Butzel attorney Jennifer Dukarski was a featured
speaker during the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International’s
Automated and Connected Vehicles Digital Summit on March 24.
Dukarski’s session was titled, “Legal Issues of Connected Vehicles.” She examined legal issues emerging within the field of connected vehicles and will discuss a few current high-profile cases.
Dukarski leads Butzel’s Connected and Autonomous Mobility Team. Her automotive experience 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 artificial intelligence (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.
In addition, Butzel immigration law attorney Reginald A. Pacis participated in an “Immigration Law Panel” discussion on March 25, presented by the Immigration Law (Student) Association at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.
Pacis will also participate in a “Business Immigration Panel” program on March 31, co-presented by the Immigration Law Student Association and the Business Law Society at Wayne State University Law School. The discussion will focus on the fundamentals of business immigration, recent policy and adjudication trends, and career paths in the field.
Pacis focuses his practice in immigration law and has handled a variety of immigration matters including H-1B specialty occupation cases, L-1 Intracompany transfers, Labor Certification matters, Immigrant Visa Petitions/Adjustment of Status applications and interviews, TN Free trade cases, H-1B Department of Labor Investigations, I-9 employer verification compliance, and U.S. Port of Entry airport and land port interviews.
He was named Immigration Lawyer of the Year in 2025, 2023 and 2013, respectively in the field of Immigration Law by The Best Lawyers in America and has been listed in Best Lawyers for several years.
Pacis is a member of the American Bar Association, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), and the Samahang Pilipino Ng Oakland Filipino organization. He served two consecutive one-year terms from 2003 to 2005 as chairperson of the Michigan Chapter of AILA and was a member of the AILA National Board of Governors for those terms.
Butzel is also pleased to announce that Sam S. Yousif has joined as an associate attorney in the firm’s Troy office. He partners with businesses to help them navigate complex corporate structures, mergers and acquisitions, and customary commercial transactions.
A legal advisor for large and small businesses, Yousif provides comprehensive counsel tailored to each client’s unique needs. His practice is centered on helping organizations navigate the intricacies of corporate law, with a focus on contract drafting, negotiation, and the structuring of transactions. Much of Yousif’s work involves guiding clients through asset and entity acquisitions and dispositions.
He partners closely with clients to structure deals that protect their interests and advance their goals.
In addition to transactional matters, Yousif advises on corporate structure and long-term planning. He assists businesses in choosing and maintaining entity forms that support growth and adaptability, from initial formation to complex reorganizations.
Yousif earned a law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, and a Master of Accounting and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Oakland University. Yousif was named to Michigan Super Lawyers – Rising Stars – Business/Corporate, 2024-2025.
• • •
Retired Judge Deborah Thomas will be honored with the Eleanor Roosevelt Award from the Michigan Democratic Women’s Caucus during a luncheon held on April 18.
During her career on the Wayne County Circuit Court bench, Thomas exemplified the highest ideals of the judiciary, ensuring that the courts serve not only as institutions of law, but also as instruments of fairness, dignity, and opportunity.
Through her work establishing and presiding over one of Michigan’s largest Veterans Treatment Courts, she has shown that justice can be both principled and compassionate. Her community forums addressing expungement, human trafficking awareness, and firearm safety reflect her belief that the law must remain accessible and responsive to the people it serves.
• • •
Plunkett Cooney partner Douglas C. Bernstein was recently named by Lawdragon to its 2026 top 500 list of Leading Global Bankruptcy & Restructuring Lawyers.
A member of Plunkett Cooney’s Bloomfield Hills office, Bernstein serves as the firm’s Business Law Department Leader. He concentrates his practice in the areas of commercial litigation, loan restructuring, commercial loan documentation, bankruptcy, banking-related litigation and appeals. His clients include regional and national banks, credit unions and loan servicers as well as automotive suppliers and charitable foundations.
Prior to joining Plunkett Cooney, Bernstein worked as an in-house attorney at Michigan National Corporation for more than 20 years. He subsequently joined the Standard Federal Bank Legal Department when the bank merged with Michigan National Corporation in 2001.
Bernstein earned his undergraduate degree in 1978 from Wayne State University and his law degree in 1982 from the Detroit College of Law. He has received several honors for his legal work, and he is a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy. Bernstein has also been honored by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as a Leader in the Law and Go To Lawyer for Business, and he is a 2023 inductee into the publication’s Hall of Fame.
