LEGAL PEOPLE

Butzel attorney Phillip Korovesis received Leadership Oakland’s Distinguished Alumni Award on May 16.  In 2012, he was elected to Leadership Oakland’s Board of Directors, served as its president, and is a graduate of Leadership Oakland, Class XVIII.

Korovesis focuses his practice on commercial disputes, with trial, litigation and consultation expertise in non-compete/trade secret disputes, product liability defense, life insurance claims and business and financial services industry disputes. He has tried cases in state and federal courts in various parts of the country and has represented clients in state and federal appellate courts. He has arbitrated cases before the American Arbitration Association and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

Korovesis is the former Litigation Practice Group leader and former chair of the firm’s Trade Secret and Non-Compete Specialty Team which focuses on trade secret, non-compete and business tort litigation. He is a regular presenter on trade secrets and non-compete issues to lawyers and other professionals. He is an active member of the DRI  and serves on the leadership of Commercial Litigation Committee of that organization.

He is a former president of the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel and is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and the Federal Bar Association.

Korovesis has been recognized by Michigan Super Lawyers (Business Litigation) and the Best Lawyers in America (Commercial Litigation).

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Taft
Detroit announces the addition of attorneys Nicholas Binder and Aaron Boey.

Corporate attorney Binder will advise clients on corporate governance, operational and restructuring issues. He previously worked as an attorney with Kirkland & Ellis where he gained experience as a member of the firm’s transactional group. Binder served as a judicial extern for U.S. Court of Appeals Judge David McKeague, Sixth Circuit, and as a research extern for the Michigan Court of Appeals.

Binder received his Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology and his MBA from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. He earned his law degree from Michigan State University College of Law.

Boey will represent clients in family law, providing comprehensive and personalized support. Boey’s experience includes complex custody cases, high-asset divorces, child and spousal support, pre-and post-marital agreements, and enforcement.

Boey began his legal career as a commercial litigator at national AmLaw 100 and AmLaw 200 law firms, where he handled complex commercial cases before shifting focus to family law.

Boey attended Michigan State University College of Law where he served as a student law clerk for Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Rosemarie E. Aquilina. He obtained his bachelor’s degree from Madonna University and interned with Wayne County 29th District Court Chief Judge Laura R. Mack.

With this latest announcement, Taft Detroit has 140 attorneys.

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Brooks Kushman
was excited to be attending this year’s International Trademark Association (INTA) Annual Conference in Atlanta, Georgia on May 18-22.

Brooks Kushman had seven attorneys in attendance: Robyn Lederman, Molly Crandall, Hope Shovein, Elizabeth Janda, Jennifer Ziegler, Erica Klein, and Chloe Conway. Lederman, Crandall, Shovein, and Ziegler have been active within INTA for many years, holding committee positions within the organization.

• Robyn Lederman is on the Anticounterfeiting Committee.

• Molly Crandall is on the Public Information Committee.

• Hope Shovein is on the Unreal Campaign Committee for her second term.

• Jennifer Ziegler is on the Brands for a Better Society Committee.

International Trademark Association is a global association of brand owners and professionals dedicated to supporting trademarks and complementary intellectual property (IP) to foster consumer trust, economic growth, and innovation, and committed to building a better society through brands.

In addition, Brooks Kushman CEO Sangeeta Shah was one of four experienced PTAB practitioners that helped train upcoming lawyers on oral advocacy in the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) Legal Experience and Advancement Program (LEAP) for the America Invents Act (AIA) Oral Hearing Encore on May 17.

Shah is responsible for leading the firm’s Executive Committee. In addition to serving as the CEO, she maintains an active docket as an IP practitioner with more than 25 years of experience in managing patent portfolios, PTAB matters, patent litigation and opinions.

Shah works closely with several Fortune 500 clients for whom she provides strategic counseling and guidance on global intellectual property portfolios. Her patent expertise has resulted in national recognition from Managing IP, Best Lawyers, IAM 300, AIPLA and the PTAB Bar Association.

Prior to becoming CEO, Shah served as the firm’s chief diversity officer. In that position, she developed and implemented a range of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within and outside of the firm through outreach programs and partnerships. Under her leadership, the firm was recognized in 2018 and 2019 by ChIPs and Diversity Lab as a national Honor Roll Firm for its dedication to advancing diversity and inclusion, and was named a Midsize Mansfield Certified Plus firm in 2022 and 2023. Shah also hosts the Breaking Mindsets Podcast where she interviews leaders who defy expectations and have accomplished great change in their field.