LEGAL PEOPLE

Office of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer

Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced the following appointments of Loren Khogali and Michael E. Carter to the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission.

Khogali is the executive director of ACLU Michigan. She began her legal career at Detroit’s the Federal Public Defender Office (now the Federal Community Defender Office), advocating on behalf of people charged with federal crimes and unable to afford an attorney at the trial, appellate and post-conviction stages. She received her Bachelor of Science in psychology and Bachelor of Arts in French from Western Michigan University and her law degree from Northeastern University School of Law.

Khogali is appointed to represent individuals submitted by the Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan for a term commencing June 6, 2024, and expiring April 1, 2028. She succeeds William Swor whose term has expired.

Carter is the chief defender and executive director of the Federal Community Defender Office of the Eastern District of Michigan (FCDO). He has practiced indigent criminal defense for more than 15 years. He serves on several boards including the ACLU of Michigan, CDAM, and serves on the faculty of the National Criminal Defense College. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Michigan and his law degree from Wayne State University Law School.

Carter is appointed to represent those nominated by the Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan for a term commencing June 6, 2024, and expiring April 1, 2028. He succeeds John Shea whose term has expired.  

The Michigan Indigent Defense Commission was created as a result of efforts to improve legal representation for indigent criminal defendants. The Commission develops and oversees the implementation, enforcement, and modification of minimum standards, rules, and procedures to ensure that indigent criminal defense services providing effective assistance of counsel are delivered to all indigent adults in this state consistent with the safeguards of the United States Constitution, the State Constitution of 1963, and with the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission Act.  

These appointments are not subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.

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Varnum LLP


Deion A. Kathawa has joined Varnum’s Litigation and Trial Team. He is based in the firm’s Birmingham office.

Kathawa focuses his practice on commercial litigation, alternative dispute resolution, white collar defense and government investigations, and appeals. Before joining Varnum, he served as a judicial law clerk for U.S. District Court Judge William C. Griesback, Eastern District of Wisconsin, where he researched and drafted decisions and orders on complex constitutional, commercial, and employment matters. Before that, he clerked for two years for Michigan Supreme Court Justice Brian K. Zahra.

Active in numerous professional organizations, Kathawa currently serves as secretary for the Chaldean American Bar Association.

Kathawa earned his law degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School and his undergraduate degree in philosophy and political science from the University of Michigan.

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Miller Johnson


Eric J. Feldman has joined Miller Johnson’s Education Practice and is based in the firm’s Detroit office. Feldman is a longtime school district administrator and administrative law judge with years of special education experience throughout the state, as well as employment and labor law issues school districts face on a regular basis.

“I am motivated by making a difference in the local community, wherever that ‘local’ may be, and Miller Johnson opens up the entire state for me to serve schools and their needs,” said Feldman. “I’ve worked in education law for many years and the positive impact made through board, administrator, staff, parent, and student partnerships are the driving force of many communities. To get to work with district leaders in solving their most pressing issues is what I love to do.”

Feldman’s special education law experience includes due process complaints and hearings, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), IEP Team Meetings, Section 504, Child Find, evaluations, eligibility, and the Family Educational Records and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Before joining Miller Johnson, Feldman served as the assistant superintendent for Human Resources & Legal Counsel for Monroe County Intermediate School District (MCISD). He was responsible for the organization and administration of all human resources, labor relations, and legal activities for approximately 600 staff within the district and assisting the 9 local school districts within the county.

Before MCISD, Feldman was an administrative law judge for the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs serving as a senior level adjudicator involving special education and education services, and state benefits or licenses, which required interpretation and application of several areas of law to complex sets of facts.

He also has legal experience in the United States government having worked in Homeland Security for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and with the Social Security Administration.

Feldman is a member of the Michigan Association of School Personnel Administrators and of the Michigan Council of School Attorneys. He is former chair of the Administrative & Regulatory Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan.

Feldman earned his law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts from Arizona State University.

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BSP?Law


BSP Law is honored to announce that it has been ranked in the Chambers USA Guide 2024. This year, BSP Law maintained its Band 1 ranking for Product Liability: Automobile (USA – Nationwide) and Band 3 ranking for Litigation: General Commercial (Michigan).

BSP Founding Member Patrick Seyferth also received a Band 1 ranking for his work in the practice area of Product Liability: Automobile (USA – Nationwide) and a Band 2 ranking for his work in the practice area of Litigation: General Commercial (Michigan).

