LEGAL PEOPLE

Kinikia Essix has been selected to become court administrator and clerk of court of the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan.

Essix, the court’s financial manager for the past eight years, was selected recently by the court’s district judges. More than 80 candidates applied for the job. She will assume the post on Jan. 1, and succeed David Weaver, who is retiring after 21 years in that position.

“Kinikia Essix is an exceptional leader and I look forward to working with her,” said U.S. District Court Chief Judge Denise Page Hood. “She has distinguished herself as the financial manager of our court and throughout the federal court system as an up and coming court leader.

“She was selected from a very talented group of applicants from federal and state courts, business and education.” Hood added. “The court was fortunate to have such an array of professionals to choose from.”

“It’s truly an honor,” Essix said of her selection. “I am humbled to have been chosen to serve the court and the public in this new capacity. Our court is staffed with excellent and capable employees who are committed to public service.”

The court administrator/clerk of court is the chief executive of the court and is responsible for the Clerk’s Office, administrative functions affecting the Probation Department and Pretrial Services, and works closely with the chief judge.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan has jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases in the eastern side of Michigan from the Ohio state line to the Mackinac Bridge. The court has some 350 employees and operates on a $30 million annual budget. Its 20 district and seven magistrate judges work in courthouses in Detroit, Ann Arbor, Bay City, Flint, and Port Huron.

Essix was born and raised in Detroit. After graduating from Cass Technical High School, she enrolled at Davenport University in Dearborn and obtained an associate degree in Business Administration with a concentration in management, and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in accounting. She received a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Michigan in Dearborn.

Her former experience includes holding positions as an executive legal assistant for Reid & Reid PC in Detroit, administrative assistant at the Lear Corporation in Southfield, purchasing coordinator for Key Plastics in Northville, and corporate buyer for Citation Corporation in Novi.

Essix joined the U.S. District Court as a procurement specialist in 2007, was promoted to financial supervisor in 2010 and financial manager in 2012.

She serves as court mentor with the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts’ internal audit program, providing training and audit services to court units across the country. She has previously served as panelist at the judiciary’s national financial forum, presenting on internal controls operations. She currently advises on policy changes, training needs, and strategies for internal controls compliance as a subject matter expert with the internal controls working group of the Administrative Office.

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Dickinson Wright PLLC is pleased to announce that 45 of the firm’s attorneys have been included in DBusiness Magazine “2021 Top Lawyers.”

Below is a complete list of Dickinson Wright lawyers included in this year’s list:

Ann Arbor
Suzanne Sukkar, Immigration Law

Detroit
Allison R. Bach, Bankruptcy and Creditor/Debtor Rights Law
Richard M. Bolton, Mergers & Acquisitions Law
William T. Burgess, Bankruptcy and Creditor/Debtor Rights Law
Aaron V. Burrell, Labor and Employment Law
James N. Candler Jr., Real Estate Law
David R. Deromedi, Labor and Employment Law
Phillip J. DeRosier, Appellate Law
K. Scott Hamilton, Appellate Law
Mark R. High, Mergers & Acquisitions Law
Steven G. Howell, Banking & Financial Services Law, Bankruptcy and Creditor/Debtor Rights Law
Timothy H. Howlett, Labor and Employment Law
W. Anthony Jenkins, Municipal Law
Kenneth J. McIntyre, Litigation Antitrust
Thomas G. McNeill, Litigation Commercial
Sharon R. Newlon, Energy Law, Environmental Law
James A. Plemmons, Bankruptcy and Creditor/Debtor Rights Law
William P. Shield Jr., Banking & Financial Services Law
Theodore B. Sylwestrzak, Banking & Financial Services Law, Bankruptcy and Creditor/Debtor Rights Law
Bruce C. Thelen, International Trade Law
Kathryn S. Wood, Labor and Employment Law
L. Pahl Zinn, Antitrust Law, Litigation Antitrust

