LEGAL PEOPLE

Brooks Kushman P.C.

Brooks Kushman is pleased to announce that shareholder Michael Turner has been named to the 2021 Class of “Leaders in the Law” by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.

Turner focuses his practice on domestic and foreign patent prosecution for mechanical matters, electromechanical matters, systems, business methods, and designs. His industry background in robotics and automation provides him with experience in various technologies and manufacturing processes, which he utilizes to protect his client’s intellectual property rights.

Turner also counsels clients on procedures for filing domestic patent applications that meet the varying requirements for both domestic and international protection, particularly addressing the various international nuances associated with design patents.

Turner takes a proactive role in mentorship, training, and professional development within the firm. For example, he works closely with the Kettering University Career Program to encourage students to seek a career in intellectual property (IP). Over the years, he has appeared on campus to speak with students on his career path and encourage others to follow. This has led many candidates to seek a career in IP, many of whom have joined Brooks Kushman.

Additionally, he works with associates and clerks to prepare continuing legal education presentations within the firm. This serves to educate attorneys at the firm on new developments of the law while also encouraging the attorneys to expand their horizons and learn new things.

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Howard and Howard Attorneys PLLC

Howard & Howard is proud to recognize 12 of its attorneys named to DBusiness magazine’s “Top Lawyers” in Metro Detroit for 2022. The feature is posted at www.dbusiness.com and published in the November/December 2021 print edition of DBusiness.

The Howard & Howard attorneys listed are:

—Environmental Law
Gary A. Peters

—Insurance Law
Robert E. Graziani

—Intellectual Property & Patent Law
Sam Haidle

—Litigation – Commercial
Mark W. Peyser

—Litigation – Intellectual Property
Andrew (Jake) Grove
Kristopher K. Hulliberger

—Mergers & Acquisition Law
Richard M. Miettinen

—Real Estate Law
Nicholas T. Chapie
Brad Knickerbocker

—Trade Secrets
Andrew (Jake) Grove
Gerald E. McGlynn

—Trust & Estates
John M. Pollock

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Michigan Supreme Court

The Michigan Supreme Court has announced the appointments of Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Jeffery S. Matis and Probate Court Judge Linda S. Hallmark as chief judges for the Circuit and Probate Courts respectively. Their terms officially begin on January 1, 2021, and will run through December 31, 2023. Matis is serving as chief judge for the remainder of the current term ending December 31, 2021, before starting his term in January.
Matis has rounded out his leadership team appointing Judge Denise Langford Morris as Circuit Court chief judge pro tem for the interim period and for the term beginning on January 1. Judge Phyllis C. Millen will continue as presiding judge of the Civil/Criminal Division and Judge Mary Ellen Brennan will also continue in her role as presiding judge of the Family Division.

Hallmark has selected Judge Kathleen A. Ryan to serve as the Probate Court chief judge pro tem. Judge Daniel A. O’Brien will serve as presiding judge trusts and estates and Judge Jennifer Callaghan will fill the role of presiding judge guardianships, conservatorships, and mental health. All of these terms will begin on January 1, 2022.

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Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss, P.C.

Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer, & Weiss PC recently welcomed a new attorney to its team of legal professionals. Diane Slinger joins the firm as a partner, with more than 30 years of industry experience. She will be part of the estate & wealth planning practice group. Jaffe CEO Jeffrey M. Weiss made the announcement.

Slinger brings a set of skills and technical experience to Jaffe, including more than three decades of providing estate planning counsel and examining changes in legal policies related to estate & wealth planning. Her defined specialties include estate planning and probate law, corporate law, contract law, business planning and real estate law. She will also support the estate & planning group in matters involving estate and gift tax preparation, tax planning, mergers and acquisitions and transactional matters.

Before joining Jaffe, Slinger spent 27 years at a smaller estate planning law firm, where she honed her expertise. During that time, she also served for more than seven years on the City of Birmingham Board of Review and five years on the Independence Township Board of Review.

Slinger earned law degrees from the Emory University School of Law and the University of Santa Clara School of Law, and her bachelor’s degree from Eastern Michigan University.

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Kerr, Russell and  Weber PLC

Kerr Russell Attorneys and Counselors congratulates the following attorneys who have been recognized as Top Lawyers by DBusiness magazine:

Jason W. Bank – Bankruptcy and Creditor/Debtor Rights Law

James R. Cambridge – Corporate Law

Michael D. Carroll – Construction Law and Litigation-Construction

Mark M. Cunningham – Construction Law and Litigation-Construction

John D. Gatti – Tax Law

Michael D Gibson – Mergers & Acquisitions Law

Patrick J. Haddad – Health Care Law

Fred K. Herrmann – Antitrust Law and Litigation-Antitrust

Mark C. Knoth – Labor and Employment Law

Eric I. Lark – Mergers & Acquisitions Law and Corporate Law

Kate M. McCarroll – Immigration Law

Stephen D. McGraw – Medical Malpractice Law

Daniel J. Schulte – Health Care Law

Joanne Geha Swanson – Appellate Law, and Litigation-Antitrust

James E. Tamm – Municipal Law

Kurt R. Vilders – Real Estate Law

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Reiter & Walsh PC

On November 18, Jesse Reiter, owner of Reiter & Walsh PC which focuses on catastrophic birth injury claims, spoke at the American Conference Institute’s 20th Anniversary Obstetric Malpractice Claims, Virtual Conference. He presented on the topic of: “Myth Busting – How the Facts Refute Common Misbeliefs about Electronic Fetal Heart Monitoring (EFM).”