LEGAL PEOPLE

Homayune A. Ghaussi, a partner with the law firm Warner, Norcross, & Judd LLP, has been selected as a board member for the Friends of the Public Private Partnership for Justice Reform in Afghanistan. Ghaussi will serve on the 15-member board, along with lawyers, federal judges, former ambassadors, and others. The non-profit organization was established in 2007 as a joint initiative of the U.S. State Department and leading national law firms. It was founded by then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and has continued under Secretaries Hillary Clinton and John Kerry. The Friends of the Public Private Partnership for Justice Reform in Afghanistan administers a program of scholarships for Afghan legal scholars to attend a one-year LLM program at U.S. law schools. The aim of the program is to empower Afghan lawyers to contribute to establishment of the rule of law in Afghanistan. Ghaussi has developed a diverse litigation practice with experience in automotive supply chain disputes. He handles complex commercial matters, from negotiating contracts to litigating disputes, for some of the law firm's signature clients. He was recently elected to serve a three-year term on the firm's Management Committee. Active professionally, Ghaussi is a member of the American Bar Association, Federal Bar Association, State Bar of Michigan, and Oakland County Bar Association. He serves on the board of Leadership Oakland. He was recognized as an "Up and Coming Lawyer" by Michigan Lawyers Weekly and a Rising Star and a Super Lawyer by Michigan Super Lawyers. Ghaussi earned a bachelor of science from Wayne State University and a law degree from Wayne State University Law School. * * * Three Secrest Wardle partners have been featured on the Superlawyers' 2014 list of "Top Women Attorneys in Michigan" as published in Hour Detroit magazine. Kellie C. Joyce, Partner, is a member of Secrest Wardle's Construction, Motor Vehicle Litigation and Premises Liability Practice Groups. She received her law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 2006. She received her Bachelor of Arts with dual concentrations in English and Political Science from the University of Michigan in 2003. Joyce was admitted to the State Bar of Michigan in 2006 and subsequently admitted to practice before the United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan in 2006. She is an active member of the State Bar of Michigan, the American Bar Association, and the Federal Bar Association. Joyce has been named to the 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 Michigan Rising Stars lists by Michigan SuperLawyers. Krystal D. Hermiz, Partner, is a member of Secrest Wardle's Motor Vehicle Litigation and Premises Liability Practice Groups. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Michigan in 2004 and her law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 2008. Hermiz was admitted to the State Bar of Michigan in November of 2008 and subsequently admitted to practice before the United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan in December of 2008. She is an active member of the State Bar of Michigan and Oakland County Bar Association. She is a former president of the Chaldean American Bar Association. Hermiz has been named to the 2013 Michigan Rising Stars list by Michigan SuperLawyers. Renee T. Townsend, Partner, is a member of Secrest Wardle's Employment, General Negligence, Insurance Coverage, Motor Vehicle Litigation and Premises Liability Practice Groups. Townsend was admitted to practice law in the State of Michigan and the United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, in 2010. Townsend earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Eastern Michigan University in 2007, with a concentration in Legal Studies. She received her law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 2010. Townsend has been named to the 2013 Michigan Rising Stars List by Michigan SuperLawyers. * * * Jody L. Aaron, a medical malpractice attorney with Johnson Law in Michigan, has been admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court. Aaron was sworn in on March 10 by Chief Justice John Roberts. "I don't know whether I'll get to argue before the court," Aaron said. "But it certainly is nice to have the credentials in order to do so." Approximately 4,000 attorneys are admitted annually, according to published reports. To qualify, a lawyer must have been a member of a state bar for at least three years, secure two sponsors who are already admitted to the high court, and pay a fee. * * * Crain's Detroit Business, in partnership with the Association for Corporate Growth - Detroit Chapter, recently named Howard & Howard's Joseph J. DeVito 'Deal Maker of the Year - Advisor Category' as part of the 2014 M&A Awards. DeVito concentrates his practice on business and financial transactions and real estate matters, including: mergers, acquisitions and reorganizations of business entities; complex commercial and real estate lending and restructuring transactions; international business transactions; real estate sale and leasing transactions; securities law and private placements; and healthcare related corporate matters. DeVito formerly served as assistant general counsel responsible for mergers and acquisitions for ThyssenKrupp in North America, and has also served as interim general counsel for corporate clients in the automotive, technology and service industries, and in such capacity has advised members of management on all aspects of corporate, financial and real estate transactions (both domestic and international) and securities issues. His experience includes negotiation and consummation of mergers and acquisitions, formation of new subsidiaries and joint ventures including certified Minority Business Enterprises, negotiation and