Columns

Butzel attorney and shareholder Lynn McGuire has been named to Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s 2026 “Influential Women of Law” list. 

McGuire has devoted nearly 30 years to advising employers on employee benefits, executive compensation, and ERISA compliance. She serves as co-chair of Butzel’s Education Industry Team.

She counsels employers of all sizes, including public and private companies, nonprofit organizations, governmental entities, tribal employers, startups, and multinational organizations. McGuire’s practice focuses on helping clients design, administer, and maintain compliant retirement, health, and welfare benefit programs while navigating complex federal tax and employee benefits laws.

In addition to advising on employee benefit plans and executive compensation arrangements, McGuire is an advisor on Affordable Care Act compliance, fiduciary responsibilities under ERISA, mergers and acquisitions, benefit plan terminations, multiemployer pension withdrawal liability matters, and government audits and investigations. Throughout her career, she has guided clients through numerous Department of Labor and Internal Revenue Service examinations and compliance initiatives.

McGuire earned her law degree from Notre Dame Law School and her B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. She also holds professional certificates in Global Benefits Management and Canadian Benefit Plans from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans.

Her professional recognitions include:

• DBusiness Top Lawyers in Metro Detroit, Employee Benefits Law – 2014, 2017-2026

• Michigan Super Lawyers, Employee Benefits – 2017, 2018

• Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation – 2018-2025

• The Best Lawyers in America® – Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law – Lawyer of the Year – Ann Arbor, 2026

• The Best Lawyers in America® – Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Employment Law – Management; Litigation – ERISA; Litigation – Labor and Employment – 2023-2026

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McDonald Hopkins is proud to congratulate Jim Giszczak and Miriam Rosen on their inclusion in Crain’s Detroit Business’ list of 2026 Notable Leaders in Accounting, Consulting, & Law.

Giszczak is co-president of McDonald Hopkins and co-chair of the Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group. He also maintains a privacy practice serving clients across a range of industries.

Rosen serves as managing member of McDonald Hopkins’ Detroit office, sits on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors, is the firm’s general counsel, and is a leader in the Labor and Employment Practice. She oversees dozens of attorneys while managing client relationships in her practice.

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Michigan Auto Law is proud to announce that owner and attorney Steven Gursten has been named the recipient of the 2026 Courage Award by The Melvin M. Belli Society.

Gursten was selected for his advocacy on behalf of Michigan consumers after publicly raising concerns about CURE Auto Insurance and continuing to speak out even after the company filed a lawsuit against him and Michigan Auto Law.

The Melvin M. Belli Society recognized Gursten after he published a blog highlighting the number of complaints Michigan drivers had reported against the New Jersey based insurer. In response, CURE Auto Insurance filed a lawsuit against Gursten and Michigan Auto Law. Rather than backing down, Gursten continued advocating for consumers through his writing and by launching WhenCureWontPay.com, a website dedicated to educating Michigan drivers about insurance claims, consumer rights, and their legal options. 

“This award is especially meaningful because it recognizes the importance of standing up for consumers when it matters most,” stated Gursten. “When I first began writing about CURE Auto Insurance, my only goal was to help Michigan drivers make informed decisions and understand their rights. Facing litigation for speaking out was never going to change that mission. I believe attorneys have the responsibility to advocate not only inside the courtroom, but also in the public interest when consumers deserve transparency and accountability.” 

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Foster, Swift, Collins, & Smith PC is pleased to announce that attorneys Marcy Hahn and Lisa M. Serra have joined the firm’s Southfield office.

With decades of combined legal experience, Hahn and Serra bring backgrounds advising businesses of all sizes on governance, compliance, contracts, risk management, employment matters, dispute resolution, and strategic growth initiatives.

As a former Fortune 10 lead counsel, Hahn has more than 20 years of experience as a corporate attorney, negotiator, and mediator. She advises companies on corporate governance, regulatory compliance, business risk management, and operational strategy. Hahn also serves as fractional general counsel to startups and midsize businesses, partnering with leadership teams and boards to address legal issues before they become business obstacles.

Serra has more than a decade of experience helping businesses address both immediate legal needs and long-term objectives. Serving as outside general counsel for numerous small and midsize companies, she advises on contracts, employment issues, compliance matters, corporate governance, risk management, and day-to-day operational concerns. 

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Kemp Klein is proud to announce that shareholders Austin W. Probst and Matthew W. Frank have been named 2026 Crain’s Detroit Business Notable Leaders in Accounting, Consulting & Law.

Probst concentrates his practice in probate, estate and trust administration and litigation, elder law, estate planning, commercial litigation, and appeals. He represents individuals, families, and fiduciaries throughout Michigan in complex probate and trust disputes while also advising clients on estate planning and administration matters.

