The National Center for State Courts Elizabeth Clement
Clement has extensive state court experience, serving as Michigan’s chief justice since 2022 and a Supreme Court Justice since 2017. She works directly with the legislative and executive branches to establish the Michigan judiciary’s annual budget and enact legislation focused on judicial branch improvements. She also coordinates policy and process with state and local partners.
Clement commented, “I am honored to serve as NCSC’s next president. As a witness to NCSC’s important initiatives, I am excited to work with the organization’s talented team to extend the reach of its critical work. I look forward to building on NCSC’s strong services as we strengthen judicial systems across the country and the world, enhancing accessibility, transparency, and efficiency.”
Clement was appointed to the Michigan Supreme Court in 2017 and has served as chief justice since 2022. She will resign her position in April 2025 to assume the NCSC presidency. As chief justice, Clement has implemented a unified vision focused on improving and innovating the judicial branch through collaboration with local, state, and federal partners. She leads a team of more than 300 professionals, establishes the judiciary’s annual budget, and promotes legislation focused on access to justice. Clement also chairs the Michigan Judicial Council, serves on the National Center for State Courts’s Conference of Chief Justices, and is an adjunct law professor at the Michigan State University College of Law.
Prior to joining the court, Clement served in various roles under Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, including chief legal counsel, cabinet secretary, and deputy chief of staff. Clement has legislative experience, formerly serving as legal counsel and policy advisor for the Michigan Senate Majority. She began her career in private practice and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Michigan State University and a law degree from Michigan State University College of Law.
• • •
Nemeth Bonnette Brouwer PC
Bestowed again with the Best and Brightest in the Nation, the firm was recognized for its adept business acumen and human resource practices on a broader scale. The firm was also named a Best and Brightest Brilliance Winner in the nation.
According to Managing Partner Deborah Brouwer, years of guiding employers through complex and unique legal situations have helped Nemeth Bonnette Brouwer set the bar high for its own workplace values.
“Our experience has taught us that success starts with creating a supportive and inclusive workplace,” Brouwer said. “These awards are a reflection of the positive company culture we continually champion and we are thrilled to be recognized among the best and brightest.”
• • •
Foley, Baron, Metzger, & Juip PLLC Matthew C. McCann
McCann focuses his practice on helping clients navigate complex commercial litigation and regulatory challenges. He brings a diverse legal and industry background to the firm, including experience handling insurance coverage disputes, product liability cases, and toxic tort and environmental matters. His work also extends to the cannabis industry, encompassing licensing, litigation, and appeals.
Prior to joining FBMJ, McCann’s career spanned many years serving clients in the New York City metropolitan area. While in New York, he primarily defended individuals and entities facing white-collar allegations or SEC and FINRA enforcement or disciplinary actions. He handled private securities litigation disputes on behalf of both investors and defendants and represented employees in the financial sector in negotiating severance agreements, litigating the contours and extent of non-compete agreements, and securing equitable buyouts of stock options.
McCann has also worked in special education law, litigating against the New York City Department of Education in both administrative and federal proceedings to ensure the implementation of a free appropriate public education for students with special needs in all five boroughs of New York City.
McCann is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School and Cornell University.
In addition, FBMJ partnerSarah Cherry
Cherry also discussed the anatomy of a medical malpractice lawsuit, social media use by nurses, HIPAA, recordings by patients, medical battery, informed consent, Good Samaritan laws, and telehealth implications.
Cherry is a partner at FBMJ and has spent her career defending medical professionals, including hospitals, physicians, mid-level providers, and nurses.
• • •
Miller Johnson Matthew J. Paradiso
Paradiso is a member in Miller Johnson’s Real Estate practice in the firm’s Detroit office. He focuses on all aspects of commercial real estate transactions, including acquisitions, disposition, leasing and development matters.
Paradiso represents a range of real estate investors, developers, owners and users, focused in the areas of retail, office, industrial, mixed-use, health care, affordable-housing, and renewable energy. He also has experience advising health care providers on the fraud and abuse laws that apply to real estate transactions.
