Legal People ...

Bodman PLC is pleased to announce that Michael G. Costello has joined the firm as a member in the Troy office.

Costello concentrates his practice in commercial and corporate law and litigation. He provides his clients with expertise and insight into a broad range of legal and business issues having served for 23 years as general counsel to a publicly-traded company.

Costello leverages this experience to provide efficient and effective counsel to large businesses in a variety of industries as well as high net worth individuals and their closely-held companies. He frequently advises board members and executives on sensitive issues related to corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and strategic transactions. He is outside general counsel to a publicly-traded pharmaceutical company and serves other businesses as special counsel for corporate, insurance, and litigation matters.

Immediately before joining Bodman, Costello was with a business law and litigation boutique firm based in Southfield. Prior to that he served as general counsel of a prominent insurance company, where he managed the legal department and all of its activities.

Costello is active with a number of professional and charitable organizations. He is a current member of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law Dean's Advisory Board, the Oakland Hills Country Club Evans Scholar Committee, and American Society of Corporate Secretaries. He is a past president of the Association of Corporate Counsel-Michigan Chapter, a past president of the University of Detroit Mercy Law School Alumni Association, and a past director of the Insurance Institute of Michigan, among other leadership positions.

Costello serves as an adjunct professor at Western Michigan University Cooley Law School, where he teaches courses in Insurance and Reinsurance Law as part of the Insurance LL.M. program. He has presented at many conferences and programs hosted by the Association of Corporate Counsel, the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel.

Costello's numerous accolades include recognition as a Leader in the Law by Michigan Lawyers Weekly and the Time & Talent Award for volunteer contributions to the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.

In addition, Bodman is pleased to announce that Robert J. Cambridge, Michael J. Jameson, Kelly M. Lockman, and Nicholas P. McElhinny have been admitted as members of the firm. They were previously senior associates with Bodman.

Cambridge is a member of the Business Practice Group in the Troy office. He represents business clients in matters involving entity selection and formation, entity governance, mergers and acquisitions, and other complex corporate transactions. He advises start-ups and early stage companies with respect to capital raising activities and provides counsel on compliance with federal and state securities laws.

Cambridge is a member of the Business Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan and is actively involved with the Association for Corporate Growth (Detroit Chapter), an organization for middle-market M&A deal-makers and business leaders focused on driving growth.

Jameson is a member of the High Net Worth practice group in the Detroit office. He advises individual clients on all aspects of their personal and business legal needs with a particular focus on estate planning, business planning, and estate, gift, and income tax matters. His clients include business owners, professionals, executives, and other high net worth individuals. He tailors his advice to address the unique needs of his clients and to help them achieve their personal, family, financial, and tax goals.

Jameson is a member of the Financial and Estate Planning Council of Southeast Michigan, the Detroit Economic Club, and the Probate & Estate Planning and Real Property Law sections of the State Bar of Michigan.

Lockman is a member of the Real Estate and Banking Practice Groups in the Detroit office. She represents financial institutions and other clients in a variety of real estate and real estate financing transactions. Lockman concentrates her practice on facilitating multi-million dollar financial arrangements for the acquisition and/or development of real estate. She also has experience representing clients in the purchase, sale and leasing of commercial properties.

Lockman is a member of the State Bar of Michigan's Business Law Section and Real Property Law Section, as well as the Detroit Economic Club and Inforum Michigan.

McElhinny is a member of the Business, Health Care, and Aviation Practice Groups in the Detroit office. He represents business and healthcare clients in a variety of transactional matters, including entity formation and governance, mergers and acquisitions, and negotiating complex commercial transactions. He represents aviation clients in leasing, purchasing, operating, and selling aircraft and negotiating aviation services agreements.

McElhinny is a member of the State Bar of Michigan's Business Law Section, Health Care Law Section, and Aviation Law Section.

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Dickinson Wright PLLC is pleased to announce that attorney Daniel Quick has been elected to the governing council of the American Bar Association's Section of Litigation. In this capacity, he will help establish policy and guide the section, one of the ABA's largest and most active groups, and the premier organization for trial lawyers in the United States.

"It's an honor to be able to share my expertise and devotion to this profession and help this important institution," says Quick. "The ABA provides strong leadership on issues ranging from protecting the rule of law to stopping human trafficking. I look forward to helping any way I can to extend, expand and improve upon those good works."

The election is the culmination of Quick's years of involvement with the ABA. During that time, he has chaired the Trial Practice Committee and the Intellectual Property Litigation Committee; served as a member of the Federal Practice Task Force; written for the esteemed Litigation magazine; and served as a regional chair for the ABA's Federal Rules Roadshow program.

The ABA's Section of Litigation often is at the center of the latest legal trends and debates. The section has funded pro bono projects, training lawyers from Darfur, and championed children's rights while performing cutting-edge research on legal trends facing our justice system and the legal profession.

