Columns

Michelle (Mickey) Bartlett recently joined Butzel as a senior attorney in the firm’s Detroit office. She is a member of Butzel’s Employee Benefits and ERISA team, and Labor and Employment Practice Department. 

Bartlett has a background in employee benefits in legal, human resources, and labor sectors. She brings experience in all facets essential to employee benefits, resulting in guidance for clients. Her approach aligns employee benefits with business priorities and helps mitigate risk for private, public, nonprofit, and governmental organizations.

Her experience includes collaborating with executive leadership, regulators, labor organizations, and cross-functional teams. For more than two decades, Bartlett has managed, negotiated, and provided counsel on large-scale retirement (tax-qualified and non-qualified), health and welfare, cafeteria and consumer-driven plans, fringe benefits, salary continuation, and disability and life insurance plans as well as other policies and plans. 

Clients turn to Bartlett for counsel on Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), Internal Revenue Code (IRC), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Affordable Care Act (ACA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA). 

She drafts plan documents, summary plan descriptions, and a wide range of employee benefit policies, programs, and communications. She researches regulatory matters, offers practical guidance, recommends and prepares employee benefit corrections, and  interacts directly with regulatory authorities. Bartlett reviews and negotiates third-party administrative service agreements; provides strategic advice on issues arising in corporate transactions, conducts due diligence; and prepares employee benefit sections for transactional agreements. She also prepares government filings.

Prior to joining Butzel, Bartlett held a senior legal position managing the Health and Welfare Section of an ERISA boutique firm. She also occupied senior human resources leadership roles at Fortune 500 companies in the automotive industry, where she oversaw U.S. and global benefits strategy, design, compliance, benchmarking, and administration. In addition, she was responsible for the employee benefit aspects of national and local labor negotiations, as well as large-scale acquisitions and divestitures. 

Bartlett has served U.S. and multi-national employers across a wide range of industries including manufacturing, automotive, and health care. 

She is a member of the State Bar of Michigan Taxation Section and formerly served as chair of the Employee Benefits Section.

Bartlett serves her community on the Grosse Ile Township Board of Trustees. She is a past Executive Board Member of the Grosse Ile Nature and Land Conservancy and former Board Member of the Grosse Ile Planning Commission.

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Plunkett Cooney appellate attorney Courtney A. Lavender was recently selected as a member of the 2026 class of Fellows by the Lawyers for Civil Justice (LCJ).

The LCJ executive committee voted to include Lavender in the three-year program aimed at civil litigation rule reform, which is overseen by LCJ’s Diversity and Young Lawyers Committee. 

A member of Plunkett Cooney’s Appellate Law Practice Group, Lavender focuses her practice primarily in the area of appellate law with expertise in first- and third-party motor vehicle negligence, commercial litigation, governmental law and insurance coverage disputes. She also has litigation experience defending No-Fault and third-party claims, as well as premises liability, pet liability, and defamation matters.

Lavender received her law degree from Wayne State University Law School in 2021.  Following law school, she worked as a research attorney at the Michigan Court of Appeals. Lavender received her undergraduate degree in 2017 from the University of Michigan. 

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Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently announced appointments to the following boards and commissions: 

—Michigan Women’s Commission 

Misti Rice is the vice president of government affairs at Magna International. Rice previously held senior roles in government affairs at Stellantis (formerly FCA). Rice earned a Bachelor of Arts in social work from Northeastern State University, a Master of Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma, and a law degree from the University of Tulsa. Rice will be reappointed for a term commencing July 16, 2026, and expiring July 15, 2029. 

Faye Nelson, a retired executive, currently serves as board chair of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Corewell Health East. Nelson earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Mercy College of Detroit and a law degree from the University of Detroit School of Law. Nelson will be reappointed for a term commencing July 16, 2026, and expiring July 15, 2029. 

Maria Martinez is a deputy chief of staff in the Executive Office of Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Martinez previously served as chief compliance officer and as deputy legal counsel in the Executive Office of the Governor. Martinez has experience as a former in-house counsel at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and working as a litigator at Bodman PLC.  Martinez earned a Bachelor of Arts in English literature and language from the University of Michigan and a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School. Martinez will be appointed for a term commencing July 16, 2026, and expiring July 15, 2029. Martinez succeeds Danielle Atkinson, whose term will expire. 

The Michigan Women’s Commission was created by statute in 1968. The commission’s duties include reviewing the status of women in Michigan, directing attention to critical problems confronting women, and recognizing women’s accomplishments and contributions to Michigan.   

