Brian Stone has joined the Southfield office of Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer, & Weiss PC as an associate in the firm's real estate group. Jaffe CEO Jeffrey M. Weiss made the announcement.
Stone will primarily focus on commercial real estate transactions, including acquisitions, sales, financing and leasing of all types of real estate. In his career, he has counseled clients relating to stock sales and acquisitions, corporate formation and governance, corporate compliance and corporate bankruptcy matters, and has experience in corporate and commercial real estate transactions.
Stone joins Jaffe with years of experience in banking and real estate law. In his previous role, along with drafting loan agreements and reviewing title matters and real estate leases, Stone spent most of his time counseling financial institutions and other commercial lenders regarding middle market, real estate, syndicated and equipment lease finance transactions with loan amounts of up to $150 million.
Stone earned his law degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration-Prelaw from Michigan State University. He was admitted to the State Bar of Michigan in 2012. In 2020, Stone was named one of "Michigan's Rising Stars" by Super Lawyers.
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Butzel Long immigration law attorney Reginald A. Pacis was a panelist during an Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (Wayne State University Chapter) virtual program on Friday, October 23, which featured local minority attorneys who were the first in their families to pursue a career as an attorney. In addition, panelists offered tips on navigating law school and discussed future employment opportunities.
Pacis focuses his practice in immigration law and has handled a variety of immigration matters including H-1B specialty occupation cases, L-1 Intracompany transfers, Labor Certification matters, Immigrant Visa Petitions/Adjustment of Status applications and interviews, TN Free trade cases, H-1B Department of Labor Investigations, I-9 employer verification compliance, and U.S. Port of Entry airport and land port interviews.
Pacis was appointed by Governor Rick Snyder to serve as a commissioner to the Michigan Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission (MAPAAC), which helps address the needs and concerns of the Asian Pacific American (APA) communities in Michigan.
He was named Immigration Lawyer of the Year 2013 in the field of Immigration Law by The Best Lawyers in America and has been listed in Best Lawyers for several years. Pacis is a member of the American Bar Association, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), and the Samahang Pilipino Ng Oakland Filipino organization. He served two consecutive one-year terms from 2003 to 2005 as chairperson of the Michigan Chapter of AILA and was a member of the AILA National Board of Governors for those terms. Pacis previously served as secretary (2001 to 2003) and membership chairperson of the Michigan Chapter of AILA (1998 to 2003).
In addition, Butzel Long received the Community Partner Award from Michigan United Cerebral Palsy (MI-UCP) during a virtual presentation on October 16. The Community Partner Award recognizes a person or organization that has excelled in partnering with MI-UCP to advance its mission and serve the interests of people with disabilities.
Butzel Long has assisted the non-profit organization over the years with pro bono work and has served as a sponsor for some of the events including a recent golf outing. Butzel Long shareholder Jennifer Dukarski was the keynote speaker at a 2018 MI-UCP event discussing the future of autonomous vehicles and the possibilities for people with disabilities.
"For years, I have served as a volunteer in various leadership roles at the local and national level with United Cerebral Palsy," said Mark Lezotte, Butzel Long shareholder and a 2019 recipient of the United Cerebral Palsy National Chair's Award. "We are honored to receive this very special recognition and applaud UCP for all they do to protect the equal rights and inclusion of people with disabilities."
"Butzel Long has been a great community partner and we can't thank them enough for the years of commitment and support to UCP," said Leslynn Angel, president and CEO of MI-UCP. "We are pleased to recognize the outstanding work they have generously donated to help us merge the operations of UCP/Detroit and UCP/Michigan, creating the new organization MI-UCP."
MI-UCP is a non-profit organization, with a 70-year history of serving the 1.4 million Michiganders who live with a disability. For additional information, visit www.ucpdetroit.org/home.
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Bodman PLC has been named a "highly recommended" law firm for business litigation in the 2021 edition of the internationally-recognized journal Benchmark Litigation.
Benchmark also ranks Bodman as "recommended" for labor and employment litigation, which is the highest rating possible in that category.
Benchmark recognizes individual attorneys at ranked firms as "Local Litigation Stars," "Future Stars," or as members of its "Under 40 Hot List" of up and coming litigation stars. Local Bodman attorneys listed in at least one of those categories include:
• Sarah L. Cylkowski, Nathan D. Dupes, Dennis J. Levasseur, Rebecca D'Arcy O'Reilly, Thomas J. Rheaume Jr., and Joseph J. Shannon (Detroit office)
• Michelle Thurber Czapski, Thomas J. Tallerico, and Thomas Van Dusen (Troy office)
Bodman has more Michigan attorneys listed in Benchmark than any other law firm.
Bodman's Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Practice Group attorneys appear before state and federal courts and in non-judicial forums such as national and international arbitration proceedings. The group's expertise spans many industries including banking and financial services, automotive, insurance, healthcare, manufacturing, real estate and zoning, and construction, among others.
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CMC Family Law Group, PLLC, a high-asset divorce, family law and mediation firm, has opened offices in Birmingham, Detroit, and Grand Rapids. The firm, which is led by founding attorney and managing partner, Cristina M. Crescentini, continues to maintain offices in Beverly Hills, Calif.
"I am pleased to announce the opening of CMC Family Law Group's Birmingham, Detroit, and Grand Rapids offices, and to serve the needs of Michigan clients, along with those in the Southern California market," said Crescentini. "We look forward to assisting our clients as they work through some of the most challenging times of their lives, while helping them protect their families and their assets."
CMC Family Law Group specializes in high-asset divorce, mediation, child and spousal support, child custody and visitation, pre- and post-nuptial agreements, cohabitation agreements, non-marital relationships, modifications of support and custody agreements, child relocation, uncontested divorce, same-sex marriage, and paternity, as well as other legal and financial matters which impact families and individuals.
Crescentini established CMC Family Law Group in 2011. She was previously employed by Meyer, Olson, Lowy, & Meyers LLP, a family law firm with offices in Los Angeles and Orange County, Calif., as well as a large Detroit law firm where she practiced family, corporate, and real estate law. In addition, she served as legal counsel and vice president, Board of Directors, for Los Angeles-based Dee Dee Jackson Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on making a positive impact in communities through music therapy, and as a volunteer for the Pontiac Women's Shelter Divorce Clinic.
She is a member of multiple bar associations and family law bar associations, including those in Michigan, California, Los Angeles County, Oakland County, Wayne County, Macomb County, Detroit, and Beverly Hills, as well as the Italian American Bar Association. Crescentini is a native of The Republic of San Marino and was raised in Rochester and Birmingham.
For additional information, visit cmcfamilylaw.com or call 855-558-8250.
