Dickinson Wright PLLC is pleased to announce that attorney Scott A. Petz has recently been appointed to serve as an advisor on the Electronic Discovery Reference Model's (EDRM) 2020 Global Advisory Council.
With presence in 113 countries, EDRM creates global practical resources and standards to improve e-discovery, privacy, security, and information governance throughout the world. EDRM is best known for its innovative and highly detailed reference model that is used as a global standard for e-discovery and the recovery of digital data.
"I'm honored to collaborate with other e-discovery thought leaders on EDRM's 2020 Global Advisory Council, including judges, attorneys, in-house counsel, and other legal professionals, and I'm eager to continue to provide education in the field," says Petz.
Petz is a member in the firm's Troy office where he focuses his practice in the areas of commercial and business litigation, class and collective actions, labor litigation, consumer protection, and condemnation and land use.
Petz received his B.A. from Kalamazoo College and his law degree from The John Marshall Law School.
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Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently announced the following appointments to the Electronic Recording Commission and the Mental Health Diversion Council:
-Electronic Recording Commission
Brian P. Henry is the chief counsel for eTitle Agency and the chief legal officer for Orlans Associates PC. He earned his law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. Henry is appointed to represent an individual who is engaged in the land title profession, for a term commencing February 7, 2020 and expiring January 1, 2022. He succeeds Thomas Richardson whose term expired January 1, 2020.
The Electronic Recording Commission keeps the standards and practices of county registers of deeds in this state in harmony with the standards and practices of offices of county registers of deeds in other jurisdictions. The commission keeps the technology used by county registers of deeds in this state compatible with technology used by offices of county registers of deeds in other jurisdictions.
This appointment is not subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.
-Mental Health Diversion Council
Milton L. Mack Jr. is the state court administrator for the Michigan Supreme Court and the former chief judge of the Wayne County Probate Court. He earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School. Mack is reappointed to represent the State Court Administrative Office for a term commencing February 7, 2020 and expiring January 30, 2024. The governor has designated Mack to serve as chairperson of the council.
The Mental Health Diversion Council is an advisory body to the Governor within the Department of Health and Human Services charged to advise and assist in the implantation of a diversion action plan and provide recommendations for statutory, contractual or procedural changes to improve diversion.
This appointment is not subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.
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Bodman PLC is pleased to announce that Donovan S. Asmar, Julia C. Massaro, and Christine L. Phillips have been admitted as members of the firm.
Phillips was previously a senior attorney and Asmar and Massaro were previously senior associates with Bodman.
Asmar practices in Bodman's Troy office and is a member of the Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution, Appellate, and Insurance practice groups. He represents clients involved in complex commercial litigation matters. Before joining Bodman, Asmar clerked for Michigan Supreme Court Justice Mary Beth Kelly.
Asmar serves on the board of directors of the Notre Dame Club of Detroit. He has been recognized in DBusiness Top Lawyers 2020 under Appellate Law and in Michigan Rising Stars 2019 under Business Litigation. Michigan Lawyers Weekly selected him as a member of its 2019 class of "Up and Coming Lawyers." He was the 2016 recipient of the Detroit Bar Association Pro Bono Award for exemplary pro bono service.
Massaro practices in the Detroit office and is a member of the High Net Worth and Exempt Organizations and Impact Investing practice groups. Her clients include high net worth individuals and a broad range of nonprofit organizations including family foundations, public charities, religious organizations, and other tax-exempt and charitable organizations.
She advises high net worth clients on estate planning and on gift and income tax matters. She also advises high net worth clients on estate administration, real estate transactions, and business planning. She counsels nonprofit organizations on securing and retaining exempt status, corporate governance issues, and compliance issues.
Massaro has a degree in Art History. Before becoming an attorney, she worked for a prominent New York gallery where she researched and archived more than 500 works of art. She also conducted extensive research on the artists and the current market with her findings ultimately influencing the gallery's purchasing and pricing decisions.
Phillips practices in Bodman's Detroit office and is a member of the Banking Practice Group. She represents lenders in the structuring, negotiation, and documentation of real estate and general commercial loans. She also has experience representing for-profit and non-profit project owners and developers and lenders in real estate finance matters and in general real estate law, including matters involving 1031 exchanges, leases, acquisitions, and sales of industrial, commercial, and multi-family residential properties.
Her background includes experience working as a real estate sales agent and as an in-house attorney for a commercial development company where she handled a wide range of real estate transactions, conducted real estate due diligence, coordinated closings, and collaborated with outside counsel on construction and corporate litigation matters. Phillips also worked as an in-house attorney for a publicly-traded Fortune 500 company focusing on regulatory compliance and employment matters.
