Butzel attorney and shareholder Javon R. David has been named to the Crain’s Detroit Business 2026 Class of “40 Under 40.” Honorees will be recognized on Wednesday, November 18, at Cosm in Detroit.
Earlier this year, David was named to Crain’s Notable Women in Law. She is a member of Butzel’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice Group. She concentrates her practice in the areas of commercial litigation, media and entertainment law, and product liability matters. She has litigation experience, handling matters from the onset of suit through trial.
As part of her commercial litigation practice, David represents business entities in an array of legal issues, including contract disputes, shareholder oppression claims, non-competition and trade secret disputes, real estate, and automotive supplier disputes.
In addition, David defends media clients in defamation actions and First Amendment cases. She serves as deputy general counsel for the Michigan Press Association (MPA), providing clients with prepublication review and newsgathering advice on sunshine and open-government issues. She advises on clearance projects and performs advertising reviews as well.
She also defends clients in product liability actions and quality disputes, including toxic tort class actions and automotive liability disputes. She previously served on the Board of Governors of MEMA, The Vehicle Suppliers Association’s Emerging Leadership Council.
David is a member of the Board of Directors for the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel Association (MDTC) after serving as its Trial Practice co-chairperson.
David serves on the Business Court and Counsel Committee for the Oakland County Bar Association (OCBA). She also serves on the litigation, insurance, and advertising/commercial speech committees for the Media Law Resource Center (MLRC). David is a member of Leadership Oakland as well.
• • •
Garan Lucow Miller PC has announced the grand opening of its newest office location in Southfield. The announcement was made by the firm’s Executive Committee.
The more than 17,000-square-foot space, located at 20700 Civic Center Dr., Suite 500 inside Southfield’s Oakland Commons, offers permanent space for more than 100 Garan attorneys and team members, with additional flexible space available to welcome team members and clients visiting from the firm’s other locations. The new Southfield location joins Garan’s current offices in Detroit and Grand Rapids as well as Merrillville, Ind.
“We’ve established this new Southfield office to better accommodate our team, and more effectively and efficiently serve our clients across the state and the Midwest region,” said Ebony L. Duff, chair of Garan’s Executive Committee. “This new professional home allows us to upgrade our facilities and bring our top legal talent together in a highly accessible, modern environment.”
The location of the new Oakland Commons facility enhances the firm’s regional coverage, positioning attorneys and clients near major transportation corridors and court systems. Featuring state-of-the-art conference rooms, secure legal technology infrastructure and collaborative workspaces, the office is engineered to support seamless trial preparation and client engagement.
“As our client footprint continues to expand, investing in centralized, collaborative infrastructure ensures we maintain the high standard of legal service our firm is known for,” added Duff. “This office marks an exciting new chapter in Garan’s continued growth and commitment to the Midwest legal community.”
• • •
Michael Brady, executive partner of the Warner Norcross + Judd LLP Detroit office, has been named to the Detroit 500 for the fifth consecutive year.
As executive partner of Warner’s Detroit office, Brady leads operations for more than 60 attorneys from across the firm’s 15 industry groups and 18 practice groups. Brady also serves as co-chair of Warner’s Automotive Industry Group providing strategic direction for the 70-plus statewide attorneys who serve more than 240 automotive supplier clients worldwide.
The recipient of several national and statewide awards, Brady focuses on supply chain, complex business litigation and class action matters. He regularly represents manufacturing clients in supply chain contract negotiations and disputes involving pricing, warranties, antitrust issues and internal compliance investigations.
• • •
Ottenwess Law is excited to announce that Gabriela Becker has joined the team as a senior associate attorney. She focuses her practice on all aspects of medical malpractice defense, including birth trauma litigation.
Becker earned her bachelor’s degree from James Madison College at Michigan State University, double majoring in Internal Relations and Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy. She went on to earn her law degree from Wayne State University Law School.
Becker is licensed to practice law in Michigan and is admitted to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
• • •
Honigman Partner Megan Parpart was recently named as a 40 Under 40 honoree by Crain’s Detroit Business. She was selected for her transactional work as well as her commitment to mentoring young attorneys, among other personal achievements.
Parpart is an attorney in the Corporate Department and Transactions & Counseling practice group who focuses her practice on representing companies of all sizes in a broad range of corporate legal matters, with a particular emphasis on complex domestic and cross-border transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, restructurings, divestures, and more.
Parpart advises both domestic and international clients on matters in more than a dozen countries. She also counsels clients on various tax incentives, with a primary focus on Qualified Opportunity Zone investments and transactions.
