LEGAL PEOPLE

During its annual meeting on May 27, the Women’s Bar Association, Oakland County region of the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, honored Oakland County 46th District Court Judge Debra Nance with the Joan Young Judicial Excellence Award for 2021.

Nance was elected to the bench on November 6, 2012. She began a six-year term as judge of the 46th District Court on January 1, 2013.  She was re-elected to her second term on November 6, 2018 and began her second six-year term on January 1, 2019.

Nance received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Detroit. She began her career as an assistant personnel superintendent at the Hudson’s Northland store before serving as personnel superintendent for several other Hudson’s stores throughout Michigan. She also worked in various human resource management capacities in the automotive industry prior to launching her legal career.

Nance began her career as an attorney after obtaining a law degree from Wayne State University Law School. She gained  experience while working in the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Domestic Violence Unit and the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Child & Family Abuse Bureau. After graduating, she worked on assignment to the Office of the General Counsel at Ford Motor Company. In 2001, she went into private practice at a mid-sized law firm where she developed a litigation practice in the areas of Civil Litigation, Probate Litigation, Juvenile & Family Litigation and Adoption Law.  

Nance volunteered in numerous projects prior to taking the bench.  She volunteered at free legal aid clinics.  She worked to educate local youth by participating in the 50th Anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education Project in Southfield Public Schools. She has supported organizations such as the Women’s Survival Center of Oakland County and Alternatives for Girls coming out of foster care. She worked as an “Election Protection Attorney” in a number of elections to ensure the fairness and integrity of the election process. Nance also worked as a volunteer attorney mediator for small claims, consumer and commercial disputes, and landlord/tenant matters in District Court. Prior to taking the bench, Nance served on the Michigan State Bar Character & Fitness Committee which reviews the suitability of law graduates seeking to obtain a license to practice in Michigan,
Since taking the bench, Nance developed and presented Careers in the Courtroom to encourage elementary and high school students to pursue careers as defense attorneys, prosecutors, civil attorneys, and judges. The program also introduces students to the importance of jury service. In addition, for adults, Nance has designed and presented How to Prepare for Your Day in Court and Tips for Landlords and Tenants which she shares with neighborhood/condo associations, church groups, and veteran’s groups. In community forums and townhalls, she has spoken on topics such as Breaking the Cycle of Incarceration and Breaking the Silence on Domestic Violence.

Nance conceived and presented the City of Southfield’s first Opioid Crisis Townhall in cooperation with fire, police, and other elected officials. In addition, Nance was instrumental in developing From Expungement to Entrepreneurship: The Pipeline to Possibilities to help “returning citizens” start small community based businesses.

In 2018 Nance was invited to Host a weekly radio show, “Your Best Chance with Nance,” designed to provide the listener with access to justice by increasing the public’s understanding of the criminal justice system, the court process and the people who serve there. The show broadcast throughout the State of Michigan.        

Nance is currently a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the Michigan District Judges Association, the Oakland County District Judges Association, the Association of Black Judges of Michigan, the National Association of Women Judges, the National Bar Association Judicial Council, the Wolverine Bar Association, the D. Augustus Straker Bar Association, the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, and the Black Women Lawyers Association of Michigan. 

In service to the legal community, Nance has lectured to lawyers at the Institute of Continuing Legal Education, and new lawyers at the Oakland County Bar Association. She has also lectured to students at Western Michigan University Cooley Law School and the University of Michigan Law School.

She served as a Board Member for the D. Augustus Straker Bar Association, served on the Oakland County Bar Association Judicial Candidates Committee, and was a long-serving member of the Adoption subcommittee of the Family Law Division of the State Bar of Michigan. Nance was elected by her peers to serve as president of the Association of Black Judges of Michigan for 2016-2017.

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Gordon, Rees, Scully, Mansukhani is expanding its presence in the Midwest with the addition of twelve attorneys to the firm’s Detroit office. John T. Eads III will serve as the Detroit Office managing partner along with Juliana B. Sabatini, who will serve as assistant office managing partner.