Troy
Christian S. Allen, Immigration Law
Laura M. Bassett, Public Finance Law
Terence M. Donnelly, Public Finance Law
Deborah L. Grace, Employee Benefits Law
Roberta P. Granadier, Employee Benefits Law
Henry M. Grix, Trusts and Estates
Craig W. Hammond, Public Finance Law
Robert P. Hurlbert, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Monica J. Labe, Real Estate Law
Elise S. Levasseur, Immigration Law
Michael J. Lusardi, Real Estate Law
Anna M. Maiuri, Environmental Law
Cynthia A. Moore, Employee Benefits Law
Gregory W. Moore, Health Care Law
Mahesh K. Nayak, Litigation Commercial
Daniel D. Quick, Litigation Commercial
Michael T. Raymond, Securities Law
Robert L. Schwartz, Securities Law
Lynn Capp Sirich, Family Law
Jared A. Smith, Corporate Law
Rose Willis, Health Care Law
Mark E. Wilson, Environmental Law, Health Care Law
Katheryne L. Zelenock, Real Estate Law
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Bodman PLC is pleased to announce that attorneys Alexander J. Burridge, Rebecca El Badaoui, Emily P. Jenks, and Alexander L. Krasuski have joined the firm as associates.

All five were members of Bodman’s 2019 class of summer associates.

Burridge, of Bodman’s Detroit office, is a member of the Workplace Law Practice Group. He represents employers in a broad range of labor and employment matters, including advising them on day to day employment issues and maintaining compliance with all applicable employment laws.  He is a graduate of Michigan State University College of Law. Burridge also earned an M.B.A. in Finance.

El Badaoui, of Bodman’s Detroit office, is a member of the Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Practice Group. She represents clients involved in complex commercial
litigation matters.  She is a graduate of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.

Jenks, of Bodman’s Troy office, is a member of the Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Practice Group. She represents clients involved in complex commercial litigation matters.  She is a graduate of Michigan State University College of Law.

Krasuski, of Bodman’s Detroit office, is a member of the Banking Practice Group and the Bankruptcy and Debtor-Creditor Rights Practice Group. He represents financial institutions in a variety of commercial lending matters, including advising on troubled credit situations. He also represents creditors, trustees, and other parties in a variety of commercial bankruptcy matters and debtor-creditor disputes.  He is a graduate of Wayne State University Law School.  Krasuski has an undergraduate business degree with a major in Accounting and has served tax internships with the United States Department of Treasury-Internal Revenue Service and with two Fortune 500 corporations.

In addition, Bodman is pleased to announce that U.S. News & World Report, in association with The Best Lawyers in America, has named the firm to its 2021 “Best Law Firms” list in multiple areas of practice both nationally and in the southeast Michigan market.

Bodman has been ranked in the 2021 “Best Law Firms” list nationally in four practice areas and at the highest possible “Tier 1” level locally in 25 practice specialties across 3 metropolitan markets.

U.S. News ranked Bodman as a leader in the following areas:

Nationally:
• Banking and Finance Law
• Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
• Corporate Law
• Environmental Law

Detroit Market Tier 1:
• Banking and Finance Law
• Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
• Bet-the-Company Litigation
• Commercial Litigation
• Corporate Law
• Litigation-Banking & Finance
• Litigation-Bankruptcy
• Litigation-Environmental
• Litigation-Trusts & Estates
• Nonprofit / Charities law
• Real Estate Law

Troy Market Tier 1:
• Banking and Finance Law
• Commercial Litigation
• Labor Law-Management
• Litigation-Trusts & Estates
• Real Estate Law

Ann Arbor Market Tier 1:
• Appellate Practice
• Commercial Litigation
• Copyright Law
• Corporate Law
• Mergers & Acquisitions Law
• Nonprofit/Charities Law
• Tax Law
• Trademark Law
• Trusts & Estates Law

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Butzel Long attorney George B. Donnini has been named a “Notable Veteran” by Crain’s Detroit Business. He is among a group of local business leaders profiled in the November 9, 2020 edition.

Donnini knew early on that he wanted to become an attorney and serve in the military. He found a way to combine both interests. A 1998 graduate of Duke University School of Law, Donnini wrapped up a clerkship for federal Judge William H. Pauley III (SDNY) in New York City on a Friday before driving to Quantico, Va. to report for active duty and start a six-month officer training course with the United States Marine Corps.