• • •
Dickinson Wright is pleased to announce that Aaron Burrell (member, Troy and Detroit) has been named to Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s 2026 Leaders in the Law.
“I am humbled to be selected by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as a member of their 2026 Leaders in the Law Class,” said Burrell. “It is an honor to be listed with such talented and accomplished attorneys.”
Burrell is a business lawyer whose practice centers on complex corporate strategy, high-stakes commercial litigation, internal and external investigations, appellate advocacy, labor and employment matters, and minority business enterprise counseling. He also serves as the chair of Dickinson Wright’s Diversity Committee and has previously co-chaired litigation training and contributed to the firm’s lateral-recruiting strategy.
Burrell currently serves as the 94th president of the Oakland County Bar Association. This year, he was elected secretary of the State Bar of Michigan. He has served in leadership roles for numerous organizations and committees including the American Bar Association’s Coalition of Racial and Ethnic Justice, State Bar’s Representative Assembly (chair), the State Bar’s Equal Access Initiative (co-chair), the D. Augustus Straker Bar Association (president), the National Bar Association’s Board of Governors (affiliate representative), and the Thomas M. Cooley Law School Board of Directors (vice chair).
Burrell has been recognized by several publications including Chambers USA, Best Lawyers in America, Legal 500, Michigan Super Lawyers, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, Crain’s Detroit Business, National Bar Association, DBusiness, Profiles in Diversity Journal, Diversity MBA Magazine, and Savoy Magazine. The D. Augustus Straker Bar Association honored Burrell with its Trailblazers Award.
• • •
Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that Todd Roeser has joined the firm’s Corporate Group as senior counsel in its Troy office.
Roeser brings more than 25 years of legal experience, primarily serving automotive and manufacturing companies in private practice and senior in-house leadership roles. His practice focuses on corporate and commercial transactions, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and other strategic business matters.
Roeser most recently served as general counsel and secretary of RESRG Automotive, an international Tier 1 automotive supplier, where he was a member of the executive leadership team and played a role in the separation, merger, and integration of two automotive supply businesses. He also built and led the company’s global legal and compliance team supporting operations in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
Previously, Roeser spent more than 16 years with Koch Industries and Guardian Industries in increasingly senior legal roles, including general counsel of SRG Global. During his in-house career, he advised executive leadership teams on strategic and commercial transactions, corporate reorganizations, labor and employment matters, environmental and real estate issues, intellectual property, litigation and compliance. His international experience includes joint ventures and major business projects in the United States, Mexico, China, Thailand, Japan, and Saudi Arabia.
Roeser was an associate in Miller Canfield’s Corporate Transactions Group from 1999 to 2005, advising domestic and international automotive and manufacturing companies on mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, financing and commercial agreements.
He earned his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan. Roeser is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and Oakland County Bar Association. He served on the MEMA Legal Issues Council Board of Governors for over a decade and serves on the Blue Heron Headwaters Conservancy board.
In addition, Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that Frances J. Hollander, an associate in the firm’s Employment and Labor Group, has been selected for the American Bar Association Section of Labor and Employment Law’s Section Development Fund Fellowship Program, a three-year fellowship that supports the development of future leaders in labor and employment law.
Hollander’s fellowship term began September 1 and runs through August 31, 2029. Through the program, fellows are encouraged to become actively involved in section activities, contribute to publications, and participate in leadership and educational initiatives that advance the practice of labor and employment law.
Hollander focuses her practice on representing employers in employment litigation and counseling matters. She has experience in wage-and-hour litigation and compliance, advising employers on issues involving employee classification, overtime calculations, tip pooling, off-the-clock work, and related state and federal wage-and-hour requirements.
Hollander represents employers in employment litigation, investigations, and counseling matters. Her practice includes defending employers in discrimination, harassment, retaliation, FMLA, and wage-and-hour matters, along with helping organizations assess compliance with state and federal employment laws. She is based in Miller Canfield’s Detroit office.
• • •
Dykema is proud to announce that Brett Gelbord was selected for inclusion in the seventh edition of the “Global Top 200 Cannabis Lawyers” directory, published by Cannabis Law Report and Cannabis Law Journal for 2026–2027. Gelbord was also recognized in the fifth edition of the “Top 200 Global Psychedelic Lawyers and Policy & Regulatory Experts” guide for 2026.
Gelbord combines experience in employment law and commercial litigation to counsel cannabis businesses on workforce matters and business disputes. His psychedelics work includes advising clients on proposed commercial activities under local decriminalization ordinances and counseling stakeholders on legislative advocacy.
