Butzel attorneys George Donnini and David DuMouchel
will be among the guest speakers who will be featured during the
Michigan Association of CPAs (MICPA) Forensic Accounting & Business
Valuation Conference on June 11 at the MSU Management Education Center
in Troy.
Donnini and DuMouchel will co-present a session titled, “The Line: A Closer Look at Accountants on Both Sides of Criminal Prosecutions.” They will analyze high profile cases of accounting and financial fraud with a special focus on the contributions of accountants on both the right and wrong side of the law.
Donnini will also participate in a panel discussion titled, “Growing Trends in MI Cannabis.” The session will provide an in-depth exploration of the most common regulatory challenges, statutory issues, and fraud and litigation scenarios associated with cannabis.
Donnini is a member of the Butzel Board of Directors. He currently serves as a Litigation Department chair and he also serves as the co-chair of the firm’s White-Collar Criminal Defense Practice.
He has more than 20 years of experience in Detroit as a white-collar criminal defense practitioner. Prior to that, he practiced for several years in New York and California – two additional states where he also is licensed to practice. He has handled a variety of cases including, but not limited to, health care fraud, public corruption, antitrust, environmental, tax, and securities fraud cases. In addition, a significant portion of his practice involves the handling of corporate internal investigations for public and private companies. He also handles civil litigation cases on behalf of the firm’s clients, particularly where clients are facing parallel criminal enforcement and civil litigation exposure.
Donnini serves as the current president of the Federal Bar Association, Eastern District of Michigan Chapter. In 2020, he was named a “Notable Veteran” by Crain’s Detroit Business. Donnini, along with a group of local attorneys, formed the Detroit chapter of the Veteran’s Bar Association, to gather for networking and mentorship.
Donnini is a member of numerous bar associations and holds leadership roles in those organizations, including, the American Bar Association (ABA), Criminal Justice Section, White Collar Crime Committee; Midwest Regional co-chair (2005-present); and the ABA Criminal Justice Section, Book Board, co-chair (2008-present).
DuMouchel chairs Butzel’s Corporate Compliance, Internal Investigation and Criminal Defense practice. His practice is limited to white-collar criminal defense, defense of corporations and individuals in criminal and civil antitrust matters, professional licensure and criminal health care, IRS investigations of both taxpayers and professionals, SEC enforcement of corporate executives fraud, public corruption, as well as grand jury investigations, internal corporate investigations and compliance.
DuMouchel is a Fellow of both the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Society of Barristers.
He serves on the first Board of Directors of the Federal Community Defender of Eastern District of Michigan, which provides oversight in the provision of indigent defense services in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
DuMouchel has served as a member of the Rules Advisory Committee, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, was a member of the U.S. District Court Committee on Magistrate Program Evaluation, and chaired the Federal Bar Association Criminal Defense Committee.
• • •
Foley, Baron, Metzger, & Juip PLLC congratulates attorney Silvia Alexandria Mansoor for being elected to the Oakland County Bar Association (OCBA) Board of Directors in the contested May 2024 election. Mansoor will serve a three-year term that runs from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2027.
Mansoor has been involved with the OCBA since 2015, first as a general member and later as a leader within the New Lawyers Committee, ending as chair of the committee in 2023. She is looking forward to continuing to serve her profession and community in this new role.
• • •
Miller Johnson has expanded its affiliation with Meritas, a global alliance of independent business law firms, to become the sole firm representing the entire state of Michigan within Meritas. Miller Johnson’s Detroit office was recently welcomed into the alliance at Meritas’ Annual Meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina, joining the firm’s preexisting coverage in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, which has been part of the network for more than 20 years.
Since 1959, Miller Johnson has been Michigan-based and has served clients worldwide. The firm has grown its Detroit office in a way that reflects its culture, one of strategic growth, specifically tailored to the Southeast Michigan market. The office is full-service, with core strengths in Intellectual Property, Commercial Litigation, Corporate/M&A, Real Estate, Healthcare Law, Employment & Labor, and Immigration work.
• • •
This year marks Ronald G. Acho’s 50th year as an attorney—a milestone celebrated at the State Bar of Michigan’s 50-Year Golden Celebration on May 23. The celebration recognizes and honors attorneys who have been members of the State Bar of Michigan for 50 years.
On May 29, 1974, Acho was admitted to practice in Michigan after earning his law degree from Detroit College of Law. In the five decades since, he has represented local and national businesses, including some of the largest corporations in the world and hundreds of small businesses. He focuses his practice on labor and employment law, business law, utility law, and municipal law. He has handled complex litigation matters and class action lawsuits, as well as a variety of other matters, in 13 states. Acho also directs the firm’s California and Missouri office locations.
A co-founder and equity partner at Cummings, McClorey, Davis, & Acho PLC, Acho values the importance of maintaining a strong and lasting relationship with current clients and fostering efforts to grow the firm to ensure it continues to prosper for many years to come.
Acho is also known for his contributions to the community. He has a demonstrated dedication to worthwhile causes, sits on the board of many charitable organizations, and has extensive volunteer experience.
• • •
Seramount, a diversity, equity and inclusion research and professional services firm, recently revealed its list of the Best Law Firms for Women & Diversity, recognizing firms that utilize best practices in recruiting, retaining, promoting, and developing women lawyers and lawyers from underrepresented groups, including people of color. Dickinson Wright earned a spot on this year’s list, marking the firm as one of the nation’s best.
“We are honored to be named a Best Law Firm for Women and Diversity,” said Michael C. Hammer, CEO of Dickinson Wright. “This achievement reflects the firm’s strong commitment to fostering a diverse, welcoming, and inclusive workplace environment for all. At Dickinson Wright, we understand that hiring, training, integrating, and retaining a diverse workforce is a core firm value and instrumental to providing our clients with the best legal service.”
“We are delighted to see our continued progress in the diversity, equity and inclusion space recognized,” added Katheryne L. Zelenock, co-chair of the firm’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and leader of the firm’s Women’s Network. “Seramount’s selection criteria are extremely rigorous, and we are very proud to be among the leading law firms receiving this accolade. This recognition invigorates our ongoing efforts.”
• • •
The American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division has posted its 2024 On the Rise – Top 40 Young Lawyers honorees. Among those listed is Alexandria Casperson of the Michigan Department of Attorney General in Detroit.
Casperson serves as an assistant attorney general currently managing the Job Court, Expungement, and Wrongful Imprisonment Compensation sections. She previously prosecuted criminal cases for the state including those involving political and police misconduct.
Casperson started her career at the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office in 2015. She is active in the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, and serves on the State Bar of Michigan Criminal Jurisprudence & Practice Committee.
Casperson received her law degree from Michigan State University College of Law and her B.A. in Crime and Social Justice from the University of Michigan.
The full list of On the Rise – Top 40 Young Lawyers is availbale at www.americanbar.org/groups/young_lawyers/about/awards/on-the-rise/2024.
Donnini and DuMouchel will co-present a session titled, “The Line: A Closer Look at Accountants on Both Sides of Criminal Prosecutions.” They will analyze high profile cases of accounting and financial fraud with a special focus on the contributions of accountants on both the right and wrong side of the law.
Donnini will also participate in a panel discussion titled, “Growing Trends in MI Cannabis.” The session will provide an in-depth exploration of the most common regulatory challenges, statutory issues, and fraud and litigation scenarios associated with cannabis.
Donnini is a member of the Butzel Board of Directors. He currently serves as a Litigation Department chair and he also serves as the co-chair of the firm’s White-Collar Criminal Defense Practice.
He has more than 20 years of experience in Detroit as a white-collar criminal defense practitioner. Prior to that, he practiced for several years in New York and California – two additional states where he also is licensed to practice. He has handled a variety of cases including, but not limited to, health care fraud, public corruption, antitrust, environmental, tax, and securities fraud cases. In addition, a significant portion of his practice involves the handling of corporate internal investigations for public and private companies. He also handles civil litigation cases on behalf of the firm’s clients, particularly where clients are facing parallel criminal enforcement and civil litigation exposure.
Donnini serves as the current president of the Federal Bar Association, Eastern District of Michigan Chapter. In 2020, he was named a “Notable Veteran” by Crain’s Detroit Business. Donnini, along with a group of local attorneys, formed the Detroit chapter of the Veteran’s Bar Association, to gather for networking and mentorship.
Donnini is a member of numerous bar associations and holds leadership roles in those organizations, including, the American Bar Association (ABA), Criminal Justice Section, White Collar Crime Committee; Midwest Regional co-chair (2005-present); and the ABA Criminal Justice Section, Book Board, co-chair (2008-present).
DuMouchel chairs Butzel’s Corporate Compliance, Internal Investigation and Criminal Defense practice. His practice is limited to white-collar criminal defense, defense of corporations and individuals in criminal and civil antitrust matters, professional licensure and criminal health care, IRS investigations of both taxpayers and professionals, SEC enforcement of corporate executives fraud, public corruption, as well as grand jury investigations, internal corporate investigations and compliance.
DuMouchel is a Fellow of both the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Society of Barristers.
He serves on the first Board of Directors of the Federal Community Defender of Eastern District of Michigan, which provides oversight in the provision of indigent defense services in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
DuMouchel has served as a member of the Rules Advisory Committee, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, was a member of the U.S. District Court Committee on Magistrate Program Evaluation, and chaired the Federal Bar Association Criminal Defense Committee.
• • •
Foley, Baron, Metzger, & Juip PLLC congratulates attorney Silvia Alexandria Mansoor for being elected to the Oakland County Bar Association (OCBA) Board of Directors in the contested May 2024 election. Mansoor will serve a three-year term that runs from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2027.
Mansoor has been involved with the OCBA since 2015, first as a general member and later as a leader within the New Lawyers Committee, ending as chair of the committee in 2023. She is looking forward to continuing to serve her profession and community in this new role.
• • •
Miller Johnson has expanded its affiliation with Meritas, a global alliance of independent business law firms, to become the sole firm representing the entire state of Michigan within Meritas. Miller Johnson’s Detroit office was recently welcomed into the alliance at Meritas’ Annual Meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina, joining the firm’s preexisting coverage in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, which has been part of the network for more than 20 years.
Since 1959, Miller Johnson has been Michigan-based and has served clients worldwide. The firm has grown its Detroit office in a way that reflects its culture, one of strategic growth, specifically tailored to the Southeast Michigan market. The office is full-service, with core strengths in Intellectual Property, Commercial Litigation, Corporate/M&A, Real Estate, Healthcare Law, Employment & Labor, and Immigration work.
• • •
This year marks Ronald G. Acho’s 50th year as an attorney—a milestone celebrated at the State Bar of Michigan’s 50-Year Golden Celebration on May 23. The celebration recognizes and honors attorneys who have been members of the State Bar of Michigan for 50 years.
On May 29, 1974, Acho was admitted to practice in Michigan after earning his law degree from Detroit College of Law. In the five decades since, he has represented local and national businesses, including some of the largest corporations in the world and hundreds of small businesses. He focuses his practice on labor and employment law, business law, utility law, and municipal law. He has handled complex litigation matters and class action lawsuits, as well as a variety of other matters, in 13 states. Acho also directs the firm’s California and Missouri office locations.
A co-founder and equity partner at Cummings, McClorey, Davis, & Acho PLC, Acho values the importance of maintaining a strong and lasting relationship with current clients and fostering efforts to grow the firm to ensure it continues to prosper for many years to come.
Acho is also known for his contributions to the community. He has a demonstrated dedication to worthwhile causes, sits on the board of many charitable organizations, and has extensive volunteer experience.
• • •
Seramount, a diversity, equity and inclusion research and professional services firm, recently revealed its list of the Best Law Firms for Women & Diversity, recognizing firms that utilize best practices in recruiting, retaining, promoting, and developing women lawyers and lawyers from underrepresented groups, including people of color. Dickinson Wright earned a spot on this year’s list, marking the firm as one of the nation’s best.
“We are honored to be named a Best Law Firm for Women and Diversity,” said Michael C. Hammer, CEO of Dickinson Wright. “This achievement reflects the firm’s strong commitment to fostering a diverse, welcoming, and inclusive workplace environment for all. At Dickinson Wright, we understand that hiring, training, integrating, and retaining a diverse workforce is a core firm value and instrumental to providing our clients with the best legal service.”
“We are delighted to see our continued progress in the diversity, equity and inclusion space recognized,” added Katheryne L. Zelenock, co-chair of the firm’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and leader of the firm’s Women’s Network. “Seramount’s selection criteria are extremely rigorous, and we are very proud to be among the leading law firms receiving this accolade. This recognition invigorates our ongoing efforts.”
• • •
The American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division has posted its 2024 On the Rise – Top 40 Young Lawyers honorees. Among those listed is Alexandria Casperson of the Michigan Department of Attorney General in Detroit.
Casperson serves as an assistant attorney general currently managing the Job Court, Expungement, and Wrongful Imprisonment Compensation sections. She previously prosecuted criminal cases for the state including those involving political and police misconduct.
Casperson started her career at the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office in 2015. She is active in the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, and serves on the State Bar of Michigan Criminal Jurisprudence & Practice Committee.
Casperson received her law degree from Michigan State University College of Law and her B.A. in Crime and Social Justice from the University of Michigan.
The full list of On the Rise – Top 40 Young Lawyers is availbale at www.americanbar.org/groups/young_lawyers/about/awards/on-the-rise/2024.
