versed in divorce matters with complicated marital estate disputes, many of Woll’s clients are business owners themselves.

Woll earned a law degree degree from Wayne State University Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations and Economic Development from the University of Michigan.

She maintains a Lexis Nexis Top Lawyer rating and Martindale Hubbell’s AV Preeminent Peer Review rating. Woll was recently named a Michigan Super Lawyer 2018 in the practice area of family law and is a multi-year honoree.

Woll is a member of the National Council of Jewish Women, Metro Detroit section, and the National Association of Professional Women.

She is also chair-elect of the Board of Directors of the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center.

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Butzel Long attorney and shareholder Rebecca S. Davies has been named a 2018 Best of MichBusiness Awards recipient. Davies will be among the honorees during an Awards and Gala celebration on November 29 at the MGM Grand Detroit.

Davies is a finalist for “Best of the Best” overall winners. (Votes can be cast once a day until voting closes on November 9. (https://michbusiness.com/event/2018-best-michbusiness-awards-gala/vote).

Davies facilitates two monthly affinity groups of human resource professionals for MichBusiness.

Davies concentrates her practice primarily in the areas of employment law and commercial litigation. She represents employers in federal and state court litigation and before state and federal administrative agencies.

She has represented both the private and public sectors for nearly 20 years including companies with two to 20,000 employees. In the public sector, she has represented numerous municipalities, libraries, counties and government authorities.

Davies has had repeated success both in and out of the courtroom.

In federal court, she has received no cause verdicts in the defense of employment and commercial jury trials. In state court, she has obtained numerous dismissals and favorable settlements in a wide range of employment disputes, including harassment, wrongful termination, employment discrimination and wage claims.

She also has repeatedly obtained dismissals of charges before federal and state administrative agencies. Her greatest successes, however, may be her efforts to prevent litigation. She has regularly counseled employers regarding compliance under federal and state employment laws (including FLSA, FMLA, ADA and Title VII), drafted employment policies, and advised on preventative strategies.

Davies was named a “2017 Honoree for Michigan Women in the Law” by Michigan Lawyers Weekly. In addition, she is a frequent author and lecturer, not only for client in-house trainings and publications, but also outside organizations including Walsh College, the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, Automation Alley and the American Society of Employers.  

At the same time, Davies is an adjunct faculty member at Walsh College, where she teaches the SHRM-CP/SCP certification courses as well as general business law courses.

Davies is active in national and local legal associations and regularly volunteers in her community.

She is a regular contributor to the annual supplement for the American Bar Association’s The Fair Labor Standards published by BNA. She also serves on the Board and was the past chair of the North American Transportation Employee Relations Association (NATERA). She is a member and previously served as the chair for the Labor and Employment Section for the Oakland County Bar Association. She serves on the Workforce and Education Committee for Oakland County.

Davies earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan at Dearborn and law degrees from the Detroit College of Law and Wayne State University Law School.

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Plunkett Cooney has been selected “Law Firm of the Year” by Crain’s Detroit Business (Crain’s).

Plunkett Cooney was selected the first ever winner of the Law Firm of the Year honor.

“I can’t tell you how proud all of the men and women of Plunkett Cooney are about receiving this honor,” said Plunkett Cooney’s President & CEO Tom Vincent. “It’s a validation of the hard work, expertise and results our attorneys and staff achieve from the boardroom to the courtroom to the community. We’ve always known that ours is a great law firm, but it’s nice to be acknowledged by such a prestigious publication like Crain’s.”

The firm’s selection as Law Firm of the Year was based on trial verdicts, impactful litigation, appellate decisions and noteworthy business deals in 2017 and 2018. The honor was announced in the Oct. 29 edition of the business news publication.