A founding member of the Psychedelic Bar Association, Gelbord works with attorneys nationwide to help shape policy and legislation in the emerging industry.
• • •
Miller Johnson recently announced the launch of its Government Solutions practice, designed to help Michigan businesses navigate state and local government matters affecting their operations, investments and growth. The practice will be led by Michigan public service veteran Melanie Brown, who joins Miller Johnson as managing director of Government Solutions, after most recently serving as the state’s executive ombudsman helmed at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, helping businesses resolve matters involving state government. She will be based in the firm’s Detroit office.
Brown’s career in Michigan public affairs spans more than 30 years, giving her decades of firsthand knowledge of how to cut through red tape and solve problems across multiple levels of government.
Government Solutions will combine Brown’s government experience and relationships with Miller Johnson’s approach to help businesses navigate a shifting economic and policy landscape—and address matters that affect how they operate, invest and compete.
Brown will work closely with lawyers across Miller Johnson to help clients navigate matters involving state and local agencies, move stalled matters forward, secure regulatory approvals and licensing, respond to investigations and enforcement actions, and pursue economic development incentives, grants, tax credits, and public financing. The practice will also help clients monitor proposed legislation and rulemaking, address government procurement matters, and coordinate complex projects involving multiple agencies or public stakeholders.
The practice consolidates Miller Johnson’s government-facing capabilities, bringing together some two dozen attorneys across the firm’s government affairs, government investigations, compliance and corporate practices, including Jeff Muth, Fadwa Hammoud, Dick Hillary, Andrew Goetz, Robert Wolford, and Jennifer McManus.
“Miller Johnson’s practical, relationship-based approach to serving clients aligns closely with how I’ve worked throughout my career,” Brown said. “Administrations change every two to four years—relationships honed over decades don’t. This is an opportunity to build something new by combining the firm’s trusted business counsel with the government experience and practical know-how needed to help clients solve difficult problems and move important matters forward.”
Before her most recent role as the state’s executive ombudsman, Brown served as deputy chief of staff in the Whitmer administration, deputy director of the Department of Talent and Economic Development during the Snyder administration, and deputy director for Southeast Michigan in the Granholm administration. Brown began her career working for U.S. Congressman Sander Levin and later working at Wayne County and in the Michigan Legislature for then-state Senator Gary Peters, now Michigan’s senior U.S. senator. She has also held leadership positions in multiple state departments and currently serves on the Oakland University Board of Trustees after her appointment in 2024.
Earlier this year, David was named to Crain’s Notable Women in Law. She is a member of Butzel’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice Group. She concentrates her practice in the areas of commercial litigation, media and entertainment law, and product liability matters. She has litigation experience, handling matters from the onset of suit through trial.
As part of her commercial litigation practice, David represents business entities in an array of legal issues, including contract disputes, shareholder oppression claims, non-competition and trade secret disputes, real estate, and automotive supplier disputes.
In addition, David defends media clients in defamation actions and First Amendment cases. She serves as deputy general counsel for the Michigan Press Association (MPA), providing clients with prepublication review and newsgathering advice on sunshine and open-government issues. She advises on clearance projects and performs advertising reviews as well.
She also defends clients in product liability actions and quality disputes, including toxic tort class actions and automotive liability disputes. She previously served on the Board of Governors of MEMA, The Vehicle Suppliers Association’s Emerging Leadership Council.
David is a member of the Board of Directors for the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel Association (MDTC) after serving as its Trial Practice co-chairperson.
David serves on the Business Court and Counsel Committee for the Oakland County Bar Association (OCBA). She also serves on the litigation, insurance, and advertising/commercial speech committees for the Media Law Resource Center (MLRC). David is a member of Leadership Oakland as well.
• • •
Garan Lucow Miller PC has announced the grand opening of its newest office location in Southfield. The announcement was made by the firm’s Executive Committee.
The more than 17,000-square-foot space, located at 20700 Civic Center Dr., Suite 500 inside Southfield’s Oakland Commons, offers permanent space for more than 100 Garan attorneys and team members, with additional flexible space available to welcome team members and clients visiting from the firm’s other locations. The new Southfield location joins Garan’s current offices in Detroit and Grand Rapids as well as Merrillville, Ind.
“We’ve established this new Southfield office to better accommodate our team, and more effectively and efficiently serve our clients across the state and the Midwest region,” said Ebony L. Duff, chair of Garan’s Executive Committee. “This new professional home allows us to upgrade our facilities and bring our top legal talent together in a highly accessible, modern environment.”
