Sixty-eight Butzel Long attorneys have been named to the 2021 list of Leading Lawyers, presented by Law Bulletin Media. The local attorneys and their practice areas are listed below:
BLOOMFIELD HILLS OFFICE:
• Linda Armstrong, Immigration Law: Employment, Immigration Law: Individual
• Alexander Bragdon, Employee Benefits Law
• George Donnini, Criminal Defense Law: White Collar
• W. Patrick Dreisig, Closely & Privately Held Business Law, Mergers & Acquisitions Law
• Theodore Eppel, Commercial Litigation, Criminal Defense Law: White Collar
• Geoffrey Gallinger, Real Estate Law: Commercial, Real Estate Law: Finance
• Amy Glenn, Closely & Privately Held Business Law, Trust, Will & Estate Planning Law
• Michael Golab, Closely & Privately Held Business Law, International Business & Trade Law, Mergers & Acquisitions Law, Publicly Held Corporations Law
• Beth Gotthelf, Energy Law, Environmental Law
• David Hipp, Real Estate Law: Commercial, Real Estate Law: Finance
• Susan Johnson, Energy Law, Environmental Law
• Thomas Kabel, Real Estate Law: Commercial, Real Estate Law: Finance
• Sheldon Klein, Antitrust Law, Class Action/Mass Tort Defense Law, Commercial Litigation
• William Lyshak, Tax Law: Individual, Trust, Will & Estate Planning Law
• Allan Nachman, Real Estate Law: Commercial, Real Estate Law: Finance
• Max Newman, Bankruptcy & Workout Law: Commercial, Creditor's Rights/Commercial Collections Law
• Scott Patterson, Employment Law: Management, Immigration Law: Employment
• Robert Perry, Trust, Will & Estate Planning Law
• R. Peter Prokop, Closely & Privately Held Business Law, Tax Law: Business, Trust, Will & Estate Planning Law
• Thomas Radom, Bankruptcy & Workout Law: Commercial, Creditor's Rights/ Commercial Collections Law
• Richard Rassel, ADR Law: Commercial Litigation, Advertising & Media Law, Commercial Litigation
• Brett Rendeiro, Commercial Litigation, Employment Law: Management
• Dennis Schultz, Mergers & Acquisitions Law
• Craig Schwartz, Employment Law: Management, Labor Law: Management
• John Selesko, Tax Law: Individual, Trust, Will & Estate Planning Law
• Thomas Shaevsky, Employee Benefits Law
• Jack Shumate, Environmental Law, Mineral & Natural Resource Law
• David Sommerfeld, Trust, Will & Estate Planning Law
• Paul Triemstra, Trust, Will & Estate Planning Law
• Daniel Tukel, Employment Law: Management
DETROIT OFFICE:
• Frederick Berg Jr., Commercial Litigation
• James Bruno, Closely & Privately Held Business Law, Franchise & Dealership Law, International Business & Trade Law, Mergers & Acquisitions Law, Publicly Held Corporations Law
• Maura Corrigan, Civil Appellate Law, Commercial Litigation
• Rebecca Davies, Employment Law: Management
• Carey DeWitt, Employment Law: Management, Labor Law: Management
• Arthur Dudley II, Closely & Privately Held Business Law, Mergers & Acquisitions Law, Publicly Held Corporations Law, Securities & Venture Finance Law
• David DuMouchel, Criminal Appellate Law, Criminal Defense Law: Felonies & Misdemeanors, Criminal Defense Law: White Collar
• Eric Flessland, Commercial Litigation, Construction Law
• Bernard Fuhs, Arts, Entertainment & Sports Law, Closely & Privately Held Business Law, Franchise & Dealership Law, Trade Secrets/Unfair Competition Law
• Cynthia Haffey, Commercial Litigation
• John Hancock Jr., Employment Law: Management, Labor Law: Management
• Robert Hudson, Corporate Finance Law, International Business & Trade Law, Mergers & Acquisitions Law, Publicly Held Corporations Law, Secured Transactions Law
• Justin Klimko, Corporate Finance Law, Mergers & Acquisitions Law, Publicly Held Corporations Law, Securities & Venture Finance Law
• Phillip Korovesis, Commercial Litigation, Trade Secrets/Unfair Competition Law
• Mark Lezotte, Health Law
• Clara DeMatteis Mager, Immigration Law: Employment, Immigration Law: Individual
• Bushra Malik, Immigration Law: Employment
• Brett Miller, Employment Law: Management, Labor Law: Management
• Donald Miller, Civil Rights/Constitutional Law, Commercial Litigation, Employment Law: Employee, Employment Law: Management
• Donald Orlandoni, Commercial Litigation
• Reginald Pacis, Immigration Law: Employment, Immigration Law: Individual
• James Rosenfeld, ADR Law: Employment, Employment Law: Management, Labor Law: Management
• Daniel Rustmann, Commercial Litigation
• Bruce Sendek, Commercial Litigation
• Nicholas Stasevich, Closely & Privately Held Business Law, International Business & Trade Law, Mergers & Acquisitions Law, Publicly Held Corporations Law
• John Valenti, Personal Injury Defense Law: General, Products Liability Defense Law, Toxic Torts Defense Law
• James Wynne, Class Action/Mass Tort Defense Law, Commercial Litigation, Products Liability Defense Law, Toxic Torts Defense Law
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The Wayne State University Board of Governors unanimously elected Marilyn Kelly to a one-year terms as the board's chair at its Jan. 29 meeting. Kelly's term as governor runs through 2022.
