Michigan Department of Attorney General
Macomb County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Emily Annal will be departing her position to accept a new role and new opportunities with the Michigan Department of Attorney General.
Annal joined the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office in 2022 and handled a range of felony and misdemeanor cases. Most recently, she served as the first chair assistant prosecuting attorney in Macomb County Circuit Court Judge Matthew P. Sabaugh’s courtroom.
Annal was formerly the deputy chief of the Auto Theft Unit where she managed investigations to the prosecution of auto theft and related offenses. She previously served in the Child Protection and Sexual Assault Unit, working closely with law enforcement on investigations and prosecutions involving serious offenses against vulnerable victims.
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Foley & Lardner LLP
Foley & Lardner LLP is proud to welcome its 2026 new associate class. The firm’s Detroit office will welcome:
Hannah Bloomfield, Corporate
Emma Flanigan, Litigation
Cameron Jajonie, Litigation
Sarah Meyrer, Intellectual Property
Aidan Raffaele, Litigation
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Jones Day
Jones Day partner Rick Brodsky was named to Crain’s Detroit Business’s 2026 40 Under 40 list.
Brodsky’s practice focuses on complex commercial disputes, enforcement actions, and investigations. His recent work includes defending a national retailer in a federal opioid enforcement action brought by the U.S. Department of Justice and multiple state attorneys general alleging violations of federal and state law in distribution and sale of prescription opioids. This case became the first AG opioid lawsuit against national pharmacy chains to reach trial. He also has represented clients in False Claims Act matters involving complex questions concerning federal health care programs and alleged overpayments.
In addition, he has worked on cases involving environmental contamination and climate impacts from fossil-fuel emissions, as well as commercial disputes involving Detroit-area companies.
Beyond his legal practice, Brodsky mentors new lawyers in the Detroit Office. He has built a commitment to Holocaust education in Detroit, serving on the board of the Zekelman Holocaust Center, where he supports educational initiatives and broader institutional work. In addition, Brodsky serves on the board of The J Detroit, supporting programming across the region.
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Honigman LLP
Honigman LLP recently announced that Evgeny “Gene” Magidenko joined the firm as a partner in its Private Client Practice Group of its Corporate Department. Magidenko joins the firm from ArentFox Schiff, where he spent nearly a decade as a tax attorney. At Honigman, he will advise family offices and estate planning clients on complex corporate, partnership, estate, and trust tax matters.
Magidenko will lead sophisticated private client matters, with a particular focus on clients requiring complex tax counsel in estate and trust planning. His experience will also add to the firm’s ability to advise clients on the tax considerations of complex real estate transactions and related business matters.
Magidenko earned his B.A. from the University of Michigan and his law degrees from U of M Law School and New York University School of Law.
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Bodman PLC
Bodman PLC is pleased to announce that Member Erica J. Sarver has been appointed chair of the State Bar of Michigan Environmental Law Section Council.
Sarver assumes the role of chair after serving on the Environmental Law Section Council since 2022, including service as secretary/treasurer and chair-elect. She is also a member of the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Energy and Environment Committee.
Sarver, a member in Bodman’s Environmental Law and Litigation and ADR practice groups, focuses her practice on helping clients navigate the intersection of litigation and economic development, with an emphasis on environmental challenges that clients face throughout the course of real estate transactions.
Sarver is listed in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America under Environmental Law and Commercial Litigation. She has been listed as a “Top Lawyer” by DBusiness magazine and has been named to Benchmark Litigation’s 40 & Under Hot List.
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Taft
Taft Intellectual Property partner Tom Bejin will present, “AI in Patent Law: Invention, Prosecution and Litigation” at the Association of Corporate Patent Counsel (ACPC) Detroit Regional In-Person Meeting on October 28. During the panel presentation, Bejin will examine the various uses and impacts of AI in patent law, highlighting its effects on patent law practice.
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 has appeared in more than one hundred cases across more than twenty-five states. He has worked with a 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.
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Butzel Long
Butzel attorney Beth S. Gotthelf was a featured speaker during the East Michigan Chapter of the Air & Waste Management Association program on October 21 in Rochester Hills. The title of the program was “Data Center Siting and Environmental Issues.” Gotthelf discussed Negotiating Community Benefits.
Gotthelf is Butzel’s director of Innovation and External Relations, co-chair of the Energy & Sustainability Practice, and chair of the Aerospace & Defense Industry Team.
She represents a diverse client base including those in the automotive, defense, and aerospace fields. She has environmental, renewable energy, and sustainability experience. She assists clients with remediation, redevelopment, permitting, and compliance.
Gotthelf serves as chair of the Michigan Manufacturers Association’s Environmental Policy Committee; board member, the North American Advanced Technology Battery Association (NAATBatt) and its Data Center Committee, the National Battery Association; general counsel to the Michigan Chapter of the National Association of Surface Finishers; board member and former chair, Michigan Israel Business Accelerator; and Michigan Advisory Board, Women in Defense. Gotthelf also was board directorship certified through the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD). She was named to Crain’s Detroit Business’ 2025 Notable Leaders in Sustainability list.
