Legal People

Detroit-based land use, religious land use and zoning, business, and denominational trust law firm Dalton & Tomich is pleased to welcome Zoe Grenfell to the firm as an associate attorney. Daniel Dalton, co-founder of Dalton & Tomich, announced Grenfell’s arrival.

At Dalton & Tomich, Grenfell will focus her practice on religious land use and the denominational trust law practice groups. Immediately prior to joining the firm, she was an associate attorney at a Detroit-area insurance defense and commercial litigation firm, serving clients in a broad range of litigation disputes.

Grenfell earned a law degree from Wayne State University Law School and a bachelor of arts in sociology from the University of Michigan – Dearborn.

•            •            •

Covering intellectual property law and practice since 1990, Managing IP named four attorneys from intellectual property law firm Fishman Stewart PLLC to its 2022 edition of IP Stars.

Recognized on the annual list are: co-founding member and managing partner Michael Fishman – Trademark Star; co-founding member and managing partner Michael B. Stewart – Patent Star; partner John Guenther – Patent Star and Trademark Star; and partner Michelle Visser – Copyright Star and Trademark Star.

•            •            •

For the 20th consecutive year, Warner Norcross + Judd LLP has been recognized as one of the leading law firms in Michigan by Chambers USA 2022.

Warner has been ranked as one of Michigan’s leading law firms in the areas of corporate, general commercial litigation, employee benefits and executive compensation, and real estate.

Several attorneys have been recognized for their work in the areas above. The local Warner attorneys are:

Mary Jo Larson, employee benefits and executive compensation

Lisa B. Zimmer, employee benefits and executive compensation

•            •            •

Frank Aiello, a legal educator and attorney, has joined Michigan State University College of Law as chief of staff to Dean Linda Sheryl Greene, effective July 25.

In this position, Aiello will be responsible for supporting implementation of Phase One of MSU Law’s Strategic Plan for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. He will lead the development of Phase Two of the Strategic Plan and provide leadership and support to staff and administration to optimize its operations.  

Aiello completed his undergraduate studies at MSU’s James Madison College, where he earned a  B.A. in Political Economy. He went on to receive a law degree from Wayne State University Law School. Early in his legal career, he represented major financial institutions at Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer, & Weiss PC and Bodman PLC.

“I am honored to join the extraordinary leadership at MSU Law,” said Aiello. “Working with Dean Greene and her team is an exciting opportunity to blend two fundamental American rights: education and equity.”

With nearly 17 years of experience in legal higher education, Aiello brings organizational expertise to his position. Since 2005, he has been affiliated with WMU-Cooley Law School where he served in a leadership role for more than eight years. More recently he has served as chief of staff to WMU-Cooley President and Dean James McGrath.

Among his accomplishments at WMU-Cooley was supporting rehabilitation of the fractured relationship with the ABA Council on Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. He helped lead the school’s COVID-19 response, identifying new technologies to support quality remote learning.

Aiello brings a commitment to intersectional diversity, equity, and inclusion, shaped by his many years of service to LGBTQ+ causes. He is a current member of the board of directors of Stand with Trans, a national organization that supports Trans youth and their loved ones. He is a past member of the board of directors at Affirmations, Michigan’s largest LGBTQ+ community center.

•            •            •

Brooks Kushman is thrilled to announce that Isheeta Patel Laxmanan has been promoted to shareholder through election by her peers.

Laxmanan is a registered patent attorney who has experience working with a range of clients that vary in size, from Fortune 100 companies to small start-ups. She focuses her practice on preparing and prosecuting domestic patent applications in the chemical engineering and materials arts.

Laxmanan also advises her clients on various IP-related strategies, such as whether they have freedom to operate and by assessing the validity of patents. She has experience working in various industries, with an emphasis on technologies related to chemical engineering and advance materials. She provides valuable insight to clients regarding business-critical decisions and has experience supporting IP negotiations, settlements, and litigation.

In addition, Brooks Kushman shareholder Mark Cantor was recently named one of the 500 Most Powerful Business Leaders in Metro Detroit in 2021 by DBusiness.

Cantor is a co-founder of the firm and was essential in building Brooks Kushman into a leading intellectual property firm with over 70 IP professionals practicing nationally and globally.

Cantor is specifically recognized for his litigation practice. Several of the industry’s leading publications have also recognized him for his in-court victories, including obtaining the largest trademark jury verdict in Michigan history.

“I am honored to be recognized as a part of the Detroit 500,” said Cantor. “At Brooks Kushman, we have an exceptional team, and this honor is a direct result of their dedication to not only the firm, but the Metro Detroit community. I am proud to have worked alongside this extraordinary group for almost 40 years.”

•            •            •

Harness IP is pleased to announce that Hamad Mirza has joined the firm as an associate. He will be working in the firm’s metro Detroit office.  

Mirza’s practice will focus on complex patent and trademark matters. He has experience helping clients with patent applications and patent prosecutions. Mirza’s work in trademarks includes competitive research, as well as trademark prosecution and protection. He also regularly assists with patent litigation preparation, including conducting legal research and drafting memos.

Mirza is an experienced biomedical engineer. He previously worked as an ergonomics designer at Fiat Chrysler, developing driver environments and defining user requirements for many of Chrysler’s top-selling vehicles. He is an advocate for his clients during all phases of the design process, taking particular interest in protecting their concepts and creations as they develop into viable products.  

A graduate of Wayne State University, where he earned both his undergraduate and law degrees, Mirza has been working as a law clerk at Harness IP since 2021, assisting clients with complex patent and trademark matters in industries including automotive, pharmaceutical, biomedicine, and consumer products.