Legal People ...

Varnum is pleased to announce that Christopher Kazanowski has joined Varnum’s Labor and Employment Team as a partner. He is based in the firm’s Novi office.

Kazanowski is a labor and employment attorney who joins Varnum directly from Rocket Central LLC, where he served as the second highest-ranking labor and employment team attorney supporting the Rock Family of Companies.  Among his accomplishments while at Rocket Central, Kazanowski served as lead internal labor counsel related to the company’s $1.2 billion acquisition of the fintech app Truebill Inc. in 2021.

In addition to bringing his in-house experience, Kazanowski has served as outside employment counsel for businesses, litigated state and federal cases across the country and performed due diligence and transaction agreement review for mergers and acquisitions while a partner in private practice at a Detroit-based law firm. At Varnum, he will continue to provide advice and counsel to management regarding compliance with the many state and federal statutes that govern the workplace and defend claims alleging violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and FHA.

Kazanowski graduated from Emory University School of Law and is currently a Master of Laws candidate at Wayne State University Law School. He received his BA degree from the University of Michigan. He is admitted to practice in Michigan and Georgia.

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Plunkett Cooney recently achieved Mansfield Rule Certification for midsize law firms following completion of an 18-month program designed to promote and support diversity
and inclusion in law firm leadership.

Mansfield Rule Certification measures whether law firms have affirmatively considered a pool of at least 30% women, attorneys of color, LGBTQ+ attorneys, and attorneys with disabilities for recruitment, governance roles, equity partner promotions, and inclusion in formal pitches to clients. To achieve Mansfield Certification, Plunkett Cooney participated in the program, which was coordinated by Diversity Lab, an incubator for innovative ideas, from September 2021 to March 2023. The program included built-in measurement, transparency and accountability mechanisms to achieve certification.

“We are extremely proud of this prestigious certification,” said Plunkett Cooney President & CEO Thomas P. Vincent. “Our firm is committed to the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion, and Mansfield Rule Certification demonstrates that our efforts to recruit, train and maintain a diverse team of attorneys and staff are making an impact.

“I also want to acknowledge and thank our Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Laurel McGiffert, for leading the firm throughout the Mansfield certification process. We couldn’t have done it without her.”

The goal of the Mansfield Rule Certification program is to boost the representation of diverse lawyers in law firm leadership by broadening the pool of candidates considered for these roles and opportunities.

“Obtaining Mansfield Certification was a firm-wide effort” said McGiffert. “Our entire firm pulled together in support of this program. Our internal Mansfield Working Group, which was comprised of attorneys and staff, focused on making sure we met each certification goal, and they helped build a framework to ensure our long-term success.”

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On June 1, attorney Jennifer L. McManus began her tenure as the 71st president of the Michigan Association for Justice (MAJ), serving a one-year term from June 1, 2023, to May 31, 2024.  

“It is my distinct pleasure and honor to guide MAJ as the 71st president of the esteemed organization,” McManus stated. “We have an exciting year ahead of us, with much to be done. I’m looking forward to working with MAJ’s leadership to continue to make progress on important legislative and jurisprudential work and advocating on behalf of
Michiganders.”

McManus, partner at Fagan McManus PC in Royal Oak, represents plaintiffs in employment related disputes. She works with her clients as they negotiate employment agreements and severance packages and represents them as they navigate their way through claims of discrimination, unlawful termination or illegal wage, and hour practices.

McManus joined MAJ in 2012 and has served as an officer of the association for the past four years. She is also co-chair of the MAJ Employment Discrimination & Civil Rights committee.

“Trial lawyers are fierce advocates, often backing the underdog to ensure fairness and justice and providing a voice for those that aren’t often heard,” McManus said. “It’s MAJ’s mission to provide the resources, network, and support to help our members succeed. I am incredibly proud to work alongside these committed individuals every day.”

 McManus earned a B.A. from Western Michigan University in 1998 and a law degree from the Boston University School of Law in 2001. She serves as a co-chair for the Federal Bar Association’s Legal Ethics Committee, which she participated in developing. McManus is also a member of the Federal Bar Association, a former member of the Labor & Employment Law Advisory Board for the Institute of Continuing Legal Education, and a former council member of the State Bar of Michigan Labor & Employment Law Section. She has also served on the Board of Directors for the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce.

