Butzel attorney Shanika A. Owens was recently named
to Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s 2024 “Influential Women of Law” list. Owens
is one of 35 women attorneys who will be honored during a luncheon on
September 27 and profiled in an upcoming edition of Michigan Lawyers
Weekly.
Owens focuses her practice on helping clients navigate mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and real estate law. Her experience includes a range of transactions in a variety of industries.
In 2022, Owens, along with her colleagues, represented the seller in an acquisition worth over $400 million. She and the team received the 2023 Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Detroit Chapter’s M&A Deal of the Year award in recognition of their legal expertise in navigating the transaction.
Before joining the firm, Owens served as a legislative assistant to the Detroit City Council where she advised policymakers on issues including economic development, budgeting, and matters leading up to the Detroit bankruptcy. She interned with U.S. District Court Judge Avern Cohn, Eastern District of Michigan.
Recently, Owens was named to the 2024 Michigan Super Lawyers list for the first time. Earlier this year, she received the Detroit Bar Association’s Pro Bono Service Award.
Owens has been named to The Best Lawyers in America, Ones to Watch, Corporate Law and Real Estate Law, 2023 and 2024. She was named to the list of Michigan Lawyers Weekly Up & Coming Lawyers in 2021. She also has been named a Michigan Chronicle 40 under 40 Honoree.
She is a member of the State Bar of Michigan (SBM) Business Law and Young Lawyers sections. She is elected to the SBM Representative Assembly and also serves on The Institute of Continuing Legal Education’s (ICLE) Business Law Advisory Board.
Owens serves on the Board of Directors of Avalon Healing Center in Detroit, a non-profit organization that provides compassionate and trauma-informed care to survivors of sexual assault.
In addition, Butzel attorney Jennifer Dukarski will be featured during TEDxDetroit 2024 on Wednesday, September 18, at the Wayne State University Fieldhouse. She will discuss the importance of getting AI right for driverless cars.
Dukarski leads Butzel’s Connected and Autonomous Mobility Team. Her automotive expertise as a former design engineer, Six Sigma master black belt, continuous improvement lead champion, and quality manager gives her a unique perspective on balancing the legal issues and business applications of emerging automotive technology.
Dukarski focuses her legal practice where technology, mobility, and communications meet. A leader in the area of electrified, connected and automated vehicles, she negotiated some of the first robotaxi agreements in the world. A champion of the responsible use of AI, Dukarski regularly advises and teaches on AI risk mitigation. She was named one of the 30 Women Defining the Future of Technology by Warner Communications for her innovative thoughts and contributions to the tech industry.
• • •
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently announced a series of appointments to various state boards and commissions, naming a number of attorneys to the posts.
Russ Kavalhuna was named to the Workforce Development Board. The president at Henry Ford College, Kavalhuna previously served as the executive director of flight operations at the Western Michigan University College of Aviation, was an assistant federal prosecutor for the U.S. Department of Justice, an adjunct professor of law at Cooley Law School, a senior lawyer at the Michigan Supreme Court, and a commercial airline captain at U.S. Airways Express. He earned his law degree at Cooley Law School and a Bachelor of Science in aviation science at Western Michigan University. He is reappointed to represent a president of a community college district for a term expiring May 29, 2028.
Three attorneys – Loren Khogali, Michael Carter, and Glenn Simmington – were appointed to the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission for terms expiring in April 2028.
Khogali is the executive director of ACLU Michigan. She started her legal career as a law clerk to the justices of the Superior Court of Massachusetts. She then joined Detroit’s Federal Public Defender Office, advocating on behalf of people charged with federal crimes and unable to afford an attorney at the trial in the appellate and post-conviction stages. During her 13 years at the Federal Defender Office, she participated in the development and leadership teams for the court’s re-entry and alternative-to-prison programs. 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 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 and Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan, and also serves on the faculty of the National Criminal Defense College. He received his Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Michigan and his law degree from Wayne State University Law School. Carter succeeds John Shea, whose term has expired.