Established in 1913, Plunkett Cooney employs nearly 300 employees, including approximately 150 attorneys in eight Michigan cities, as well as in Chicago, Illinois, Columbus, Ohio and Indianapolis, Indiana. The firm, which provides a range of transactional and litigation services, has achieved the highest rating (AV) awarded by Martindale-Hubbell. For eight consecutive years, U.S. News and Best Lawyers have also named Plunkett Cooney among its top commercial law firms in the United States.

Additionally, Plunkett Cooney was honored earlier this year by the National Law Journal as being among the top law firms nationally for female attorney diversity. The firm has also previously received state wide honors for being among the top places to work.

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Foley & Mansfield announces that it has again been included on the U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” rankings.
Foley & Mansfield was recognized as a Metropolitan Tier 2 firm in Detroit for Product Liability - Defense.

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Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer, & Weiss PC recently hired Kristiana Boutell, Benjamin Low, Max Mittleman, and Bridget Vance as associates. The new associates expand Jaffe’s Corporate, Family Law, Litigation, Privacy & Data Security and Real Estate Practice Groups. Jaffe CEO Jeffrey Weiss made the announcement.

Boutell joined Jaffe’s Family Law and Litigation Practice Groups. Prior to law school, Boutell interned and clerked for Oakland County Probate Court Judge Daniel A. O’Brien as well as clerked for Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Karen D. McDonald, Family Division. She earned her law degree from Michigan State University (MSU) College of Law.  Boutell also completed the Child and Family Advocacy Certificate Program through MSU Law.

She earned a bachelor degree in law & economics, and entrepreneurship and minored in legal studies and professional sales from Central Michigan University.

Low joined Jaffe’s Litigation and Privacy & Data Security Practice Groups, where he will represent businesses and individuals in all areas of business litigation. Prior to joining Jaffe, Low served as a judicial intern for U.S. District Court Judge Matthew F. Leitman, Eastern District of Michigan. He earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and history from the University of Michigan Dearborn.

Mittleman joined Jaffe’s Real Estate and Privacy & Data Security Groups, where he will concentrate his practice on providing legal services in the areas of commercial, industrial, retail and residential real estate to private and institutional developers, builders, management companies, real estate brokers and individuals. He earned his law degree from MSU College of Law and  a Bachelor of Science degree in interdisciplinary studies from MSU.

Vance joined Jaffe’s Corporate Practice Group, where she will concentrate her practice on general corporate matters and transactional work, including
mergers and acquisitions, and assisting emerging companies. She earned her law degree fform Wayne Law and her bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan.

Jaffe is also proud to announce that partner Jennifer Oertel was featured in the Denver Business Journal’s 2018 Who’s Who in Impact Investing special issue in recognition of her commitment to professional excellence and her contribution to the impact investing movement.  Jaffe CEO Jeffrey Weiss made the announcement.  Oertel, along with 94 others, were selected for this honor out of 1,000 applicants.

Oertel singlehandedly spearheaded the creation of Jaffe’s Tax-exempt Organizations and Impact Investing Practice Group eight years ago. Since that time, the Group has grown and expanded, with Jaffe now considered the “go-to” firm for legal counsel for impact investing and social enterprise, as well as private foundations and community foundations. Her practice was highlighted by the National Law Journal when it elected Jaffe as one of 20 firms (the only one in Michigan) to its Mid-size Hotlist (2015).

Oertel, the founding vice chair of the Michigan chapter of Social Enterprise Alliance, has judged “Crain’s Best Managed Nonprofits” and regularly judges social enterprise business plan competitions. She was appointed by the Council of Michigan Foundations as its first-ever impact investing expert in residence and continues in that role to support and further develop Michigan’s impact investing ecosystem. She has spoken and published both locally and nationally on impact investing and philanthropy, as well as served as a director and on the advisory boards of several for-impact organizations, winning several awards for her volunteerism.

In addition, DBusiness magazine has selected 24 Jaffe attorneys in 21 practice areas as Top Lawyers for 2019. Jaffe CEO Jeffrey Weiss made the announcement.

