The Detroit Bar Association has named Brian McKeen, founder and managing partner of McKeen & Associates, as chair of its Medical Malpractice Plaintiff Section.
In this role, McKeen will lead initiatives to support and educate plaintiff attorneys, including hosting networking and educational events and coordinating expert speakers on key issues in medical malpractice law.
“Victims of medical malpractice face significant challenges in finding answers and holding healthcare providers accountable,” said McKeen. “Our goal is to equip attorneys with the tools and support they need to be stronger advocates for those patients.”
• • •
Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido is proud to announce that Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Dale Vande Vrede was awarded the Kimberly M. Cahill Civility Award which is presented by the Macomb County Bar Association to a legal professional who demonstrates outstanding commitment to respectful dialogue and conduct.
“I am truly honored to accept the award with gratitude, knowing civility is not about recognition, but about choosing respect and doing what is right every day,” said Vande Vrede, who serves as chief of the Drug Unit.
In addition to his courtroom work, Vande Vrede is recognized for mentoring newer attorneys and fostering a collaborative, respectful work environment.
• • •
McDonald Hopkins is proud to congratulate data privacy and cybersecurity attorney Dominic Paluzzi on his selection to Cybersecurity Docket’s Incident Response Elite for 2026.
Paluzzi is the co-chair of McDonald Hopkins’ Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group. He advises organizations on data privacy and cybersecurity risks on both a national and international basis, including pre-breach services, incident response strategies and management, and defense of regulatory enforcement actions and single-plaintiff and class action litigation.
Paluzzi and the data privacy team have counseled clients through over 21,500 data breaches and privacy incidents, where he works closely with local, state and federal law enforcement, forensic investigators and third-party cybersecurity vendors to offer his clients efficient and effective breach response services in compliance with the numerous state, federal, international and industry-specific legal obligations.
This is Paluzzi’s seventh time on the list.
• • •
Taft Detroit partner Thomas Bejin will speak on the panel “Using AI in Patent Litigation: Tools, Tactics and Risks” at the Patent Masters™ 2026 program on June 9. This session will examine the AI tools litigators are using and how they are applying them in practice. The panel will also discuss the strengths and limitations of current AI technologies in litigation and identify areas where additional tools and resources are still needed.
Bejin is a partner in Taft’s Intellectual Property practice, specializing in intellectual property litigation, strategic counseling, and freedom to operate studies. With experience handling patent, trademark, and trade secret cases, he has represented clients in both state and federal courts across the country.
Bejin’s trial experience includes appearances in more than one hundred cases across more than twenty-five states. He has worked with a diverse range of clients, from start-ups to global corporations, in industries such as automotive technology, electrical surge protection, wireless communication, lasers, robotics, and medical devices.
More recently, Bejin has focused on representing clients in Inter Partes Review (IPR) proceedings. His role frequently involves providing strategic advice to guide innovation and enhance shareholder value.
• • •
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently announced appointments to the following boards and commissions:
—Michigan Committee on Juvenile Justice
Claudnyse Holloman is the chief executive officer at Voices for Children Advocacy Center. Holloman earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and political science from Clarke University and a law degree from Cooley Law School.
Holloman will be reappointed as a member representing private nonprofit organizations for a term commencing August 3, 2026, and expiring August 2, 2030.
Sarah Rennie is the director of advocacy at the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness. Rennie earned a Bachelor of Arts in English literature from Eastern Michigan University and a law degree from the University of Toledo College of Law.
Rennie will be reappointed as a member representing victim or witness advocacy groups for a term commencing August 3, 2026, and expiring August 2, 2030.
The mission of the Michigan Committee on Juvenile Justice is to advise the Governor on matters related to juvenile justice legislation and administration, mobilize communities to
develop and implement comprehensive, data driven prevention services, and create a strategic plan that sets standards, determines priorities, and allocates funds for successful delinquency prevention and rehabilitative programs that promote stronger families, healthier youth, and safer communities.
These appointments are not subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.
—Board of Law Examiners
Michael Fawaz is a commercial litigation and appeals attorney at Howard and Howard Attorneys PLLC. Fawaz was previously an adjunct law professor at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. Fawaz earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Michigan and a law degree from the Michigan State University College of Law.
Fawaz will be reappointed as the nominee of the Michigan Supreme Court for a term commencing July 1, 2026, and expiring June 30, 2031.
The Board of Law Examiners is responsible for investigating and examining all persons who initially apply for admission to the Michigan bar. The Board may adopt suitable regulations, subject to approval by the Supreme Court, concerning the performance of its functions and duties.
This appointment is not subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.
—Michigan Indigent Defense Commission
Sofia Nelson is a program director of the MDefenders Program and a lecturer at the University of Michigan Law School. Nelson previously served as a staff attorney at the Neighborhood Defender Service and as an assistant appellate defender at the State Appellate Defender Office. Nelson earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science and women and gender studies from Tufts University and a law degree from Yale Law School.
Nelson is appointed to as a member submitted by the State Bar of Michigan for a term commencing April 30, 2026, and expiring April 1, 2030. Nelson succeeds David Jones, 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.
