Legal People

Secrest Wardle

On December 5, Michigan Lawyers Weekly held a celebratory awards luncheon for its Class of 2019 “Up & Coming Lawyers” at the Detroit Marriott located in Troy.  Javon L. Williams, an executive partner at Secrest Wardle’s Troy location, was among the 30 honorees recognized at the event.

Those in attendance from Secrest Wardle included Senior Partner and Co-Managing Partner Nathan Edmonds, Senior Partner Mark Morley, Senior Partner Daniel Makarski, Senior Partner Anthony Randazzo, Partner Justin Grimske, and Javon Williams’ wife, Jana Williams.

—————

Plunkett Cooney

Karen Goodman Mucha recently joined the Healthcare Industry Group of Plunkett Cooney.

An Of Counsel attorney in the firm’s Bloomfield Hills office, Goodman Mucha focuses her practice primarily in the area of healthcare law. She has experience drafting commercial and governmental managed care contracts; managing complex health care and employment litigation; handling health care transactions for a variety of providers; ensuring Medicare and regulatory compliance for health care providers with a particular focus on home health and hospice providers; and reviewing, drafting and revising health system vendor agreements, including those for information technology.

Goodman Mucha has more than 30 years of experience as in-house counsel for a home health and hospice provider, physician organizations, medical centers and managed care organizations. She has handled a variety of industry-related issues, including compliance and code of conduct programs, fraud and abuse, HIPAA, patient care issues, and agreement disputes with professional service, educational affiliation, system-wide vendor and vendor procurement and payors.

Goodman Mucha received her master’s degree from the Chan School of Public Health at Harvard University in 1986. She received her law degree from Wayne State University Law School in 1983 and her undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1980. Goodman Mucha is a member of the American Health Lawyers Association, the State Bar of Michigan and the Health Care Compliance Association, from which she earned a Certificate in Health Care Compliance.

Plunkett Cooney’s Healthcare Industry Group was formed to meet the unique needs of clients in the increasingly complex business of healthcare. Using a multi-specialty approach, the firm’s attorneys solve and work to prevent problems on behalf of all types of healthcare providers, payors and health-related businesses. The firm’s clients include physicians and physician networks, single- and multi-specialty professional practices, physician-hospital organizations, integrated delivery networks, pharmacies, ambulatory surgery centers, long-term care facilities and many others.

—————

Maddin, Hauser, Roth, & Heller PC

Maddin, Hauser, Roth, & Heller PC is pleased to announce that Collin D. Dickey has joined the firm as an associate in the Estate Planning and Probate, and Tax practice groups.  The announcement was made by the firm’s president and CEO, Steven D. Sallen.

Dickey focuses his practice primarily on estate planning, probate, and elder law. He has experience in wealth planning and assisting clients with mitigation strategies, and is well-versed in handling legal inquiries involving the IRS and the State of Michigan.

After completing his legal education, Dickey worked as a judicial law clerk in Oakland County  Circuit Court for Judge Karen D. McDonald where he gained exposure to a wide variety of family law issues.

Dickey is a sought-after speaker at various events throughout Metro Detroit, where he educates the public on estate planning tools and strategies. Dickey’s speaking engagements include discussions at assisted living facilities, public educational workshops, and various chambers of commerce and networking events.

Dickey was selected to the Super Lawyers® 2018-2019 Michigan Rising Stars list,

—————

Health Alliance Plan

Health Alliance Plan, a Michigan-based nonprofit health plan, has named Pamela Cleveland chief compliance officer.  In this role, she is responsible for ensuring that the organization complies with all state and federal laws, regulatory requirements, policies and procedures.

Prior to joining HAP, Cleveland served as chief compliance officer and vice president of strategy at Beacon Healthcare Systems in Huntington Beach, Calif.  Before that, she was director of Medicare compliance at Medical Mutual of Ohio in Cleveland and also served as compliance officer at Scott and White Health Plan in Temple, Texas.  Earlier in her career, she held a variety of compliance leadership roles at Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Ohio in Cleveland.

In addition to her health care experience, she served for 11 years as magistrate of the Village of North Randall, Ohio, leading all courtroom proceedings brought before the mayor’s court.  She also served for three years as president of the board of education for Warrensville Heights, Ohio.

Cleveland earned a degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree in social work from Ohio State University.  She is a licensed social worker (LSW) and is certified in healthcare compliance (CHC).

—————

Bodman PLC

Bodman PLC is pleased to announce that attorneys Garret Michael Haddon II, John J. “Jack” Kelly, and Evangeline Nketia have joined the firm.

Kelly and Nketia were members of Bodman’s 2018 class of summer associates. Haddon worked formerly as a contract support specialist with Bodman’s Enterprise Procurement Group.
Haddon, of Bodman’s Troy office, is a staff attorney and a member of the Enterprise Procurement Group. He represents business clients in connection with the drafting and negotiation of a broad range of commercial contracts. Before joining Bodman he served as a legal intern with the Detroit Mercy Law Veterans Clinic and as a judicial intern with U.S. District Court Chief Judge Denise Page Hood Eastern District of Michigan.

Haddon is a graduate of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.  He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan.

Kelly, of the firm’s Detroit office, is an associate attorney and a member of the Real Estate Practice Group. He represents businesses and financial institutions in connection with commercial and industrial real estate transactions and in real estate finance matters. He also represents individual clients in connection with the purchase and sale of significant personal residences.

Kelly is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame Law School. While in law school, Kelly served as a judicial extern to Judge Robert E. Gordon of the Illinois Appellate Court. He also worked for a year with Legal Help for Veterans, where he interviewed prospective clients and assisted veterans in applying for benefits from the Veterans Administration. Kelly earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan.

Nketia, of the firm’s Detroit office, is an associate attorney and a member of the High Net Worth Practice Group. She represents individual clients in connection with estate planning and related tax matters and the administration of complex trusts and estates. While a Bodman summer associate, Nketia was selected for a secondment assignment with the legal department of global pharmaceutical manufacturer Eli Lilly and Company where she was exposed to a variety of corporate and securities law matters. She has also worked as a law clerk with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office where she conducted legal research and reviewed case and statutory law in connection with inquiries into various state and federal issues.
A graduate of the University of Toledo College of Law, Nketia earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology.  She is active in the community and has served as a volunteer coordinator for the Peel Children’s Aid Society and as a helpline volunteer for the Victim’s Services Appeal.

—————

Warner, Norcross, & Judd LLP

Warner, Norcross, & Judd LLP recently welcomed two new attorneys to the firm.  Katelyn D. Crysler and Celia G. Kaechele, who have been admitted to the State Bar of Michigan, are gaining experience in a variety of legal matters before selecting a practice group. They are based in the firm’s Southfield office.

Crysler received her law degree from Michigan State University College of Law,. She earned a bachelor of arts degree from DePaul University in political science and professional writing. Crysler served as an extern at the University of Michigan’s Office of General Counsel.

Kaechele received her law degree from MSU College of Law.  She earned a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Michigan in political science and international studies. She was a summer clerk for the Michigan Association of Governmental Employees.