Jon D. Kreucher has been elected president and chief executive officer of Howard & Howard. The announcement was made by current President and CEO Mark A. Davis who will soon step down after leading the firm for the past 17 years.
Kreucher has practiced law for 30 years, holding positions at Fortune 100 companies and private law firms. An attorney with Howard & Howard for 18 years, he has worked across the firm's Business & Corporate; Business Litigation; Energy, Infrastructure & Utilities; and Labor, Employment & Immigration Practice Groups.
"I'm honored and excited to be selected by my colleagues to lead our law firm as it begins its 153rd year in business," said Kreucher. "On behalf of our entire team, I'd like to thank Mark Davis for his years of thoughtful leadership. I look forward to continuing Howard & Howard's long-standing commitment to providing exceptional legal services to our clients and offering a collegial and rewarding culture for our attorneys and employees."
According to Kreucher, his initial focus will include:
• Maintaining the effort to run the firm like a business, which allows attorneys to focus on clients and to be among the most highly compensated in the markets Howard & Howard serves.
• Emphasizing and enabling more utilization of technology to reduce time and improve cost efficiencies in legal research, e-discovery, document automation, asset management and compliance.
• Improving the diversity of the firm's teams and fostering an environment which embraces a range of perspectives on work-life balance.
"The legal industry will experience more disruption in the next 10 years than in the previous 100. One important catalyst was the dramatic change ushered in by the pandemic," said Kreucher. "We're at an inflection point which will bring fundamental change to the way we deliver legal services to our clients. One of the most important functions of my role will be to make sure the firm evolves so our clients can continue to receive high quality and timely legal services at a reasonable cost."
Kreucher has been selected to The Best Lawyers in America® (2017-2021) and named to DBusiness magazine's "Top Lawyers" (2013-2014, 2019-2020). He is a graduate of Western Michigan University Cooley Law School and he completed his undergraduate work at the University of Michigan.
Kreucher's term will commence on January 1, 2022.
In addition, Howard & Howard is proud to announce that Daniel Chojnowski has been selected to the 2021 Class of "Leaders in the Law" by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.
Chojnowskifocuses his practice on global patent procurement, opinion work, freedom-to-operate investigations, and global intellectual property portfolio management, primarily in the chemical, mechanical, and medical device arts. Chojnowski also has experience in preparing and prosecuting U.S. and foreign design patent applications. In addition to his intellectual property focus, he assists clients with navigating and complying with the U.S. Department of Commerce's import and export requirements.
Chojnowski received his law degree from Wayne State University Law School, his M.S. from Eastern Michigan University, and his B.S. from Western Michigan University. He is also a member of the Michigan Intellectual Property Law Association.
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The Patriot Week Foundation is delighted to announce that retired Michigan Supreme Court Justice Stephen Markman has joined its Board of Directors. Capping a lengthy commitment of public service in a variety of capacities, Markman served on the court from 1999 until his retirement at the end of last year on account of state judicial age limitations.
Patriot Week renews America's spirit by deepening the appreciation of the First Principles, Founding Fathers and other Patriots, vital documents and speeches, and flags that make America the greatest nation in world history. Anchored by the key dates of September 11 (the anniversary of the terrorists attacks) and September 17 (Constitution Day, the anniversary of the signing of the Constitution by our Founding Fathers), the schedule for each day has a separate focus. Co-created in 2009 by Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Michael Warren and his then 10-year-old daughter Leah, Patriot Week has captured the imagination and support of citizens across the nation.
Patriot Week is a nonpartisan effort which has been unanimously recognized by the U.S. Senate and more than a dozen states. Patriot Week's efforts include a broad variety of initiatives and resources, including grassroots events, lesson plans, a blog, a podcast, TV show, and video presentations. For additional information about Patriot Week, visit www.PatriotWeek.org.
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Dickinson Wright PLLC is pleased to announce that Thomas G. McNeill (member, Detroit) has been named a "2021 Leader in the Law" by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.
McNeill brings four decades of battle-tested experience and skill to representing private and public companies, and their owners, officers and directors, in state and federal trial courts in Michigan.
In addition to all manner of contract and tort based business to business litigation, McNeill specializes in complex financial litigation, including in the areas of securities (particularly class action defense), the purchase/sale of the business, private equity ownership and purchase/sale, and financial statement-based litigation.
He is recognized for excellence in the niche fields of automotive supply litigation, non-compete and non-disclosure agreements, and trade secret theft.
McNeill is delighted to join the Michigan Lawyers Weekly "2021 Leaders in the Law," and he is grateful for the highest peer-based recognitions conferred by Chambers USA ("Band 1"); The Legal 500 United States; Best Lawyers in America (in five litigation disciplines), Benchmark Litigation ("Litigation Star"); and Michigan Super Lawyers ("Top 100").
McNeill is the vice chair of the State Appellate Defender Commission (nominated by the Supreme Court, appointed by three Governors), a Fellow of the State Bar of Michigan, a past president of the Federal Bar Association, Eastern District of Michigan Chapter, a member of the International Society of Barristers, and co-author/editor of "Michigan Business Torts," a leading ICLE publication, now in its 2020 edition.
The "2021 Leaders in the Law" will be honored at an annual luncheon and awards ceremony on December 2 at the Troy Marriott.