He became a judge advocate serving for much of his active duty time as a criminal defense counsel, an experience similar to being a public defender. He was a judge advocate for four years and was honorably discharged in 2003 after serving as counsel of record in numerous criminal trials. The experience also provided him with an excellent foundation for his career as a lawyer and courtroom advocate.

Donnini joined Butzel Long, where he is now a shareholder (and former board member) and Practice Department chair of the Litigation Group with 17 years under his belt in Detroit as a white-collar criminal defense practitioner. He has handled a variety of cases including, but not limited to, health care fraud, public corruption, antitrust, environmental, tax, and securities fraud cases. In addition, a significant portion of his practice involves the handling of corporate internal investigations for public and private companies.

He serves in leadership roles with the Eastern District of Michigan Chapter of the Federal Bar Association (currently serving as treasurer/secretary), American Bar Association (ABA), Criminal Justice Section, White Collar Crime Committee; Midwest regional co-chair (2005-present) and the ABA Criminal Justice Section, Book Board, appointed member (2008-present). Donnini, along with a group of local attorneys, formed the Detroit chapter of the Veteran’s Bar Association, to gather for networking and mentorship.
In addition, seventy-six Butzel Long attorneys have been named Top Lawyers in metro Detroit 2021 by DBusiness magazine. The list appears in the November/December 2020 edition. The attorneys and their practice areas are listed below:

Ann Arbor office
Regan K. Dahle, Labor and Employment Law
Jennifer A. Dukarski, Copyright Law, Information Technology Law, Intellectual Property and Patent Law
Ashley Glime, Copyright Law, Information Technology Law, Intellectual Property and Patent Law
Mark W. Jane, Employee Benefits Law
Nancy Keppelman, Employee Benefits Law
Lynn McGuire, Employee Benefits Law
Mark T. Nelson, Litigation Labor and Employment Benefits
Claudia Rast, Copyright Law, Information Technology Law
Andrew Stumpff, Employee Benefits Law

Bloomfield Hills office
Jennifer E. Consiglio, Corporate Law, Mergers & Acquisitions Law
Carey A. DeWitt, Labor and Employment Law, Litigation Labor Employment Benefits
George B. Donnini, White-Collar Criminal Defense, Antitrust Law
W. Patrick Dreisig, Banking & Financial Service Law
Damien DuMouchel, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Theodore R. Eppel, Litigation Antitrust, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Geoffrey L. Gallinger, Land Use & Zoning, Real Estate Law
Debra A. Geroux, Health Care Law
Amy L. Glenn, Trusts and Estates
Beth S. Gotthelf, Energy Law, Environmental Law
David W. Hipp, Banking & Financial Service Law
Robert A. Hudson, International Trade Law, Securities Law
Laura E. Johnson, Corporate Law, Mergers & Acquisitions Law
Susan L. Johnson, Environmental Law, Energy Law
Thomas A. Kabel, Banking & Financial Service Law, Real Estate Law, Land Use & Zoning
Kaveh Kashef, Litigation Real Estate, Litigation Commercial
Sheldon H. Klein, Antitrust Law, Litigation Antitrust
William J. Kliffel, Product Liability
Bushra A. Malik, Immigration Law
Suzanne M. Miller, Tax Law
Max J. Newman, Bankruptcy and Creditor /Debtor Rights Law
Neil Patel, Franchise Law
Robert P. Perry, Trusts and Estates
R. Peter Prokop, Tax Law
Thomas B. Radom, Bankruptcy and Creditor/Debtor Rights Law
Joseph E. Richotte, Appellate Law, Antitrust Law, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Craig S. Schwartz, Labor and Employment Law
Robert H. Schwartz, Health Care Law
Thomas L. Shaevsky, Employee Benefits Law
Thomas C. Simpson, Litigation Real Estate
Daniel B. Tukel, Labor and Employment Law, Litigation Labor Employment Benefits
Roxana Zaha, Real Estate Law