In addition to being recognized by Crain’s Detroit Business, Probst was recently named a 2026 Up & Coming Lawyer by Michigan Lawyers Weekly. He has also been recognized by The Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America, DBusiness Top Lawyers, and Michigan Super Lawyers Rising Stars for his work in trusts and estates and probate law.

Frank focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, aviation, real estate, and corporate law. He advises privately held businesses on acquisitions, dispositions, financing, corporate governance, and other complex business transactions, helping clients navigate sophisticated legal and business matters.

Frank was previously named a 2025 Crain’s Detroit Business Notable M&A Dealmaker, a 2025 Michigan Lawyers Weekly Go To Lawyer for Business Litigation, and a 2026 DBusiness Top Lawyer in Mergers and Acquisitions Law.

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Varnum is pleased to announce that attorney Jordan Weeks has joined the firm’s Litigation and ADR Practice Team in the Novi office.

Weeks represents clients in commercial and construction disputes, with experience handling cases involving breach of contract, mechanic’s liens, business ownership issues, and other complex claims. His litigation work includes discovery, depositions, motion practice, arbitration, and trial. In these matters, he has prepared and examined witnesses, argued pretrial motions, drafted summary judgment briefing, and first-chaired trials.

Prior to joining Varnum, Weeks handled transportation, maritime, property damage, and internet defamation disputes in addition to his commercial and construction litigation work. He also served as a judicial extern to U.S. District Judge David A. Ruiz in the Northern District of Ohio.

Weeks earned his law degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from Eastern Michigan University. 

Varnum is also pleased to announce that partners Julia Perkins and Michael Romaya have been recognized as Notable Leaders in Accounting, Consulting, and Law by Crain’s Detroit. 

Perkins is a partner in Varnum’s Novi office who advises clients through personal and financial matters involving divorce and family law. Her practice includes custody, child support, parenting time, high net worth marital estates, valuation and division issues, international custody disputes, and family law mediation. She is frequently engaged in matters requiring discretion, judgment, and steady advocacy, helping clients pursue practical resolutions when possible and providing courtroom representation when necessary. 

Perkins also serves on Varnum’s Executive Committee and as a practice management leader, where she supports firm strategy and the coaching and mentoring of partners.

Romaya is the lead partner in Varnum’s Birmingham office, advising privately held companies on strategic transactions, financing, growth, governance, and ongoing business needs. A member of the Banking, Finance and Restructuring Team, he counsels clients through significant transactions and financing matters, including acquisitions and other business combinations. 

Romaya is also a member of Varnum’s highest governing body, the Policy Committee, where he helps guide the firm’s long-term business strategy and overall direction.

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David Foltyn, Honigman chairman and CEO, was recently named as one of Crain’s Detroit Business’ 2026 “Notable Leaders in Accounting, Consulting & Law.”

Foltyn has served as the chairman and CEO of Honigman since 2008. He has enhanced the recruiting functions of the firm and has implemented ongoing development opportunities for attorneys and business professionals. Foltyn is also an active community leader and serves on a number of boards.

In addition, Honigman partner Chauncey Mayfield II was recently honored as a Law360 Rising Star. He was recognized for his excellence when it comes to the practice area of transportation.

Mayfield is the leader of Honigman’s commercial transactions practice group, where he serves as a trusted advisor to global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), suppliers, manufacturers, and other businesses on sophisticated commercial transactions, complex sourcing relationships, and legal and commercial challenges defining today’s industries.

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Bodman PLC is pleased to announce that Member Stephen Dunn has been selected for inclusion in Crain’s Detroit Business Notable Leaders in Accounting, Consulting, and Law 2026.
With more than 20 years of first chair jury trial and arbitration experience, Dunn focuses his practice on litigating complex, high-stakes business disputes. He also leads teams handling corporate transactions including mergers, acquisitions, reorganizations, combinations, joint ventures, restructurings and lending transactions. 

Dunn is a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army Reserve JAG Corps and currently holds the rank of lieutenant colonel, serving as deputy commanding officer of an Army unit headquartered at Ft. Snelling, Minnesota.

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Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that James Claborn has joined the firm’s Real Estate Group as an associate in its Troy office.

Claborn advises clients on commercial real estate, construction and business transactions, including contract drafting and negotiation, commercial leases, purchase agreements, construction agreements, acquisitions and risk management.

Before joining Miller Canfield, Claborn served as corporate counsel for BELFOR Property Restoration. As the lead transactional attorney supporting the company’s North American operations, he advised executives and project teams on hundreds of agreements each year, including commercial service contracts, construction contracts, subcontractor agreements, commercial leases and acquisition documents. He also counseled business teams on contract structure, risk allocation and negotiation strategy for large-scale restoration and construction projects involving commercial and institutional properties.

Claborn previously worked in private practice, where he handled transactional and litigation matters involving real estate, contracts and financial disputes. He also completed a corporate counsel externship with MAHLE Industries Inc.