BSP Law Member Roger Meyers received a Band 3 ranking in the practice area of Litigation: General Commercial (Michigan). BSP Law Member Moheeb Murray received a Band 1 ranking in the practice are of Insurance (Michigan).

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Cummings, McClorey, Davis & Acho PLC


Cummings, McClorey, Davis, & Acho PLC is pleased to announce that Carol A. Smith has been elected a partner.

Smith focuses her practice on insurance defense matters. She has litigation and trial experience representing clients in third-party auto claims, as well as first-party no-fault and uninsured motorist claims. Additionally, she advises clients on numerous areas of law, including insurance coverage, general liability, personal injury protection (PIP), and bodily injury claims.

Smith is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, Oakland County Bar Association, Defense Research Institute, and Michigan Defense Trial Counsel. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oakland University and a law degree from Cooley Law School.

Smith has been named a Rising Star—Top Rated PI General Defense Attorney by Michigan Super Lawyers since 2022. In February 2024 she was selected to Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s Class of 2024 Up & Coming Lawyers.

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Dickinson Wright PLLC


Dickinson Wright is pleased to announce that the firm has received 10 practice rankings and 36 attorneys have been listed in this year’s The Legal 500 United States 2024.

The Legal 500 United States 2024 ranked Dickinson Wright in the following practice areas:

• Dispute Resolution – General Commercial Disputes

• Industry Focus – Cannabis

• Intellectual Property – Patents: Litigation (Full Coverage)

• Intellectual Property – Patents: Licensing

• Intellectual Property – Trademarks: Litigation

• Labor and Employment – Labor and Employment Disputes (including Collective Actions): Defense

• M&A/Corporate and Commercial – M&A: Middle-Market (sub-$500m)

• Real Estate – Construction

• Real Estate

• Real Estate Finance

The Legal 500 United States 2024 recognized the following local Dickinson Wright attorney in its editorial as “Leading Lawyers”:

—Intellectual Property – Patents: Licensing

Richard Jones (Troy)

The Legal 500 United States 2024 recognized the following local Dickinson Wright attorneys in its editorial as “Recommended Lawyers”:

—Intellectual Property – Patents: Litigation (Full Coverage)

William Honaker (Troy)

—Labor and Employment – Labor and Employment Disputes (including Collective Actions): Defense

Timothy Howlett (Detroit)
Kathryn Wood (Troy)

—M&A/Corporate and Commercial – M&A: Middle-Market (sub-$500m)

Richard Bolton (Detroit)
Amy Kwiatkowski (Detroit)

—Real Estate

Monica Labe (Troy)
Michael Lusardi (Troy)
Katheryne Zelenock (Troy)

—Real Estate Finance

Michael Lusardi (Troy)
Katheryne Zelenock (Troy)

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Bodman PLC


Bodman PLC is pleased to announce that the International Trademark Association (INTA) has recognized Bodman’s Jennifer M. Hetu as a 2024 Rising Star.

Hetu is an active member and emerging leader of INTA. She was recently appointed to INTA’s Public Information Committee (PIC) and selected as the chair of the Resources Distribution Subcommittee. She was previously a member of the PIC Social Media Subcommittee, and the co-chair of the Events Subcommittee of the Trademark Administrators Committee.

Hetu’s practice focuses on trademark law and brand protection. She advises businesses of all sizes on a wide range of trademark matters in the U.S. and international markets, collaborates with foreign law firms on worldwide trademark protection, and provides counseling regarding U.S. use and registration. She has received several recognitions for her work including being selected as a Michigan Lawyers Weekly 2023 Influential Woman in Law.

Hetu is listed in Best Lawyers in America, since 2018, under Trademark Law and is recognized as a DBusiness Magazine “Top Lawyer” under Copyright Law and Intellectual Property and Patent Law.

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Miller Canfield


Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that Wendy Richards will be awarded the 2024 John W. Cummiskey Pro Bono Award, which is given annually by the State Bar of Michigan to recognize outstanding pro bono service.  Richards has served as Miller Canfield’s pro bono counsel since 2016. She leads the firm’s pro bono efforts.

Richards is active in professional and civic groups such as the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Executive Committee, the Michigan State Bar Foundation’s Access to Justice Statewide Steering Committee, Goodwill Detroit, Tau Beta Association, and the Association of Pro Bono Counsel. She

 also is the co-chair of Miller Canfield’s Election Law group and is the resident director of the firm’s Detroit office.