Wayne State University's Board of Governors is one of three university-governing bodies in Michigan - along with the University of Michigan and Michigan State University - that has constitutional independence. Its members, who serve eight-year terms, are elected by voters throughout Michigan.
"The start of 2021 is the perfect time to reflect on the past and frame intentions for the future," said Kelly. "To that end, I've consulted in recent weeks with every member of the Board of Governors. Each of us has pledged to renew our efforts to work together in the best interests of this great university. We have agreed on our intentions. The unanimous votes today for the leadership of the board are an indicator of those intentions. Another good indicator is the cooperation that went into the appointment of the board's committee chairs and committee members. The appointments include all board members and reflect their personal leadership skills and interests. I believe we are coming together and will be working productively this year."
Kelly is the Distinguished Jurist in Residence at the Wayne State University Law School, where she teaches. She is the former chief justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, where she served for 16 years, having been elected to the court in 1996 and re-elected in 2004. She previously served for eight years on the Michigan Court of Appeals after being elected in 1988 and re-elected in 1994.
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Jaffe attorneys Michael Emmer and Daniel Soleimani have received the "36 Under 36" honor by the Jewish News and The Well. The awards program recognizes activists, entrepreneurs, philanthropists and other outstanding Jewish professionals under the age of 36 who are advancing the Jewish community across Metro Detroit. Jaffe CEO Jeffrey M. Weiss made the announcement.
Emmer is an attorney in the firm's real estate practice group. His practice concentrates on a variety of real estate transactions including acquisitions, dispositions, and leasing in commercial, industrial, retail, and residential real estate. He represents owners, private and institutional developers, builders, real estate management companies and more. Emmer is a former judicial intern for U.S. District Court Judge Patrick J. Duggan, Eastern District of Michigan.
Emmer earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School. He also earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Michigan State University.
Soleimani is an attorney in the firm's tax and estate & wealth planning practice groups. He specializes in tax, estate, and succession planning for businesses, individuals, and high-net-worth non-profit organizations, also working on transactional tax matters related to mid-market mergers and acquisitions. In July 2019, Soleimani was elected to a three-year term as a member of the board of directors of the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit.
Soleimani earned law degrees from New York University and Emory University School of Law. He also graduated from University of Buffalo, the State University of New York with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
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Reem Goria has joined Secrest Wardle's Troy location as an associate. She is a member of the firm's Motor Vehicle Litigation, Commercial and Business Law, Construction, Environmental and Toxic Tort, Governmental Litigation, Intellectual Property/Advertising Injury and Trucking/Commercial Vehicle Litigation practice groups.
Goria earned her law degree from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School and received her Bachelor of Arts in English from Wayne State University. Goria is licensed to practice law in the State of Michigan and is an active member of the State Bar of Michigan's Young Lawyers Section.
In addition, Fadee A. Nakkash has joined Secrest Wardle's Troy location as an associate. He is a member of the firm's Commercial and Business Law, Construction, Environmental and Toxic Tort, Intellectual Property/Advertising Injury, Motor Vehicle Litigation, Premises Liability, Product Liability, and Trucking/Commercial Vehicle Litigation practice groups.
Nakkash earned his law degree from the Wayne State University Law School and received his Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Wayne State University. Nakkash is licensed to practice law in the State of Michigan and is an active member of the State Bar of Michigan's Business Law, Religious Liberty Law, and Young Lawyers Sections.
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Bodman PLC is pleased to announce new leadership appointments in the firm's Aviation Law and Finance, Banking, High Net Worth, Intellectual Property, and Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution practice groups.
The new appointments include the following local attorneys:
• Adam B. Norlander of the Detroit office has been appointed co-chair (with current chair Robert J. Diehl Jr.) of the Banking Practice Group.
• Christine L. Phillips of the Detroit office has been appointed co-vice chair (with current vice chair Jaimee L. Witten) of the Banking Practice Group.
• Kelly M. Burnell of the Detroit office has been appointed co-chair (with current chair Andrew H. Curoe) of the High Net Worth Practice Group.
• Michelle Thurber Czapski of the Troy office and Thomas J. Rheaume Jr. of the Detroit office have been appointed co-chairs of the Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Practice Group, succeeding Thomas Van Dusen who remains an active member of the group.
• Sarah L. Cylkowski of the Detroit office has been appointed vice chair of the Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Practice Group.
Norlander represents national and regional financial institutions in the structuring, negotiation, and documentation of commercial, agented and syndicated lending transactions.