These appointments are subject to the advice and consent of the Senate. 

—Unemployment Insurance Appeals Commission 

Hillary Rousseau is an administrative law judge in the Michigan Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules, working on unemployment insurance agency adjudications. Previously, Rousseau was an assistant prosecuting attorney in the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office. Rousseau earned a Bachelor of Arts in public communications and cultural studies from the University of Michigan – Dearborn and a law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. Rousseau will be appointed for a term commencing April 11, 2026, and expiring July 31, 2029. Rousseau will succeed Sheryl McGrath, who is resigning.    

The Unemployment Insurance Appeals Commission serves Michigan’s employees, employers, and insurers by addressing and impartially resolving appeals of decisions and orders involving workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance benefits. The commission, created in Executive Order No. 2019-13, has full authority to handle, process, and decide appeals filed under Michigan Employment Security Act Section 33(2).    

This appointment is subject to the advice and consent of the Senate. 

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McDonald Hopkins is proud to welcome Cheryl Saniuk-Heinig as an associate attorney in the Litigation Department and the nationally recognized Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group. Her practice centers on incident response and cyber preparedness, and she brings a strong combination of privacy, cybersecurity, and litigation experience.

Saniuk-Heinig said McDonald Hopkins became her destination firm as she considered her long-term career goals and sought a place known for great work, strong mentorship, and respected industry leadership.

“In speaking with McDonald Hopkins attorneys, it was clear the firm combines meaningful work with a professional culture that supports doing that work well. The firm’s growth, the caliber of its attorneys, and its reputation in the industry all stood out to me,” Saniuk-Heinig  said.

She counsels clients on pre-breach risk management and guides them through ransomware attacks, business e-mail compromises, and inadvertent disclosures in addition to advising on data privacy and cybersecurity compliance. 

“I love data privacy because it offers broad exposure across industries and complex legal challenges while remaining fundamentally about people.  The issues are personal and consequential, making it especially rewarding to help clients respond responsibly to risk, meet their obligations, and maintain trust when the stakes are high,” Saniuk-Heinig said.

Prior to joining McDonald Hopkins, Saniuk-Heinig advised organizations on privacy and cybersecurity compliance initiatives, including Privacy Impact Assessments, risk assessments, cross-border data considerations, and policy development, translating complex regulatory requirements into practical, business-oriented solutions.

Saniuk-Heinig previously served on the Research and Insights Team at the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) where she authored practitioner-focused guidance on global privacy, cybersecurity, and AI regulations and helped develop compliance resources addressing incident notification, cross-border data transfers, and enforcement trends.

The IAPP accredits her as a Certified Information Privacy Professional for the United States (CIPP/US), Europe (CIPP/E), and as a Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM).  Since her gubernatorial appointment in 2022, she has served on a legislative advisory committee addressing the status, issues, and needs of Maine’s Freedom of Access laws.

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Bodman PLC is pleased to announce that Tatianna A. Gore has been appointed to a leadership role with the Michigan Asian Pacific American Bar Association (MAPABA).  Gore has been appointed as the MAPABA’s 2026 treasurer. The appointment became official following the organization’s annual Lunar New Year Gala. 

The purpose of MAPABA is to promote improvements in the administration of justice, to advance relations between the legal profession and the public, to secure equality of Asian Pacific Americans in society, to advocate the interest of Asian Pacific Americans in the legal profession, and to promote equality and social justice for all people. MAPABA is a national associate member of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association.

Gore, who is based in the firm’s Detroit office, is an associate attorney in Bodman’s High Net Worth Group. She represents high net worth individual clients in connection with estate planning and related tax and personal business matters and the administration of trusts and estates. 

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Taft partner Steven Enwright recently served as a panelist at “Changing the Game with AI,” a program hosted by the Detroit Chapter of the Alliance of Merger & Acquisition Advisors (AM&AA). The discussion focused on how artificial intelligence is reshaping mergers and acquisitions, including practical implementation strategies, real-world deal use cases, and the evolving role of AI in driving transaction efficiency and outcomes.

Enwright delivers business counsel to founders, companies, and investors across the full lifecycle of a transaction. His practice includes general corporate counseling, capital raising, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), strategic partnerships, AI / technology agreements, and a range of financing transactions. He frequently serves as outside general counsel to emerging and mid-sized businesses and family offices across a variety of industries.