Claborn earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School.  He earned his bachelor’s degree in political theory and constitutional democracy from Michigan State University’s James Madison College. Claborn is a member of the State Bar of Michigan’s Business Law Section.

Miller Canfield is also pleased to announce that Chief Executive Officer Michael Palizzi has been named a 2026 Crain’s Detroit Business Notable Leader in Law.

Palizzi has served as Miller Canfield’s CEO since April 2024, leading the firm’s 20 offices in six countries. 

Before becoming CEO, Palizzi co-led Miller Canfield’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution and Intellectual Property groups and served for three years on the firm’s Board of Managing Directors. He is a nationally recognized trial lawyer and business counselor who has spent more than 30 years representing clients in complex commercial litigation and intellectual property matters. He also serves as chief outside counsel to several U.S. and international companies.

Palizzi has been recognized by Chambers USA, The Best Lawyers in America, Benchmark Litigation, Michigan Super Lawyers, Managing Intellectual Property IP Stars, Leading Lawyers, and DBusiness. He is a senior fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America and a fellow of the Michigan State Bar Foundation.

His professional and civic service includes board positions with the Detroit Regional Chamber and The Right Place Inc. He also serves as co-chair of the Federal Bar Association’s Complex Litigation Committee and is active in the American Bar Association, Oakland County Bar Foundation, and Detroit Bar Association.

Palizzi earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School and his bachelor’s degree from Albion College.

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Taft Detroit Partner Gina Goyette Staudacher has been named a Notable Leader in Accounting, Consulting, and Law by Crain’s Detroit Business. 

Staudacher focuses her work on business and tax advisory matters, with deep experience in Multi-state and Federal Tax and Economic Incentives, R&D Tax Credits, Energy and Manufacturing Tax Credits, Opportunity Zone structuring, Accounting Methods, and Tax Controversy. She leads a team of CPAs, attorneys, data analysts, and financial advisors to assist businesses in uncovering beneficial tax opportunities, minimizing tax liabilities, and monetizing state and federal economic incentives for domestic and foreign-inbound taxpayers. 

Staudacher’s practice includes advising CFOs, CEOs, General Counsels, VPs of Tax, and C-suite executives on tax, capital project financing, and strategic growth initiatives.

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Brooks Kushman is proud to announce that eight of its attorneys have been named 2026 IP Stars by Managing IP.  The following attorneys were recognized as 2026 IP Stars in the Patent and Trademark categories:

Sangeeta Shah, Robyn Lederman, John LeRoy, Marc Lorelli, Christopher Smith, Frank Angileri, Charles Bieneman, Mark Cantor, and Elizabeth Janda.

The following attorney was recognized as 2026 IP Stars in the Rising Star category:
Chelsea Pasquali

In addition to this year’s individual recognitions, Brooks Kushman is proud to celebrate its tenth consecutive year of recognition in the IP Stars rankings. 

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Maddin Hauser is pleased to announce that two attorneys have been elevated to the shareholder level. David T. Lin and Kevin C. Majewski joined the firm’s Financial Services and Real Property Litigation group in early 2025 and made an immediate positive impact. Lin is also a member of the Bankruptcy, Restructuring, and Debtor-Creditor Rights group. 

A creditors’ rights and bankruptcy attorney, Lin guides lenders and other creditors through all stages of the bankruptcy process after a debtor files for bankruptcy relief. He represents his clients’ diverse interests at the pre- and post-judgment stages of commercial litigation. Lin earned his law degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

A litigator, Majewski concentrates his practice on disputes involving real property, construction, mortgages, financial services, and other business matters. He graduated from Michigan State University College of Law.

Maddin Hauser is also thrilled to announce that Michigan Lawyers Weekly named Deborah S. Lapin to its 2026 class of “Influential Women of Law.” 

As a shareholder in Maddin Hauser’s Financial Services and Real Property Litigation group, Lapin focuses on real estate litigation, particularly mortgage-related issues and title insurance coverage disputes. 

Lapin’s contributions to the legal profession include educating clients and fellow attorneys on legal issues and providing practical guidance on business development, networking, wellness, and investing. She is a member of the Institute of Continuing Legal Education’s (ICLE) Real Property Law Advisory Board, often speaks and blogs on topics relevant to her practice and clients, and regularly presents continuing legal education courses to colleagues. Lapin is additionally active in the industries in which her clients do business, including serving on the Board of Directors of the Michigan Recreational Boating Industries Educational Foundation. 

Lapin devotes significant time to Maddin Hauser’s Women’s Success Through Empowerment and Engagement (SEE) Committee, including volunteering with Humble Design’s “Day of Joy,” transforming empty houses into warm, welcoming homes for families transitioning out of homelessness. She has also given her time to the Ronald McDonald House, her synagogue, and youth sports boards.