Joining Eads and Sabatini are Partner Jeffrey Hart as well as Senior Counsel Stacey Heinonen, Jana Simmons, and Cara Swindlehurst, and Associates Macy Abdallah, Aaron Boey, Maureen Heilmann, Lauren Penrod, Lindsay Weiss, and Luke Wolf.

Eads said, “Gordon & Rees is a great fit for our practices and clients. The firm’s well-deserved reputation for excellence, its national presence, and its client-centric focus made the decision to join that much easier. We share similar values and the same vision for how to best build and manage long-term client relationships and cannot wait to begin working together.”

Eads has defended high-exposure cases for more than 25 years, focusing his practice in medical, accounting and legal malpractice, transportation, product liability and general liability as well as large Michigan no-fault cases. He also handles environmental matters, business and employment disputes, contract actions, E&O liability and municipal/school liability cases.

Eads represents major utilities and national retailers and defends and evaluates high-demand injury cases. His clients include insurers, commercial businesses and trucking companies, among others. In addition, Eads has handled high-value cases for major sports facilities and an American League baseball team, national sports associations, major manufacturers, various golf courses, carnival companies, and a number of boat facilities, go cart tracks and waterslides.

Eads is recognized as a Top Lawyer by DBusiness Magazine for Product Liability, is listed in Best Lawyers in America® for Product Liability Litigation Defense and Personal Injury Defense, and is Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rated as “AV-Preeminent.”  He has been a member of ABOTA since 2006.

Sabatini defends high-exposure cases, focusing her practice in medical, accounting and legal malpractice, in addition to transportation, product liability and general liability, and large Michigan no-fault cases. She also handles environmental matters, business and employment disputes, contract actions, E&O liability and municipal/school liability cases. Sabatini has been recognized as a DBusiness Magazine Top Lawyer.

Hart litigates employment, complex commercial, products liability, medical malpractice, transportation, general liability, professional liability and workers’ compensation matters. In addition, he has experience with maritime law, including the Jones Act and the U.S. Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, representing shipping concerns and waterway terminal owners.

Hart serves as lead counsel for a Fortune 500 beverage company and a national specialty gas/propane company and handles commercial litigation, employment, and general liability matters for major companies in various industries, including sports equipment and transportation. He has tried more than 280 cases before various administrative agencies, judges and juries.

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Geaneen M. Arends, Butzel Long attorney, shareholder, and vice president, has been appointed to the Board of Directors of the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, (the parent organization of the Karmanos Cancer Center and Karmanos Cancer Foundation). The Karmanos Cancer Institute is the largest cancer research and provider network in Michigan, with 15 treatment locations across the state.

Arends concentrates her practice in mergers and acquisitions, business formation, general business and commercial real estate transactions. 

Arends serves as first vice-chair of the Board of Trustees of the Detroit Historical Society (Detroit Historical Museum and Dossin Great Lakes Museum) and is a trustee of the Detroit Educational Television Foundation/Detroit Public Television (Detroit PBS). She also serves on the Steering Committee for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s Classical Roots Celebration. 

She is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, serves on the Real Estate Advisory Board for the Institute of Continuing Legal Education, and is an alumna of Leadership Detroit, Class XXVII. She also is the Chair of Butzel Long’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.

Arends is a graduate of Michigan State University (1994) and Boston College Law School (1998). She is admitted to the State Bar of Michigan and the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Michigan.

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Dykema recently announced the addition of Janet L. Conigliaro to its Products, Class Actions, and Professional Liability Practice Group as a member in the firm’s Detroit, office. Conigliaro, who previously practiced at Dykema from 2012-2019, rejoins the firm after serving as director, legal regulatory counsel at ZF Group, a global technology supplier for passenger cars, commercial vehicles and industrial technology.

In her practice, Conigliaro focuses on automotive and products liability litigation. She has experience managing automotive product liability and class action cases, including serving as national discovery and e-discovery counsel for cases in multiple jurisdictions covering numerous allegations and subject matters of first impression.

