LEGAL PEOPLE

Robert B. Carr has joined Secrest Wardle’s Troy location as a partner. He is a member of the firm’s Motor Vehicle Litigation, Premises Liability, Product Liability and Construction practice groups. Carr is licensed to practice law in the State of Michigan where he is an active member of the State Bar of Michigan’s Young Lawyers Section.

Carr graduated from Wayne State University Law School. While in law school, Carr worked with the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office in the Major Drug Unit on felony cases as well as at the Free Legal Aid Clinic and the City of Warren Attorney’s Office. After law school, Carr worked as spokesman for the Navy’s Office of Judge Advocate General (JAG), and an assistant prosecutor in Oakland County. Since 2018, he has focused primarily on no-fault cases, including rental, trucking and SMART bus matters.

Carr also currently serves in the U.S. Navy Reserves, with part-time duties as a lieutenant commander with the Navy’s Chief of Information office at the Pentagon. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Oakland University and has multiple published articles with New York City-based American Legal Media and Chicago-based Law Bulletin Media.

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University of Detroit Mercy School of Law announced that J. Richard Broughton, professor of law, will be the first associate dean for faculty research and development beginning in January 2022. Broughton previously served as associate dean for academic affairs beginning in 2016.

“Serving in this role will allow us to expand our support to our already robust faculty research. I look forward to continuing to work with the faculty in this new way and working with Dean Jefferson Exum in supporting our faculty,” said Broughton. 

Broughton joined the faculty at Detroit Mercy Law in 2009 and was granted tenure in 2014. He was promoted to professor of law in 2019. Broughton is an expert in criminal law and constitutional law. He focuses his work on the intersection of American politics and institutions, constitutionalism, and criminal justice. His recent work has covered President Donald Trump’s impeachment, congressional investigative powers, the federal death penalty, and national security crimes, including terrorism and treason.

His goals in this new position include cultivating a vigorous institutional culture of research, scholarship, and free inquiry, promoting faculty scholarship publicly, ensuring support and mentorship for faculty in their research and writing, and expanding outreach to other academic institutions and the public. “Meeting these goals,” he said, “will help to enhance the reputation of the faculty, the law school, and the university, and serve the public good by building and improving legal knowledge.”

Broughton has been named Professor of the Year five times by the student body. He was also awarded the University of Detroit Mercy Faculty Achievement Award, the James T. Barnes Sr. Memorial Faculty Scholar Award, and the Faculty Member of the Year Award by both the Moot Court Board of Advocates and the University of Detroit Mercy Law Review.

Broughton has served on numerous committees, including the Dual JD Executive Committee, COVID-19 Taskforce, Faculty Recruitment Committee, and multiple dean search committees.

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Detroit Mayor Michael E. Duggan has announced that after the first of the year he will be sending to Detroit City Council his nomination of Conrad Mallett to be the city’s next corporation counsel. The city’s former top attorney, Lawrence Garcia, recently left the position after four years to take a leadership role at the law firm Miller Canfield.

Mallett currently serves a deputy mayor and would resign that position if confirmed by City Council in January, given the city’s corporation counsel represents each of the city’s elected officials.

Mallett is a highly accomplished attorney having served earlier in his career as chief justice of the Michigan Supreme Court. He has served as deputy mayor since May 2020 and during that time has shepherded many aspects of the city’s COVID response, as well as the formation of the Community Health Corps, which provides Detroiters most in need of help with intensive ongoing support and connection to a range of assistance programs.

Mallett, a lifelong Detroiter, started his career as a summer intern in the city’s law department, reporting to former U.S. District Court Judge, Anna Diggs Taylor.

Deputy Corporation Counsel Chuck Raimi is now serving as the interim Corporation Counsel until City Council confirms a new one. Raimi has been serving as the city’s deputy corporation counsel for the last seven years.