• • •
Maddin Hauser is pleased to announce that Mitchell D. Myers has joined the firm. Representing businesses across the full spectrum of complex commercial disputes, including real property, construction, mortgages, financial services, and other business and transactional matters, Myers joins the firm’s Complex Litigation and Risk Advisory practice group.
A trial attorney, Myers’ advocacy skills serve him well in the courtroom, both at the trial and appellate levels. His experience also includes matters of general negligence, construction negligence and contract disputes, and business disputes such as defamation, slander/libel, and corporate interference.
Prior to joining Maddin Hauser, Myers was a partner at a civil defense firm handling matters of general negligence, auto negligence, construction negligence and contract disputes, and business disputes including defamation, slander/libel, and corporate interference. He has also served as a managing litigation attorney for a no-fault insurer and defended clients’ interests in cases involving claim and delivery, insurance fraud, real property loss, insurance coverage and indemnity, municipal law, premises liability, and general civil litigation.
Myers also possesses a securities background, with work on commodities, equities, and energy futures trading matters, including FINRA/AML/KYC compliance counseling.
• • •
Miller Johnson is pleased to welcome Robert M. (“Bob”) Birach and Ardiola Sinaj to the firm’s Immigration practice. Joining from Birach Law PC, they bring experience across the full spectrum of immigration law, including employment-based petitions, family-sponsored immigration, and appellate immigration litigation. Birach and Sinaj are based out Miller Johnson’s Detroit office.
Birach is an immigration attorney with nearly five decades of practice in Michigan. He focuses on complex immigration matters before federal agencies and courts, including removal defense, asylum claims, waivers of inadmissibility, and appellate litigation. He is also a recognized expert on H-2A (agricultural) and H-2B (nonagricultural) nonimmigrant temporary worker visas, to provide staffing for farms, wineries, nurseries, greenhouses, seasonal resorts, landscapers and other seasonal businesses.
Birach’s work has earned national recognition, including an AV Preeminent® rating from Martindale-Hubbell for more than 20 years and repeated listings in Super Lawyers, Top Lawyer, and Best Lawyers, along with being named Lawyer of the Year in Immigration Law in 2012. Birach earned a law degree from Cooley Law School and a B.A. from Western Michigan University.
“We are excited to join Miller Johnson’s Immigration team,” said Birach. “We look forward to contributing to a team known for its excellence and deep commitment to the communities we serve.”
Sinaj brings more than a decade of experience representing individuals, families, and employers in a wide range of immigration matters, including employment-based petitions, family-sponsored immigration, waivers, humanitarian relief, and naturalization. Her practice focuses on helping clients navigate complex and rapidly changing immigration processes with clarity and a strong commitment to service. A long-standing member of Birach Law PC, she has played a central role in the firm’s immigration work for many years. Sinaj earned a law degree from Wayne State University Law School and a B.A. from Wayne State University.
Miller Johnson is also pleased to announce that Seth Filthaut has joined the firm’s Detroit office. He joins as part of the firm’s Employment and Labor Practice, where he will work closely with employers on a wide range of workplace issues.
Prior to joining the Miller Johnson, Filthaut was the director of Human Resources at Birmingham Public Schools. In this role, his responsibilities included district-wide HR operations, labor strategy, collective bargaining, investigations, and compliance with federal and state employment laws. His role included negotiations with multiple unionized employee groups, administering discipline, managing grievances, advising on contract interpretation, and supporting district operations through policy development, workforce planning, and cost-saving initiatives.
Before entering public education leadership, Filthaut held HR and labor relations roles at multiple Fortune 500 companies. In these positions, he managed labor relations for large, unionized workforces represented by the UAW and USW, handled complex grievance and arbitration matters, conducted workplace investigations, administered discipline up to and including discharge, and led workforce actions such as large-scale layoffs and recalls.
• • •
Bodman PLC is pleased to announce that Jennifer Miller Oertel, co-chair of Bodman’s Exempt Organizations & Impact Investing Practice Group, has been appointed chair of the National Tax-Exempt Council’s State Regulatory Roundtable.
Miller Oertel is an expert on tax-exempt organizations law and impact investing. She provides business advice and practical legal guidance to a range of tax-exempt organizations and impact investors. She leverages her business law background in securities, private equity, mergers & acquisitions, and corporate governance to further the business interests of her tax-exempt clients and the investors who support them.
