Jessica P. Orrell has joined Secrest Wardle's Troy location as an associate. She is a member of the firm's Motor Vehicle Litigation, Premises Liability and Environmental and Toxic Tort practice groups. Orrell is licensed to practice law in the State of Michigan where she is an active member of the State Bar of Michigan's Information Technology Law Section.
Orrell graduated from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School. While in law school, she worked full time as a paralegal specialist for the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney's Office, White Collar Crime Unit, where she was able to appear on behalf of the United States in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (under applicable local court rules) on federal misdemeanor cases. While serving in this capacity, Orrell obtained a guilty verdict in a one-day bench trial.
She received her Bachelor of Arts in Marketing from Michigan State University, Eli Broad College of Business and received a Paralegal Certificate from Oakland Community College.
Orrell is also a certified information privacy professional and prior to joining Secrest Wardle, she worked as a research attorney for the Michigan Court of Appeals.
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Warner Norcross + Judd LLP recently announced it has completed buildout of its new Detroit office, which is designed to enhance collaboration and improve the overall experience for clients, attorneys, and staff.
The firm is following Michigan COVID-19 office safety regulations with plans to move up to 60 attorneys and team members into the building at 2715 Woodward Ave. in the coming months as restrictions are lifted.
"Although this is our first Detroit address, Warner has been active in Southeast Michigan for nearly 25 years," said Linda Paullin-Hebden, executive partner of the Detroit office. "Our new Detroit office is the culmination of this history and the catapult to our future, serving clients with premiere legal services in an engaging, welcoming environment."
Olympia Development built and developed 2715 Woodward as part of its District Detroit project, which is transforming a 50-block area into a world-class business, sports and entertainment district. The building sits between Little Caesars Arena and the Mike Ilitch School of Business at Wayne State University.
"I speak for the entire firm today to say how excited we are to demonstrate our commitment to Detroit and its ongoing resurgence," Paullin-Hebden said. "We talked with our partners and clients who agreed it was important for Warner to be part of Detroit's core business district. At the same time, we wanted a location that would be accessible and create opportunities for fun events and informal gatherings. District Detroit checked all the boxes."
Warner's Detroit office highlights:
- Warner is the sole tenant of the building's third floor with 30,000 square feet of Class A space.
- A lounge that overlooks Woodward Ave, Little Caesar's Arena and the Detroit skyline.
- A kitchen and cafe area that comfortably seats up to 40 people and creates additional open work and collaborative space.
- Client and visiting attorney workstations.
- A media center that will offer the foremost connectivity for both interactive work and client entertainment.
- Conference rooms of varying sizes offering state-of-the-art collaborative technology to simplify video conferencing, webinars and conference calls.
- The Vault, which is a modern law library tucked inside perforated panels to allow light to filter in while sheltering those inside the sanctuary. The Vault will enable attorneys to get away from their desks for focused work.
- Enhanced security throughout with improved building access control.
- Technology designed to enhance digital files and record-keeping.
"In addition to providing professional, quiet offices for concentrated legal work, our design plan also put a premium on interactive areas to encourage collaboration and client interaction in a variety of settings," said Katherine L. Pullen, a partner at Warner and member of the office design team. "We want our clients to feel welcome in the Warner office beyond our business meetings. With the lounge and cafe areas, clients can stop in as part of their evening in Detroit, before a cultural, sports event, dinner on the town or just when they need a comfortable place to plug in and get some of their own work done.
"At the same time, we wanted a space that would accommodate all generations, from team members in their 20s to attorneys and staff in their 70s. Our new location is in the heart of the action and just steps away from Detroit's premiere business and entertainment options."
Warner attorneys moving to Detroit come from across the firm's 14 industry groups and 27 specialized practice groups, including its large Automotive Industry Group, which works exclusively with suppliers in the supply chain space. Warner's Southfield office will be relocated to a new location in Oakland County, making Warner the only large Michigan law firm with office locations in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties.
Oliver Hatcher acted as general contractor for Warner's office buildout. HED (Harley Ellis Devereaux) Architects provided interior design and engineering services. Advocate Commercial Real Estate Advisors acted as Warner's commercial leasing adviser. Office furniture was provided by Haworth, one of the largest manufacturers of adaptable work spaces through its distributors, Interphase Interiors and Airea.
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The Michigan Defense Trial Counsel (MDTC) has honored Sommers Schwartz senior shareholder Jay G. Yasso with its Respected Advocate Award for 2021.
For nearly 30 years, Yasso has fought for people and families injured from medical malpractice, automobile accidents, and the negligence of others. In both courtroom litigation and mediation, he has secured numerous multi-million dollar settlements on behalf of his clients.
Outside the office, Yasso is actively involved with St. Regis Parish, and he sits on the board of the D-MAN Foundation, a non-profit devoted to helping people with disabilities.
The MDTC bestows its annual Respected Advocate Award to a member of the plaintiff's bar to recognize the attorney's professionalism, successful client representation, and adherence to the highest standards of ethics, mutual respect, and civility.
Yasso earned his B.A. from Boston College and his law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy Law School. He also earned an M.A. in International Relations from Wayne State University.
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Thomas A. Kabel, attorney and shareholder at Butzel Long, has once again been appointed Corporate/Real Estate Practice Department chair, a role he previously served in for six years.
Based in the firm's Bloomfield Hills office, Kabel concentrates his practice in the area of commercial real estate and real estate-related finance. He has been involved in all facets of acquisition, disposition, leasing, financing and development of real property throughout his career.
