LEGAL PEOPLE

Warner Norcross + Judd LLP has been recognized by the State Bar of Michigan for its pro bono contributions.

The law firm and 16 attorneys were recognized in the 2023 A Lawyer Helps Pro Bono Honor Roll. The Honor Roll recognizes both firms and individual attorneys who support access-to-justice efforts by providing pro bono legal services to individuals and families who are low-income throughout Michigan.

Warner attorneys provide direct client representation, serve on boards for legal aid programs, engage in community legal education programs and advise nonprofit and low-income public interest groups. They have been particularly active working with Legal Aid of West Michigan and its expungement initiative, providing pro bono legal services to help qualifying individuals clear their criminal records of old convictions. In addition, the firm makes an annual financial contribution to the Access to Justice Fund.

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Dickinson Wright is pleased to announce that three attorneys within the firm’s Troy office are listed as 2023 IP Stars by Managing Intellectual Property. The firm received a “Highly Recommended” rating for its Patent Prosecution and Patent Disputes practices in Michigan and a “Recommended” rating for its Trademark practice in Michigan.

The Dickinson Wright attorneys from the Troy office who are listed as 2023 IP Stars include:

William H. Honaker, Patent, Copyright, and Trademark Star
Daniel D. Quick, Copyright and Trademark Star
Steven L. Oberholtzer, Patent and Trademark Star

Dickinson Wright is also pleased to announce that Michael Vogt has joined the firm’s Troy office as a member.

Vogt helps clients resolve complex real estate issues and disputes. Whether guiding clients through the zoning entitlement process or representing clients in disputes related to the purchase, sale, development, leasing, and management of commercial real estate, Vogt works hand in hand with clients to understand their goals and then form practical strategies to reach them.  In his national zoning practice, Vogt counsels clients throughout the entire zoning process—from the initial due diligence and strategy formation through the final approvals needed for the client to begin operations.  

For more than a decade, Vogt has led clients through the zoning approval process in several states and across a variety of industries, including renewable energies, industrial uses, medical offices, auto dealerships, cannabis, telecommunications, retail, and restaurant.  He also regularly represents landlords and tenants in lease disputes and has litigated or negotiated settlements in numerous complex cases involving both eviction procedures and high-exposure claims for damages.  

Vogt is recognized as a leader in his field by Best Lawyers in America® and Michigan Super Lawyers Rising Stars. He is co-chair of the State Bar of Michigan Real Property Law Section’s Land Use & Zoning Committee and is a member of the Oakland County Bar Association Real Estate Committee.

Vogt received his B.A. from Michigan State University and his law degree from John Marshall School of Law.

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Intellectual property law firm Fishman Stewart PLLC is pleased to announce that managing partner Michael B. Stewart has been included in the IAM Patent 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Professionals – 2023.

Stewart is described in the guide as “... a seasoned attorney with an international outlook, which gives him a keen eye for commercialization opportunities,” and is listed “recommended” in both patent litigation and patent prosecution.

As co-founder of Fishman Stewart and master’s level engineer, Stewart is a strategic adviser to CEOs and senior executives across the globe. He develops IP management strategies for U.S. and foreign-based companies, from middle market to Fortune 500, to safeguard their business assets throughout the world. He has experience managing, administering and conducting worldwide projects involving updating ownership records of large intellectual property portfolios and applies a comprehensive, cross-disciplinary approach to maximize the scope of intellectual property protection and beneficial usage.

Fishman’s litigation experience includes both trials and oral arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals and he is admitted before the United States Supreme Court.

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Strobl PLLC is excited to announce the addition of two new attorneys to its team of lawyers, Michael A. Kus and Jeffrey T. Goudie.

Kus brings a background in banking law to the team with his expertise in regulatory compliance, real estate, corporate law, and licensing for finance companies throughout the U.S. His experience in advising financial institutions on compliance and regulatory laws allows banks to reduce risk and improve profitability. He has represented the Community Bankers of Michigan for more than 25 years.