Norlander's experience encompasses leveraged buyout and leveraged recapitalization loans, asset-based loans, real estate financing, letters of credit and bankers acceptance facilities, direct bond purchase transactions, and multi-rate, multi-currency loans and facilities. He has experience in transactions involving borrowers in the environmental services and automotive industries.
Phillips 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, including applications for loans insured by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Phillips has years of experience in general real estate law. She has drafted and negotiated all manner of real estate-related legal documents, including reciprocal easement agreements, purchase agreements, construction agreements, leases, tenancy in common agreements, and operating agreements, among others.
Burnell advises high net worth individuals and families on managing many aspects of their personal and financial affairs. She advises clients on estate planning, trust and estate administration, wealth transfer, and tax planning matters. She also counsels business owners on entity formation and restructuring, complex transactions, and succession planning. She has a expertise representing high net worth clients in personal and business real estate transactions and in connection with economic development projects.
Burnell is a member of the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation Network of Professional Advisors, the Financial and Estate Planning Council of Metropolitan Detroit, the Michigan Women's Tax Association, and the Washtenaw Estate Planning Council.
Czapski, who also chairs Bodman's Insurance Practice Group, represents major corporate clients in litigation and alternative dispute resolution proceedings involving product liability claims, consumer protection claims, insurance and ERISA disputes, contract matters, and a broad range of other commercial and business disputes. Her clients include insurance and financial service companies, manufacturers, Tier-1 automotive suppliers, telecommunications companies, and pharmaceutical companies.
Czapski is active with the Defense Research Institute including past service as chair of the Commercial Litigation Committee. She serves on the board of directors of the National Foundation for Judicial Excellence and on the Class Action Task Force for the Center for Law and Public Policy.
Rheaume represents clients in complex commercial litigation matters, including appeals, and serves as local counsel for national and international law firms. He is a former law clerk to Michigan Supreme Court Justice Stephen J. Markman. He has written appellate and amicus briefs in state and federal appellate courts, including the United States Supreme Court.
Rheaume is active in several professional associations and is the current president of the Michigan Chapter of the Federalist Society. He is also a board member of the Detroit Economic Club's Young Leader Program and an active member of the Catholic Lawyers Society of Detroit.
Cylkowski litigates complex matters in state and federal courts, with a particular focus on commercial health care disputes, class actions, e-discovery and antitrust cases. Her clients include insurance companies, banks, automotive manufacturers and various other corporate commercial litigants.
Cylkowski has experience counseling clients through large-scale discovery, including multidistrict litigation discovery. In this role, she works with her clients' employees, experts, co-counsel and opposing counsel to streamline discovery and avoid unnecessary costs.
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Maddin, Hauser, Roth, & Heller PC is pleased to announce that Victoria C. Bellamy has joined the firm as an associate in the Corporate and Employment, and the Complex Litigation and Risk Advisory Practice Groups. She previously served as a summer intern with the firm. The announcement was made by the firm's president and CEO, Steven D. Sallen.
Bellamy earned her law degree in 2020 from Michigan State University College of Law. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in 2016 from Wayne State University.
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Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that Megan Norris will become the firm's chief executive officer. Norris will be the firm's first woman CEO and will assume her new duties on Feb. 26.
Norris is an accomplished litigator who has been elected by her national peers to join the prestigious College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and the American College of Trial Lawyers.
Norris is a nationally recognized expert and frequent public speaker on the topics of the Family and Medical Leave Act and the Americans With Disabilities Act. Within the firm, she has served as the leader of the Employment and Labor Group, overseeing the firm's large and active team of dedicated employment and labor attorneys and staff. She served for eight years on the firm's Board of Managing Directors, the last six years as chair.
Norris will focus on providing client value and efficiency when she takes the helm. "In many ways, for nearly 170 years, the firm's focus has never changed: Our primary purpose is always to serve our clients. And we can't do so without the best attorneys in the business," she said. "What is always changing is what our clients need. Clients face budgetary restrictions, so we must adapt to provide high-quality legal services in more efficient ways while remaining profitable."
Norris will also continue to invest in attracting and retaining diverse lawyers, an area in which Miller Canfield has for decades been a leader. "Clients now demand that their law firms commit to diversity just as they are doing themselves. This is an area where the firm has been historically strong and is now much more competitive. So, I expect that much of my time will be spent on our human capital-recruiting and retaining top talent, and putting our people to work to figure out how we can always better serve our clients," she noted.
Norris succeeds Michael McGee who is stepping down after serving as CEO since 2013.
Norris is the recipient of the State Bar of Michigan Labor and Employment Law Council Distinguished Service Award, is ranked in "Chambers USA" guide of America's leading lawyers, and has earned recognition in Michigan Lawyers Weekly Leaders in the Law, Lawdragon 500, Crain's Detroit Business Notable Women Lawyers in Michigan, Best Lawyers in America, and DBusiness Magazine Top Lawyers. She has served on the United States District Court Local Rules Advisory Committee, the Board of Directors for the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association, the National Employment Law Institute Advisory Board, the Institute of Continuing Legal Education Labor Advisory Board, and the City of Detroit Police Commission, which she chaired in 2003 and 2004.