The following Jaffe attorneys were named to the 2019 list:

• Peter Alter: Litigation – Banking and Finance, and Commercial
• Christopher Andreoff: White-Collar Criminal Defense
• Jeremy Bisdorf: Corporate Law, and Intellectual Property and Patent Law
• Joshua Borson: Corporate Law
• Mark Cooper: Insurance Law and Litigation – Construction
• Robert Gordon: Corporate Law
• Paul Hage: Bankruptcy and Creditor / Debtor Rights 
• Ira Jaffe: Corporate Law
• Shirley Kaigler: Trusts and Estates
• Lee Kellert: Mergers and Acquisitions Law
• Mark Kowalsky: Securities Law
• Susan Lichterman: Family Law
• Eli Maroko: Immigration Law
• Jennifer Oertel: Nonprofit / Charities Law
• Mark Rubenfire: Real Estate Law
• Stephen Schafer: Public Finance Law
• Brian Shannon: Appellate Law
• Aaron Sherbin: Trusts and Estates
• William Sider: Tax Law
• Arthur Siegal: Environmental Law and Municipal Law
• David Steinberg: Franchise Law
• Peter Sugar: Mergers and Acquisitions Law, and Securities Law
• Jeffrey Weiss: Securities Law
• Richard Zussman: Real Estate Law

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Maddin, Hauser, Roth, & Heller PC announced that it has been ranked in the 2019 U.S. News-Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” list regionally in 16 practice areas.

“We’re pleased that our firm has once again earned the respect of other leading lawyers and clients in our community by being ranked in the top tier for so many of our core practice areas,” said Steven D. Sallen, president and CEO.

The firm’s Detroit metropolitan rankings are as follows:

Tier 1:
• Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
• Commercial Litigation
• Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
• Employment Law - Individuals
• Franchise Law
• Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants
• Litigation - Bankruptcy
• Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants
• Real Estate Law
• Trusts & Estates Law

Tier 2:
• Construction Law
• Insurance Law
• Litigation - Real Estate
• Tax Law

Tier 3:
• Corporate Law
• Litigation - Construction

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Foster Swift was included in the 2019 U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” list as a Tier 1 Law firm in 27 practice areas. Foster Swift’s Lansing office was awarded 21 Tier 1 ranked practice areas, with four more Tier 1 rankings going to the Grand Rapids office and two for the Southfield office. Overall, the firm was ranked in 49 practice areas on the 2019 list.

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U.S. News & World Report, in association with The Best Lawyers in America, has named Bodman PLC to its 2019 “Best Law Firms” list in multiple practice areas both in the local southeast Michigan market and nationally.

Bodman PLC has been ranked in the 2019 U.S. News - Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” list nationally in four practice areas and regionally in 27 practice areas across 3 metropolitan markets.

U.S. News ranked Bodman as a leader in the following areas:

Nationally:
Banking and Finance Law
Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Corporate Law
Environmental Law

Detroit market:
• Banking and Finance Law
• Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law
• Commercial Litigation
• Corporate Law
• Environmental Law
• Health Care Law
• Litigation-Banking & Finance
• Litigation-Bankruptcy
• Litigation-Environmental
• Litigation-Intellectual Property
• Litigation-Trusts & Estates
• Non-Profit/Charities Law
• Real Estate Law
• Trusts & Estates Law

Troy market:
• Banking and Finance Law
• Commercial Litigation
• Corporate Law
• Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
• Employment Law-Management
• Labor Law-Management
• Litigation-Banking & Finance
• Litigation-Real Estate
• Litigation-Trusts and Estates
• Municipal Law
• Real Estate Law
• Securities/Capital Markets Law

Ann Arbor market:
• Appellate Practice
• Commercial Litigation
• Construction Law
• Copyright Law
• Corporate Law
• Litigation-Intellectual Property
• Litigation-Patent
• Mergers & Acquisitions Law
• Non-Profit/Charities Law
• Real Estate Law
• Tax Law
• Trademark Law

In addition,  DBusiness has named 42 Bodman attorneys to its 2019 “Top Lawyers” list.

