Collins Einhorn Farrell PC is pleased to announce that attorney Leza Elias has joined the firm's General & Automotive Liability Practice Group. Her practice focuses on no-fault auto cases, product liability, and personal injury litigation. Prior to joining Collins Einhorn, Elias worked as a paralegal in immigration, litigation, and no-fault areas.
Elias earned a master's degree in Criminal Justice from Wayne State University. In 2021 she graduated from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School. Fluent in both Arabic and Chaldean, Elias is licensed to practice law in Michigan.
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The D. Augustus Straker Bar Association is proud to announce its newly elected 2022-2023 officers:
President Ponce Clay, Clay Law PLC
President Elect Tanisha M. Davis, TMD Law Group
Secretary Deja Vasquez, DKV Law
Treasurer Renita Forrest, Forrest Law PLLC
Immediate Past President Michael Hall, Ford Motor Company
Also elected to the Straker Bar Board of Directors are:
Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Kameshia D. Gant
Mikai Green, GreenLaw Virtual
AJ Hamilton, Detroit Justice Center
Nicole Huddleson, Detroit Justice Center
Toya Jefferson, Law Offices of Toya Y. Jefferson PLLC
Vassal N. Johnson, Law Offices of Vassal N. Johnson II PLLC
Toi Thomas, Law Office Of Toi Thomas
Heather Washington, City of Detroit Law Department
Carlton Watson, DTE Energy
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Butzel has added attorney and shareholder Derek Mullins to one of the firm's largest practice areas-Litigation and Dispute Resolution. He focuses on federal procurement law and litigating complex commercial, real estate, class action, antitrust, and administrative law matters in state and federal courts.
Mullins, based in the firm's Detroit office, advises government contractors on a range of federal procurement matters, including bid protests and post-contract claims, prime-sub disputes, False Claims Act issues, SBA issues, data rights, compliance and ethics, and subcontracts and teaming agreements. Mullins also has experience assisting companies with internal investigations and in responding to civil and criminal inquiries by federal and state agencies.
He is a co-chair of the American Bar Association's Section of Public Contract Law: State and Local Procurement Division.
Mullins is admitted to practice in Michigan, the District of Columbia, Georgia, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
He is a graduate of Columbia Law School (2010) and Brown University (2006).
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The Jewish Bar Association of Michigan announces its 2022-2024 officers:
President Nargiz Nesimova
Executive Vice President Jordan Zuppke
Vice President of Finance Andrew Cohen
Vice President of Communications David Sachs
Vice President of Policy and Compliance Elina Shipper
Also elected to the JBAM Board of Directors are:
Eric Berlin
Jessica Davidova
Emily Elmer
Michael Feldman
Austin Hirschhorn
Ellen Cogen Lipton
Harrison Magy
Frank Mamat
Joseph Phillips
The JBAM past presidents include:
Ellie Mosko
Jonathan Schwartz
Rachel Loebl Serman
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Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently announced the following appointments to the Board of Law Examiners:
Earl Johnson is associate general counsel for North American Bancard LLC. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and law degree from Wayne State University Law School. Johnson is appointed for a term commencing July 1 and expiring June 30, 2027. He succeeds Eric Pelton whose term expires June 30.
Brittany M. Schultz is in-house counsel for Ford Motor Company. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Michigan and her law degree from Wayne State University Law School. Schultz is appointed for a term commencing July 1 and expiring June 30, 2024. She succeeds Candice Moore who has resigned.
The Board of Law Examiners is responsible the investigation and examination of all persons who initially apply for admission to the bar of this state. The board may adopt suitable regulations, subject to approval by the Supreme Court, concerning the performance of its functions and duties.
These appointments are not subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.
In addition, Whitmer announced the following appointment to the Commission on Middle Eastern American Affairs:
Haley A. Jonna is a co-owner of Pillar Construction Company LLC and a developer and project manager for Jonna Properties LLC. She is a member of the board of directors of the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce and the Chaldean Community Foundation. She earned a bachelor of science in Business Administration and Marketing from Oakland University and a law degree from Wayne State University Law School. Jonna is appointed for a term commencing June 21 and expiring April 19, 2026. She succeeds Michael Romaya whose term expired April 19, 2022.
The Commission on Middle Eastern American Affairs advises the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity and the Governor on issues relating to the Arab and Chaldean communities in Michigan and promotes awareness of their culture and history. They also work to empower, promote, and advance the Middle Eastern American community in Michigan.
This appointment is not subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.
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Aaron Burrell of Dickinson Wright PLLC received a Freedom Award from the National Action Network Michigan during its Juneteenth Celebration on June 18 at the Detroit Athletic Club.
National Action Network (NAN) is one of the leading civil rights organizations in the country with chapters throughout the U.S. Founded in 1991, NAN works to promote a modern civil rights agenda that includes the fight for one standard of justice, decency and equal opportunities for all people regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, citizenship, criminal record, economic status, gender, gender expression, or sexuality.
"I'm honored to receive one of this year's Freedom Awards from NAN Michigan and look forward to continue to work together with the organization to advance the cause of justice," Burrell said.
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Richard Miettinen, a partner at Howard & Howard, has recently been named chair of the firm's Business & Corporate Practice Group.
Miettinen has been with Howard & Howard for more than 16 years and has been a cornerstone of the firm's Business & Corporate group. He focuses his practice in a variety of areas, including mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures; corporate, partnership; and business law; healthcare; and finance. Miettinen also drafts negotiates contracts and transactions and has acted as lead counsel on countless business transactions across the country and internationally.
His commitment to clients and passion for creative problem solving, paired with his thorough understanding of the law, has contributed to success over the span of his nearly 40-year career. Miettinen was recently recognized by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as a "Go To Lawyer" for Business Law in 2022 for his continued leadership and success in the industry.