For Netflix watchers, the inside story of “The Bombing of Pan Am 103” is a compelling six-part drama that recently was released and tells the harrowing tale into the December 1988 explosion of the commercial airliner over the small southwestern Scottish town of Lockerbie, killing 270 passengers, 16 crewmembers, and 11 people on the ground.

“What followed was the largest murder investigation in the history of Scottish policing into the deadliest act of terrorism on British soil, as investigators sought justice for the hundreds of victims who hailed from 21 countries,” according to a Netflix press release about the series. 

It also is the true story of the collaboration between Scottish police and U.S. law enforcement — and the families’ quest for justice.

“This is a series about the different people who tried to put the pieces back together in different ways, both investigatively and on the human level as well,” says lead writer Jonathan Lee, who was 8 years old when the bombing occurred.

One of the victims, a clinical researcher for a giant pharmaceutical company in Ann Arbor, was a “friend of a friend” of mine and I remember vividly hearing about his family’s struggles for the truth behind the bombing and how it could have happened in light of supposedly heightened security measures during the busy holiday travel season. 

The series can be best described as an engrossing blend of international police investigative work and an emotional character study into how the tragedy impacted thousands of people caught in its wake. 

It also reminded me of a near tragedy over the skies of Detroit on Christmas Day 2009, when a botched bombing plot unfolded in what became known as the “Underwear Bomber” case. 

More than a decade ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Jonathan Tukel, who at the time was the chief of the National Security Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.

The setting was a special invitation-only program he presented at the Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield. The program was hosted by then-U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman, who viewed the presentation as an opportunity for some 30 friends and associates to gain insight into the terrorist plot in 2009.

Tukel, who was appointed to the Michigan Court of Appeals in 2017 and died of cancer four years later, was the lead prosecutor in the case against Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a Nigerian man who tried to take down a jumbo jet with some 290 people on board as it approached Detroit Metropolitan Airport on December 25, 2009. The failed attempt to blow up the airliner would set in motion one of the most exhaustive federal investigations into the inner workings of Al-Qaeda and a self-styled jihadist who would come to be known as the “Underwear Bomber.”

A 1988 graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, Tukel quickly became the point person on the case against Abdulmutallab, the son of a wealthy banker and financier. Tukel handled the case with two other assistant U.S. attorneys, Michael Martin and Cathleen Corken, and described the prosecution as a “team effort.”

Just days into his trial on multiple counts of attempted murder and use of a weapon of mass destruction, Abdulmutallab did the unexpected – pleading guilty to eight federal charges, thereby sparing the court of what figured to be drawn out legal proceedings.

Yet, in a sense, it also proved to be a lost opportunity for Tukel and other federal law enforcement officials to demonstrate the effectiveness of the U.S. justice system in cases of international terrorism threats. The decision to try Abdulmutallab in a civilian court sparked political debate at the time, Tukel acknowledged, but was a victory for those who believe that such cases should not be confined to military tribunals.

“While thankfully the bomber’s plan to blow up the plane failed, it nonetheless illustrated how determined terrorists are in attempting to inflict casualties,” Judge Friedman said. “It is a constant threat.”

That point was driven home repeatedly by Tukel, whose death at age 60 was a profound loss for the state’s legal community.

“Abdulmutallab was born into a family of means and was educated in the finest of schools, yet he decided to become a suicide bomber to assure his place in martyrdom,” Tukel told those attending the program. “He is not what the public commonly thinks of as an Al-Qaeda jihadist, but in fact many (most of the 9/11 hijackers, for instance) are from upper middle-class or wealthier families.”

While a student at the University College London, where he earned a degree in mechanical engineering in 2008, Abdulmutallab was president of the school’s Islamic Society and began harboring extremist views, according to Tukel. He developed a particular fascination with the teachings of American-born Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, an Al-Qaeda leader killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2011.

He was so taken by al-Awlaki that Abdulmutallab visited him in Yemen, eventually earning his trust after spending time in an Al-Qaeda training camp in the Arabian country, Tukel related. It was there that the plot to blow up a U.S. airliner was hatched, Tukel said.

In Yemen, Abdulmutallab developed connections with the notorious Al-Qaeda bomb-maker, Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri, the reported mastermind of the “underwear bomb” device. It was his job to develop a chemical-charged explosive that could elude airport detection equipment and could be easily detonated, Tukel stated. 

Once that task was complete, it was up to Abdulmutallab to arrange a flight to the U.S. that would not draw suspicion from travel authorities, Tukel indicated. After visiting several travel agencies, Abdulmutallab settled on a Northwest Airlines flight routed through Amsterdam with a final destination of Detroit. Flights to Chicago and Houston also were considered, but 
he opted for Detroit simply for financial reasons. Coincidentally, the flight was scheduled to land on Christmas morning.