Simmington is the founder of the Law Office of Glenn M. Simmington PLLC. He has previously been an associate attorney with Cline, Cline, & Griffin PC. He has earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School and Bachelor of Arts in political science from University of Michigan-Flint. Simmington succeeds Joshua Blanchard, whose term has expired.
Named to the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force were Danielle Hagaman-Clark and Kym Worthy.
Hagaman-Clark is the criminal bureau chief at the Michigan Department of Attorney General. Previously, Hagaman-Clark served as an assistant attorney general of Michigan and director of the Violence Against Women Program in the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan. Hagaman-Clark earned a law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.
The longtime Wayne County Prosecutor, Worthy earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science and economics from the University of Michigan, and a law degree from the University of Notre Dame School of Law.
David Kramer has been appointed to the Oakland University Board of Trustees. The founding principal of Gemini Risk Partners, Kramer previously served as the senior vice president of Oswald Companies and vice president of Alliant. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Michigan and a law degree from George Washington University. Kramer is the immediate past president of Hebrew Free Loan of Metropolitan Detroit and a board member with the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, the Detroit Jewish News Foundation, and the Zekelman Holocaust Center. Kramer is reappointed for a term commencing expiring August 11, 2032.
• • •
Kitch Principal Mike Watza presented to a national audience on the subject of declining municipal cable/video service revenues due to subscriber cord-cutting
and migration to streaming video services at the Annual National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA) meeting in Charleston, S.C. on August 28. He also provided an update on the current legislative contest and, threatened litigation battle between Michigan Communities and Netflix and Direct TV. At stake is $3 billion in annual franchise fees nationally and $150 million in Michigan alone.
Watza leads the firm’s Government practice which focuses on telecommunications, electric service, and pipelines.
• • •
Birmingham-based Varnum partner Kathleen Cieslik has recently been appointed to the Board of Directors for the Planned Giving Roundtable of Southeast Michigan which works to enhance the use of planned gifts as essential tools for supporting charitable organizations.
“I am honored to join the Board of Directors for the Planned Giving Roundtable of Southeast Michigan,” said Cieslik. “I am excited to contribute my expertise in trusts and estates to furthering the mission of enhancing the impact of planned gifts in our community.”
As a board member, Cieslik will leverage her trusts and estates expertise, which includes creating customized planning focused on tax avoidance, business succession and charitable giving. In addition, Cieslik provides counsel to individual and corporate fiduciaries on managing trusts and estates efficiently, including probate administration when necessary.
• • •
Warner Norcross + Judd LLP has welcomed Sarah R. Bileti as senior counsel.
Bileti has immigration law experience assisting domestic and multinational companies with employment-based legal matters. Supporting a range of industries, Bileti handles both immigrant and non-immigrant petitions and applications for those seeking temporary and permanent work in the U.S. She will practice in the firm’s Detroit office.
Bileti comes to Warner from Holland & Hart LLP in Denver, Colorado, where she provided strategic legal counsel to employers navigating a range of complex immigration matters, including H-1B, L, TN, E, J-1 Physician waivers and O non-immigrant petitions. In addition to her immigration work, Bileti has experience in international labor and employment issues managing challenges related to non-U.S. and cross-border workforce management.
She previously worked at Honigman LLP in Detroit as a senior attorney and served as a senior associate with two Michigan-based firms that specialize in family-based immigration matters and removal defense.
Bileti received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and her law degree from Wayne State University Law School. She also received a master’s degree in international art business from Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London.
She is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, State Bar of Colorado, and American Immigration Lawyers Association. She has been named to Best Lawyers®: One to Watch in AmericaTM in both corporate and immigration law for the past three years.
• • •
Super Lawyers has published its annual listing of Michigan attorneys who have distinguished themselves in the practice of law. Fourteen lawyers from Kotz Sangster offices in Detroit and Bloomfield Hills have been honored by their peers as 2024 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.
Of note this year is the recognition of Construction Law and Real Estate Law attorney Timothy P. Dugan who has been listed for ten consecutive years as a Michigan Super Lawyer.