Paradiso earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School and received a B.A. from James Madison College at Michigan State University.
• • •
Kelly J. Shefferly Plunkett Cooney.
Shefferly, who is a member of the firm’s Bloomfield Hills office, represents businesses in troubled commercial loan disputes, commercial liability claims, and he assists them with a variety of corporate transactions. He also represents creditors in workouts, collections, foreclosures and bankruptcy cases.
Shefferly is a former judicial law clerk for U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Lisa S. Gretchko, Eastern District of Michigan, judicial extern for Judge Wendy Lynn Potts in the Business Court at Oakland County Circuit Court, and judicial extern for U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Deborah L. Thorne, Northern District of Illinois in Chicago.
A 2018 graduate of the University of Illinois College of Law, Shefferly received his master’s degrees from The George Washington University in 2014 and DePaul University in 2010. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in 2007.
• • •
Taft Aisha Hall
In addition, Hall will speak at the upcoming Smarter, Faster Payments conference on April 29 in New Orleans. During her session, “Payments Law and Regulation Playing Catch-Up
With the Payments Industry,” Hall will address recent legal and regulatory developments impacting the relationship between financial institutions and fintech companies.
Hall is an attorney in Taft’s Paytech and Payment Systems practice group. She has a specialized background in payments rules and regulations with a particular emphasis on the automated clearing house (ACH) network.
Hall advises an array of companies in the payments ecosystem, including Originating Depository Financial Institutions (ODFIs), Receiving Depository Financial Institutions (RDFIs), Third-Party Senders, Third-Party Service Providers, Payment Facilitators, independent sales organizations (ISOs), and financial technology (FinTech) companies.
• • •
Muhammad Siwani, Brooks Kushman,
Siwani focuses his practice on patent prosecution and covers a wide range of technologies from advanced material compositions to automotive innovations. As a registered patent agent, Siwani is experienced in conducting patent searches, drafting patent applications, writing responses to first through final office actions, and drafting patentability memos for clients.
Siwani earned a law degree from Wayne State University Law School. He also earned an MBA from the Mike Ilitch School of Business and received a Bachelor of Engineering in Materials Science from the University of Michigan.
Prior to working at Brooks Kushman, Siwani gained working experience in the legal department of a multinational Tier 1 automotive supplier in metro Detroit and also worked in the field as an engineer. During this time, he gained experience verifying and validating perception software that gives a vehicle a view of surrounding objects through sensor data fusion. He also spent time as a project manager where he conducted a range of automotive testing for both component and vehicle levels.
In addition,Chloe Conway,
Conway’s practice focuses on trademark and copyright clearance, prosecution, and enforcement. She works with clients in a variety of industries, including technology, entertainment, consumer products, sports, and hospitality. She regularly performs trademark clearance searches and prepares trademark applications, drafting identifications of goods and services and responding to office actions. She also prepares cease and desist letters and files opposition proceedings for enforcement of existing trademark rights.
Conway is also a team member of the firm’s due diligence practice and focuses on preparing trademark-related agreements, such as licensing agreements, confidentiality, non-disclosure, and settlement agreements.
The Leadership Council on Legal Diversity is an organization of more than 400 corporate chief legal officers and law firm managing partners—the leadership of the profession—who have pledged themselves to creating a truly diverse U.S. legal profession.
• • •
Harness IP Caley Bennett Kanako Onishi
Bennett, patent attorney, brings experience in patent prosecution, particularly in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and chemical processes. Her life sciences background, paired with her research skills, makes her an asset in developing IP strategies for clients involved in cutting-edge scientific research. She succeeds in managing patent applications, office actions, and legal research, and her focus on space exploration further fuels her curiosity and expertise in this field.
Onishi joins Harness IP as a patent agent, contributing to patent prosecution and serving as a liaison with the firm’s Japanese clients. A native of Japan with more than 10 years of experience practicing patent law there, Onishi is equipped to bridge the cultural and legal gaps between the U.S. and Japan. Her approach to patent prosecution and her understanding of the differences in IP protection between the two countries allow her to deliver tailored strategies for clients in manufacturing, mechanical, and energy production industries.