Miller Oertel is listed in The Best Lawyers in America under Nonprofit/Charities Law and is also recognized in Michigan Super Lawyers and DBusiness Top Lawyers as a leading practitioner for tax-exempt organizations law. Crain’s Detroit Business has selected her as a Notable Women in Law honoree and Michigan Lawyers Weekly selected her as a Leader in the Law. She is a frequent speaker and author on legal issues affecting nonprofits.
Miller Oertel serves as the expert in residence for impact investing with the Council of Michigan Foundations and serves as a fellow for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation building the impact investing ecosystem in New Jersey. She is an adjunct professor at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University.
Bodman is also pleased to announce that Muhannad (Moe) Al-Ujayli has joined the firm as an associate attorney in the High Net Worth Practice Group.
Based in Bodman’s Detroit office, Al-Ujayli advises high net worth individuals and families on personal and closely held business matters, as well as trusts and estate planning and administration, with a focus on taxation and wealth preservation.
Before joining Bodman, Al-Ujayli was an M&A tax associate at an international Big Four accounting firm, where he advised clients on transactions, tax structuring, stock purchases, and long-term planning strategies.
Al-Ujayli earned his law degrees from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and Wayne State University Law School. He also earned a B.A. in Finance from Michigan State University Eli Broad College of Business.
• • •
Andrew Turner of Brooks Kushman moderated a panel at the PTAB Bar Association 2026 Annual Conference, leading an interactive roundtable session with PTAB judges. The session featured small-group discussions with current and former Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) judges and provided attendees with an opportunity to engage directly with judges on PTAB practice.
Turner is a registered patent attorney with degrees in electrical and mechanical engineering who focuses his practice on patent prosecution and post-grant proceedings. As co-chair of the firm’s post-grant proceedings group, he has worked on more than 50 IPR matters representing both petitioners and patent owners, as well as reexaminations, reissues, and appeals to the federal circuit. His experience spans autonomous and electrified vehicle systems, LED lighting, audio systems, electronics, and exercise equipment, along with IP portfolio management and opinion work.
Before entering the legal field, Turner worked as an automotive engineer developing electro-mechanical systems, experience he now leverages to help clients navigate complex technical and business challenges.
Dukarski’s session was titled, “Legal Issues of Connected Vehicles.” She examined legal issues emerging within the field of connected vehicles and will discuss a few current high-profile cases.
Dukarski leads Butzel’s Connected and Autonomous Mobility Team. Her automotive experience 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 artificial intelligence (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.
In addition, Butzel immigration law attorney Reginald A. Pacis participated in an “Immigration Law Panel” discussion on March 25, presented by the Immigration Law (Student) Association at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.
Pacis will also participate in a “Business Immigration Panel” program on March 31, co-presented by the Immigration Law Student Association and the Business Law Society at Wayne State University Law School. The discussion will focus on the fundamentals of business immigration, recent policy and adjudication trends, and career paths in the field.
Pacis focuses his practice in immigration law and has handled a variety of immigration matters including H-1B specialty occupation cases, L-1 Intracompany transfers, Labor Certification matters, Immigrant Visa Petitions/Adjustment of Status applications and interviews, TN Free trade cases, H-1B Department of Labor Investigations, I-9 employer verification compliance, and U.S. Port of Entry airport and land port interviews.
He was named Immigration Lawyer of the Year in 2025, 2023 and 2013, respectively in the field of Immigration Law by The Best Lawyers in America and has been listed in Best Lawyers for several years.
Pacis is a member of the American Bar Association, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), and the Samahang Pilipino Ng Oakland Filipino organization. He served two consecutive one-year terms from 2003 to 2005 as chairperson of the Michigan Chapter of AILA and was a member of the AILA National Board of Governors for those terms.
Butzel is also pleased to announce that Sam S. Yousif has joined as an associate attorney in the firm’s Troy office. He partners with businesses to help them navigate complex corporate structures, mergers and acquisitions, and customary commercial transactions.
A legal advisor for large and small businesses, Yousif provides comprehensive counsel tailored to each client’s unique needs. His practice is centered on helping organizations navigate the intricacies of corporate law, with a focus on contract drafting, negotiation, and the structuring of transactions. Much of Yousif’s work involves guiding clients through asset and entity acquisitions and dispositions.