Kotz Sangster attorneys honored as Super Lawyers and Rising Stars, along with the areas of practice for which they have been recognized in 2024, are:
—Michigan Super Lawyers
R. Edward Boucher – Construction Litigation
George F. Curran III – Environmental
David R. de Reyna – Estate & Probate
Jovan Dragovic – Health Care
Timothy P. Dugan – Construction Litigation
Dennis K. Egan – Business Litigation
Walter B. Fisher Jr. – Employee Benefits
Robert B. Goldi – Banking
Jeffrey M. Sangster – Construction Litigation
Keith J. Soltis – Health Care
Jeffrey S. Sternberg – Estate & Probate
Gregory L. Wysocki – Mergers & Acquisitions
—Michigan Rising Stars
Bruce A. Margulis – Mergers & Acquisitions
Tyler P. Phillips – Construction Litigation
• • •
Detroit-based management-side labor and employment law firm Nemeth Bonnette Brouwer PC is pleased to announce that Leading Lawyers has recognized three firm attorneys in 2024.
The following have been named Leading Lawyers followed by their legal categories of recognition:
Deborah L. Brouwer, managing partner, in Employment Law: Management
Terry W. Bonnette, partner, in Employment Law: Management and Labor Law: Management
Patricia M. Nemeth, Of Counsel and firm founder, in Employment Law: Management; ADR Employment; and Labor Law: Management. She is also a member of
the Leading Lawyers Advisory Board.
• • •
Bodman PLC is pleased to announce that Conor M. Bowers has joined the firm as an associate in the High Net Worth Practice Group, based in the firm’s Detroit office.
Bowers advises corporate and individual clients on income and estate taxation matters. He has experience representing clients in connection with general business and personal tax planning, achieving and maintaining tax-exempt status, tax controversies, and the tax aspects of complex business transactions. He is admitted to practice before the U.S. Tax Court.
Before joining Bodman, Bowers was a tax and business associate at a large Michigan-based business law firm where he focused his practice on supporting clients with their taxation, corporate, and estate planning and trust matters. He also was a tax consultant with an international Big Four accounting firm, advising clients on federal taxation and credit and incentive programs.
Upon graduating from Syracuse University College of Law, Bowers served as a law clerk for Judge Mark Cimino of The Tax Court of New Jersey where he handled state and local tax cases.
In addition, Bodman is pleased to announce that Michelle Thurber Czapski, chair of the firm’s Insurance Practice Group and co-chair of the Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Practice Group, has received the Davis Carr Outstanding Committee Chair Award from the Defense Research Institute (DRI).
Czapski, who is based in Bodman’s Troy office, has more than three decades of experience representing major corporate clients in litigation and alternative dispute resolution proceedings and counseling clients on business disputes, claims, decisions, and risk management issues. She is an active member of DRI, currently serving as chair of the Life, Health, Disability and ERISA Committee. She has previously served as vice chair and seminar chair of the Life, Health, Disability and ERISA Committee and as chair and vice chair of the Commercial Litigation Committee.
• • •
Miller Canfield is pleased to announce the appointment of Lindsey Stetson as its new director of Attorney Recruiting. With more than 15 years of experience in the legal industry, Stetson brings a blend of legal, academic, and recruitment expertise to this role.
Stetson began her professional career at Miller Canfield, where she was an associate in the firm’s Corporate and Transactions Group. Since then, she has had roles as assistant dean for Student Life at the University of Michigan Law School and as a corporate law associate at Skadden in Chicago. Most recently, Stetson served as a director at eXacta Global, an international legal recruiting firm, where she successfully placed top legal talent with prominent law firms.
In her new role, Stetson will be responsible for leading all aspects of on-campus recruiting, managing the firm’s summer associate program, and overseeing lateral attorney recruitment. She will work closely with the firm’s practice group leaders, diversity director, and hiring committees to ensure that Miller Canfield continues to attract and retain top legal talent that aligns with the firm’s strategic goals and commitment to diversity.