Quick is a member in the firm's Troy office. He is a commercial litigation trial attorney who specializes in business torts (including minority shareholder and "business divorce disputes," trade secrets, and noncompetes) and all facets of intellectual property litigation. Quick is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America and is recognized as a leader in his field by Chambers USA, Best Lawyers in America, Michigan Super Lawyers, and DBusiness. Quick also serves on the Board of Commissioners of the State Bar of Michigan and is the current president-elect of the Oakland County Bar Association. Quick received his B.A. and law degree from the University of Michigan.

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Lori K. Smith has been named a partner at Lippitt, O'Keefe, Gornbein PLLC, a full-service law firm in Birmingham.

The firm also announced that Angelina Cummins has joined its divorce and family law practice group as an associate attorney in Birmingham. In addition to its headquarters at 370 E. Maple Road in Birmingham, Lippitt O'Keefe Gornbein recently opened offices in Rochester.

A member of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan, Smith has experience in all aspects of family law, including divorce, child custody, child- and spousal-support, and termination of parental rights. She joined Lippitt O'Keefe Gornbein in 2017.

Smith serves as a director of the Macomb County Bar Association and is president of the Macomb County Bar Foundation in addition to serving in various positions with the Capuchin Soup Kitchen's Jefferson House, the Friends of Macomb County Veteran's Treatment Court and CARE of Southeastern Michigan.

A graduate of Western Michigan University Cooley Law School, Smith attended classes on the school's Lansing and Auburn Hills campuses. She also earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Walsh College in Troy.

Cummins most recently was staff attorney to Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Kathleen M. McCarthy.

She is a graduate of Western Michigan University Cooley Law School and earned a bachelor of science degree in legal studies from Madonna University in Livonia. Cummins is a member of the Oakland County Bar Association and the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan and is a fellow of the Oakland County Bar Association.

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Maddin, Hauser, Roth, & Heller PC is pleased to announce the promotion of attorneys R.J. Cronkhite, Kevin M. Henry, and Jesse L. Roth to shareholders of the firm.

The announcement was made by the firm's President and CEO, Steven D. Sallen.

Cronkhite is a member of the firm's Complex Litigation and Risk Advisory Practice Group. He specializes in technology disputes, shareholder litigation and enforcement of employment agreements, including non-compete and non-solicit provisions.

Cronkhite is a board member of the Southfield Area Rotary Club. He serves as chair-elect of the Michigan State Bar Litigation Section Governing Council and is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. Super Lawyers® has listed Cronkhite as a Michigan Rising Star.

Henry is a member of the firm's Corporate and Real Estate Practice Groups. He advises clients on real estate matters including acquisitions and sales, leasing, finance, and property development. Henry also represents businesses on a wide range of corporate matters including entity selection, company formation, asset and stock deals, buy-sell agreements, and succession planning.

Henry has served as a director on multiple professional and public service boards and currently serves as chairman of the Oakland County Bar Association's Tax Committee. In 2014, the Wisconsin Law Journal recognized him as an Up and Coming Lawyer.

Roth is a member of the firm's Appellate and Defense and Insurance Coverage Practice Groups. He has appeared before various trial-level and appellate fora on a range of issues including professional liability, labor and employment, class actions, consumer litigation, and complex torts.

Roth has written numerous articles and essays including, "Spokeo, 16 Months Later," published in the fall 2017 edition of the State Bar of Michigan Litigation Journal.

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DS News has named Alison Orlans, president and CEO of Orlans PC, to its annual list of the Top 25 Women in Law for 2019. The list was developed to celebrate the accomplishments of women lawyers who have made their mark in the legal industry and led their firms to success.

In 2017, Orlans led the merger of three firms to create Orlans PC to offer clients multi-state services. Under her leadership, the firm is driving transformational change in the legal industry through innovative technology and lean processes.

"As a firm, we are focused on leading the industry in technology and continuing to find innovative solutions to help us better serve our clients in a highly regulated, complex business," said Orlans. "We're making significant investments in process and technology, including value-stream mapping and artificial intelligence software, to accomplish our goals."

Since becoming president and CEO, Orlans has not only focused on remaining best-in-class in the industry and client service, she has evolved the firm's culture and made Orlans PC an award-winning workplace. The firm has a renewed emphasis on increasing employee engagement programs and offering training and development opportunities to help the team succeed and grow within the industry.

"Through our employees' passion and commitment to our customers, we have created a customer-first culture that is fueling growth," added Orlans.

This is just the latest in a series of awards and honors received by Orlans PC and its team. Julie Moran, the firm's senior executive counsel, was named among DS News' Top 25 Women in Law in 2018. The firm also has received the Diamond Award of Excellence from the United States Foreclosure Network for 10 consecutive years.

Published: Mon, Feb 11, 2019