McManus speaks frequently at seminars through the State Bar of Michigan Labor and Employment Law Section and the Federal Bar Association. She has participated in discussions on topics including the Family Medical Leave Act, wage theft, dispositive motion best practices, and legal ethics in social media.

Along with McManus, new MAJ officers for 2023-2024 include:

• President-Elect – Eric Steinberg, Law Offices of Lee Steinberg PC, Southfield.

• Vice President – Nicholas Andrews, Liss, Seder, & Andrews PC, Bloomfield Hills.

• Secretary – Barry R. Conybeare, Conybeare Law Office PC, St. Joseph.

• Treasurer – Wayne J. Miller, Miller & Tischler PC, Farmington Hills.

• Immediate Past President – Stuart A. Sklar, Fabian, Sklar, King, & Liss PC, Farmington Hills

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McDonald Hopkins is pleased to announce the following local attorneys and practice areas that have been recognized by Chambers USA 2023:

Stephen Gross – Bankruptcy/Restructuring

Antoinette Pilzner – Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation

Gross is a member in the firm’s Strategic Advisory and Business Restructuring Department, chair of the Automotive Practice Group, and was the original managing partner of the firm’s Detroit office. He also previously served on McDonald Hopkins’ Board of Directors. For more than 35 years, Gross has been involved in assisting clients address complex business issues, including creative strategic solutions to liquidity, pricing, and other issues requiring contract renegotiation, restructuring,  acquisitions or  divestitures, especially in the automotive industry, other manufacturing businesses and large regional franchisees.

Pilzner focuses her practice in the areas of ERISA, employee benefits, and executive compensation. She has more than 25 years of legal experience in establishing, revising and terminating benefit plans and executive compensation programs to address business needs and changes in federal law. She also counsels clients on administering benefit plans and executive compensation programs to comply with ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code.

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BSP Law is honored to announce that it has again been ranked in the Chambers USA Guide 2023. This year, BSP Law rose to Band 1 for Product Liability: Automobile (Nationwide) and maintained its Band 3 ranking for Litigation: General Commercial (Michigan).

BSP Founding Member Patrick Seyferth also received a Band 1 ranking for his work in the practice area of Product Liability: Automobile (Nationwide) and a Band 2 ranking for his work in the practice area of Litigation: General Commercial (Michigan). BSP Law Member Roger Meyers received a Band 3 ranking in the practice area of Litigation: General Commercial (Michigan).

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Dickinson Wright is pleased to announce that Chambers & Partners has ranked 17 of the firm’s practices and 43 of the firm’s attorneys in the 2023 Chambers USA Guide.
Below is a list of Dickinson Wright practices in Michigan that are listed in Chambers USA 2023:

Banking & Finance (Band 1)
Bankruptcy & Restructuring (Band 1)
Corporate/M&A
Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (Band 1)
Intellectual Property
Labor & Employment
Litigation: General Commercial (Band 1)
Real Estate (Band 1)
Below is a list of local Dickinson Wright attorneys who are listed in Chambers USA 2023:

• Banking and Finance

Craig W. Hammond, Troy
William P. Shield Jr., Detroit (Band 1)
Rachel Wolock, Detroit

• Bankruptcy & Restructuring

Steven G. Howell, Detroit (Band 1)
James A. Plemmons, Detroit
Theodore B. Sylwestrzak, Detroit (Band 1)

• Corporate/M&A

Richard M. Bolton, Detroit
Mark R. High, Detroit

• Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation

Deborah L. Grace, Troy
Roberta P. Granadier, Troy
Eric W. Gregory, Troy
Cynthia A. Moore, Troy

• Intellectual Property

William H. Honaker, Troy

• Labor & Employment

Angelina Delmastro, Detroit
Timothy H. Howlett, Detroit (Band 1)

• Litigation: General Commercial

Edward H. Pappas, Troy
Daniel D. Quick, Troy

• Real Estate Law

Monica J. Labe, Troy
Michael J. Lusardi, Troy
Katheryne L. Zelenock, Troy

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Fourteen Miller Canfield attorneys and seven of the law firm’s practice groups have earned rankings in Chambers USA.