The location of the new Oakland Commons facility enhances the firm’s regional coverage, positioning attorneys and clients near major transportation corridors and court systems. Featuring state-of-the-art conference rooms, secure legal technology infrastructure and collaborative workspaces, the office is engineered to support seamless trial preparation and client engagement.
“As our client footprint continues to expand, investing in centralized, collaborative infrastructure ensures we maintain the high standard of legal service our firm is known for,” added Duff. “This office marks an exciting new chapter in Garan’s continued growth and commitment to the Midwest legal community.”
• • •
Michael Brady, executive partner of the Warner Norcross + Judd LLP Detroit office, has been named to the Detroit 500 for the fifth consecutive year.
As executive partner of Warner’s Detroit office, Brady leads operations for more than 60 attorneys from across the firm’s 15 industry groups and 18 practice groups. Brady also serves as co-chair of Warner’s Automotive Industry Group providing strategic direction for the 70-plus statewide attorneys who serve more than 240 automotive supplier clients worldwide.
The recipient of several national and statewide awards, Brady focuses on supply chain, complex business litigation and class action matters. He regularly represents manufacturing clients in supply chain contract negotiations and disputes involving pricing, warranties, antitrust issues and internal compliance investigations.
• • •
Ottenwess Law is excited to announce that Gabriela Becker has joined the team as a senior associate attorney. She focuses her practice on all aspects of medical malpractice defense, including birth trauma litigation.
Becker earned her bachelor’s degree from James Madison College at Michigan State University, double majoring in Internal Relations and Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy. She went on to earn her law degree from Wayne State University Law School.
Becker is licensed to practice law in Michigan and is admitted to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
• • •
Honigman Partner Megan Parpart was recently named as a 40 Under 40 honoree by Crain’s Detroit Business. She was selected for her transactional work as well as her commitment to mentoring young attorneys, among other personal achievements.
Parpart is an attorney in the Corporate Department and Transactions & Counseling practice group who focuses her practice on representing companies of all sizes in a broad range of corporate legal matters, with a particular emphasis on complex domestic and cross-border transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, restructurings, divestures, and more.
Parpart advises both domestic and international clients on matters in more than a dozen countries. She also counsels clients on various tax incentives, with a primary focus on Qualified Opportunity Zone investments and transactions.
• • •
Dickinson Wright is pleased to announce that Aaron Burrell (member, Troy and Detroit) has been named to Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s 2026 Leaders in the Law.
“I am humbled to be selected by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as a member of their 2026 Leaders in the Law Class,” said Burrell. “It is an honor to be listed with such talented and accomplished attorneys.”
Burrell is a business lawyer whose practice centers on complex corporate strategy, high-stakes commercial litigation, internal and external investigations, appellate advocacy, labor and employment matters, and minority business enterprise counseling. He also serves as the chair of Dickinson Wright’s Diversity Committee and has previously co-chaired litigation training and contributed to the firm’s lateral-recruiting strategy.
Burrell currently serves as the 94th president of the Oakland County Bar Association. This year, he was elected secretary of the State Bar of Michigan. He has served in leadership roles for numerous organizations and committees including the American Bar Association’s Coalition of Racial and Ethnic Justice, State Bar’s Representative Assembly (chair), the State Bar’s Equal Access Initiative (co-chair), the D. Augustus Straker Bar Association (president), the National Bar Association’s Board of Governors (affiliate representative), and the Thomas M. Cooley Law School Board of Directors (vice chair).
Burrell has been recognized by several publications including Chambers USA, Best Lawyers in America, Legal 500, Michigan Super Lawyers, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, Crain’s Detroit Business, National Bar Association, DBusiness, Profiles in Diversity Journal, Diversity MBA Magazine, and Savoy Magazine. The D. Augustus Straker Bar Association honored Burrell with its Trailblazers Award.
• • •
Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that Todd Roeser has joined the firm’s Corporate Group as senior counsel in its Troy office.
Roeser brings more than 25 years of legal experience, primarily serving automotive and manufacturing companies in private practice and senior in-house leadership roles. His practice focuses on corporate and commercial transactions, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and other strategic business matters.
Roeser most recently served as general counsel and secretary of RESRG Automotive, an international Tier 1 automotive supplier, where he was a member of the executive leadership team and played a role in the separation, merger, and integration of two automotive supply businesses. He also built and led the company’s global legal and compliance team supporting operations in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
Previously, Roeser spent more than 16 years with Koch Industries and Guardian Industries in increasingly senior legal roles, including general counsel of SRG Global. During his in-house career, he advised executive leadership teams on strategic and commercial transactions, corporate reorganizations, labor and employment matters, environmental and real estate issues, intellectual property, litigation and compliance. His international experience includes joint ventures and major business projects in the United States, Mexico, China, Thailand, Japan, and Saudi Arabia.