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Giarmarco, Mullins, & Horton, P.C.
Giarmarco, Mullins, & Horton PC (GMH) is pleased to announce that attorneys Lindsay P. Hazen and David A. Occhiuto have been named shareholders of the firm. Both have demonstrated a strong commitment to their clients and their respective practice areas, while also contributing to the continued success and development of the firm. Their appointments were approved at the firm’s most recent shareholder meeting.
Hazen is a member of GMH’s Education Law Group where she represents public school districts in a range of matters including employment discrimination, constitutional litigation, general and special education, student discipline and due process, peer-on-peer harassment, and employment-related issues.
She also advises school district clients regarding bargaining agreements, employment agreements, employment policies, employee discipline, and compliance with laws including the FMLA, ADA, Title IX, FOIA, and the Open Meetings Act.
Hazen’s professional recognition includes being named a Michigan Lawyers Weekly Up & Coming Lawyer in 2026, a Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2025, and a Leading Lawyers Member in 2025. She was also recently appointed to the State Bar of Michigan’s United States Courts Committee for the 2026–2027 Bar year.
Occhiuto is a member of GMH’s Healthcare Law & Medical Malpractice Defense Group where he focuses his practice on defending healthcare professionals and institutions. He has experience handling litigation involving a variety of medical specialties including radiology, cardiology, general surgery, emergency medicine, and orthopedic surgery.
In addition to his litigation practice, Occhiuto handles appellate matters in Michigan and federal courts and regularly researches and writes on emerging issues in Michigan medical malpractice law. He also lectures to healthcare providers on the intersection of healthcare and the law.
Occhiuto earned his law degree from Michigan State University College of Law and his B.A. from Michigan State University. He is a member of several sections of the State Bar of Michigan, as well as Michigan Defense Trial Counsel and the Michigan Association for Healthcare Quality. He was also recognized as a 2026 Michigan Super Lawyers Rising Star and named to the 2027 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America list.
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Brooks Kushman P.C.
Brooks Kushman Shareholder John Rondini moderated a panel examining the legal and business risks emerging as artificial intelligence becomes more deeply integrated into corporate operations and legal workflows at the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) Annual Meeting 2026.
The session,”The ‘Unprivileged’ Machine: Navigating the New Wave of AI Discovery, Agency Liability, and Trade Secret Erosion,” brought together in-house legal leaders for a practical discussion of how AI is changing privilege, discovery, corporate liability, trade secret protection, and litigation readiness.
Rondini moderated the panel featuring Heidi Nadel, vice president, Global Litigation & Government Investigations at HP Inc.; Hih Song Kim, chief legal officer & corporate secretary at Primo Brands; and Ralph Carter, senior counsel, Litigation & Cybersecurity Legal at Workday.
Rondini is the co-chair of Brooks Kushman’s Intellectual Property Litigation practice and co-chair of the AI & Data Privacy practice, representing clients in patent disputes, cybersecurity and data privacy matters, and complex technology-related litigation. His practice also includes patent prosecution, post-grant proceedings, and the negotiation of licensing & agreements.
Drawing on his prior experience as a hardware design and software engineer, Rondini counsels clients in the automotive and mobility brands & technology, electrical & computer technology, and information technology services & software industries.
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Maddin, Hauser, Roth, & Heller PC
Maddin Hauser is pleased to announce that Shareholder David M. Saperstein was appointed to serve as the State Bar of Michigan’s Professional Ethics Committee 2026-2027 chair. He has served on the committee since 2018.
A member of the firm’s Professional Liability Defense and Insurance Coverage group, Saperstein devotes his practice to professional liability defense, attorney grievance proceedings, and appellate law. He primarily defends attorneys, insurance agents, registered representatives, broker-dealers, accountants, and real estate agents. He speaks frequently on various legal topics and is an avid writer.
Saperstein is admitted to practice law in Michigan, Ohio, and California. He has been recognized for several years in the Michigan edition of Best Lawyers in America®, and listed as well in the Michigan edition of Super Lawyers® and Top Lawyers by DBusiness Magazine.
Saperstein earned his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School and his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Berkeley. He clerked for Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Myron H. Wahls.
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Michigan Manufacturers Association
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently announced appointment of John Walsh to the Detroit Financial Review Commission.
Walsh is the president and chief executive officer of the Michigan Manufacturers Association. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in international relations and public policy analysis from Michigan State University and a law degree from Wayne State University Law School. Walsh will be reappointed for a term commencing November 10, 2026, and expiring November 9, 2030.
The Detroit Financial Review Commission (FRC) is responsible for oversight of the City of Detroit and the Detroit Public Schools Community District. It ensures both are meeting statutory requirements, reviews and approves their budgets, and establishes programs and requirements for prudent fiscal management, among other roles and responsibilities.
This appointment is not subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.
