Legal People ...

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,

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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).

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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.

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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.

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Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently appointed Jacquelyn A. McClinton to the  Wayne County 36th District Court in the Detroit.

McClinton currently serves as an administrative law judge with the State of Michigan. In this role, she presides over administrative hearings relating to benefits services, licensing, disability, and expunction matters. Prior to becoming an administrative law judge, McClinton served as an assistant attorney general for the State of Michigan in the Child and Youth Services, Unemployment, and Criminal Divisions. 

McClinton is a resident of Detroit and a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. She is also a member of the NAACP, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Black Women’s Lawyers Association, Wolverine Bar Association, D. Augustus Straker Bar Association, and the Association of Black Judges of Michigan.

She earned her law degree and master’s degree in dispute resolution from Wayne State University Law School.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the citizens of Detroit,” McClinton said. “I understand the importance of fair and impartial proceedings. It is imperative to me that the citizens of Detroit are treated with the dignity that they deserve and sincerely believe that the justice system is balanced.” 

This appointment was made to fill a partial term left vacant by the appointment of Judge Cylenthia LaToye Miller to the Wayne County Circuit Court on July 24. McClinton’s term will commence January 13 and expire at twelve o’clock noon on January 1, 2021. If she wishes to serve the remainder of Judge Miller’s term, expiring at twelve o’clock noon on January 1, 2023, she would be required to run for reelection in November 2020. 

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Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently announced the following appointments to the Michigan Civil Rights Commission, Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission, and the Hispanic/Latino Commission of Michigan.

Michigan Civil Rights Commission

Zenna Faraj Elhasan, a Democrat of Dearborn, is the lead attorney and general counsel for The Kresge Foundation. She is a member of the ACCESS Community Advisory Board,
The Children’s Foundation of Michigan Board, and the State Bar of Michigan Access to Justice Policy Committee. She earned her law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. Elhasan is appointed for a term commencing January 1, 2020 and expiring December 31, 2023. She succeeds Rasha Demashkieh whose term expires December 31, 2019.

The Michigan Civil Rights Commission was created by the Michigan Constitution of 1963 to carry out the guarantees against discrimination articulated in Article I, Section 2.  As further stated in Article V, Section 29, the State Constitution directs the Commission to investigate alleged discrimination against any person because of religion, race, color or national origin, and to “secure the equal protection of such civil rights without such discrimination.”  Public Acts 453 and 220 of 1976 and subsequent amendments have added sex, age, marital status, height, weight, arrest record, and physical and mental disabilities to the original four protected categories.

The appointment is  subject to the advice and consent of the Senate. 

Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission

Ramesh Kumar Palepu, of Grosse Pointe Farms, is an assistant prosecuting attorney for Macomb County’s Child Protection Unit and a member of the Veterans Treatment Court program. He serves as a first lieutenant and Air Force Judge Advocate General at the Selfridge Air National Guard Base Legal office and is a veteran of the United States Army.
Palepu earned his law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. Palepu is appointed for a term commencing December 1, 2019 and expiring November 30, 2023. He succeeds Jianli “Jenny” Wang whose term expires November 30, 2019.

The Michigan Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission’s (MAPAAC) vision is to be an exemplary commission by adding public value to the State of Michigan and the Asian Pacific American community, by fully engaging Asian Pacific Americans across the state.

This appointment is subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.

Hispanic/Latino Commission of Michigan

Abril Siewert-Valdes, of Ferndale, is a business immigration practice group attorney for Honigman LLP in Detroit and a former immigrant rights attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan.

Siewert-Valdes earned her law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.  Siewert-Valdes is appointed for a term commencing December 18, 2019 and expiring December 10, 2022. She succeeds Keysha Camps whose term expires December 10, 2019.

The Hispanic/Latino Commission of Michigan was created to develop a unified policy and plan of action to serve the needs of Michigan’s Hispanic and Latino people. The law directs the Commission to advise the Governor, the Legislature, and the office concerning the coordination and administration of state programs serving the Hispanic and Latino population.
This appointment is subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.

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Fisher Phillips, a national workplace law firm representing employers, and The Murray Law Group, a boutique labor, employment, and immigration firm located in metropolitan Detroit have reached an agreement to combine practices under the Fisher Phillips banner.  As of January 1, the boutique’s attorneys will join Fisher Phillips and the physical space located at 31780 Telegraph Road in Bingham Farms will assume the Fisher Phillips brand and become the firm’s 36th office location.

The opening of a Michigan office will expand Fisher Phillips’ Midwest presence and continue the growth of the firm’s national footprint.

Through the addition of The Murray Law Group, Fisher Phillips will benefit from a group of attorneys known for providing counseling, negotiation and litigation services to local and national employers across a wide range of industries. With one of the largest immigration practices in Michigan, the group has experience servicing clients for the automotive, manufacturing, transportation, health care, scientific, military, and temporary service provider industries. Due in part to its location, the group is also nationally recognized for its ability to quickly and efficiently resolve admissibility issues at the U.S.-Canada border.