Roeser was an associate in Miller Canfield’s Corporate Transactions Group from 1999 to 2005, advising domestic and international automotive and manufacturing companies on mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, financing and commercial agreements.
He earned his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan. Roeser is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and Oakland County Bar Association. He served on the MEMA Legal Issues Council Board of Governors for over a decade and serves on the Blue Heron Headwaters Conservancy board.
In addition, Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that Frances J. Hollander, an associate in the firm’s Employment and Labor Group, has been selected for the American Bar Association Section of Labor and Employment Law’s Section Development Fund Fellowship Program, a three-year fellowship that supports the development of future leaders in labor and employment law.
Hollander’s fellowship term began September 1 and runs through August 31, 2029. Through the program, fellows are encouraged to become actively involved in section activities, contribute to publications, and participate in leadership and educational initiatives that advance the practice of labor and employment law.
Hollander focuses her practice on representing employers in employment litigation and counseling matters. She has experience in wage-and-hour litigation and compliance, advising employers on issues involving employee classification, overtime calculations, tip pooling, off-the-clock work, and related state and federal wage-and-hour requirements.
Hollander represents employers in employment litigation, investigations, and counseling matters. Her practice includes defending employers in discrimination, harassment, retaliation, FMLA, and wage-and-hour matters, along with helping organizations assess compliance with state and federal employment laws. She is based in Miller Canfield’s Detroit office.
• • •
Dykema is proud to announce that Brett Gelbord was selected for inclusion in the seventh edition of the “Global Top 200 Cannabis Lawyers” directory, published by Cannabis Law Report and Cannabis Law Journal for 2026–2027. Gelbord was also recognized in the fifth edition of the “Top 200 Global Psychedelic Lawyers and Policy & Regulatory Experts” guide for 2026.
Gelbord combines experience in employment law and commercial litigation to counsel cannabis businesses on workforce matters and business disputes. His psychedelics work includes advising clients on proposed commercial activities under local decriminalization ordinances and counseling stakeholders on legislative advocacy.
A founding member of the Psychedelic Bar Association, Gelbord works with attorneys nationwide to help shape policy and legislation in the emerging industry.
• • •
Miller Johnson recently announced the launch of its Government Solutions practice, designed to help Michigan businesses navigate state and local government matters affecting their operations, investments and growth. The practice will be led by Michigan public service veteran Melanie Brown, who joins Miller Johnson as managing director of Government Solutions, after most recently serving as the state’s executive ombudsman helmed at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, helping businesses resolve matters involving state government. She will be based in the firm’s Detroit office.
Brown’s career in Michigan public affairs spans more than 30 years, giving her decades of firsthand knowledge of how to cut through red tape and solve problems across multiple levels of government.
Government Solutions will combine Brown’s government experience and relationships with Miller Johnson’s approach to help businesses navigate a shifting economic and policy landscape—and address matters that affect how they operate, invest and compete.
Brown will work closely with lawyers across Miller Johnson to help clients navigate matters involving state and local agencies, move stalled matters forward, secure regulatory approvals and licensing, respond to investigations and enforcement actions, and pursue economic development incentives, grants, tax credits, and public financing. The practice will also help clients monitor proposed legislation and rulemaking, address government procurement matters, and coordinate complex projects involving multiple agencies or public stakeholders.
The practice consolidates Miller Johnson’s government-facing capabilities, bringing together some two dozen attorneys across the firm’s government affairs, government investigations, compliance and corporate practices, including Jeff Muth, Fadwa Hammoud, Dick Hillary, Andrew Goetz, Robert Wolford, and Jennifer McManus.
“Miller Johnson’s practical, relationship-based approach to serving clients aligns closely with how I’ve worked throughout my career,” Brown said. “Administrations change every two to four years—relationships honed over decades don’t. This is an opportunity to build something new by combining the firm’s trusted business counsel with the government experience and practical know-how needed to help clients solve difficult problems and move important matters forward.”
Before her most recent role as the state’s executive ombudsman, Brown served as deputy chief of staff in the Whitmer administration, deputy director of the Department of Talent and Economic Development during the Snyder administration, and deputy director for Southeast Michigan in the Granholm administration. Brown began her career working for U.S. Congressman Sander Levin and later working at Wayne County and in the Michigan Legislature for then-state Senator Gary Peters, now Michigan’s senior U.S. senator. She has also held leadership positions in multiple state departments and currently serves on the Oakland University Board of Trustees after her appointment in 2024.