He partners closely with clients to structure deals that protect their interests and advance their goals.
In addition to transactional matters, Yousif advises on corporate structure and long-term planning. He assists businesses in choosing and maintaining entity forms that support growth and adaptability, from initial formation to complex reorganizations.
Yousif earned a law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, and a Master of Accounting and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Oakland University. Yousif was named to Michigan Super Lawyers – Rising Stars – Business/Corporate, 2024-2025.
• • •
Retired Judge Deborah Thomas will be honored with the Eleanor Roosevelt Award from the Michigan Democratic Women’s Caucus during a luncheon held on April 18.
During her career on the Wayne County Circuit Court bench, Thomas exemplified the highest ideals of the judiciary, ensuring that the courts serve not only as institutions of law, but also as instruments of fairness, dignity, and opportunity.
Through her work establishing and presiding over one of Michigan’s largest Veterans Treatment Courts, she has shown that justice can be both principled and compassionate. Her community forums addressing expungement, human trafficking awareness, and firearm safety reflect her belief that the law must remain accessible and responsive to the people it serves.
• • •
Plunkett Cooney partner Douglas C. Bernstein was recently named by Lawdragon to its 2026 top 500 list of Leading Global Bankruptcy & Restructuring Lawyers.
A member of Plunkett Cooney’s Bloomfield Hills office, Bernstein serves as the firm’s Business Law Department Leader. He concentrates his practice in the areas of commercial litigation, loan restructuring, commercial loan documentation, bankruptcy, banking-related litigation and appeals. His clients include regional and national banks, credit unions and loan servicers as well as automotive suppliers and charitable foundations.
Prior to joining Plunkett Cooney, Bernstein worked as an in-house attorney at Michigan National Corporation for more than 20 years. He subsequently joined the Standard Federal Bank Legal Department when the bank merged with Michigan National Corporation in 2001.
Bernstein earned his undergraduate degree in 1978 from Wayne State University and his law degree in 1982 from the Detroit College of Law. He has received several honors for his legal work, and he is a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy. Bernstein has also been honored by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as a Leader in the Law and Go To Lawyer for Business, and he is a 2023 inductee into the publication’s Hall of Fame.
• • •
Maddin Hauser is pleased to announce that Mitchell D. Myers has joined the firm. Representing businesses across the full spectrum of complex commercial disputes, including real property, construction, mortgages, financial services, and other business and transactional matters, Myers joins the firm’s Complex Litigation and Risk Advisory practice group.
A trial attorney, Myers’ advocacy skills serve him well in the courtroom, both at the trial and appellate levels. His experience also includes matters of general negligence, construction negligence and contract disputes, and business disputes such as defamation, slander/libel, and corporate interference.
Prior to joining Maddin Hauser, Myers was a partner at a civil defense firm handling matters of general negligence, auto negligence, construction negligence and contract disputes, and business disputes including defamation, slander/libel, and corporate interference. He has also served as a managing litigation attorney for a no-fault insurer and defended clients’ interests in cases involving claim and delivery, insurance fraud, real property loss, insurance coverage and indemnity, municipal law, premises liability, and general civil litigation.
Myers also possesses a securities background, with work on commodities, equities, and energy futures trading matters, including FINRA/AML/KYC compliance counseling.
• • •
Miller Johnson is pleased to welcome Robert M. (“Bob”) Birach and Ardiola Sinaj to the firm’s Immigration practice. Joining from Birach Law PC, they bring experience across the full spectrum of immigration law, including employment-based petitions, family-sponsored immigration, and appellate immigration litigation. Birach and Sinaj are based out Miller Johnson’s Detroit office.
Birach is an immigration attorney with nearly five decades of practice in Michigan. He focuses on complex immigration matters before federal agencies and courts, including removal defense, asylum claims, waivers of inadmissibility, and appellate litigation. He is also a recognized expert on H-2A (agricultural) and H-2B (nonagricultural) nonimmigrant temporary worker visas, to provide staffing for farms, wineries, nurseries, greenhouses, seasonal resorts, landscapers and other seasonal businesses.
Birach’s work has earned national recognition, including an AV Preeminent® rating from Martindale-Hubbell for more than 20 years and repeated listings in Super Lawyers, Top Lawyer, and Best Lawyers, along with being named Lawyer of the Year in Immigration Law in 2012. Birach earned a law degree from Cooley Law School and a B.A. from Western Michigan University.
