East Grand Rapids resident Jeffrey S. Ammon, a member of Miller, Johnson, Snell & Cummiskey, P.L.C. (Miller Johnson) in Grand Rapids, has been named the recipient of the 2012 Stephen H. Schulman Outstanding Business Lawyer Award by the State Bar of Michigan Business Law Section.
Ammon, who practices in a wide variety of specialties, including business/corporate, construction, manufacturing, municipal law, property taxation, real estate and others, will be presented with the award at the Section’s Annual Meeting on Thursday, September 20, 2012.
Ammon served as chair of the Section in 1999-2000 and previously served as vice-chair and as part of the nominating committee. He is a member of the American Bar Association, State Bar of Michigan (fellow), Grand Rapids Bar Association, Associated Builders and Contractors,
Building Owners and Managers Association, Construction Financial Management Association and Michigan Chamber of Commerce.
Upon learning that he will be receiving the award, Ammon said it is hard to describe how much the recognition means to him personally. “There is no greater honor than to have my colleagues recognize me in this way,” Ammon said.
Ammon said he has learned during his legal career that it is important to present information and options from the clients’ perspective, an understanding that has led to part of his successes, something he learned from other colleagues.
Being a part of the Business Law Section has also helped Ammon to grow his practice and improve upon the knowledge he takes into his work, Ammon said.
“When you are involved in the Section you will learn from other lawyers through shared knowledge and collaboration and it’s a great business tool,” Ammon said. “I encourage everyone to become active in the Section and consider joining one of our committees.”
Ammon’s colleague at Miller Johnson Craig H. Lubben says that his fellow firm partner is an ideal choice for the Schulman Award because he has consistently exemplified the characteristics of quality, professionalism and service during his career. Ammon also recognizes the value of having a thriving business community while also providing a level of client service that has become a model for Miller Johnson, Lubben said.
“Jeff has the ability to focus on both the client’s big picture goals while paying attention to project details that help achieve those goals,” Lubben said.
Lubben also mentioned that Ammon has worked to create a positive environment for businesses to grow and prosper with “countless” hours of volunteer service to the State Bar of Michigan, the Section, ICLE and the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce.
“Jeff is a man of integrity in that he says what he means and means what he says,” Lubben added.
Ammon is listed in the “Best Lawyers in America®” for Banking Law, Construction Law, Corporate Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, Mergers & Acquisitions Law, Real Estate Law and Closely-Held Companies and Family Business Law. He was named as a Michigan “Super Lawyer” in Business/ Corporate for many years and was on the Top 100 list from 2006-2010. He also has been recognized in “Chambers USA - Leading Lawyers for Business.” Ammon earned his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1978 where he was magna cum laude.
The Outstanding Business Lawyer Award was named after Prof. Stephen Schulman, who taught several business law courses during a lengthy tenure at Wayne State University Law School in Detroit. Schulman received the Donald H. Gordon Award for Excellence in Teaching and was chosen by the student body as the school’s Professor of the Year several times. Schulman also was instrumental in the drafting of much of Michigan’s corporate law that still is in place today.
The Business Law Section established the Stephen H. Schulman Outstanding Business Lawyer Award in 2006, to be presented annually. The award honors Michigan business lawyers who consistently exemplify the characteristics the Business Law Section seeks to foster and facilitate: the highest quality of professionalism, the highest quality of practice, and an unwavering dedication to service, ethical conduct, and collegiality within the practice of law.
Ammon never knew Schulman personally but he was in the audience for many of Schulman’s presentations at ICLE and other professional seminars. “I would attend any speech that I could of Professor Schulman’s,” Ammon said. “He was really one of the preeminent experts on Michigan corporation law.”
Past recipients of the Schulman Award include Cy Moscow, Martin Oetting, Hugh Makens and James Bruno in 2006; Charlie McCallum and Verne Hampton in 2007; G. Ann Baker in 2008 and Justin Klimko in 2009; Alex DeYonker in 2010 and James Cambridge in 2011. ?
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