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Daina Robinson, a 2020 Wayne State University Law School graduate and member of the State Bar of Michigan, is beginning a new career chapter in the committee where she served as a Levin Center legal intern in 2019. The U.S. House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform Committee has hired Robinson to serve as a legal counsel to assist with its investigations into policy matters. This opportunity allows her to apply Levin Center mentoring and her D.C. experience to committee priorities of critical importance.
"I am so grateful that the Levin Center not only equipped me for a career on the Hill, but it is the reason I have my current position as Counsel for the House Committee on Oversight and Reform," shared Robinson. "The Levin Center introduced me to a realm of law that I didn't know existed until I was a Levin Center legal intern in the summer of 2019. The mentorship and support from the Levin Center's liaisons and Wayne Law faculty involved in the program has been incredible, and transcended the duration of my summer-long clerkship. I look forward to the work the Center will continue to do as it honors the legacy of Senator Levin."
Robinson moved to Washington, D.C., and began her new role earlier this month. Her prior position was staff attorney for Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Kameshia Gant. In the past, she has also worked as a law clerk for the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and for Legal Services of South Central Michigan.
Since 2016, the Levin Center has sponsored a summer program to place Wayne Law students at congressional committees that conduct bipartisan investigations. The Center then supports the students over the summer with tips on how to provide effective assistance to committee investigations. To date, the Levin Center has placed nearly two dozen Wayne law students in summer legal internships in Washington.
In 2022, for the first time, the Levin Center is initiating a semester-long program to place law students in congressional investigative committees in Congress.
Based upon her experience, Robinson recommends a Levin Center placement for anyone at Wayne Law School interested in government oversight and public service. She indicated that it clearly gave her a leg up in her search for employment.
The Levin Center at Wayne Law is named in honor of former U.S. Senator Carl Levin, Michigan's longest-serving U.S. senator who retired after 36 years in the Senate conducting fact-based, bipartisan oversight investigations. The Center's mission is to promote high quality oversight in Congress and the 50 state legislatures through oversight workshops, research, events, commentary, and other activities. While the Levin Center is affiliated with Wayne State University Law School, its views do not present the institutional views, if any, of Wayne State University or the Law School.
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Butzel attorney and shareholder Michael C. Decker has been named to Michigan Lawyers Weekly's "Leaders in the Law" Class of 2021. Honorees will be recognized at a luncheon and awards celebration on December 2 at the Detroit Marriott Troy.
Decker practices in Butzel's Detroit and Lansing offices. He concentrates his practice in the areas of construction and construction litigation and business and business litigation.
He represents and counsels construction companies and contractors on all aspects of both public and private projects, from inception to completion of those projects.
Decker has experience drafting and negotiating contracts, subcontracts, and other agreements and prosecuting and defending performance, payment, and delay related claims on behalf of construction companies and contractors, as well as owners and sureties. He also has experience prosecuting and defending claims concerning the Miss Dig Act and violations of the Miss Dig Act on behalf of construction companies and contractors. Decker has prosecuted and defended such claims before state and federal courts, state and public agencies, and arbitration and mediation panels.
Decker also has experience assisting owners and contractors with residential construction related matters. Specifically, he has assisted owners and contractors drafting and negotiating residential construction contracts, subcontracts, and other agreements and resolving performance and payment related issues, as well as prosecuting and defending claims arising from such issues.
Decker represents and counsels businesses and business professionals with day-to-day business related issues. Such day-to-day business related issues routinely find him assisting with contract disputes and bankruptcy, corporate, collection, labor and employment, real estate, and trade secret related issues.
Decker has been recognized as a Rising Star in Business Litigation in 2013-2021 by Super Lawyers. He also has been recognized as a Top Lawyer in Construction Litigation in 2017-2021 by DBusiness.
Decker earned a law degree from Wayne State University Law School in 2011 and a Bachelor of Science from Central Michigan University in 2007.
Since 2015, he has been a member of the Central Michigan University Alumni Association Board of Directors. He represents the interests of alumni by providing meaningful opportunities and connections for maintaining involvement with the university.
Decker is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and the State Bar of Florida. He is admitted to practice in various courts in both Michigan and Florida.
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Eric Novetsky, partner at Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer, & Weiss PC, was named the practice group leader of the firm's Finance practice group. Jaffe CEO Jeffrey M. Weiss made the announcement.
As part of his expanded role, Novetsky will manage the firm's professionals and resources with the goals of providing clients with high-quality and insightful legal counsel in all aspects of their financing matters.
In addition to his new role as practice group leader of the Finance group, Novetsky also heads up Jaffe's Small Business Administration and Government-Backed Lending practice groups and is a member of the firm's Insolvency & Reorganization group.
He focuses his practice on providing strategic legal advice and business consultation services to clients in all finance matters and specializes in the representation of lenders and borrowers in non-traditional commercial loan transactions, including bridge, government-backed and asset-based financing,
His background in insolvency, supply chain management and automotive manufacturing provides a unique perspective and level of expertise for his clientele. He also works with clients to negotiate and document contracts between suppliers, purchasers and customers and works to resolve issues arising within customer and supplier agreements.
As a government-back lending expert, Novetsky has been instrumental to hundreds of small business clients helping them navigate, access, and understand various lending, grant and other economic relief and stimulus programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Novetsky earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School. He also earned an MBA degree from University of Michigan, Dearborn and a BA degree in Supply Chain Management from Michigan State University. He is an active member and former board member of the Turnaround Management Association and is routinely recognized by Super Lawyers® as a Rising Star.