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U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters announced that the U.S. Senate confirmed the nomination of Dawn Ison to be the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan with bipartisan support. Dawn Ison is the first African American woman to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan.

On November 12, President Biden nominated Ison to serve as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District.

Ison is an assistant U.S. attorney in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, where she has served since 2002. From 2010 to 2014, Ison served as the chief of the Drug Enforcement Task Force Unit of the office. From 1990 to 2002, she was an attorney in private practice where she focused on criminal matters as well as a range of civil matters. She served as a prehearing attorney for the Michigan Court of Appeals from 1989 to 1990.

Ison received her law degree from Wayne State University Law School in 1989 and her B.A. from Spelman College in 1986.

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Bodman PLC is pleased to announce that Detroit-based business publication DBusiness Magazine has included 69 of the firm’s attorneys on its 2022 Top Lawyers list.

Bodman attorneys were recognized in 28 different areas of practice.

Local Bodman attorneys included in DBusiness Top Lawyers 2022, with the practice areas for which they were nominated, are listed below by office:

DETROIT OFFICE

Marc M. Bakst (Bankruptcy and Creditor/Debtor Rights Law)
Kelly M. Burnell (Trusts and Estates)
Andrew H. Curoe (Trusts and Estates)
Sarah L. Cylkowski (Insurance Law; Litigation-Insurance)
Brandon M. Dalziel (Health Care Law)
Laurence B. Deitch (Corporate Law; Mergers & Acquisitions Law)
Robert J. Diehl Jr. (Bankruptcy and Creditor/Debtor Rights Law; Litigation-Banking & Finance)
Forrest O. Dillon (Corporate Law; Mergers & Acquisitions Law)
Fredrick J. Dindoffer (Environmental Law)
Christopher J. Dine (Nonprofit/Charities Law)
Nathan D. Dupes (Environmental Law)
Aaron D. Graves (Labor and Employment Law)
Scott P. Gyorke (Banking & Financial Services Law)
Kathleen O’Callaghan Hickey (Banking & Financial Services Law)
Joseph J. Kochanek (Banking & Financial Services Law)
David P. Larsen (Trusts and Estates)
Dennis J. Levasseur (Litigation-Banking and Finance; Litigation-Intellectual Property)
Melissa A. Lewis (Banking & Financial Services Law)
Kelly M. Lockman (Real Estate Law)
Jay B. Long (Tax Law)
Julia C. Massaro (Trusts and Estates)
Ralph E. McDowell (Bankruptcy and Creditor/Debtor Rights Law)
Nicholas P. McElhinny (Corporate Law; Mergers & Acquisitions Law)
Joseph G. Nuyen Jr. (Health Care Law)
Rebecca D’Arcy O’Reilly (Employee Benefits Law)
Christine L. Phillips (Banking & Financial Services Law)
Jeffrey G. Raphelson (Litigation-Commercial)
Thomas J. Rheaume Jr. (Appellate Law; Litigation-Insurance)
Damali A. Sahu (Banking & Financial Services Law)
Nicholas P. Scavone Jr. (Real Estate Law)
Rebecca C. Seguin-Skrabucha (Labor and Employment Law)
Joseph J. Shannon (Litigation-Commercial)
Erica J. Shell (Environmental Law)
William S. Shipman (Health Care Law)
Larry R. Shulman (Banking & Financial Services Law)
Brian R. Trumbauer (Bankruptcy and Creditor/Debtor Rights Law)
Jaimee L. Witten (Bankruptcy and Creditor/Debtor Rights Law)