Conigliaro has led fact investigations, prepared discovery responses, handled motion practice, negotiated protective orders and e-discovery protocols, and developed pre-class certification discovery plans in accordance with overall case strategy. Additionally, she has worked closely with in-house counsel to develop and implement best practices and strategies in pattern product liability litigation matters.

Conigliaro has handled many class actions from inception through class certification briefing managing discovery, fact development, taking and defending depositions, expert discovery, and drafting motions and briefing. She also has experience in handling NHTSA inquiries and investigation responses and recall management for the automotive industry.

Conigliaro has made contributions to Dykema’s pro bono efforts, defending immigrants in unlawful removal proceedings and human trafficking. She also taught first- and second-year law classes on Civil Procedure and Advanced Advocacy and Writing.

Conigliaro earned a law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and a B.A. from the University of Detroit Mercy.

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On June 1, attorney Ronald K. Weiner began his tenure as the 69th president of the Michigan Association for Justice (MAJ). Weiner’s one-year term runs from June 1, 2021 to May 31, 2022. Steve Pontoni, MAJ executive director, made the announcement.

“I am incredibly honored that my fellow trial lawyers have entrusted me with the task of guiding MAJ as the 69th president of our organization,” Weiner stated. “This is the proudest moment of my legal career.”

Weiner continued, “I am especially grateful to immediate Past President Donna MacKenzie for her tireless dedication and advocacy on behalf of our clients.”

Weiner, a partner at Lipton Law Center PC in Southfield, handles cases involving medical malpractice, nursing home neglect and automobile/no-fault.

He joined MAJ in 1996 and has served as an officer in the association for the past four years. Weiner also co-moderates MAJ’s annual Seminar in the Snow in Bellaire, Mich.

“MAJ is a unique organization. Despite the industry’s constant competition for clients and sometimes opposing interests, our trial lawyers all want the best for one another,” Weiner said. “Our organization stands together in the face of adversity, and we come out stronger on the other side of it all. I couldn’t be more proud to work with the talented professionals that make up our organization.”

Weiner received his B.A. from the University of Michigan and his law degree from Syracuse University College of Law. He is a case evaluator in Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne Counties and serves as an arbitrator for various attorneys in southeast Michigan.

He is also a member of the U.S. District Court Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan, Oakland County Bar Association, Macomb County Bar Association, and American Association for Justice. He is a member and past chair of the Circuit Court Committee and Case Evaluation Committee in Oakland County. Weiner also serves as a hearing panelist for the Attorney Discipline Board and is a board member and past president for Gilda’s Club of Metro Detroit.

Along with Weiner, new MAJ officers for 2021-22 are:

President-Elect Stuart A. Sklar, Fabian, Sklar, King, & Liss PC, Farmington Hills
Vice President Jennifer L. McManus, Fagan McManus PC, Royal Oak
Secretary Eric Steinberg, Law Offices of Lee Steinberg PC, Southfield 
Treasurer Nicholas Andrews, Liss, Seder, & Andrews PC, Bloomfield Hills
Immediate Past President Donna M. MacKenzie, Olsman MacKenzie Peacock, & Wallace PC, Berkley

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Commercial litigation firm Altior Law has announced that David Mollicone has joined its shareholder group.

Mollicone has more than two decades of commercial litigation experience, and has been named a Top Lawyer by DBusiness for the last 3 years.

Mollicone focuses his legal practice in commercial and corporate litigation, banking litigation, creditors’ rights, real estate litigation, employment law and environmental litigation. He has represented clients in all stages of litigation through trial and appeal across a variety of matters in state and federal courts across the Midwest.

“I’m impressed with the Altior team and the culture they’ve built at the firm,” said Mollicone. “The post-pandemic environment is sure to create new legal challenges for businesses, and I’m excited for our team to lead our clients into this new territory.”

Mollicone joins Ken Neuman, Jennifer Grieco, Steve McKenney, and Matt Smith as Altior shareholders.