This appointment is not subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.
In this role, McKeen will lead initiatives to support and educate plaintiff attorneys, including hosting networking and educational events and coordinating expert speakers on key issues in medical malpractice law.
“Victims of medical malpractice face significant challenges in finding answers and holding healthcare providers accountable,” said McKeen. “Our goal is to equip attorneys with the tools and support they need to be stronger advocates for those patients.”
• • •
Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido is proud to announce that Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Dale Vande Vrede was awarded the Kimberly M. Cahill Civility Award which is presented by the Macomb County Bar Association to a legal professional who demonstrates outstanding commitment to respectful dialogue and conduct.
“I am truly honored to accept the award with gratitude, knowing civility is not about recognition, but about choosing respect and doing what is right every day,” said Vande Vrede, who serves as chief of the Drug Unit.
In addition to his courtroom work, Vande Vrede is recognized for mentoring newer attorneys and fostering a collaborative, respectful work environment.
• • •
McDonald Hopkins is proud to congratulate data privacy and cybersecurity attorney Dominic Paluzzi on his selection to Cybersecurity Docket’s Incident Response Elite for 2026.
Paluzzi is the co-chair of McDonald Hopkins’ Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group. He advises organizations on data privacy and cybersecurity risks on both a national and international basis, including pre-breach services, incident response strategies and management, and defense of regulatory enforcement actions and single-plaintiff and class action litigation.
Paluzzi and the data privacy team have counseled clients through over 21,500 data breaches and privacy incidents, where he works closely with local, state and federal law enforcement, forensic investigators and third-party cybersecurity vendors to offer his clients efficient and effective breach response services in compliance with the numerous state, federal, international and industry-specific legal obligations.
This is Paluzzi’s seventh time on the list.
• • •
Taft Detroit partner Thomas Bejin will speak on the panel “Using AI in Patent Litigation: Tools, Tactics and Risks” at the Patent Masters™ 2026 program on June 9. This session will examine the AI tools litigators are using and how they are applying them in practice. The panel will also discuss the strengths and limitations of current AI technologies in litigation and identify areas where additional tools and resources are still needed.
Bejin is a partner in Taft’s Intellectual Property practice, specializing in intellectual property litigation, strategic counseling, and freedom to operate studies. With experience handling patent, trademark, and trade secret cases, he has represented clients in both state and federal courts across the country.
Bejin’s trial experience includes appearances in more than one hundred cases across more than twenty-five states. He has worked with a diverse range of clients, from start-ups to global corporations, in industries such as automotive technology, electrical surge protection, wireless communication, lasers, robotics, and medical devices.
More recently, Bejin has focused on representing clients in Inter Partes Review (IPR) proceedings. His role frequently involves providing strategic advice to guide innovation and enhance shareholder value.
• • •
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently announced appointments to the following boards and commissions:
—Michigan Committee on Juvenile Justice
Claudnyse Holloman is the chief executive officer at Voices for Children Advocacy Center. Holloman earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and political science from Clarke University and a law degree from Cooley Law School.
Holloman will be reappointed as a member representing private nonprofit organizations for a term commencing August 3, 2026, and expiring August 2, 2030.
Sarah Rennie is the director of advocacy at the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness. Rennie earned a Bachelor of Arts in English literature from Eastern Michigan University and a law degree from the University of Toledo College of Law.
Rennie will be reappointed as a member representing victim or witness advocacy groups for a term commencing August 3, 2026, and expiring August 2, 2030.
The mission of the Michigan Committee on Juvenile Justice is to advise the Governor on matters related to juvenile justice legislation and administration, mobilize communities to
develop and implement comprehensive, data driven prevention services, and create a strategic plan that sets standards, determines priorities, and allocates funds for successful delinquency prevention and rehabilitative programs that promote stronger families, healthier youth, and safer communities.
These appointments are not subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.
—Board of Law Examiners
Michael Fawaz is a commercial litigation and appeals attorney at Howard and Howard Attorneys PLLC. Fawaz was previously an adjunct law professor at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. Fawaz earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Michigan and a law degree from the Michigan State University College of Law.
Fawaz will be reappointed as the nominee of the Michigan Supreme Court for a term commencing July 1, 2026, and expiring June 30, 2031.
The Board of Law Examiners is responsible for investigating and examining all persons who initially apply for admission to the Michigan bar. The Board may adopt suitable regulations, subject to approval by the Supreme Court, concerning the performance of its functions and duties.
This appointment is not subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.
—Michigan Indigent Defense Commission
Sofia Nelson is a program director of the MDefenders Program and a lecturer at the University of Michigan Law School. Nelson previously served as a staff attorney at the Neighborhood Defender Service and as an assistant appellate defender at the State Appellate Defender Office. Nelson earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science and women and gender studies from Tufts University and a law degree from Yale Law School.
Nelson is appointed to as a member submitted by the State Bar of Michigan for a term commencing April 30, 2026, and expiring April 1, 2030. Nelson succeeds David Jones, 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.
This appointment is not subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.