drafting licensing, e-commerce and other I.P. related agreements, negotiation and drafting of real estate purchase and leasing agreements and various aspects of securities transactions and regulatory compliance. DeVito's former firms include Dinsmore & Shohl (Cincinnati) and Butzel Long (Bloomfield Hills). DeVito is the former assistant editor of the Michigan International Lawyer, and has authored various articles for the Michigan Business Law Journal. He is a frequent lecturer at ICLE and industry group seminars on various topics, such as mergers and acquisitions, corporate and real estate financing related matters. DeVito is a graduate of Wayne State University Law School and Michigan State University, James Madison College. He is an alumnus of The Hague Academy of Private International Law. DeVito is admitted to practice in Michigan and Illinois, and is admitted but inactive in Ohio. He is also admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of International Trade located in New York. DeVito splits his time between the firm's Royal Oak and Chicago Offices. * * * Honigman, Miller, Schwartz, and Cohn LLP is pleased to announce that its partner J. Michael Huget has been named "IP Litigator of the Year for Michigan" by Managing Intellectual Property magazine. The award was presented at the Managing IP North American Awards dinner at The Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington, D.C. on March 25. This annual event recognizes the leading patent, trademark and copyright firms and attorneys in the country. Honigman's IP practice serves clients locally, nationally and internationally. Huget, co-chair of the firm's Litigation Department and leader of its Intellectual Property Litigation Practice Group, has experience in patent and trademark cases throughout the United States. He also has significant appellate experience in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. He represents clients in industries as varied as automotive, pharmaceutical, media, consumer goods, software and manufacturing. Huget was the first attorney to argue in federal district court that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office improperly calculated patent term adjustment in certain situations relating to the filing of a request for continued examination (RCE). The PTO rule at issue provided that a patent applicant who filed a RCE was not entitled to certain patent term adjustment after the filing of the RCE. The precedential final ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which provided additional "B Period" Patent Term Adjustment for his client, will have a significant impact on patent owners in the life science industry. Huget was also named a 2013 "IP Star" by Managing IP. He has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for intellectual property litigation for 12 consecutive years and as a Michigan Super Lawyer for the past five years. In addition, Huget was named a DBusiness "Top Lawyer" in 2011, 2013 and 2014. He currently serves as the president of the Michigan Intellectual Property Inn of Court. He is a past chair of the Committee on Internet and Domain Names for the IP section of the American Bar Association and has served on the Projects Editorial Board for the International Trademark Association. He earned a law degree from Michigan State University College of Law and a B.A. from the University of Michigan. * * * Krista M. Hosmer has joined Rader, Fishman, & Grauer PLLC as an associate attorney in its Bloomfield Hills office. Hosmer has experience representing clients in patent, trademark, copyright and trade dress infringement litigation. Her practice is focused on intellectual property litigation as well as complex commercial business disputes, and litigation centered on claims of trade secrets misappropriation, breach of contract, unfair competition, false advertising, product disparagement, cyber piracy, racketeering, and Consumer Protection Act violations. An experienced litigator, Hosmer advises clients on the protection of intellectual property rights and negotiates and drafts license, service, subscription, advertising, non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements. Hosmer earned her law degree at Wayne State University Law School and her Bachelor of Arts degree from Albion College. She is a member of the Federal Bar Association, American Intellectual Property Law Association and the Michigan Association for Justice. * * * Christine N. Seppala, general counsel at Strategic Staffing Solutions (S3), has been named a Top Corporate Counsel 2014 by DBusiness magazine. Seppala was previously named to DBusiness magazine's 2012 list of Top Lawyers. She supervises and advises Strategic Staffing Solutions on all domestic and international legal matters, corporate risk management, contract compliance and internal audit and oversees the company's immigration and HR functions. She also represents S3's legislative interests at both the state and federal levels. Seppala serves on the Metropolitan Affairs Coalition (MAC) Board of Directors and is an active member of its subcommittees on immigration reform, government ethics reform, elections reform and regional talent retention initiatives. She is a member of the Talent Task Force, a partnership between MAC and the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, lending her expertise to ensure success in retraining and education programs aimed at retaining talent in Michigan. In addition, she is a member of the Justice Policies Initiative, a part of the State Bar of Michigan's Justice Initiative. She also serves on the Forgotten Harvest Board of Directors Seppala received her law degree degree from Michigan State University College of Law and earned a bachelor of arts in drama and English from the University of Toronto. Published: Mon, Apr 7, 2014