Throughout his career, Mollicone has litigated cases involving a broad range of general business issues including breach of contract, complex commercial issues, loan workouts, Consumer Protection Act violations, discrimination, non-competition agreements, and real estate disputes, to name a few. He also regularly represents financial institutions and general creditors in all phases of bankruptcy proceedings, including the pursuit of proofs of claim and all post-petition claims.

Altior Law is a boutique firm made up of business lawyers who are also business people. In addition to its core commercial litigation and mediation practice, the firm is the founding sponsor of Peak Law, an organization that supports projects aimed at using law to improve the world.

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Attorney Niccolas Grochowski has joined the Beier Howlett law firm.

Grochowski, who earned his law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, brings with him more than 19 years of experience as a city and township attorney and prosecutor.

He has represented several local municipalities and has experience in motion, trial, and appellate practice as well as municipal criminal violations. 

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The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit recently named Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer, & Weiss PC partner Jonathan Schwartz the winner of the Frank A. Wetsman Young Leadership Award. Jaffe CEO Jeffrey M. Weiss made the announcement.

Schwartz was recognized for his leadership and contributions to the Jewish community. Recipients of this award are devoted members of the Jewish community who have exemplified the ideal of positive and productive leadership and service. They stand for community above all and form connections through Jewish heritage. The Jewish Federation celebrated award winners with a virtual ceremony on May 3.

As partner and an attorney in the litigation & dispute resolution practice group, Schwartz represents and advises clients in a variety of high-profile legal matters, including business, commercial, employment, real estate, intellectual property and entertainment. He has been recognized as Most Valuable Millennial by Corp!, named to the “36 Under 36” list by Detroit Jewish News and The Well, and is a Southfield Chamber of Commerce Excellence in the City awardee.

Outside of the practice, Schwartz is the co-founder and president emeritus of the Jewish Bar Association of Michigan, founder of the Holocaust Art Recovery Initiative, chair of the Detroit Board and a National Board Member of Humble Design and an executive board member of the Executive Board of the Patriot Week Foundation.

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Butzel Long attorneys and practice areas have been ranked in the Chambers USA 2021 – America’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2021 – The Client’s Guide. The firm has reached a milestone and is among a limited number of Michigan’s leading law firms to significantly increase its rankings in Chambers USA 2021.

Butzel Long’s Immigration Practice is a new addition to Chambers USA 2021. Immigration attorneys included are: Clara DeMatteis Mager, Bushra Malik, He Xian and Reginald Pacis.

In addition, firm attorney Hannah Treppa is recognized among Associates to Watch and Thomas Shaevsky has been named to been named to Chambers USA 2021 for the first time.

Butzel Long practice areas included in Chambers USA 2021 are:

• Corporate/ Mergers and Acquisitions
• Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation
• Immigration – (New Addition)
• Labor & Employment
• Commercial Litigation
• Real Estate

Butzel Long attorneys ranked and highlighted in Chambers USA 2021 include:

• CORPORATE/M&A
  Arthur Dudley II
  Jennifer Consiglio
  Justin Klimko – Eminent Practitioner
  Nicholas Stasevich

• EMPLOYEE BENEFITS & EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
  Andrew Stumpff
  Lynn McGuire
  Mark Jane – Associate to Watch
  Nancy Keppelman
  Robert Stevenson
  Tom Shaevsky – (New Addition)

• IMMIGRATION (New Addition)
  Clara DeMatteis Mager – (New Addition)
  Bushra Malik – (New Addition)
  He Xian – (New Addition)
  Reginald Pacis – (New Addition)

• LABOR & EMPLOYMENT
  Brett Miller
  Carey DeWitt
  Daniel Tukel
  Hannah Treppa – Associate to Watch (New Addition)
  James Rosenfeld
  John Hancock Jr.

• COMMERCIAL LITIGATION
  Bruce Sendek
  Cynthia Haffey
  Daniel Rustmann

• WHITE-COLLAR LITIGATION
  David DuMouchel
  George Donnini

• REAL ESTATE
  David Hipp – Senior Statespeople
  Thomas Kabel