“There is no indication that the Christmas date was pre-determined,” Tukel said. “As it turned out, it was just an added benefit to his overall plan.”

According to Tukel, Abdulmutallab had been instructed to detonate the bomb over the U.S. What he didn’t realize, however, was that the Northwest jet would be over U.S. soil for just a matter of minutes on its approach to Metro Airport since its final flight path was through Canadian airspace.

“He was tracking the plane’s path on the seat TV screen, and set off the explosive after spending more than 20 minutes in the bathroom cleansing and purifying himself,” Tukel told the audience at the Jewish Community Center. “He could have just as easily have set off the device in the bathroom, but apparently he wanted to detonate it in a more proper setting.”

Using a plastic syringe, he injected a chemical mixture into a packet that was sewn into his underwear, immediately causing a “loud pop that sounded like a firecracker,” Tukel said. The passenger in an aisle seat next to Abdulmutallab then shouted, “Dude, your pants are on fire,” according to Tukel.

Within seconds, several other passengers swarmed Abdulmutallab, extinguishing the flames while subduing him with the help of Northwest flight attendants. The flight, at the time, was located above Woodhaven in the Downriver area, just minutes from landing at Metro.

“To the pilots, it wasn’t clear whether they were dealing strictly with a fire or with an explosion,” Tukel said. “As you can imagine, it was a chaotic scene with smoke billowing through the cabin and passengers screaming.”

Once the flight landed, the pilots headed to the terminal, not knowing that remnants of an explosive device were present on the plane. It didn’t take long for U.S. Customs officials to determine that the plane needed to be rerouted to an airport site far removed from the populated terminal, according to Tukel.

Tukel was among those on the scene at University of Michigan Medical Center, where Abdulmutallab was transported for burn treatment. 

“I arrived around 7 p.m.,” Tukel said. “Agents had been at the airport and the hospital since the incident, shortly after noon.”

It was at the hospital where Abdulmutallab told investigators of his suicide mission, of his quest for “martyrdom” to avenge “American acts of aggression” in Muslim countries in the Mideast.

In the ensuing months, Tukel and a team of federal investigators were dogged in their determination to uncover the scope of the bomb plot, conducting hundreds of interviews while methodically building their court case against the 23-year-old Nigerian, who is the youngest of 16 children. 

They remained steadfast in their efforts even after Abdulmutallab dismissed his court-appointed counsel, opting instead to represent himself. The decision proved fateful in the fall of 2011 when Abdulmutallab decided just days into his trial to plead guilty to all eight charges against him. 

Now, Abdulmutallab reportedly spends 23-1/2 hours of his day in solitary confinement at a federal supermax prison in Colorado, a price he is destined to pay for the rest of his life for an ill-fated holy mission.

By Samuel Damren

This is the second commentary on what it is like to live under the rule of a King – an experience not had by Americans in 250 years.

As noted in the first commentary, “new men” arose in America in the 1700s.  In a setting distant from the oppressive dominance of monarchy, they embraced democratic principles.  

Historian Jules Pfister in his 2021 book “Defining America in the Radical 1760s” attributes two factors to the rise of these “new men.” 

First, the British Crown’s benign neglect of American affairs following initial settlement of the colonies. Second, the significant growth of self-governance within the colonies and the achievement of economic self-sufficiency during the 1700s.

When the Crown attempted to re-asserted direct control over the colonies in the mid-1760s through taxes and regulation of free trade, the measures met fierce resistance from the “new men” of America.

The standoff began after the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1763 ending warfare among competing European powers for global dominance. Britain’s war debt was substantial and accumulated over decades of conflict.  To reduce the debt, the Crown looked to American colonies to share the burden.  Americans saw things differently.  

This commentary examines the conduct by the British Crown that the “new men” of America found inimical to democratic rights. The British learned a costly lesson:  Americans will respond to attempts to deprive them of effective democratic governance with the sacrifice necessary to preserve it and with the determination to outlast a “Tyrant … unfit to be the ruler of a free people.”

The document igniting the Revolutionary War was the Declaration of Independence which contains that quote.  It sets forth a list of grievances and usurpations of rights by the British Crown that colonists found intolerable.  The underlying rationale for the grievances, according to Pfister, resides in an earlier document.  

In 1774, the House of Burgesses, the democratically elected assembly of colonists in Virginia, passed a resolution supporting Massachusetts and decrying oppressive acts of Parliament after the Boston Tea Party.  In response, the royal governor of Virginia dissolved the assembly. 

Undeterred, assembly members regrouped at Raleigh Tavern as the Virginia Convention and formed an association to boycott British goods. One of its members, 31-year-old Thomas Jefferson, wrote a pamphlet for consideration by the new body titled, “A Summary View of the Rights of British America,” dated July 30, 1774.  

