Dickinson Wright PLLC is pleased to announce that the firm's Trademark practice in Michigan along with attorney John Nishi have all been ranked in the 2020 edition of the WTR 1000.
The 2020 edition of the WTR 1000 features more than 80 country and US state-specific chapters analyzing local trademark legal services markets and profiling the firms and individuals singled out as leaders in their respective fields.
Below are Dickinson Wright's rankings for the 2020 edition of the WTR 1000:
Michigan
Trademark Practice - Recommended
John Nishi - Gold
Dickinson Wright's Trademark practice works with clients regionally, nationally and internationally, helping them select, register and monitor enforcement of their valuable trademarks, trade names and service marks. From filing and prosecuting trademark applications to resolving disputes, we help clients secure, optimize and protect their trademarks, trade names, service marks, and Internet domain names worldwide.
- - -
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently announced the appointment of Marilena B. David-Martin to the Michigan Community Corrections Board.
David-Martin, of Detroit, is the training director and deputy director of the State Appellate Defender Office. She earned her law degree from Wayne State University Law School.
David-Martin is appointed to represent criminal defense attorneys for a term commencing April 1, 2020 and expiring March 31, 2024. She succeeds Keith Turpel whose term expires March 31, 2020.
The Michigan Community Corrections Board serves in an advisory capacity to the director of the Michigan Department of Corrections and is charged with approving many components of community corrections programs including: goals, eligibility criteria, program guidelines, program standards and policies, the application process, procedures for funding, and criteria for evaluation.
This appointment is subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.
- - -
Foster Swift, Collins, & Smith PC welcomes attorney Joseph B. Gale to the firm's Southfield office in the General Litigation Practice Group. His practice focuses on general civil litigation and all aspects of first and third party no-fault litigation.
Gale joins Foster Swift as an associate from his previous firm in Bloomfield Hills. His past experience includes representing clients in a wide range of practice areas including insurance, employment, civil rights, and municipal law.
Gale earned his Bachelor of Business Administration/Pre-Law degree from the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University. He then attended Wayne State University Law School, where he earned his law degree in 2014.
Gale is licensed to practice in all Michigan state courts, as well as in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, and the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. He is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and the Oakland County Bar Association.
In addition, Anne M. Seurynck has been elected president of Foster Swift, Collins, & Smith PC becoming the first woman chosen for the leadership role in the 118-year history of the law firm. In her new role, Seurynck will chair Foster Swift's Executive Committee, which guides the 100-attorney firm.
Seurynck has been tapped for many leadership roles throughout her tenure at the firm. She has served as vice president of Foster Swift's West Michigan office, practice group leader for the Municipal Law Group, chair of the firm's Recruiting Committee, and a member of the firm's Diversity Committee. She also has been actively involved in developing and implementing firm-wide policies.
Seurynck has spent her entire career at Foster Swift. She found a unique niche early on, becoming, at the time, one of a few lawyers in Michigan to practice library law. Seurynck also represents municipalities and public entities, with expertise on the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
Seurynck pursued a non-traditional path to the presidency at Foster Swift. While undertaking various leadership roles, she was also one of the first lawyers to navigate the firm's flex program, which supports attorneys who work an approved alternative schedule. Seurynck, a parent of three, said the opportunity allowed her to build a strong and successful legal practice while being an involved parent.
"We want to make sure that practicing law fits with life," said Seurynck. "I am appreciative of the firm for seeing that we don't have to fit the traditional mold, that there should still be an opportunity for advancement in leadership roles while on an alternative schedule."
Seurynck has proven it's possible to build a successful law practice, be involved in daily firm management, mentor young attorneys, and have a meaningful personal life while working a flexible schedule. In her role as president, she now wants to make sure that others know they can utilize this program without risking their careers.
"We see the value in what individual attorneys bring to the firm," she said.
As president, Seurynck will not only continue to serve her clients, she also will serve Foster Swift by offering the same support she has been given by the firm over the course of her career. She is particularly focused on continuing to grow the firm's associate attorneys into future leaders.
"We have a lot invested in making sure this is a great place to work and for clients to do business," she said. "We will continue to implement new ideas and new technologies to meet the needs of our clients and our employees."
In addition to Seurynck, other members elected to the 2020 Executive Committee include: Julie Fershtman - Vice President, Southfield; Todd Hoppe Treasurer and Vice President, Grand Rapids; Douglas Mielock Secretary, Lansing; David Russell Vice President, Lansing; and Brent Titus Vice President, Lansing.