The attorneys of The Murray Law Group have experience guiding employers on compliance with state and federal laws including the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Members of the group also represent employers in wage and hour and occupational health and safety matters before both the United States and Michigan Departments of Labor. In addition, the firm provides valuable advice and counseling to clients on a wide variety of human relations and personnel matters.

“Becoming a part of Fisher Phillips will allow us to better serve our clients, as many of the clients we represent work on a national and/or global basis.  Having offices in so many locations across the country will give our clients the high level of service they have come to expect wherever their facilities are located,” said Susan Hartmus Hiser, president of The Murray Law Group. “In turn, we here at The Murray Law Group are eager to assist Fisher Phillips’ clients who do business in Michigan.  Becoming part of Fisher Phillips benefits everyone, as we all work to achieve the best possible results for our clients and help solve the complex legal issues that exist in today’s market.”

In total, 13 attorneys will be joining Fisher Phillips. The seven joining as partners include William E. Altman, Dorothy Hanigan Basmaji, Jesse Goldstein, Susan Hartmus Hiser, Debra Auerbach Clephane Kennedy, Kathleen Saenz Poppenger and Ronald E. Reynolds.

William E. Altman served as vice president and treasurer of The Murray Law Group. He brings experience in the areas of labor, employment, and benefits litigation on behalf of private and public sector employers. He advises employers regarding their obligations under state and federal employment laws, including employment and separation agreements, employment policies, internal investigations, and compliance with state and federal anti-discrimination, wage and hour, and benefits laws. Altman has experience defending and advising employers in employee benefits matters and has successfully defended employers in ERISA class actions alleging breach of fiduciary duty, discrimination, and denial of benefits.

Dorothy Hanigan Basmaji focuses her practice on business immigration and served as her firm’s Immigration Practice Group Leader. She has experience in seeking internal transfers for corporate employees from other countries, as well as representing corporations seeking external hires. Basmaji also advises executives and other business professionals regarding complex immigration regulations. She represents clients before the Department of Labor and its state agencies in labor certification proceedings and matters relating to obtaining nonimmigrant status for physicians, nurses, and other professionals.  She has experience in effectuating the entry of business persons under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and frequently represents clients before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services in Michigan and across the U.S.

Jesse Goldstein practices in the area of immigration, focusing upon employment-based immigration throughout a range of industries.  His areas of experience include H-1B petitions, L-1 Intra-Company transfers, E1/E2 Treaty Traders/Investors, NAFTA visas, O-1 petitions, Multinational Managers, PERM labor certifications, I-140 petitions, and Employment-Based Permanent Residence.

Susan Hartmus Hiser has served as president of The Murray Law Group with a focus in the areas of labor and employment litigation on behalf of private and public sector employers. She represents employers in litigation filed in both state and federal courts, as well as in administrative proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, and the Michigan Employment Relations Commission. Susan has experience in representing employers in multi-plaintiff harassment and disparate treatment cases. In addition to counseling employers on various employment matters, such as FMLA compliance, disciplinary issues and workplace investigations, She has drafted and reviewed employment contracts, personnel policies, and employee handbooks. She has also conducted in-house training on all areas of employment law, including harassment prevention, legal compliance, and workplace policies. Hiser is frequently called upon both to assist in and to conduct workplace investigations on behalf of her clients.

Debra Auerbach Clephane Kennedy has served as secretary of The Murray Law Group with experience handling immigration matters and counseling employers in I-9 compliance actions.  Kennedy is national immigration counsel for several Tier-1 automotive suppliers and advises both U.S. and non-U.S. employers who seek to employ foreign nationals in the United States. She regularly counsels management and professional organizations on strategic planning immigration issues related to establishing new U.S. enterprises.  She also provides on-site employer training for human resource personnel on topics of temporary visa classifications, student employment, national interest waivers, permanent residence procedures, I-9 compliance, NAFTA and IRCA discrimination.

Kathleen Saenz Poppenger has experience in the area of employment-based immigration matters, including H-1B workers, L-1 Intra-Company transfers, E 1/E2 Treaty Traders/Investors, NAFTA visas, Multinational Managers, PERM processing, Employment-Based Permanent Residence, as well as I-9 Compliance, Family-Based Green Card matters and Hardship Waivers. She has experience with healthcare-related immigration matters as well as complex citizenship issues in a variety of other industries.

Ronald E. Reynolds has a diverse business and litigation practice which includes counseling clients on business, employment and real estate issues, as well as litigating real property, employment, business and commercial matters.  He has experience in trial courts, appellate courts and arbitration venues, and has been appointed both a facilitator and an arbitrator in complex commercial and real property law cases.  Reynolds also serves in a “general counsel” capacity for several small businesses.

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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.