Bodman attorneys were recognized in 25 different practice areas.  The listed Bodman lawyers appear below by practice area.

Appellate Law
Amanda J. Frank
Thomas J. Rheaume Jr.
Banking and Financial Services Law
Robert J. Diehl Jr.
Kathleen O’Callaghan Hickey
Joseph J. Kochanek
Damali A. Sahu
Larry R. Shulman

Bankruptcy and Creditor/Debtor Rights Law
Marc M. Bakst
Ralph E. McDowell
Brian R. Trumbauer
Commercial Law
Jonathan P. Burleigh
David C. Stone

Copyright Law
Susan M. Kornfield
Corporate Law
Laurence B. Deitch
Forrest O. Dillon
Carrie Leahy
Ryan M. Olson
David C. Stone
Employee Benefits Law
David B. Walters
Environmental Law
Fredrick J. Dindoffer
Nathan D. Dupes
Franchise Law
Courtland W. Anderson
Health Care Law
E. William S. Shipman

Insurance Law
Michelle Thurber Czapski
Labor and Employment Law
John C. Cashen
Christopher P. Mazzoli
Land Use and Zoning
Sandra Sorini-Elser
Legal Malpractice Law
George G. Kemsley
Litigation - Banking and Finance
Robert J. Diehl Jr.
Dennis J. Levasseur
Litigation - Commercial
Jeffrey G. Raphelson
Joseph J. Shannon

Litigation - Construction
Harvey W. Berman
Litigation - Intellectual Property
Dennis J. Levasseur

Litigation - Patents
Susan M. Kornfield
Mergers and Acquisitions Law
Laurence B. Deitch
Timothy R. Damschroder
Forrest O. Dillon
Mark W. Peters

Nonprofit/Charities Law
Celeste E. Arduino
Christopher J. Dine
Joseph J. Kochanek

Real Estate Law
Nicholas P. Scavone Jr.

Securities Law
Mark W. Peters

Tax Law
Christopher J. Dine

Trusts and Estates
Anthony P. Cracchiolo
Andrew H. Curoe
Andrea M. DeFrain
David M. Hempstead
David P. Larsen
Marguerite Munson Lentz

Bodman is also pleased to announce that three associate attorneys have joined local firm offices: M. Brian Braum Jr., Samantha K. Wiesner, and Katelyn M. Young.

Braum is a member of Bodman’s Banking and Bankruptcy and Debtor-Rights practice groups in the Detroit office.

He represents financial institutions in the negotiation and documentation of commercial lending arrangements and represents business clients, including banks, in connection with commercial bankruptcy issues and disputes. He is a former law clerk with two Chicago-based firms and served as a legal extern with the Chicago Park District.

Before becoming an attorney, Braum worked as a senior intelligence analyst for an accounting and consulting firm and as an intelligence analyst intern with the Michigan State Police.

Braum earned his undergraduate degree from Michigan State University and his law degree from DePaul University College of Law.

Wiesner is a member of the Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Practice Group in the Detroit office.

She represents employers and benefit plan service providers on ERISA issues, benefit plan arrangements, and related civil litigation.

She served as a federal judicial intern with U.S. Court of Appeals Judge David W. McKeague, Sixth Circuit, and with U.S. District Court Judge Henry E. Hudson, Eastern District of Virginia, and served as a legal intern with the Henrico County (Virginia) Attorney’s office.

Wiesner earned her undergraduate degree, with honors, from the University of Michigan and her law degree from the University of Richmond School of Law.

Young is a member of the Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Practice Group in the Detroit office.

She represents business clients in commercial litigation matters.

Young was a member of Bodman’s 2017 summer associate class and was active with many student activities and organizations in law school, including Moot Court, the Student Bar Association, the Wayne Law Student Ambassadors Program, the Medical Health & Law Society, and The Legal Advocacy for People with Cancer Clinic, among others.