————————
To submit an announcement for the next Legal People section, e-mail: editor@legalnews.com.
Clement has extensive state court experience, serving as Michigan’s chief justice since 2022 and a Supreme Court Justice since 2017. She works directly with the legislative and executive branches to establish the Michigan judiciary’s annual budget and enact legislation focused on judicial branch improvements. She also coordinates policy and process with state and local partners.
Clement commented, “I am honored to serve as NCSC’s next president. As a witness to NCSC’s important initiatives, I am excited to work with the organization’s talented team to extend the reach of its critical work. I look forward to building on NCSC’s strong services as we strengthen judicial systems across the country and the world, enhancing accessibility, transparency, and efficiency.”
Clement was appointed to the Michigan Supreme Court in 2017 and has served as chief justice since 2022. She will resign her position in April 2025 to assume the NCSC presidency. As chief justice, Clement has implemented a unified vision focused on improving and innovating the judicial branch through collaboration with local, state, and federal partners. She leads a team of more than 300 professionals, establishes the judiciary’s annual budget, and promotes legislation focused on access to justice. Clement also chairs the Michigan Judicial Council, serves on the National Center for State Courts’s Conference of Chief Justices, and is an adjunct law professor at the Michigan State University College of Law.
Prior to joining the court, Clement served in various roles under Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, including chief legal counsel, cabinet secretary, and deputy chief of staff. Clement has legislative experience, formerly serving as legal counsel and policy advisor for the Michigan Senate Majority. She began her career in private practice and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Michigan State University and a law degree from Michigan State University College of Law.
• • •
Bestowed again with the Best and Brightest in the Nation, the firm was recognized for its adept business acumen and human resource practices on a broader scale. The firm was also named a Best and Brightest Brilliance Winner in the nation.
According to Managing Partner Deborah Brouwer, years of guiding employers through complex and unique legal situations have helped Nemeth Bonnette Brouwer set the bar high for its own workplace values.
“Our experience has taught us that success starts with creating a supportive and inclusive workplace,” Brouwer said. “These awards are a reflection of the positive company culture we continually champion and we are thrilled to be recognized among the best and brightest.”
• • •
McCann focuses his practice on helping clients navigate complex commercial litigation and regulatory challenges. He brings a diverse legal and industry background to the firm, including experience handling insurance coverage disputes, product liability cases, and toxic tort and environmental matters. His work also extends to the cannabis industry, encompassing licensing, litigation, and appeals.
Prior to joining FBMJ, McCann’s career spanned many years serving clients in the New York City metropolitan area. While in New York, he primarily defended individuals and entities facing white-collar allegations or SEC and FINRA enforcement or disciplinary actions. He handled private securities litigation disputes on behalf of both investors and defendants and represented employees in the financial sector in negotiating severance agreements, litigating the contours and extent of non-compete agreements, and securing equitable buyouts of stock options.
McCann has also worked in special education law, litigating against the New York City Department of Education in both administrative and federal proceedings to ensure the implementation of a free appropriate public education for students with special needs in all five boroughs of New York City.
McCann is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School and Cornell University.
In addition, FBMJ partner
Cherry also discussed the anatomy of a medical malpractice lawsuit, social media use by nurses, HIPAA, recordings by patients, medical battery, informed consent, Good Samaritan laws, and telehealth implications.
Cherry is a partner at FBMJ and has spent her career defending medical professionals, including hospitals, physicians, mid-level providers, and nurses.
• • •
Paradiso is a member in Miller Johnson’s Real Estate practice in the firm’s Detroit office. He focuses on all aspects of commercial real estate transactions, including acquisitions, disposition, leasing and development matters.
Paradiso represents a range of real estate investors, developers, owners and users, focused in the areas of retail, office, industrial, mixed-use, health care, affordable-housing, and renewable energy. He also has experience advising health care providers on the fraud and abuse laws that apply to real estate transactions.