Miller Canfield earned rankings in the areas of Banking & Finance, Bankruptcy/Restructuring, Corporate/M&A, Intellectual Property, Labor and Employment, Litigation, and Real Estate.

Miller Canfield attorneys earning rankings include:

Thomas Cranmer, Litigation: White Collar Crime & Government Investigations
Scott Eldridge, Labor & Employment
Joseph Fazio, Real Estate
Jonathan Green, Bankruptcy/Restructuring
Ronald Hodess, Real Estate
Amy Johnston, Litigation: General Commercial
Jeffrey LaBine, Corporate/M&A
Megan Norris, Labor & Employment
Stephen Palms, Real Estate
Brian Schwartz, Labor & Employment
Julianne Cassin Sharp, Immigration
Trent Taylor, Banking & Finance
Nancy Valentine, Bankruptcy/Restructuring
Amanda Van Dusen, Banking & Finance

Attorneys earning Band 1 rankings are Thomas Cranmer, Jonathan Green, Megan Norris, Stephen Palms, and Julianne Cassin Sharp.

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Chambers USA has named 23 Clark Hill attorneys “Leaders in their Field” in the 2023 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.
Clark Hill congratulates the following local attorneys:

Daniel Bretz – Bretz is ranked as Senior Statespeople for Labor & Employment (Michigan). He represents major private employers in various aspects of labor and employment
law.

Edward Hammond – Hammond is ranked in Band 3 for Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (Michigan). He assists clients with all aspects of their qualified and non-qualified retirement plans.

Christopher McMican – McMican is ranked in Band 2 for Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation (Michigan). He assists employers with retirement plans, health and welfare plans, and compensation packages.

Daniel Minkus – Minkus is ranked in Band 2 for Corporate/M&A (Michigan). Minkus advises commercial clients with mergers, acquisitions and dispositions, as well as business planning, joint ventures, governance, supply chain agreements, and various other contracts.

Michael Nowlan – Nowlan is ranked in Band 1 for Immigration (Michigan) and Band 2 for Immigration (Nationwide). Nowlan assists corporate clients in securing and extending U.S. work status, typically on a temporary (nonimmigrant) visa, for existing or proposed foreign national employees.

Christopher Trebilcock – Trebilcock is ranked in Band 4 for Labor & Employment (Michigan). He litigates labor and employment disputes in federal and state courts and administrative agencies across the country on behalf of Fortune 500 companies, and medium and small employers, including governmental agencies.

Anne-Marie Vercruysse Welch – Welch is ranked in Band 3 for Labor & Employment (Michigan). She defends employers in lawsuits and administrative proceedings against wrongful discharge, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and related statutory and tort claims.

In addition, Clark Hill’s Labor & Employment (Michigan) and Immigration (Michigan) practices have been recognized by Chambers USA.

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Taft has been ranked in the Chambers USA 2023 Guide with 69 attorneys and 29 practices recognized.  

The following local Taft attorneys were ranked in Chambers USA as leading lawyers in their field:

Mark P. Krysinski, Real Estate, Detroit/Southfield
Mark D. Rubenfire, Real Estate, Detroit/Southfield
Richard A. Zussman, Real Estate, Detroit/Southfield

In addition, Taft was named a leading firm for its Real Estate practice in Michigan.

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Harness IP is pleased to announce that Leading Lawyers has selected attorney Beth Coakley, senior counsel in the firm’s Detroit Metro office, as one of Michigan’s Leading
Women Lawyers.

Coakley’s practice focuses on safeguarding her clients’ brands to protect and maximize their value. She has more than 40 years of experience developing intellectual portfolio (IP) strategies for some of the world’s most valuable trademarks. She regularly handles a host of contested matters including counterfeit goods, customs enforcement and seizures, e-commerce, domain name disputes, dilution, and unfair advertising and trade practices.

Coakley is a licensed certified neutral commercial arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association, a certified mediator, and has served as an expert witness and teaching fellow.