She received multiple academic honors including the Brass Ring Endowed Scholarship and the Mark A. Miller Scholarship and
She was a federal judicial intern for U.S. District Court Judge Sean F. Cox, Eastern District of Michigan. Before attending law school, Young worked with the University of Michigan Health System in various roles and served two internships with the U.S. Marshals Service in Detroit.

Young earned her undergraduate degree from Michigan State University and her law degree from Wayne State University Law School.

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Telemus is pleased to announce that financial life advisor Chris MacKenzie has been admitted to the State Bar of Michigan after earning his law degree at Loyola University Chicago School of Law and passing the Michigan Bar exam.

 A swearing-in ceremony took place recently in front of Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Shalina D. Kumar. MacKenzie received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan.

“I feel a definite sense of accomplishment. This was a lifelong goal,” MacKenzie says. “I use my legal background to facilitate business entity creation, estate plan review and tax planning with outside attorneys and accountants.”

MacKenzie joined the Telemus team in 2016. He helps individuals and families make smart decisions with their money through investment strategy, financial guidance and holistic planning. He also assists business owners with evaluating their qualified retirement options including 401(k), profit sharing and cash balance plans.

Being admitted to the State Bar of Michigan is also meaningful for MacKenzie on a personal note. His late grandfather Arthur Healey attended The George Washington University Law School but never completed his degree. He worked in the Office of the General Counsel at Ford Motor Co. and passed away in 2013, during MacKenzie’s first semester of law school.

“It was important to my grandfather,” MacKenzie says. “[Being admitted to the Bar] is always something I wanted to finish for him and for myself.”

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Dickinson Wright PLLC is pleased to announce that attorney Michelle Puricelli has joined the firm’s Troy office as Of Counsel.

Puricelli focuses her practice in real estate law. Among other things, she assists clients with drafting, reviewing, and negotiating real estate and loan documentation and counsels clients with respect thereto. Puricelli is a former in-house counsel for The Taubman Company LLC, where she handled various real estate and commercial matters, including assisting the company with the financing of its regional shopping centers, and was an integral member of the company’s Foreign Corrupt Practices Act committee.

Puricelli is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and is recognized as a leader by her peers in DBusiness Top Corporate Counsel.

Puricelli received her B.A. from the University of Michigan and her law degree from Wayne State University Law School.

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Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC is pleased to announce that Alex Leonowicz has been named to Michigan Lawyers Weekly ‘Up & Coming Lawyers’ Class of 2018.

Leonowicz concentrates his practice on cannabis law and related business transactions. He represents clients nationwide and internationally in the cannabis cultivation, processing and dispensary businesses assisting with the complex regulatory landscape involved in participating in or providing ancillary services to the medical and adult use marijuana industry.

Leonowicz received his B.A. from Kalamazoo College in 2008 and his law degree from University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 2012.  He is licensed to practice in the States of Michigan and Illinois as well as before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and the Northern District of Illinois. Leonowicz serves as a volunteer for the Pat Tillman Foundation.

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Miller Canfield announces that Stephen E. Selander has joined the firm’s Automotive practice team.

Selander has dedicated most of his professional legal career to the automotive industry, with a particular focus on automotive and product regulation law.

He brings to the firm extensive experience in NHTSA and TREAD Act issues, has regularly counseled OEMs and automotive suppliers on liability, vehicle safety, recall and other related issues, and is currently advising the Automotive Industry Action Group on TREAD Act reporting requirements.

Prior to joining Miller Canfield, Selander spent nearly 30 years as an attorney with General Motors Corp.

In roles of ever-increasing responsibility, he was a leader on GM’s anti-trust, product liability, finance and insurance litigation defense team before shifting his career to private practice.

Selander is a frequent presenter and author on automotive issues. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees and a law degree from the University of Michigan. He is active in the State Bar of Michigan and the American Bar Association.