- - -
John Decker, a partner at Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer, & Weiss PC, has been elected as the chair of the Board of Trustees for the Detroit Historical Society. Jaffe CEO Jeffrey M. Weiss made the announcement on behalf of the firm.
The Detroit Historical Societyis a private, nonprofit organization located in Midtown, the heart of Detroit's cultural center. Founded in 1921, its mission is to tell Detroit's stories and why they matter. Today, the Society operates the Detroit Historical Museum and the Dossin Great Lakes Museum. In addition, the Society is responsible for the conservation and preservation of more than 250,000 artifacts that represent three centuries of our region's rich history. Through its museum exhibits, school tour programs, community-based programs and history-themed outreach efforts, the Society serves more than 150,000 people annually.
Decker has served on the Society's Board since 2011, most recently serving on its executive committee and chairing the governance committee.
Decker is a member Jaffe's mergers & acquisitions and emerging & growth business practice groups. In his role, he works closely with the tax-exempt organizations & impact investing group. Decker specializes in complex business transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, financing, private equity and venture capital investments, cross-border transactions, general contracts and securities.
He is a graduate of Harvard Law School, the University of Michigan Business School, and the London Business School.
- - -
Bashore Green Law Group in Pontiac, a personal injury firm specializing in helping clients following auto accidents, trucking accidents, motorcycle accident, dog bites, slip and falls (premises liability), general negligence and injuries resulting from unpaid or missing life and death benefits, has added Howard Cohen as a trial attorney and associate to its growing team.
Choen comes to Bashore Green from the Sam Bernstein Law Firm as a litigation attorney handling personal injuries, including automobile accident cases, as well as premises liability and general negligence cases. He has practiced law for more than 32 years during which time he has specialized in several specific areas, including automotive accident, admiralty/Jones Act litigation, Longshore and Defense Base Act, railroad and FELA litigation along with Worker's Compensation claims.
The move to Bashore Green Law was a good fit for both parties, said Cohen, who is excited to be joining a mid-sized, growing law firm serving southeastern Michigan.
"I've am proud to be joining the Bashore Green Law Group," Howard said. "I have a great respect for the work they do and the care they and their staff provide each and every one of their clients. I also love that they have an office in downtown Pontiac and are very supportive of local community news and activities."
Howard received both his B.S. and law degree from Wayne State University after receiving a full merit scholarship for his Bachelor's Degree out of high school. He is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and has several bar memberships with local U.S. District Courts and U.S. Courts of Appeal in Michigan, California, Texas, Illinois, Indiana, and Arkansas.
- - -
Collins, Einhorn, Farrell PC is pleased to announce that attorney Erin J. Rodenhouse has joined the firm's appellate practice group.
Before joining Collins Einhorn, Rodenhouse was a law clerk for the Third Judicial Circuit Court of Michigan. In her capacity as a law clerk, Rodenhouse authored numerous opinions on standing, statutory construction, collateral estoppel, employment discrimination, retaliation, contracts, and Michigan's Uniform Commercial Code. Dozens of her bench memoranda have been read into the record for rulings on summary disposition.
Rodenhouse received her law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 2019. During law school, she interned at the Federal Community Defenders' in Detroit where she successfully advocated for indigent criminal defendants.
Rodenhouse is involved with the Detroit Bar Association and the State Bar of Michigan Appellate Practice Group. She also volunteers at her church, Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Birmingham.
- - -
Fishman Stewart PLLC, a United States-based intellectual property law firm with worldwide clients, recently relocated its headquarters to 800 Tower Drive in Troy.
The firm's offices are located in the North Troy Corporate Park and the new workspace provides a modern office layout as well as private drop-in or "hoteling" spaces for colleagues visiting from remote firm locations.
"We could not be more excited about our new workspace," said Michael Fishman, co-founder of the firm. "Our new space encourages collaboration among our legal professionals, accommodates growth as the firm expands and incorporates the latest technology to maximize our efficiency, all to the benefit of our clients."
Fishman Stewart's areas of specialty include patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, licensing, and litigation. Since 1996, the firm has managed more than 100,000 patents and trademarks worldwide and provided representation in hundreds of contested matters.
Published: Mon, Feb 24, 2020