Jefferson asserted that “the British Parliament has no right to exercise authority over us” in any circumstance not just taxation. He asserted that the King, not Parliament, bore responsibility as “chief officer of the people” for the current crisis; further stating that “kings are the servants, not the proprietors of the people.”

The Summary cast support for these assertions through a compelling line of argument.  While not adopted as a resolution of the Virginia Convention, it brought Jefferson great acclaim across the colonial audience.    

Jefferson argued that that when the colonial ancestors emigrated from England to “British America,” they did not relinquish their rights as British subjects, including the right to democratically elected representational government.  Moreover, because “America was conquered, and her settlements made at the expense of individuals [who] … for themselves they fought, for themselves they conquered, and for themselves alone they have right to hold [when] not a shilling was ever issued from the public treasures of his majesty,” the American colonies had no obligation to pay Britain’s war debts through the imposition of colonial taxes, they did not approve.

As historical precedent, Jefferson pointed to various instances of “less alarming” legislation previously withdrawn in the face of colonial opposition.  While “single acts of tyranny may be ascribed to the accidental opinion of a day” in Jefferson’s view the series of recent oppressions “prove a deliberate and systematic plan.”

In a litany of recent oppressions, Jefferson cited prohibitions on “manufacturing for our own use the articles we raise on our own lands with our own labor,” the suspensions of colonial legislatures in New York and elsewhere, and the prohibition of shipping activity “within the harbor of Boston.” 

Jefferson also decried the King’s directive to “send among us large bodies of [uninvited] armed forces not made up of people here, nor raised by the authority” noting that if the King were to have “such a right,” it could “swallow up all our other rights whenever he should think proper.”

Finally, Jefferson excoriated the select “British counselors” that “surround” the King for their willingness to sacrifice “the rights of one part of the empire to the inordinate desires of another.”  He closed with a cutting observation about the courtiers: “Let those flatter who fear; it is not an American art.”

The next commentary in this series will compare present-day conduct of the Trump administration with Jefferson’s criticisms of the monarchy Americans revolted against and overthrew.  
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Samuel Damren is a retired Detroit lawyer and author of “What Justice Looks Like.”

By Michael Waldman

The journalist Michael Kinsley defined a gaffe as when a politician accidentally tells the truth. During his confirmation hearing to be attorney general, Todd Blanche blurted out about Donald Trump, “I’m his lawyer.”

Now the Senate Judiciary Committee has advanced Blanche’s nomination to the full Senate, despite the ample evidence of weaponization of the Justice Department under his watch. 

Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) made a great show of holding up the nomination due to their opposition to the flagrantly corrupt $1.8 billion fund to pay Trump’s allies, including, presumably, the January 6 insurrectionists.

Their faux rebellion led to a phony deal. John McLaughlin in the conservative National Review calls it “flimflam.” It leaves untouched the Justice Department’s pledge to shield Trump and his family from tax liability. Having been immunized by the Supreme Court from criminal accountability, he now is immunized from civil liability, too. All as his net worth grew by over $2 billion in one year.

The Trump era is drawing to a tawdry end. I think we haven’t been nearly outraged enough by the prosecution of a bystander for supposedly vandalizing the Reflecting Pool. Recently, prosecutors confirmed to the court that in fact, a “botched” repair job by a no-bid contractor chosen by the president was the culprit.

Over and over, these politicized prosecutions crumble. It would be funny if it did not reflect an egregious abuse of power and impose real harms on people whose lives are turned upside down by these unfounded accusations.

After the wreckage, we need a reckoning. What comes next? How do we repair the institutions of self-government? Public concern about corruption runs deep. A recent CNN poll ound that 64 percent of respondents think Trump “has gone too far” in “pursuing his personal business interests while serving as president.” But which party could be described as “the party that fights corruption”? Nearly half said “neither.”

Earlier this year the Brennan Center launched a new series of policy proposals: Solutions for a Stronger Democracy. “Congress should create a strong new government ethics agency,” we urged. “Today, enforcement of ethics rules is weak and sporadic. A single agency should enforce core federal ethics standards, including laws concerning conflicts of interest, gift limits, asset and income disclosure requirements for federal officials, and curbs on the use of federal resources for partisan political activities. It should be empowered to issue binding rules and to seek civil penalties and other relief against violators.”

The public strongly supports these and other reforms. According to a Brennan Center poll we released in June, a new ethics agency draws 81 percent support, including 75 percent of Republicans. Similar margins back reforms including a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United and other misguided campaign finance rulings, and an end to undisclosed “dark money” in elections.

Now Senate Democrats have issued a strong anticorruption proposal along these lines. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) recently proposed the creation of a new Anti-Corruption Bureau. It would combine the work of several agencies under a new bipartisan commission with at least one independent member and expanded powers. It would also expand the range of penalties available to address corrupt conduct. And as a backstop if federal officials fail to adequately enforce the law, it would allow state attorneys general and private parties to sue corrupt officials under certain circumstances.