Paradiso earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School and received a B.A. from James Madison College at Michigan State University.
• • •
Shefferly, who is a member of the firm’s Bloomfield Hills office, represents businesses in troubled commercial loan disputes, commercial liability claims, and he assists them with a variety of corporate transactions. He also represents creditors in workouts, collections, foreclosures and bankruptcy cases.
Shefferly is a former judicial law clerk for U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Lisa S. Gretchko, Eastern District of Michigan, judicial extern for Judge Wendy Lynn Potts in the Business Court at Oakland County Circuit Court, and judicial extern for U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Deborah L. Thorne, Northern District of Illinois in Chicago.
A 2018 graduate of the University of Illinois College of Law, Shefferly received his master’s degrees from The George Washington University in 2014 and DePaul University in 2010. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in 2007.
• • •
In addition, Hall will speak at the upcoming Smarter, Faster Payments conference on April 29 in New Orleans. During her session, “Payments Law and Regulation Playing Catch-Up
With the Payments Industry,” Hall will address recent legal and regulatory developments impacting the relationship between financial institutions and fintech companies.
Hall is an attorney in Taft’s Paytech and Payment Systems practice group. She has a specialized background in payments rules and regulations with a particular emphasis on the automated clearing house (ACH) network.
Hall advises an array of companies in the payments ecosystem, including Originating Depository Financial Institutions (ODFIs), Receiving Depository Financial Institutions (RDFIs), Third-Party Senders, Third-Party Service Providers, Payment Facilitators, independent sales organizations (ISOs), and financial technology (FinTech) companies.
• • •
Siwani focuses his practice on patent prosecution and covers a wide range of technologies from advanced material compositions to automotive innovations. As a registered patent agent, Siwani is experienced in conducting patent searches, drafting patent applications, writing responses to first through final office actions, and drafting patentability memos for clients.
Siwani earned a law degree from Wayne State University Law School. He also earned an MBA from the Mike Ilitch School of Business and received a Bachelor of Engineering in Materials Science from the University of Michigan.
Prior to working at Brooks Kushman, Siwani gained working experience in the legal department of a multinational Tier 1 automotive supplier in metro Detroit and also worked in the field as an engineer. During this time, he gained experience verifying and validating perception software that gives a vehicle a view of surrounding objects through sensor data fusion. He also spent time as a project manager where he conducted a range of automotive testing for both component and vehicle levels.
In addition,
Conway’s practice focuses on trademark and copyright clearance, prosecution, and enforcement. She works with clients in a variety of industries, including technology, entertainment, consumer products, sports, and hospitality. She regularly performs trademark clearance searches and prepares trademark applications, drafting identifications of goods and services and responding to office actions. She also prepares cease and desist letters and files opposition proceedings for enforcement of existing trademark rights.
Conway is also a team member of the firm’s due diligence practice and focuses on preparing trademark-related agreements, such as licensing agreements, confidentiality, non-disclosure, and settlement agreements.
The Leadership Council on Legal Diversity is an organization of more than 400 corporate chief legal officers and law firm managing partners—the leadership of the profession—who have pledged themselves to creating a truly diverse U.S. legal profession.
• • •
Bennett, patent attorney, brings experience in patent prosecution, particularly in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and chemical processes. Her life sciences background, paired with her research skills, makes her an asset in developing IP strategies for clients involved in cutting-edge scientific research. She succeeds in managing patent applications, office actions, and legal research, and her focus on space exploration further fuels her curiosity and expertise in this field.
Onishi joins Harness IP as a patent agent, contributing to patent prosecution and serving as a liaison with the firm’s Japanese clients. A native of Japan with more than 10 years of experience practicing patent law there, Onishi is equipped to bridge the cultural and legal gaps between the U.S. and Japan. Her approach to patent prosecution and her understanding of the differences in IP protection between the two countries allow her to deliver tailored strategies for clients in manufacturing, mechanical, and energy production industries.
————————
To submit an announcement for the next Legal People section, e-mail: editor@legalnews.com.