Stetson earned a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School and a B.A. from the University of Michigan.
• • •
Giarmarco, Mullins, & Horton PC is pleased to announce that 23 lawyers have been included in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® and three lawyers have been included in the 2025 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America.
The firm would like to congratulate the following lawyers named to 2025 The Best Lawyers in America list:
John A. Anderson – Corporate Law and Health Care Law
Thomas P. Cavanaugh – Litigation – Trusts and Estates
Kenneth B. Chapie – Litigation – Labor and Employment
Anthony K. Chubb – Litigation – Municipal and Municipal Law
George A. Contis – Real Estate Law
Elizabeth Favaro – Commercial Litigation
Kara Ferrara – Trusts and Estates
Julius H. Giarmarco – Tax Law and Trusts and Estates
Bruce W. Haffey – Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Corporate Law, and Mergers and Acquisitions Law
William H. Heritage III – Corporate Law, Health Care Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, and Real Estate Law
William H. Horton – Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Labor and Employment, Litigation – Mergers and Acquisitions, and
Litigation – Real Estate
Keela Johnson – Family Law and Family Law Mediation
Victoria S. Lehman – Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
Adam Levitsky – Litigation – Insurance and Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers
Timothy J. Mullins – Education Law
Ryan L. Perry – Commercial Litigation
Dennis M. Rauss – Commercial Litigation and Real Estate Law
Paul Thursam – Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law
Jared Trust – Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
Geoffrey S. Wagner – Commercial Litigation
Donald K. Warwick – Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
Matthew S. Weaver – Family Law and Family Law Mediation
LeRoy H. Wulfmeier III – Family Law, Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants, and Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants
—Ones To Watch:
John R. Fleming – Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law
Katherine E. Ross – Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation, and Insurance Law
Lauren M. Studley – Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
In addition, Julius H. Giarmarco was recently recognized by Best Lawyers as the 2025 “Lawyer of the Year” for Tax Law in Troy and Victoria S. Lehman was
recently recognized by Best Lawyers as the 2025 “Lawyer of the Year” for Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants in Troy.
• • •
The State Court Administrative Office (SCAO) has named Kristina M. Morgan as its new behavioral health administrator effective September 30. The newly-created position resulted from a suggestion by the Michigan Judicial Council Behavioral Health Workgroup with support from the executive and legislative branches for its funding. In this role, Morgan will serve as the Michigan Supreme Court’s (MSC) representative on improving justice system responses to the
behavioral health needs of Michigan children, families, and individuals. She most recently served as liaison manager for the Wayne County Probate Court’s Behavioral Health Unit (BHU) since its founding in 2021.
“I am eager to bring my passion for behavioral health policy and my dedication to improving the administration of justice to this new and exciting role,” Morgan said. “I believe my strong understanding of laws and regulations related to behavioral health services and court systems, in addition to my experience in behavioral health program implementation, will enable me to hit the ground running.”
Morgan’s primary responsibilities as behavioral health administrator include developing and leading implementation of improved court responses for court-involved individuals and families to address behavioral issues, such as mental illness and substance abuse disorders. Among other duties, Morgan will:
• Analyze, develop, lead implementation of evidence-based strategies to improve courts’ responses at the intersection of behavioral health and justice systems.
• Assist courts in developing a continuum of care based upon local community resources to address behavioral health issues in the justice system.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to address systemic issues and ensure policies promote public health, treatment, rehabilitation, individual and public safety using the highest standards of care and ethical conduct.
Morgan began her career in the Michigan Department of Corrections in 2009, and later moved on to manage several different divisions within Wayne County executive and judicial branches: Department of Children and Family Services; Adult Community Corrections in the Third Judicial Circuit Court; and Veterans and Community Wellness in the Department of Health. She returned to the Third Judicial Circuit Court in 2019 to serve as specialty court coordinator for the mental health treatment court until moving to the Wayne County Probate Court BHU in 2021, which involved working with stakeholders such as the Detroit-Wayne Integrated Health Network in response to the mounting mental health crisis in the local criminal justice system.
Morgan earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in marketing and a Master of Business Administration degree in strategic management, both from Davenport University.
Owens focuses her practice on helping clients navigate mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and real estate law. Her experience includes a range of transactions in a variety of industries.
In 2022, Owens, along with her colleagues, represented the seller in an acquisition worth over $400 million. She and the team received the 2023 Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Detroit Chapter’s M&A Deal of the Year award in recognition of their legal expertise in navigating the transaction.
Before joining the firm, Owens served as a legislative assistant to the Detroit City Council where she advised policymakers on issues including economic development, budgeting, and matters leading up to the Detroit bankruptcy. She interned with U.S. District Court Judge Avern Cohn, Eastern District of Michigan.
Recently, Owens was named to the 2024 Michigan Super Lawyers list for the first time. Earlier this year, she received the Detroit Bar Association’s Pro Bono Service Award.
Owens has been named to The Best Lawyers in America, Ones to Watch, Corporate Law and Real Estate Law, 2023 and 2024. She was named to the list of Michigan Lawyers Weekly Up & Coming Lawyers in 2021. She also has been named a Michigan Chronicle 40 under 40 Honoree.
She is a member of the State Bar of Michigan (SBM) Business Law and Young Lawyers sections. She is elected to the SBM Representative Assembly and also serves on The Institute of Continuing Legal Education’s (ICLE) Business Law Advisory Board.
Owens serves on the Board of Directors of Avalon Healing Center in Detroit, a non-profit organization that provides compassionate and trauma-informed care to survivors of sexual assault.
In addition, Butzel attorney Jennifer Dukarski will be featured during TEDxDetroit 2024 on Wednesday, September 18, at the Wayne State University Fieldhouse. She will discuss the importance of getting AI right for driverless cars.
Dukarski leads Butzel’s Connected and Autonomous Mobility Team. Her automotive expertise as a former design engineer, Six Sigma master black belt, continuous improvement lead champion, and quality manager gives her a unique perspective on balancing the legal issues and business applications of emerging automotive technology.
Dukarski focuses her legal practice where technology, mobility, and communications meet. A leader in the area of electrified, connected and automated vehicles, she negotiated some of the first robotaxi agreements in the world. A champion of the responsible use of AI, Dukarski regularly advises and teaches on AI risk mitigation. She was named one of the 30 Women Defining the Future of Technology by Warner Communications for her innovative thoughts and contributions to the tech industry.
• • •
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently announced a series of appointments to various state boards and commissions, naming a number of attorneys to the posts.
Russ Kavalhuna was named to the Workforce Development Board. The president at Henry Ford College, Kavalhuna previously served as the executive director of flight operations at the Western Michigan University College of Aviation, was an assistant federal prosecutor for the U.S. Department of Justice, an adjunct professor of law at Cooley Law School, a senior lawyer at the Michigan Supreme Court, and a commercial airline captain at U.S. Airways Express. He earned his law degree at Cooley Law School and a Bachelor of Science in aviation science at Western Michigan University. He is reappointed to represent a president of a community college district for a term expiring May 29, 2028.
Three attorneys – Loren Khogali, Michael Carter, and Glenn Simmington – were appointed to the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission for terms expiring in April 2028.
Khogali is the executive director of ACLU Michigan. She started her legal career as a law clerk to the justices of the Superior Court of Massachusetts. She then joined Detroit’s Federal Public Defender Office, advocating on behalf of people charged with federal crimes and unable to afford an attorney at the trial in the appellate and post-conviction stages. During her 13 years at the Federal Defender Office, she participated in the development and leadership teams for the court’s re-entry and alternative-to-prison programs. 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 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 and Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan, and also serves on the faculty of the National Criminal Defense College. He received his Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Michigan and his law degree from Wayne State University Law School. Carter succeeds John Shea, whose term has expired.
Simmington is the founder of the Law Office of Glenn M. Simmington PLLC. He has previously been an associate attorney with Cline, Cline, & Griffin PC. He has earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School and Bachelor of Arts in political science from University of Michigan-Flint. Simmington succeeds Joshua Blanchard, whose term has expired.
Named to the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force were Danielle Hagaman-Clark and Kym Worthy.
Hagaman-Clark is the criminal bureau chief at the Michigan Department of Attorney General. Previously, Hagaman-Clark served as an assistant attorney general of Michigan and director of the Violence Against Women Program in the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan. Hagaman-Clark earned a law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.
The longtime Wayne County Prosecutor, Worthy earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science and economics from the University of Michigan, and a law degree from the University of Notre Dame School of Law.
David Kramer has been appointed to the Oakland University Board of Trustees. The founding principal of Gemini Risk Partners, Kramer previously served as the senior vice president of Oswald Companies and vice president of Alliant. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Michigan and a law degree from George Washington University. Kramer is the immediate past president of Hebrew Free Loan of Metropolitan Detroit and a board member with the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, the Detroit Jewish News Foundation, and the Zekelman Holocaust Center. Kramer is reappointed for a term commencing expiring August 11, 2032.
• • •
Kitch Principal Mike Watza presented to a national audience on the subject of declining municipal cable/video service revenues due to subscriber cord-cutting
and migration to streaming video services at the Annual National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA) meeting in Charleston, S.C. on August 28. He also provided an update on the current legislative contest and, threatened litigation battle between Michigan Communities and Netflix and Direct TV. At stake is $3 billion in annual franchise fees nationally and $150 million in Michigan alone.
Watza leads the firm’s Government practice which focuses on telecommunications, electric service, and pipelines.
• • •
Birmingham-based Varnum partner Kathleen Cieslik has recently been appointed to the Board of Directors for the Planned Giving Roundtable of Southeast Michigan which works to enhance the use of planned gifts as essential tools for supporting charitable organizations.
“I am honored to join the Board of Directors for the Planned Giving Roundtable of Southeast Michigan,” said Cieslik. “I am excited to contribute my expertise in trusts and estates to furthering the mission of enhancing the impact of planned gifts in our community.”
As a board member, Cieslik will leverage her trusts and estates expertise, which includes creating customized planning focused on tax avoidance, business succession and charitable giving. In addition, Cieslik provides counsel to individual and corporate fiduciaries on managing trusts and estates efficiently, including probate administration when necessary.
• • •
Warner Norcross + Judd LLP has welcomed Sarah R. Bileti as senior counsel.
Bileti has immigration law experience assisting domestic and multinational companies with employment-based legal matters. Supporting a range of industries, Bileti handles both immigrant and non-immigrant petitions and applications for those seeking temporary and permanent work in the U.S. She will practice in the firm’s Detroit office.
Bileti comes to Warner from Holland & Hart LLP in Denver, Colorado, where she provided strategic legal counsel to employers navigating a range of complex immigration matters, including H-1B, L, TN, E, J-1 Physician waivers and O non-immigrant petitions. In addition to her immigration work, Bileti has experience in international labor and employment issues managing challenges related to non-U.S. and cross-border workforce management.
She previously worked at Honigman LLP in Detroit as a senior attorney and served as a senior associate with two Michigan-based firms that specialize in family-based immigration matters and removal defense.
Bileti received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and her law degree from Wayne State University Law School. She also received a master’s degree in international art business from Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London.
She is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, State Bar of Colorado, and American Immigration Lawyers Association. She has been named to Best Lawyers®: One to Watch in AmericaTM in both corporate and immigration law for the past three years.
• • •
Super Lawyers has published its annual listing of Michigan attorneys who have distinguished themselves in the practice of law. Fourteen lawyers from Kotz Sangster offices in Detroit and Bloomfield Hills have been honored by their peers as 2024 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.
Of note this year is the recognition of Construction Law and Real Estate Law attorney Timothy P. Dugan who has been listed for ten consecutive years as a Michigan Super Lawyer.
Kotz Sangster attorneys honored as Super Lawyers and Rising Stars, along with the areas of practice for which they have been recognized in 2024, are:
—Michigan Super Lawyers
R. Edward Boucher – Construction Litigation
George F. Curran III – Environmental
David R. de Reyna – Estate & Probate
Jovan Dragovic – Health Care
Timothy P. Dugan – Construction Litigation
Dennis K. Egan – Business Litigation
Walter B. Fisher Jr. – Employee Benefits
Robert B. Goldi – Banking
Jeffrey M. Sangster – Construction Litigation
Keith J. Soltis – Health Care
Jeffrey S. Sternberg – Estate & Probate
Gregory L. Wysocki – Mergers & Acquisitions
—Michigan Rising Stars
Bruce A. Margulis – Mergers & Acquisitions
Tyler P. Phillips – Construction Litigation
• • •
Detroit-based management-side labor and employment law firm Nemeth Bonnette Brouwer PC is pleased to announce that Leading Lawyers has recognized three firm attorneys in 2024.
The following have been named Leading Lawyers followed by their legal categories of recognition:
Deborah L. Brouwer, managing partner, in Employment Law: Management
Terry W. Bonnette, partner, in Employment Law: Management and Labor Law: Management
Patricia M. Nemeth, Of Counsel and firm founder, in Employment Law: Management; ADR Employment; and Labor Law: Management. She is also a member of
the Leading Lawyers Advisory Board.
• • •
Bodman PLC is pleased to announce that Conor M. Bowers has joined the firm as an associate in the High Net Worth Practice Group, based in the firm’s Detroit office.
Bowers advises corporate and individual clients on income and estate taxation matters. He has experience representing clients in connection with general business and personal tax planning, achieving and maintaining tax-exempt status, tax controversies, and the tax aspects of complex business transactions. He is admitted to practice before the U.S. Tax Court.
Before joining Bodman, Bowers was a tax and business associate at a large Michigan-based business law firm where he focused his practice on supporting clients with their taxation, corporate, and estate planning and trust matters. He also was a tax consultant with an international Big Four accounting firm, advising clients on federal taxation and credit and incentive programs.
Upon graduating from Syracuse University College of Law, Bowers served as a law clerk for Judge Mark Cimino of The Tax Court of New Jersey where he handled state and local tax cases.
In addition, Bodman is pleased to announce that Michelle Thurber Czapski, chair of the firm’s Insurance Practice Group and co-chair of the Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Practice Group, has received the Davis Carr Outstanding Committee Chair Award from the Defense Research Institute (DRI).
Czapski, who is based in Bodman’s Troy office, has more than three decades of experience representing major corporate clients in litigation and alternative dispute resolution proceedings and counseling clients on business disputes, claims, decisions, and risk management issues. She is an active member of DRI, currently serving as chair of the Life, Health, Disability and ERISA Committee. She has previously served as vice chair and seminar chair of the Life, Health, Disability and ERISA Committee and as chair and vice chair of the Commercial Litigation Committee.
• • •
Miller Canfield is pleased to announce the appointment of Lindsey Stetson as its new director of Attorney Recruiting. With more than 15 years of experience in the legal industry, Stetson brings a blend of legal, academic, and recruitment expertise to this role.
Stetson began her professional career at Miller Canfield, where she was an associate in the firm’s Corporate and Transactions Group. Since then, she has had roles as assistant dean for Student Life at the University of Michigan Law School and as a corporate law associate at Skadden in Chicago. Most recently, Stetson served as a director at eXacta Global, an international legal recruiting firm, where she successfully placed top legal talent with prominent law firms.
In her new role, Stetson will be responsible for leading all aspects of on-campus recruiting, managing the firm’s summer associate program, and overseeing lateral attorney recruitment. She will work closely with the firm’s practice group leaders, diversity director, and hiring committees to ensure that Miller Canfield continues to attract and retain top legal talent that aligns with the firm’s strategic goals and commitment to diversity.
Stetson earned a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School and a B.A. from the University of Michigan.
• • •
Giarmarco, Mullins, & Horton PC is pleased to announce that 23 lawyers have been included in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® and three lawyers have been included in the 2025 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America.
The firm would like to congratulate the following lawyers named to 2025 The Best Lawyers in America list:
John A. Anderson – Corporate Law and Health Care Law
Thomas P. Cavanaugh – Litigation – Trusts and Estates
Kenneth B. Chapie – Litigation – Labor and Employment
Anthony K. Chubb – Litigation – Municipal and Municipal Law
George A. Contis – Real Estate Law
Elizabeth Favaro – Commercial Litigation
Kara Ferrara – Trusts and Estates
Julius H. Giarmarco – Tax Law and Trusts and Estates
Bruce W. Haffey – Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Corporate Law, and Mergers and Acquisitions Law
William H. Heritage III – Corporate Law, Health Care Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, and Real Estate Law
William H. Horton – Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Labor and Employment, Litigation – Mergers and Acquisitions, and
Litigation – Real Estate
Keela Johnson – Family Law and Family Law Mediation
Victoria S. Lehman – Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
Adam Levitsky – Litigation – Insurance and Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers
Timothy J. Mullins – Education Law
Ryan L. Perry – Commercial Litigation
Dennis M. Rauss – Commercial Litigation and Real Estate Law
Paul Thursam – Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law
Jared Trust – Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
Geoffrey S. Wagner – Commercial Litigation
Donald K. Warwick – Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
Matthew S. Weaver – Family Law and Family Law Mediation
LeRoy H. Wulfmeier III – Family Law, Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants, and Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants
—Ones To Watch:
John R. Fleming – Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law
Katherine E. Ross – Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation, and Insurance Law
Lauren M. Studley – Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
In addition, Julius H. Giarmarco was recently recognized by Best Lawyers as the 2025 “Lawyer of the Year” for Tax Law in Troy and Victoria S. Lehman was
recently recognized by Best Lawyers as the 2025 “Lawyer of the Year” for Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants in Troy.
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The State Court Administrative Office (SCAO) has named Kristina M. Morgan as its new behavioral health administrator effective September 30. The newly-created position resulted from a suggestion by the Michigan Judicial Council Behavioral Health Workgroup with support from the executive and legislative branches for its funding. In this role, Morgan will serve as the Michigan Supreme Court’s (MSC) representative on improving justice system responses to the
behavioral health needs of Michigan children, families, and individuals. She most recently served as liaison manager for the Wayne County Probate Court’s Behavioral Health Unit (BHU) since its founding in 2021.
“I am eager to bring my passion for behavioral health policy and my dedication to improving the administration of justice to this new and exciting role,” Morgan said. “I believe my strong understanding of laws and regulations related to behavioral health services and court systems, in addition to my experience in behavioral health program implementation, will enable me to hit the ground running.”
Morgan’s primary responsibilities as behavioral health administrator include developing and leading implementation of improved court responses for court-involved individuals and families to address behavioral issues, such as mental illness and substance abuse disorders. Among other duties, Morgan will:
• Analyze, develop, lead implementation of evidence-based strategies to improve courts’ responses at the intersection of behavioral health and justice systems.
• Assist courts in developing a continuum of care based upon local community resources to address behavioral health issues in the justice system.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to address systemic issues and ensure policies promote public health, treatment, rehabilitation, individual and public safety using the highest standards of care and ethical conduct.
Morgan began her career in the Michigan Department of Corrections in 2009, and later moved on to manage several different divisions within Wayne County executive and judicial branches: Department of Children and Family Services; Adult Community Corrections in the Third Judicial Circuit Court; and Veterans and Community Wellness in the Department of Health. She returned to the Third Judicial Circuit Court in 2019 to serve as specialty court coordinator for the mental health treatment court until moving to the Wayne County Probate Court BHU in 2021, which involved working with stakeholders such as the Detroit-Wayne Integrated Health Network in response to the mounting mental health crisis in the local criminal justice system.
Morgan earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in marketing and a Master of Business Administration degree in strategic management, both from Davenport University.