There are many good elements to Schumer’s proposal — and more ideas will no doubt be put forward. Most importantly, it suggests that politicians are starting to realize it is not enough to merely complain about corruption.

Where are the Republicans? They still could object to the Blanche nomination. And our polling shows that their voters want anticorruption reforms too.

Election year 2026 is shaping up as unpredictable. Voters are seething. They see big money as a major issue, deeply connected to government’s failure to work for them. Populist anger convulsed the Republican Party and is now shaking the Democrats. Lawmakers who want to keep their footing will need to put forward big ideas, concrete and memorable, or be overwhelmed by political tides.

Trump in 2016 upended politics promising to “drain the swamp.” Now his tenure is as murky and mottled as the Reflecting Pool. Sen. Cornyn recently explained his switch to voting for Blanche. “There’s nothing we could do to rein in the president,” he shrugged. That’s bad law and bad policy. And increasingly, it looks like bad politics as well.
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Michael Waldman is president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law. Waldman, a constitutional lawyer and writer, has led the center since 2005.

Plunkett Cooney attorney Arturo Alfaro was recently appointed to serve as a member of the Oakland County Bar Foundation’s (OCBF) Board of Trustees. His one-year term began on July 1.

The OCBF is dedicated to ensuring access to justice and to promoting an understanding of the law in the local community. The foundation partners with the Oakland County Bar Association (OCBA) and community members and organizations to support worthy causes in Oakland County. The OCBF promotes and funds programs through fundraising and grants designed to increase access, affordability and understanding of the law and legal system.

A member of Plunkett Cooney’s Bloomfield Hills office, Alfaro practices in the firm’s Transportation Law Practice Group and focuses his practice in the areas of motor vehicle negligence and no-fault law. He defends insured motorists, rental car companies and corporations in no-fault coverage disputes and negligence suits. 

As leader of the firm’s Immigration Law Practice Group, Alfaro also maintains an immigration law practice through which he assists individuals and families with family-based petitions and visa processing, including permanent residency and removal of residency conditions. He also handles naturalization, employment authorizations, and other types of applications.

Alfaro currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Hispanic Bar Association of Michigan. He is a member of the Oakland County and Detroit Bar Associations and the Immigration Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan, where he served as treasurer. Alfaro is also a member of the Immigration Law Practice Group of ALFA International, a consortium of approximately 140 law firms throughout the United States and in countries around the world.

Alfaro has been designated by Best Lawyers as one of the peer review service’s Ones to Watch in immigration and transportation law since 2023, and he was selected by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as an Up & Coming Lawyer in 2025. Alfaro received his law degree from Cooley Law School in 2020 and his undergraduate degree from Baker College in 2004.

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Kemp Klein is proud to announce that Shareholder Amy A. Stawski has been named one of Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s 2026 Influential Women of Law.

Stawski has more than 40 years of experience in family law and appellate litigation. She represents clients in complex family law matters and advises individuals on a wide range of domestic relations issues, including divorce, annulment, separate maintenance, paternity, custody, change of domicile, child and spousal support, parenting time, division of marital estates, grandparenting time, and appeals.  Her experience also includes international family law matters involving the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. 

Earlier in her career, Stawski served as a research attorney for the Michigan Court of Appeals from 1986 to 1987 and as a law clerk to Judge Martin M. Doctoroff from 1987 to 1988. She has also authored numerous articles addressing family law and related issues.

Stawski and the other members of the 2026 Influential Women of Law class will be recognized on Friday, September 18, at The Mint at Michigan First Conference Center in Lathrup Village. 

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Bush Seyferth is proud to share that Founder & Chairman Patrick Seyferth has been selected by Corp! Magazine as a 2026 Michigan Inspiring Leader. 

The special editorial feature honors the visionaries shaping the future of business and community. Seyferth will attend the 2026 MVPs and Michigan Inspiring Leaders’ dinner where all selected individuals will be recognized.  

Seyferth is a member of BSP Law’s executive committee. In 2025, he was honored by Benchmark Litigation as a Litigation Star.  In 2025 and 2026, he was ranked in the Chambers USA Guide as Band 1 in Product Liability: Automobile (USA – Nationwide) and Band 2 in Litigation: General Commercial (Michigan). Seyferth was also recognized as Lawyer of the Year for Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants in Troy, Michigan by Best Lawyers® in its 2026 edition. He also serves as an Executive Board member for the Eastern District of Michigan Bar Association; a board member to the Product Liability Advisory Council; and on the 6th Circuit Life Member Committee.

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Varnum has been named one of Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s “Empowering Women” honorees for 2026, marking the firm’s fourth consecutive year receiving the distinction.

Varnum celebrates the contributions of women across all roles, including attorneys, paralegals, legal assistants, and professional staff.