Prior to joining Strobl in May, Kus was the co-founder of Financial Law Associates PC which then became Kus, Ryan, & Associates PLLC, which specialized in representing financial institutions in all aspects of their legal needs for more than 30 years.

Prior to starting his own law firm, Kus worked at a large Midwestern banking group and went on to serve as their in-house counsel for 11 years. He was also the co-founder of Compliance Systems Inc., a software company which provided legal compliance for loan and account documentation through modern technology.

Kus was also a founding member of the Board of Directors of the Mortgage Industry Advisory Board for the State of Michigan. He regularly speaks and writes articles on banking matters for various banking publications.

Goudie will focus his practice on business banking law, real estate law, and probate law. He navigates complex issues for financial institutions and provides comprehensive representation in all aspects of business law and litigation. His two decades of experience provide clients in the banking industry with expertise in licensing matters, regulatory affairs, and transactional matters. He is also a member of the Real Property Section of the State Bar of Michigan.

Prior to joining Strobl, Goudie worked as an attorney at Kus, Ryan, & Associates PLLC.  He graduated with his law degree from University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 2003.  

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Marko Law PLLC is pleased to announce that, due to recent and anticipated growth, the firm has relocated from 1300 Broadway Street to 220 West Congress in downtown Detroit’s Financial District. The new state-of-the-art office space features an expanded and open floor plan, city views, green space, walkability, and other amenities.

The five-story 220 West building, previously a factory, underwent extensive interior and exterior renovations by local developer Basco Detroit. The firm now occupies 7,100 square feet of space on the building’s fourth floor, which boasts two corner conference rooms, numerous spacious office lofts with exposed brick and floor-to-ceiling windows, a fully stocked kitchen, welcoming reception lounge, and more.

“Concurrent with the city’s growth and expanding client needs across the state, we have added considerably to the Marko Law team. We are very proud of what we have built and accomplished in Detroit and beyond, and we’re thrilled to make the move to this beautiful new space,” Marko Law Founder and Principal Attorney Jonathan Marko said. “I look forward to hosting clients, colleagues and business partners in our new home soon.”

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Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently announced more appointees to the bipartisan Growing Michigan Together Council.  Among those announced was Portia Roberson who was appointed a chair of the Jobs, Talent, People Workgroup.

Roberson is the CEO of Focus: HOPE, a 55-year-old organization with a focus on workforce development and education. Previously she served the City of Detroit as the group executive for Civil Rights, Inclusion & Opportunity. Throughout her career she has been actively involved in human and civil rights issues.

Roberson earned her bachelor’s degree in English at the University of Michigan and law degree at Wayne State University Law School. Roberson is the chair of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission and serves on the board for Delta Manor.  

The Growing Michigan Together Council was established with Executive Order?2023-04.?It will advise the governor on specific policies to grow Michigan’s population, including identifying a population goal for 2050. The council will also look at ways to prepare Michigan’s workforce for in-demand jobs and emerging industries.  To learn more about the council, visit https://growingmichigan.org.

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Brooks Kushman Shareholder Rachel Smith recently spoke on a panel at the 2023 Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) Corporate Counsel University event in Minneapolis.

This three-day event was tailored for in-house lawyers in the Intellectual Property Panel. The panel, “Protecting Your Client’s IP” focused its discussion on various IP topics, including risks that in-house attorneys face on a day-to-day basis, how to best protect corporate assets and confidential information, and how to effectively handle threat letters.

Smith is a registered patent attorney and focuses primarily on domestic and foreign patent prosecution. She manages clients from Fortune 500 companies to start-ups. She has an understanding of various technologies in the mechanical and electrical arts. Smith has experience prosecuting patent applications in consumer electronics, automotive,
medical device, and network technologies. Her practice further includes drafting patentability, infringement, validity, and freedom to operate opinions.

Smith also consults clients on open-source software license agreements. She works with clients to understand complex software licenses and copyright matters and has worked with the firm’s open-source team to perform software audits on complex systems.
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