TROY OFFICE

Courtland W. Anderson (Franchise Law)
Celeste E. Arduino (Nonprofit/Charities Law)
Donovan S. Asmar (Appellate Law)
Adam Behrendt (Litigation-Banking and Finance; Litigation-Real Estate)
John T. Below (Labor and Employment Law)
Jonathan S. Berg (Commercial Law)
Gene P. Bowen (Commercial Law; Mergers & Acquisitions Law)
Barbara A. Bowman (Public Finance Law)
Jonathan P. Burleigh (Commercial Law)
Robert J. Cambridge (Corporate Law; Securities Law)
John C. Cashen (Labor and Employment Law)
Steve R. Cole (Corporate Law; Tax Law)
Michael G. Costello (Insurance Law)
Anthony P. Cracchiolo (Trusts and Estates)
Michelle Thurber Czapski (Insurance Law; Litigation-Insurance)
Gary S. Fealk (Labor and Employment Law)
Amanda J. Frank (Appellate Law)
Amanda E. Hill (Intellectual Property and Patent Law; Litigation-Patents)
Mark W. Peters (Commercial Law; Securities Law)
Andrew Z. Spilkin (Real Estate Law)
Thomas J. Tallerico (Litigation-Antitrust)
Thomas Van Dusen (Litigation-Commercial)
David B. Walters (Employee Benefits Law)

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Michelle Ruggirello has joined the Birmingham law firm of Kienbaum, Hardy, Viviano, Pelton, and Forrest.

Ruggirello, a graduate from the University of Notre Dame Law School, handles complex employment and commercial litigation matters for businesses in a variety of industries.

She began her career in the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, where she first-chaired jury and bench trials in a wide spectrum of criminal cases. Ruggirello then transitioned to private practice, where she has represented employers facing discrimination, retaliation, and other claims in federal and state courts and in administrative investigations. She also has litigated significant commercial disputes related to real estate, insurance, and corporate matters.

Ruggirello, a member of the Standing Committee on Character and Fitness for the State Bar of Michigan, graduated from the University of Notre Dame, earning a degree in political science with a minor in the Hesburgh Program in Public Service.

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Warner Norcross + Judd LLP has welcomed Timothy H. Smith as an associate.

Smith is a litigator with experience in constitutional, commercial, civil, and criminal matters in both state and federal courts. He is based in the firm’s Detroit office.

Prior to joining Warner, Smith was an associate at Patterson, Belknap, Webb, & Tyler in New York where he focused his practice on contractual disputes, false advertising claims, white collar defense and
commercial litigation. He previously served as a law clerk for U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Christopher F. Droney, Second Circuit; U.S. District Court Judge Paul G. Gardephe, Southern District of New York; and U.S. District Court Judge Nancy G. Edmunds, Eastern District of Michigan.

Smith received his bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College in Vermont. He earned his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School. He is licensed to practice in Michigan and New York.

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Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently announced the appointment of Steven L. Berenbaum to the State 9-1-1 Committee.

Berenbaum is the area manager of regulatory relations for AT&T. He earned a Bachelor of Science, Master of Business Administration, and law degrees from the University of Michigan. Berenbaum is reappointed to represent commercial mobile radio service for a term commencing January 1, 2022 and expiring December 31, 2023.

The State 9-1-1 Committee and it’s 21 member organizations work together to promote the successful development, implementation, and operation of 9-1-1 systems across the state of Michigan. In accordance with Public Act 244 of 2003, the Michigan State Police provides staff assistance to the committee as necessary to carry out the committee’s duties.  

This appointment is not subject to the advice and consent of the Senate. 

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Jasmine A. Shafquat is Dillon & Samuel’s first associate attorney.  Since June of 2020, Shafquat has played a key role in the firm’s continued success in criminal defense and family law. She started as a law clerk/paralegal.

In her first month as an attorney, Shafquat has had three criminal cases dismissed and won several family law motions that she argued.

Shafquat graduated from Michigan State University College of Law.  While enrolled in law school, she worked for both Dillon & Samuel and Court of Appeals Judge David W. McKeague, Sixth Circuit. 

Before pursuing law school, Shafquat graduated from Michigan State University while participating in the Political Science Scholars Program. During her undergraduate years, she gained work experience at Farough & Associates, Ingham County Circuit Court, and Ingham County Probate Court.