Detroit office
Geaneen M. Arends, Real Estate Law
Linda J. Armstrong, Immigration Law
Frederick A. Berg Jr., Insurance Law, Commercial Law
James C. Bruno, Arbitration, Commercial Law, Corporate Law
Joshua J. Chinsky, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Maura Corrigan, Appellate Law
Rebecca S. Davies, Labor and Employment Law
Michael C. Decker, Construction Law, Litigation Construction
David J. DeVine, Insurance Law, Bankruptcy and Creditor/Debtor Rights Law
Arthur Dudley II, Corporate Law, Securities Law
David F. DuMouchel, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Eric J. Flessland, Construction Law, Litigation Construction
Bernard J. Fuhs, Franchise Law, Trade Secrets
Cynthia J. Haffey, Litigation Commercial
Justin G. Klimko, Corporate Law, Mergers & Acquisitions Law
Phillip C. Korovesis, Trade Secrets, Litigation Commercial
Mark R. Lezotte, Health Care Law, Nonprofit/Charities Law
Clara DeMatteis Mager, Immigration Law
Paul M. Mersino, Construction Law, Trade Secrets
Brett J. Miller, Franchise Law, Labor and Employment Law
Donald B. Miller, Product Liability
Donald V. Orlandoni, Franchise Law
Reginald A. Pacis, Immigration Law
James S. Rosenfeld, Labor and Employment Law, Litigation Labor Employment Benefits
Daniel R.W. Rustmann, Litigation Commercial
Bruce L. Sendek, Litigation Antitrust, Litigation Commercial
Angela Emmerling Shapiro, Information Management & Discovery Law
Ivonne M. Soler, Family Law
Nicholas J. Stasevich, International Trade Law
Hannah E. Treppa, Labor and Employment Law
John C. Valenti, Product Liability
Kurtis T. Wilder, Appellate Law, Arbitration
James E. Wynne, Product Liability
Mitchell Zajac, Intellectual Property and Patent Law

Lansing office
James J. Urban, Litigation Construction

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Clark Hill PLC has announced the addition of Kari Shay as a member in its Education and Municipal Practice Group, resident in the firm’s Birmingham office.  Shay has more than twenty years experience representing Michigan public school districts, community colleges and other municipalities in the area of finance, election, school business, business contract negotiations and general school law, and brings private sector experience as a consulting specialist in tax and accounting matters. 

With her experience advising clients on a wide range of school business matters, including the negotiation of business and construction agreements, as well as all aspects of school finance and elections, Shay has a comprehensive and unique expertise in all aspects of capital projects.  She has more than 16 years’ experience serving as bond and note counsel, and has represented school districts and underwriters in the issuance of municipal borrowings that include voted and non-voted bonds, tax credit bonds,
refunding bonds and energy bonds. Additionally, her experience includes assisting clients with installment and lease purchase agreements and has served as note counsel on
all forms of cash flow borrowings such as state aid notes, tax anticipation notes and lines of credit.

Shay has a proficiency and long history in advising clients on booster clubs and other parent support groups as well as the formation of educational foundations and other tax-exempt entities. This expertise includes advising clients on the use of district funds, donations and grant proceeds on student and building activities in compliance with recent changes in the law.  Shay is currently the only attorney to serve on the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) Referent Group or advisory board for Bulletin 1022 (Michigan Public School Accounting Manual).  

Additionally, Shay has experience in election matters, including the preparation of bond, operating millage and sinking fund proposals, and advises districts on more complex millage issues related to the Headlee Amendment.  Her work in school elections includes advising clients on all matters related to Campaign Finance Act compliance.

“It is an exciting and challenging time to be practicing Education and Municipal law, and I’m delighted to be joining this outstanding team of lawyers at Clark Hill,” noted Shay.  “The firm’s reputation among clients and the community across Michigan was a major draw for me as well as the significant resources that would be available to assist me in meeting client needs.”

Shay was recently nominated to and serves as a board member of Michigan Women in Finance.  She is also a member of the National Association of Bond Lawyers (NABL), Michigan Council of School Attorneys (COSA), Bond Club of Detroit, and the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA).