Richards has earned numerous honors and recognitions for her work, including the Fellows of the Michigan State Bar Foundation; 2021 Crain’s Detroit Business Notable Women in Law;     Detroit Bar Association Pro Bono Award; DBusiness Magazine, Top Lawyers, Commercial Litigation, 2021-present; Nonprofit/Charities Law, 2022; State Bar of Michigan Pro Bono Honor Roll, 2020-present; Michigan Lawyers Weekly, Women in the Law, Class of 2018; and Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan, Exceptional Achievement honorarium, 2018.

Richards will be recognized at the State Bar of Michigan awards luncheon in September.

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Harness IP


Harness IP is pleased to announce that World Trademark Review (WTR) has named Senior Counsel Lisabeth “Beth” Coakley to its 2024 list of “Global Leaders.”

Coakley has more than 40 years of combined experience as in-house and outside counsel to her legal work, which includes litigating, licensing, and maintaining some of the world’s most famous trademarks. She defends and enforces trademark rights globally.

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Maddin, Hauser, Roth, & Heller PC


Maddin Hauser is pleased to announce that Chambers USA has recognized two of its practice groups and three attorneys in its 2024 guide.

Charles M. Lax continues to be identified as a senior statesperson in Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation alongside the practice group in Band 3. Lax is a shareholder and chairman of the firm’s tax practice group.

Newly ranked for 2024, Harvey R. Heller and Julie C. Mayer earned Band 1 status for their expertise in handling complex defense and insurance coverage matters, while the Defense and Insurance Coverage group is named in Band 2. Heller serves as chairman of that practice group, is a managing director of the firm, sits on its Executive Committee, and is creator of our Result Focused Case Management System®. Mayer, a shareholder, concentrates her practice on insurance coverage and professional liability defense.

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Reising Ethington PC


The Intellectual Property law firm Reising Ethington PC announces the addition of patent attorney John W. Rees as a senior attorney.

Rees is AV-Preeminent® rated and brings more than 30 years of experience to the firm. His practice specializes in a broad range of technologies, including medical devices, machine-based inspection systems, and automotive-related products, including control algorithms. His experience includes the representation of global clients in a wide variety of intellectual property matters, including U.S. and foreign patent preparation and prosecution, trade secret protection, product and trademark clearances, and IP due diligence.

Rees received a B.S.E. from Oakland University and a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School. Rees is registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

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Brooks Kushman P.C.


Brooks Kushman is proud to announce that it has been recognized as a gold-standard firm again in Intellectual Asset Management’s (IAM) annual IAM Patent 1000. Eight Brooks Kushman attorneys were also recognized as recommended IP practitioners.

In addition to the firm’s recognition, Frank Angileri, Sangeeta Shah, Michael Brodbine, Matthew Jakubowski, Tiffany Fidler, John LeRoy, Marc Lorelli, Rachel Smith, Benjamin Stasa, and Martin Sultana were honored as patent leaders in Michigan. Angileri, Shah, LeRoy, and Lorelli were honored for their work this year with IP Litigation, while Brodbine, Jakubowski, Fidler, Smith, Stasa, and Sultana were recognized for their excellence in patent prosecution. This group of attorneys have all been recognized in the guide for the past several years.

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Mike Morse Law Firm


Mike Morse Law Firm is pleased to announce firm founder Mike Morse has been named to the 2024 edition of America’s Most Influential Trial Lawyers, as chosen by The Trial Lawyer Magazine and The National Law Journal. He is the only lawyer in Michigan to receive this honor.

“This list is comprised of the best in the nation, so this distinction is one I accept with great honor,” said Morse.  “I work tirelessly to get results for Metro Detroiters who have experienced some level of physical injury and not for the accolades, but it is nice to be recognized for the work I do.”

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Dawda, Mann, Mulcahy, & Sadler PLC


Dawda Mann announces its continued recognition among the nation’s law firms in the real estate sector, as highlighted in the 2024 Chambers USA rankings.

Ed Dawda, co-founder of Dawda Mann, has again been awarded a Band 1 Ranking in Real Estate. With more than three decades of experience in real estate law, Dawda is an advisor and advocate, known for his understanding of real estate transactions, development, and land use matters.