“We are excited to join Miller Johnson’s Immigration team,” said Birach. “We look forward to contributing to a team known for its excellence and deep commitment to the communities we serve.”
Sinaj brings more than a decade of experience representing individuals, families, and employers in a wide range of immigration matters, including employment-based petitions, family-sponsored immigration, waivers, humanitarian relief, and naturalization. Her practice focuses on helping clients navigate complex and rapidly changing immigration processes with clarity and a strong commitment to service. A long-standing member of Birach Law PC, she has played a central role in the firm’s immigration work for many years. Sinaj earned a law degree from Wayne State University Law School and a B.A. from Wayne State University.
Miller Johnson is also pleased to announce that Seth Filthaut has joined the firm’s Detroit office. He joins as part of the firm’s Employment and Labor Practice, where he will work closely with employers on a wide range of workplace issues.
Prior to joining the Miller Johnson, Filthaut was the director of Human Resources at Birmingham Public Schools. In this role, his responsibilities included district-wide HR operations, labor strategy, collective bargaining, investigations, and compliance with federal and state employment laws. His role included negotiations with multiple unionized employee groups, administering discipline, managing grievances, advising on contract interpretation, and supporting district operations through policy development, workforce planning, and cost-saving initiatives.
Before entering public education leadership, Filthaut held HR and labor relations roles at multiple Fortune 500 companies. In these positions, he managed labor relations for large, unionized workforces represented by the UAW and USW, handled complex grievance and arbitration matters, conducted workplace investigations, administered discipline up to and including discharge, and led workforce actions such as large-scale layoffs and recalls.
• • •
Bodman PLC is pleased to announce that Jennifer Miller Oertel, co-chair of Bodman’s Exempt Organizations & Impact Investing Practice Group, has been appointed chair of the National Tax-Exempt Council’s State Regulatory Roundtable.
Miller Oertel is an expert on tax-exempt organizations law and impact investing. She provides business advice and practical legal guidance to a range of tax-exempt organizations and impact investors. She leverages her business law background in securities, private equity, mergers & acquisitions, and corporate governance to further the business interests of her tax-exempt clients and the investors who support them.
Miller Oertel is listed in The Best Lawyers in America under Nonprofit/Charities Law and is also recognized in Michigan Super Lawyers and DBusiness Top Lawyers as a leading practitioner for tax-exempt organizations law. Crain’s Detroit Business has selected her as a Notable Women in Law honoree and Michigan Lawyers Weekly selected her as a Leader in the Law. She is a frequent speaker and author on legal issues affecting nonprofits.
Miller Oertel serves as the expert in residence for impact investing with the Council of Michigan Foundations and serves as a fellow for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation building the impact investing ecosystem in New Jersey. She is an adjunct professor at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University.
Bodman is also pleased to announce that Muhannad (Moe) Al-Ujayli has joined the firm as an associate attorney in the High Net Worth Practice Group.
Based in Bodman’s Detroit office, Al-Ujayli advises high net worth individuals and families on personal and closely held business matters, as well as trusts and estate planning and administration, with a focus on taxation and wealth preservation.
Before joining Bodman, Al-Ujayli was an M&A tax associate at an international Big Four accounting firm, where he advised clients on transactions, tax structuring, stock purchases, and long-term planning strategies.
Al-Ujayli earned his law degrees from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and Wayne State University Law School. He also earned a B.A. in Finance from Michigan State University Eli Broad College of Business.
• • •
Andrew Turner of Brooks Kushman moderated a panel at the PTAB Bar Association 2026 Annual Conference, leading an interactive roundtable session with PTAB judges. The session featured small-group discussions with current and former Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) judges and provided attendees with an opportunity to engage directly with judges on PTAB practice.
Turner is a registered patent attorney with degrees in electrical and mechanical engineering who focuses his practice on patent prosecution and post-grant proceedings. As co-chair of the firm’s post-grant proceedings group, he has worked on more than 50 IPR matters representing both petitioners and patent owners, as well as reexaminations, reissues, and appeals to the federal circuit. His experience spans autonomous and electrified vehicle systems, LED lighting, audio systems, electronics, and exercise equipment, along with IP portfolio management and opinion work.
Before entering the legal field, Turner worked as an automotive engineer developing electro-mechanical systems, experience he now leverages to help clients navigate complex technical and business challenges.