Shay is actively involved in the community and recently completed a term as a board member for the South Lyon Community Schools Educational Foundation.

Shay earned her law degree from Wayne State University and her B.A. from Michigan State University.  She is currently enrolled in the Harvard Business School online program for certification in Financial Accounting with an anticipated certificate completion date of January 2021.

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For the 17th consecutive year, Sinas Dramis Managing Partner George T. Sinas co-moderated and presented at Michigan’s premier auto no-fault legal symposium—the MAJ No-Fault Institute.

This annual event, sponsored by the Michigan Association for Justice (MAJ), is an intensive two-day seminar that focuses on the representation of injury victims and their medical providers regarding claims arising out of motor vehicle accidents. This year, the focus of the Institute was an in-depth analysis of Michigan’s new auto insurance laws enacted in 2019.

Sinas, who co-founded the event in 2004, shared moderator duties with professional colleague, Wayne J. Miller of Miller & Tischler PC. A record crowd of over 300 persons attended this year’s Institute, which was conducted virtually over four one-half day sessions in late October. 

In addition to moderating the Institute, Sinas also presented a legal analysis of recent court decisions impacting the rights of victims to pursue auto injury liability claims. Three other attorneys from the Sinas Dramis Law Firm also gave timely and insightful presentations about various issues affecting the legal rights of injured patients and medical providers in motor vehicle injury cases. These attorneys were Stephen H. Sinas, Thomas G. Sinas, and Catherine E. Tucker.

At the conclusion of the Institute, George Sinas expressed his satisfaction with the event, stating “This year’s No-Fault Institute was a great success! I was pleasantly surprised by how well the virtual format worked for this event. Our speakers did a wonderful job with their presentations and attendees received over 1,000 pages of course materials despite the distance.”

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Attorneys Danielle Chidiac and Kaitlyn M. Cox have a lot in common.

Not only did they graduate from Wayne State University Law School together, they were both members of Plunkett Cooney’s 2019 Summer Associate Program, and they recently passed the bar exam together before joining Plunkett Cooney PC.

Chidiac and Cox are also the newest members, respectively, of the Insurance Coverage and Labor and Employment Law practice groups of Plunkett Cooney.

An associate in the firm’s Bloomfield Hills office, Chidiac represents leading property and casualty insurance companies in coverage litigation. Her coverage work primarily includes handling research and coverage opinions regarding general liability policy issues involving environmental, property damage and construction defect claims.

While at Wayne Law, Chidiac worked as an intern for U.S. District Court Judge Bernard A. Friedman, Eastern District of Michigan. She received her undergraduate degree from Oakland University in 2017.

Also an associate in the firm’s Bloomfield Hills office, Cox focuses her practice in the area of employment law, including discrimination, retaliation and civil rights claims brought under state and federal statutes. She also provides counsel to employers regarding employment issues prior to litigation, including compliance with the Americans with Disabilities, Family and Medical Leave and Fair Labor Standards acts.

Before graduating from Wayne Law, Cox received her undergraduate degree from Michigan State University in 2016.

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U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers recently named McKeen & Associates PC to its Best Law Firms rankings. McKeen & Associates attorneys Brian McKeen, Jody Aaron, and Norman Rosen were all named as 2021 Best Lawyers. 

McKeen & Associates was named as a Best Law Firm in the categories of Medical Malpractice, plaintiff and Personal Injury, plaintiff.

McKeen & Associates represents individuals injured by the negligence of others particularly in or by hospitals and physicians. In addition, McKeen & Associates has successfully represented clients injured in a variety of other circumstances. Based in Detroit, McKeen & Associates represents clients in both federal and state courts brought throughout Michigan and the United States.

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The Council on Legal Education Opportunity Inc. (CLEO) is pleased to announce that Barbara L. McQuade is the recipient of the CLEO EDGE (Education, Diversity, and Greater Equality) Award for Diversity.  She, along with other honorees, were recognized during the CLEO EDGE Virtual Honors Reception on November 12.

McQuade is a law professor at the University of Michigan Law School. A former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, McQuade is also as a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC.