(l) - Attorney Paul Mersino has served as President and CEO of Butzel Long since March 2023. (r) - Vanessa Crocetto is the Chief Marketing Officer of Butzel Long.
Butzel Long celebrates 170 years, while keeping an eye to the future
By Julie Freer
Legal News
In an article from 1944 titled “A Community Builder Reaches 70,” Leo M. Butzel told The Jewish News, “No lawyer is worth his salt unless he keeps up with the decisions and philosophy of the ever-changing law.”
According to the newspaper, Butzel was a voracious reader and a people person: “A brilliant student, with a quick, incisive mind and a persuasive speaker, his services were sought by the then leading lawyers of Detroit,” the article noted.
It’s that same spirit and philosophy the leaders at Butzel Long adhere to as the firm celebrates 170 years of business in 2024.
“Butzel has been an elite firm for 170 years and we believe that we are only getting started,” said Paul Mersino, president and CEO of Butzel since March of 2023. “Our demand for excellence for our clients’ sake and our pursuit of continuous daily improvement ensures that we are offering the best service any firm can provide.”
The firm was founded in 1854, originally as a small partnership, when Detroit’s economy was based on the Great Lakes shipping trade. It is named for Leo Butzel, who joined in 1896, and Thomas Long, who came on board in 1909. During the height of Detroit’s industrial growth, the firm’s clients included General Motors, Chrysler Motors, the Dodge Brothers, The Evening News Association (The Detroit News), and the Detroit United Railways, to name just a few.
“Butzel has a tremendous history,” said Mersino, who began his tenure as President/CEO at age 39 and was named to Crain’s “40 Under 40” list in 2021. “We began as a maritime law firm and eventually expanded from there. But if you look at the way we have been so intricately intertwined with the history of Detroit and the history of the auto industry, we’ve left our fingerprints on so many things. We incorporated General Motors. We helped the Dodge Brothers start their company. We’ve represented The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press. We assisted with the legalities of restoring the Book Cadillac and bringing it back in all its grandeur.”
—————
Thriving workplace culture
Butzel Long’s storied history is just one thing that drew Mersino to the firm as a summer intern when he was in law school at Ave Maria School of Law in Naples, Fla.
“I joined the firm full-time as an attorney in 2008,” said Mersino, who still practices commercial litigation while serving as CEO. “I was always drawn to Butzel because it is one of the oldest and most prestigious corporate law firms in Michigan, but at the same time the people have always been approachable, down-to-earth, and people I wanted to work with. That culture continues today and it is why I love working here.”
According to Vanessa Crocetto, chief marketing officer for Butzel, the firm has about 260 employees; approximately 80 of them are based in the Detroit office. Of the remaining 180, all but around 20 are spread across seven other Michigan offices. The firm also has offices in New York City and Washington, D.C.
Crocetto was living and working in Grand Rapids when she accepted her position at Butzel 10 years ago.
“As a young professional, I was eager to advance my career in a larger market,” said Crocetto. “The opportunity to join Butzel was particularly attractive due to the exciting growth happening in Detroit. Additionally, a couple of friends at the firm had great things to say about the culture and the work environment. The city’s growth, the firm’s expansion, and the potential for career development made Butzel the perfect fit for me. While the initial opportunity brought me here, it’s the friendships I’ve made and the satisfaction of contributing to Butzel’s tremendous success that have kept me here for a decade.”
Mersino believes one of the secrets of Butzel’s success and longevity is its people, and attracting quality employees with good culture. Butzel has been named to Crain’s “Best Places to Work” list for three years in a row.
“First and foremost, we care about one another more than we care about ourselves,” said Mersino. “We take our work very seriously, but we don’t always have to take ourselves too seriously. And we carefully vet candidates to make sure that they will fit in our culture. If we don’t think an individual fits our cultural brand, it does not matter if he or she has a large book of business or is the greatest lawyer ever. As a rule, we will pass on the potential financial gain to maintain that culture. Beyond that, it’s being a place that looks out for one another, acts as a team, offers competitive compensation and benefits, and puts people ahead of numbers.”
With such deep Detroit roots, it’s no surprise that the automotive industry is Butzel’s bread and butter. Butzel has served thousands of automotive supplier clients, with attorneys who are veterans of the industry and represent the entire supplier community – from global Tier 1 suppliers to Tier 2 and 3 suppliers locally, nationally, and worldwide.
“I am confident in saying that no law firm has the breadth of knowledge and experience with the auto industry and supply-chain disputes that Butzel has,” said Mersino. “We have consistently been at the forefront of the industry literally since its inception. We understand how the industry works, how the supply chain functions, and how litigation and contract negotiation play into that. Many of the Terms and Conditions in the OEM’s contracts have been negotiated by us or litigated by us.
“In addition to the legal acumen we have in this area, we employ several attorneys who formerly worked in the auto industry as engineers, suppliers, or as contract specialists,” Mersino noted. “So, they know how the industry works better than anyone. There are attorneys and then there are automotive attorneys. Butzel is filled with automotive attorneys.”
Other industries in which Butzel has a depth of experience include health care, aerospace and defense, and education.
“Regardless of the industry, Butzel is recognized for strong litigation work, depth of experience in Mergers and Acquisitions, Commercial Real Estate deal work, our Labor and Employment practice, Intellectual Property and Emerging Technology work, Estate and Succession planning, and for having a very robust Immigration practice,” said Crocetto. “Essentially, if a business needs it, Butzel has it.”
—————
Looking to the future
As the firm celebrates its 170th anniversary this year, it also keeps an eye to the rapidly changing future.
“Butzel has had to continuously evolve,” said Mersino. “We were a maritime firm when commerce and trade along the river was the biggest industry in the city. We helped shape and grow the auto industry as Detroit became the Motor City. Because we have been headquartered in Detroit for our entire 170-year history, we have seen the city go through ups and downs, and assisted the city and our clients along the way.
“Even more recently, as we have seen the auto industry start to potentially move from a focus on the internal combustion engine to electric vehicles and autonomous vehicles, we continue to be at the forefront of those developments,” Mersino indicated. “And as Mergers and Acquisitions and Private Equity become more prevalent with how our economy grows, we’ve been involved with some of the largest corporate deals in the past few years.
While we are very proud of our past and our history, we are continuously evolving—with technology, with the economy, with the workforce—to continue to assist our clients going into the future.”
Crocetto added: “The legal landscape is evolving rapidly, with technology advancing daily and client companies becoming increasingly sophisticated. It often feels like the bar is constantly moving higher. To meet these challenges, we are committed to recruiting the brightest minds and staying abreast of trends in every practice area.”
Some of Butzel’s brightest share their expertise in the Detroit media – such as Claudia Rast, who was interviewed on WWJ-AM 950 following the July 19 Microsoft outage, which caused widespread software problems; and criminal defense attorney George Donnini, also interviewed on WWJ following the dismissal of the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump.
—————
The Butzel Long Charitable Trust
Another way Butzel is celebrating 170 years is by continuing the work of the Butzel Long Charitable Trust, which was established in 1983.
“The Butzel Long Charitable Trust has truly come into its own in the past decade, thanks to the dedication of our current President and CEO, who championed it as his personal project,” said Crocetto. “What began as a passion project has become a crown jewel of the firm. We primarily focus on the communities where we live and work, but the Trust’s impact has been global.”
In 2023, the Charitable Trust sponsored Beyond Basics literacy program; the Jewish Community Center of Ann Arbor; the Wayne County Jail Outreach Ministry; the Miracle League, which provides children with disabilities the opportunity to play baseball; and UDM Special Needs Basketball Camp; just to name a few.
One of Mersino’s personal favorites is the annual backpack giveaway; last year, Butzel gave away nearly 400 backpacks to students at William C. Abney Academy in Grand Rapids, where the firm opened its fifth Michigan office in January of 2023.
“Studies show that when kids have the proper supplies and resources, their attendance improves and their test scores improve,” said Mersino. “It is a small way for us to give back to our communities, but it is so fun to see how happy these children are, how appreciative they are, and how excited they are. Our Trust’s motto is: ‘If you change one life, you’ve changed the world.’ And we hope that with every project we undertake and every donation we make we may be changing at least one life for the better. And it’s an honor for us to do so.”
In celebrating the past and looking to the future, one thing remains constant – Butzel’s commitment to excellence.
“In everything we do, big or small, we give it our very best,” said Mersino. “And then once we’ve obtained excellence, we seek continuous improvement to do even better the next time. And all of this is with the goal of providing our clients with the greatest legal work product and greatest client service we can so that they can succeed in whatever it is they are doing and have the peace of mind of knowing we are taking care of them.”
Legal News
In an article from 1944 titled “A Community Builder Reaches 70,” Leo M. Butzel told The Jewish News, “No lawyer is worth his salt unless he keeps up with the decisions and philosophy of the ever-changing law.”
According to the newspaper, Butzel was a voracious reader and a people person: “A brilliant student, with a quick, incisive mind and a persuasive speaker, his services were sought by the then leading lawyers of Detroit,” the article noted.
It’s that same spirit and philosophy the leaders at Butzel Long adhere to as the firm celebrates 170 years of business in 2024.
“Butzel has been an elite firm for 170 years and we believe that we are only getting started,” said Paul Mersino, president and CEO of Butzel since March of 2023. “Our demand for excellence for our clients’ sake and our pursuit of continuous daily improvement ensures that we are offering the best service any firm can provide.”
The firm was founded in 1854, originally as a small partnership, when Detroit’s economy was based on the Great Lakes shipping trade. It is named for Leo Butzel, who joined in 1896, and Thomas Long, who came on board in 1909. During the height of Detroit’s industrial growth, the firm’s clients included General Motors, Chrysler Motors, the Dodge Brothers, The Evening News Association (The Detroit News), and the Detroit United Railways, to name just a few.
“Butzel has a tremendous history,” said Mersino, who began his tenure as President/CEO at age 39 and was named to Crain’s “40 Under 40” list in 2021. “We began as a maritime law firm and eventually expanded from there. But if you look at the way we have been so intricately intertwined with the history of Detroit and the history of the auto industry, we’ve left our fingerprints on so many things. We incorporated General Motors. We helped the Dodge Brothers start their company. We’ve represented The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press. We assisted with the legalities of restoring the Book Cadillac and bringing it back in all its grandeur.”
—————
Thriving workplace culture
Butzel Long’s storied history is just one thing that drew Mersino to the firm as a summer intern when he was in law school at Ave Maria School of Law in Naples, Fla.
“I joined the firm full-time as an attorney in 2008,” said Mersino, who still practices commercial litigation while serving as CEO. “I was always drawn to Butzel because it is one of the oldest and most prestigious corporate law firms in Michigan, but at the same time the people have always been approachable, down-to-earth, and people I wanted to work with. That culture continues today and it is why I love working here.”
According to Vanessa Crocetto, chief marketing officer for Butzel, the firm has about 260 employees; approximately 80 of them are based in the Detroit office. Of the remaining 180, all but around 20 are spread across seven other Michigan offices. The firm also has offices in New York City and Washington, D.C.
Crocetto was living and working in Grand Rapids when she accepted her position at Butzel 10 years ago.
“As a young professional, I was eager to advance my career in a larger market,” said Crocetto. “The opportunity to join Butzel was particularly attractive due to the exciting growth happening in Detroit. Additionally, a couple of friends at the firm had great things to say about the culture and the work environment. The city’s growth, the firm’s expansion, and the potential for career development made Butzel the perfect fit for me. While the initial opportunity brought me here, it’s the friendships I’ve made and the satisfaction of contributing to Butzel’s tremendous success that have kept me here for a decade.”
Mersino believes one of the secrets of Butzel’s success and longevity is its people, and attracting quality employees with good culture. Butzel has been named to Crain’s “Best Places to Work” list for three years in a row.
“First and foremost, we care about one another more than we care about ourselves,” said Mersino. “We take our work very seriously, but we don’t always have to take ourselves too seriously. And we carefully vet candidates to make sure that they will fit in our culture. If we don’t think an individual fits our cultural brand, it does not matter if he or she has a large book of business or is the greatest lawyer ever. As a rule, we will pass on the potential financial gain to maintain that culture. Beyond that, it’s being a place that looks out for one another, acts as a team, offers competitive compensation and benefits, and puts people ahead of numbers.”
With such deep Detroit roots, it’s no surprise that the automotive industry is Butzel’s bread and butter. Butzel has served thousands of automotive supplier clients, with attorneys who are veterans of the industry and represent the entire supplier community – from global Tier 1 suppliers to Tier 2 and 3 suppliers locally, nationally, and worldwide.
“I am confident in saying that no law firm has the breadth of knowledge and experience with the auto industry and supply-chain disputes that Butzel has,” said Mersino. “We have consistently been at the forefront of the industry literally since its inception. We understand how the industry works, how the supply chain functions, and how litigation and contract negotiation play into that. Many of the Terms and Conditions in the OEM’s contracts have been negotiated by us or litigated by us.
“In addition to the legal acumen we have in this area, we employ several attorneys who formerly worked in the auto industry as engineers, suppliers, or as contract specialists,” Mersino noted. “So, they know how the industry works better than anyone. There are attorneys and then there are automotive attorneys. Butzel is filled with automotive attorneys.”
Other industries in which Butzel has a depth of experience include health care, aerospace and defense, and education.
“Regardless of the industry, Butzel is recognized for strong litigation work, depth of experience in Mergers and Acquisitions, Commercial Real Estate deal work, our Labor and Employment practice, Intellectual Property and Emerging Technology work, Estate and Succession planning, and for having a very robust Immigration practice,” said Crocetto. “Essentially, if a business needs it, Butzel has it.”
—————
Looking to the future
As the firm celebrates its 170th anniversary this year, it also keeps an eye to the rapidly changing future.
“Butzel has had to continuously evolve,” said Mersino. “We were a maritime firm when commerce and trade along the river was the biggest industry in the city. We helped shape and grow the auto industry as Detroit became the Motor City. Because we have been headquartered in Detroit for our entire 170-year history, we have seen the city go through ups and downs, and assisted the city and our clients along the way.
“Even more recently, as we have seen the auto industry start to potentially move from a focus on the internal combustion engine to electric vehicles and autonomous vehicles, we continue to be at the forefront of those developments,” Mersino indicated. “And as Mergers and Acquisitions and Private Equity become more prevalent with how our economy grows, we’ve been involved with some of the largest corporate deals in the past few years.
While we are very proud of our past and our history, we are continuously evolving—with technology, with the economy, with the workforce—to continue to assist our clients going into the future.”
Crocetto added: “The legal landscape is evolving rapidly, with technology advancing daily and client companies becoming increasingly sophisticated. It often feels like the bar is constantly moving higher. To meet these challenges, we are committed to recruiting the brightest minds and staying abreast of trends in every practice area.”
Some of Butzel’s brightest share their expertise in the Detroit media – such as Claudia Rast, who was interviewed on WWJ-AM 950 following the July 19 Microsoft outage, which caused widespread software problems; and criminal defense attorney George Donnini, also interviewed on WWJ following the dismissal of the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump.
—————
The Butzel Long Charitable Trust
Another way Butzel is celebrating 170 years is by continuing the work of the Butzel Long Charitable Trust, which was established in 1983.
“The Butzel Long Charitable Trust has truly come into its own in the past decade, thanks to the dedication of our current President and CEO, who championed it as his personal project,” said Crocetto. “What began as a passion project has become a crown jewel of the firm. We primarily focus on the communities where we live and work, but the Trust’s impact has been global.”
In 2023, the Charitable Trust sponsored Beyond Basics literacy program; the Jewish Community Center of Ann Arbor; the Wayne County Jail Outreach Ministry; the Miracle League, which provides children with disabilities the opportunity to play baseball; and UDM Special Needs Basketball Camp; just to name a few.
One of Mersino’s personal favorites is the annual backpack giveaway; last year, Butzel gave away nearly 400 backpacks to students at William C. Abney Academy in Grand Rapids, where the firm opened its fifth Michigan office in January of 2023.
“Studies show that when kids have the proper supplies and resources, their attendance improves and their test scores improve,” said Mersino. “It is a small way for us to give back to our communities, but it is so fun to see how happy these children are, how appreciative they are, and how excited they are. Our Trust’s motto is: ‘If you change one life, you’ve changed the world.’ And we hope that with every project we undertake and every donation we make we may be changing at least one life for the better. And it’s an honor for us to do so.”
In celebrating the past and looking to the future, one thing remains constant – Butzel’s commitment to excellence.
“In everything we do, big or small, we give it our very best,” said Mersino. “And then once we’ve obtained excellence, we seek continuous improvement to do even better the next time. And all of this is with the goal of providing our clients with the greatest legal work product and greatest client service we can so that they can succeed in whatever it is they are doing and have the peace of mind of knowing we are taking care of them.”
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