The 2026 Class of Fellows for the Oakland County Bar Foundation was welcomed on January 26 at the Iroquois Club.
New members join ranks of OCBF in 2026
By Tom Kirvan
Legal News
Thirty-two new Fellows were welcomed into the fold at the Annual Fellows Reception for the Oakland County Bar Foundation on January 26.
The event took place at the Iroquois Club in Bloomfield Hills and served as the mid-winter gathering of those who support the charitable mission of the OCBF.
Fellows each pledge $1,000 to support the OCBF, funds that will be used for legal aid and legal education programs in the community, according to Andrew Harris, president of the Foundation and an attorney with Maddin Hauser.
The new Fellows for 2026: Lisa Baker, Aldrich Legal Services; Sara Bowman, Oakland Community College; Casey Callahan, Kemp Klein; Kaitlyn Cramer, McDonald Bass and Livingston; David DeVine, Butzel Long; George Donnini, Butzel Long; Ahmad El-Bkaily, Cambridge and Co.; Emily Elmer, Taft; Eric Gould, Cohen Lerner & Rabinovitz; Rebecca Haines, Head Murphy Law; Jessica Hallmark, Adkison Need Allen & Rentrop; Lisa Harris, Oakland County Circuit Court; Lindsay Hazen, Giarmarco Mullins & Horton; Jamie Horowitz, 45th District Court; Ardijana Ivezaj, McDonald Baas and Livingston; and Taylor Leonard.
Also among the new Fellows: Nicole MacMillan, Troy City Attorney’s Office; Steven Maisel, Hauer & Snover; Aaron Martinez, Law Offices of Jason A. Waechter; Edward Nahhat, Kemp Klein; Savanna Polimeni, State Bar of Michigan; Reed Powers, Kemp Klein; Ryanne Rizzo, Michigan Department of Attorney General; Elizabeth Rogers, Taft; Katherine Ross, Giarmarco Mullins & Horton; Michael Sawicky, Michael E. Sawicky PLLC; Alexander Sheldon-Smith, Wayne County Friend of the Court; Lauren Smith, Hauer & Snover; Paul Stablein, Paul Stablein PLLC; Michael Vomastek, Head Murphy Law; Victor Wandzel, Wandzel Law; and Mina Zaky, Kaufman Dolowich.
The Foundation’s 27th annual Signature Event is scheduled for Wednesday, May 6, at Orchard Lake Country Club, according to OCBF President Harris, who noted that last year’s event generated nearly $200,000 in contributions. The donations, said Harris in the February edition of Laches magazine, “allowed us to fulfill the Foundation’s mission of providing access to justice and furthering an understanding of the law to all corners of our county.”
Added Harris: “So please, this year, if your firm or employer is not already an esteemed sponsor of the Signature Event, please encourage the leaders within your organization to donate before it’s too late. Such an effort will help answer that tug we all feel from time to time to do more and help those in need, whom the Foundation is so proud to support.”
Among the programs given a boost by the OCBF include:
• Legal assistance that prevents unlawful residential evictions;
• Protection and services for vulnerable children and families (handled through CARE House and other organizations);
• Legal education and guidance for seniors;
• Youth law (including the Youth Law Conference), mock trial, and career exploration programs; and
• Immigration and refugee legal support.
Legal News
Thirty-two new Fellows were welcomed into the fold at the Annual Fellows Reception for the Oakland County Bar Foundation on January 26.
The event took place at the Iroquois Club in Bloomfield Hills and served as the mid-winter gathering of those who support the charitable mission of the OCBF.
Fellows each pledge $1,000 to support the OCBF, funds that will be used for legal aid and legal education programs in the community, according to Andrew Harris, president of the Foundation and an attorney with Maddin Hauser.
The new Fellows for 2026: Lisa Baker, Aldrich Legal Services; Sara Bowman, Oakland Community College; Casey Callahan, Kemp Klein; Kaitlyn Cramer, McDonald Bass and Livingston; David DeVine, Butzel Long; George Donnini, Butzel Long; Ahmad El-Bkaily, Cambridge and Co.; Emily Elmer, Taft; Eric Gould, Cohen Lerner & Rabinovitz; Rebecca Haines, Head Murphy Law; Jessica Hallmark, Adkison Need Allen & Rentrop; Lisa Harris, Oakland County Circuit Court; Lindsay Hazen, Giarmarco Mullins & Horton; Jamie Horowitz, 45th District Court; Ardijana Ivezaj, McDonald Baas and Livingston; and Taylor Leonard.
Also among the new Fellows: Nicole MacMillan, Troy City Attorney’s Office; Steven Maisel, Hauer & Snover; Aaron Martinez, Law Offices of Jason A. Waechter; Edward Nahhat, Kemp Klein; Savanna Polimeni, State Bar of Michigan; Reed Powers, Kemp Klein; Ryanne Rizzo, Michigan Department of Attorney General; Elizabeth Rogers, Taft; Katherine Ross, Giarmarco Mullins & Horton; Michael Sawicky, Michael E. Sawicky PLLC; Alexander Sheldon-Smith, Wayne County Friend of the Court; Lauren Smith, Hauer & Snover; Paul Stablein, Paul Stablein PLLC; Michael Vomastek, Head Murphy Law; Victor Wandzel, Wandzel Law; and Mina Zaky, Kaufman Dolowich.
The Foundation’s 27th annual Signature Event is scheduled for Wednesday, May 6, at Orchard Lake Country Club, according to OCBF President Harris, who noted that last year’s event generated nearly $200,000 in contributions. The donations, said Harris in the February edition of Laches magazine, “allowed us to fulfill the Foundation’s mission of providing access to justice and furthering an understanding of the law to all corners of our county.”
Added Harris: “So please, this year, if your firm or employer is not already an esteemed sponsor of the Signature Event, please encourage the leaders within your organization to donate before it’s too late. Such an effort will help answer that tug we all feel from time to time to do more and help those in need, whom the Foundation is so proud to support.”
Among the programs given a boost by the OCBF include:
• Legal assistance that prevents unlawful residential evictions;
• Protection and services for vulnerable children and families (handled through CARE House and other organizations);
• Legal education and guidance for seniors;
• Youth law (including the Youth Law Conference), mock trial, and career exploration programs; and
• Immigration and refugee legal support.
OCBF President Andrew Harris (left) shares a smile with James Martone and Brandon Debus at the Fellows Reception.
(Photo courtesy of OCBF)
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