A key component of the firm’s efforts is Varnum Women’s Forum, a partner-led group that builds community and creates opportunities for mentorship, professional development, networking, and business development. The forum also supports the continued advancement of women attorneys into leadership and other positions of influence.

Varnum further supports professional development initiatives throughout Michigan and provides mentoring through its Associate Retention and Training program. Led in part by senior women attorneys, the program helps attorneys build connections, develop their skills, and pursue long-term success at the firm.

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Honigman Partner Charles Nida was once again recognized in the Chambers High Net Worth Guide in the practice area of Private Wealth Law, Michigan.  

Nida possesses more than 40 years of experience in estate planning and probate administration with a special emphasis on sophisticated and complex tax and estate planning.

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Miller Johnson is pleased to announce that Nathan Robbins has joined the firm as an associate attorney in the Employment and Labor Practice Group.  In this role, Robbins will counsel employers on a range of workplace issues, including employment law compliance, employee relations, and employment-related litigation.

Robbins brings experience representing clients in labor and employment matters, helping organizations navigate complex workplace challenges while developing practical, business-focused solutions. His practice includes advising employers on issues arising under federal and state employment laws, including Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), and Michigan employment statutes.

At Miller Johnson, Robbins will collaborate with attorneys across practice areas to deliver integrated legal solutions tailored to each client’s business objectives. The firm’s Employment and Labor Practice advises employers on compliance, risk management, and dispute resolution, with a focus on proactive strategies that support long-term success.

Prior to joining Miller Johnson, Robbins practiced labor and employment law with a Southfield-based litigation firm, where he advised clients on workplace matters, represented parties in employment disputes, and supported trial teams in state and federal courts.

Robbins earned his law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 2024. He also earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy from Michigan State University’s James Madison College.

A member of the State Bar of Michigan, Robbins is active in both the Labor and Employment Law Section and the Young Lawyers Section. He is admitted to practice in Michigan, the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

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Dickinson Wright is pleased to announce that the firm’s intellectual property practice received eight national and statewide rankings in the 2026 IP Stars edition by Managing Intellectual Property. Fifteen attorneys within the firm are listed as 2026 IP Stars.
In Michigan, Dickinson Wright was rated Highly Recommended in Patent Disputes, Patent Prosecution, and Trademarks.

Below are the Dickinson Wright attorneys from the Troy office who are listed as 2026 IP Stars:

William H. Honaker, Patent, Copyright, and Trademark Star

Daniel D. Quick, Copyright and Trademark Star

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Bodman PLC is pleased to announce that the firm and several Bodman attorneys have been named to the State Bar of Michigan’s 2026 A Lawyer Helps Pro Bono Honor Roll.

Bodman was the only law firm recognized at the highest “Tier 1” level for total hours devoted to pro bono matters firmwide for the year, contributing more than 4000 hours throughout the year. Individual attorneys are recognized for having devoted at least 30, 50, or 100 hours to pro bono service in 2025.

The following local Bodman attorneys, listed with the office where they are based, are included in the 2026 A Lawyer Helps Pro Bono Honor Roll.

—100+ Hours of Service

Barbara A. Bowman (Troy)

Julie E. Nichols (Troy)

Kenneth J. Sachs (Troy)

Michael C. Tibbits (Detroit)

David B. Walters (Troy)

—50 to 99 Hours of Service

Reem S. Aburukba (Troy)

Mackenzie J. Bailey (Detroit)

Mackenzie E. Dayfield (Detroit)

Aaron D. Graves (Detroit)

Nashara A. L. Peart (Detroit)

Erica J. Sarver (Detroit)

Glen M. Zatz (Troy)

—30 to 49 Hours of Service

Celeste E. Arduino (Troy)

David M. Boutrous (Detroit)

Fatmeh Cheaib (Detroit)

Carson V. Garguilo (Detroit)

Tatianna A. Gore (Detroit)

Jeffrey G. Raphelson (Detroit)

Rebecca C. Seguin-Skrabucha (Troy)

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In the newly released 2026 guide, Chambers USA continues to recognize Maddin Hauser. The firm is pleased to announce that two of its practice groups and three attorneys have been named among the elite firms in Michigan. 

Harvey R. Heller and Julie C. Mayer have maintained their Band 1 status, while the firm’s Professional Liability Defense and Insurance Coverage group earned Band 2 status. 

Recognized for their expertise in handling complex defense and insurance coverage litigation, Heller and Mayer have been ranked in the highest band possible for the third consecutive year. Heller serves as chairman of that practice group, is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee, and created the Result Focused Case Management System®. Mayer, a shareholder, concentrates her practice on insurance coverage and professional liability defense. 

Charles M. Lax continues to earn recognition as a senior statesperson in Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation alongside the practice group. Lax is a shareholder and chairman of the firm’s Tax practice group.