Kabel's real estate practice spans a wide range of diverse areas and clients, representing developers, automotive companies, colleges and universities in all aspects of their real estate needs. He also has experience representing commercial lenders in conventional financing and has served as bank and bond counsel on numerous industrial revenue and other tax-exempt financings.
Kabel is certified by the National Association of Development Companies (a trade association of companies that have been certified by the Small Business Administration to provide funding for small businesses) to close SBA loans under the SBA's 504 Loan program. For the past eight years, he has devoted a portion of his practice to representing Oakland County Business Finance Corporation in connection with their SBA 504 Loan program, closing approximately 20-24 such loans each year.
Kabel is currently vice chair of the Real Property Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan and is a former chair of the section's CLE Committee. He is the author of "Equitable Subrogation: Why the Refinance Lender's Security Interest May Not be as Secure as it Thinks" (Michigan Real Property Review) and has participated as a speaker and/or author in numerous seminars and other continuing legal education programs over the years. Kabel is also a member of the American College of Mortgage Attorneys and of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the American Bar Association.
Kabel is a graduate of Wayne State University Law School and Grand Valley State University.
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Benchmark Litigation has named Bodman PLC its Michigan Litigation Law Firm of the Year for 2021.
Bodman has earned Benchmark's Law Firm of the Year award for eight consecutive years dating back to 2014.
The selection was announced at the Benchmark US litigation awards ceremony held virtually on March 31. State Law Firm of the Year winners are chosen based on an analysis of cases handled during the prior year, including potential precedents set or matters with notably high dollar amounts at stake.
In the 2021 edition of Benchmark, Bodman is one of only six Michigan firms to achieve the highest possible "Highly Recommended" rating for Business Litigation, and eleven Bodman attorneys are recognized as "Local Litigation Stars," "Future Stars," or on the publication's "40 and Under Hot List." Bodman is one of only three Highly Recommended firms to also achieve the highest possible "Recommended" rating for Labor and Employment Litigation.
Bodman's Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Practice Group attorneys appear before state and federal courts, and also before non-judicial forums such as national and international arbitral panels. The group's expertise spans many industries including accounting, banking and financial services, automotive, insurance, healthcare, manufacturing, real estate, and construction, among others.
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U.S. District Court Chief Judge Denise Page Hood recently announced that the court has selected Jonathan Grey for appointment as United States magistrate judge for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Grey obtained his undergraduate degree from Morehouse College and his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. He is currently an assistant United States attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. Upon successful completion of a background investigation, Grey will sit in Detroit where he will fill the upcoming magistrate judge vacancy created by the retirement of Magistrate R. Steven Whalen.
Grey was one of five persons recommended by a court-appointed Merit Selection Panel from among approximately 50 applicants. The panel members included Chair Shirley Kaigler, and attorneys Daniel Dena, Steven Fishman, Lawrence Garcia, Gerald Gleeson, Deborah Gordon, Elizabeth Hardy, Michael Laramie, Michael Martin, Leroy Richie, Marlo Roebuck, as well as non-attorneys N. Charles Anderson, Mariam Noland, Dr. Blandina Rose, and Mary Zatina.
Grey's name has been forwarded to the Administrative Office of the United States Courts in Washington, D.C. which will initiate the required background investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service. Upon the successful completion of those investigations, he will be sworn in as a magistrate judge.
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Howard & Howard is pleased to announce that long-time attorney Lisa S. Gretchko has been appointed to serve as a judge for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Michigan in Detroit.
On March 30, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals made the announcement and Gretchko was sworn-in during a private ceremony and assumed her judicial duties on April 5.
Gretchko joined Howard & Howard in December of 2003. Throughout her career, she has represented nearly every constituency in bankruptcy courts both locally and around the country, including business debtors, trustees, unsecured creditors' committees, secured creditors, unsecured creditors, landlords, licensors of intellectual property, customers, and suppliers.
"On behalf of Howard & Howard, we wish Lisa well in her new role as a bankruptcy court judge. She has been an asset to the firm and our bankruptcy practice for almost 18 years. We'll miss her, but there is no doubt she will be an invaluable addition to the bench," said Howard & Howard President & CEO Mark A. Davis.
Gretchko received her law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy Law School and her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan.
Gretchko succeeds Judge Phillip J. Shefferly, who retired in January of this year.
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Judge David A. Groner, a member of the Wayne County Circuit Court since 2003, recently was appointed by the Michigan Supreme Court to serve on the Business Court in Wayne County.
A University of Michigan alum, Groner has served in the Criminal Division for 14 years. For the past four years, he has served in the Civil Division, where he has handled specialty dockets such as structured settlements in addition to the traditional caseload.
Over the course of his judicial career, Groner has presided over several high-profile cases, including former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's perjury trial, Casto v U.S. Steel, et al., and Ramsey v CBS, et al. He was selected as a Top Circuit Court Judge in 2021 and 2020 by DBusiness magazine. In 2007, he was honored as the University of Michigan Mentor of the Year and received the State of Israel Bonds Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian Award in 2006. Additionally, he is a member of the Detroit Bar Association and the Michigan Judges Association.
Groner also authored the foreword for the 2010 Wayne Law Review Annual Survey of Michigan Law. Prior to joining the bench, Groner was a sole practitioner. He earned his law degree in 1985 from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, where he was a night student and simultaneously worked full time as a court clerk in the 6th Circuit Court for Judge James Thorburn.