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Kitch Attorneys & Counselors is proud to announce that Jenna Wright Greenman has been selected as a recipient of the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel (MDTC) 2026 Excellence in Defense Award.  She will be formally recognized at the MDTC Legal Excellence Awards on March 19, at the Gem Theatre in Detroit.

Wright Greenman is a leader of the Detroit office’s Birth Trauma and Medical Malpractice defense practice groups. She is recognized for her ability to handle high-stakes litigation, often involving complex medical claims in neurology and obstetrics.

Beyond her legal practice, Wright Greenman remains involved in community service. She served as the president of the Ronald McDonald House of Detroit for six years and continues to organize an annual charity run on Belle Isle to support hospitalized children and their families. Additionally, she is the president of the Shades of Pink Foundation which provides financial resources to patients with breast cancer undergoing treatment.

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Secrest Wardle is pleased to congratulate Amber R. Davenport on receiving the Crain’s Detroit Business Notable Women in Law 2026 Award. 

Davenport is an executive partner in the firm’s Troy office. She graduated from Oakland University earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work. She received her law degree from Cooley Law School and was admitted to the State Bar of Michigan in 2015.

Davenport specializes in defense litigation of first-party and third-party auto negligence and Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association automobile matters. She handles litigation from the discovery phase through trial.

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Maddin Hauser is pleased to announce that Duncan P. Ogilvie has joined the firm. He joins the firm’s Real Estate, Corporate and Business, and Lending and Finance practice groups.  Ogilvie has spent his career spearheading and facilitating countless commercial real estate transactions and projects, leveraging his pragmatic approach and extensive, diverse experience to consummate deals and achieve his clients’ goals. 

Focusing on the acquisition, disposition, development, leasing, and financing of all types and scales of commercial real estate projects, Ogilvie brings residential condominium development and commercial leasing experience to Maddin Hauser. To ensure a smooth transaction, he works with lenders, title companies, engineers, architects, and governmental authorities. Before joining Maddin Hauser, Ogilvie worked with large Michigan firms handling real estate matters.

Maddin Hauser is also proud to announce that Corp! Magazine recognized Steven D. Sallen on its Inspiring Leaders list. 

In his featured profile, Corp! highlights Sallen’s approach to decision-making, including his collaboration with trusted colleagues to identify the best course of action. He discusses the importance of consensus-building, a key attribute for a successful leader. Sallen also shares his insights and advice with the next generation of leaders, encouraging professionalism, respect, and honesty as the building blocks for strong relationships.

During his career at Maddin Hauser, Sallen has dedicated his practice to real estate, environmental, and corporate law. His clients include some of Michigan’s most successful manufacturing firms, real estate developers, general contractors, and commercial real estate brokers. 

In addition to his practice, Sallen is committed to firm leadership. He serves on Maddin Hauser’s executive committee as its CFO. Sallen is also the Environmental Law Group chair and Real Estate Practice Group co-chair. He served as president and CEO of Maddin Hauser for 16 years.

This recognition follows Sallen’s other recent honors. In 2025, he was inducted into REJournals’ Midwest Real Estate News Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame and won the Real Estate Lawyer of the Year at the REJournals’ Detroit CRE Awards gala. He has been featured in several peer-reviewed listings including Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, Leading Lawyers, and DBusiness Top Lawyers. 

Michigan Lawyers Weekly named Sallen as a “Go To” commercial real estate lawyer in 2024 and 2021, and inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 2020.

By Rabih Hamawi
 
Many policyholders who have disputes with their insurers, and decide to sue them, often find themselves asking the same pressing question: “How long will this lawsuit take and what can I expect?” It’s a natural concern, as insurance claims—especially those involving significant property damage, fire losses, or denied insurance coverage—can have a major impact on an insured-plaintiff’s finances, daily life, and peace of mind.

While every lawsuit is unique and timelines can vary depending on the complexity of the case, insurance lawsuits typically take at least one to two years, not including appeals. This is due to the multiple stages involved in litigation, including filing the complaint, exchanging evidence, engaging in discovery, participating in mediation or other alternative dispute resolution, and potentially going to trial. By understanding these stages and what to expect at each step, plaintiffs can set realistic expectations, plan accordingly, and remain proactive throughout the legal process.

Preparing for a Successful Insurance Lawsuit

Success in an insurance lawsuit doesn’t start in the courtroom—it starts long before you file. It starts when you report a claim for the very first time. Preparation is everything. This means that as a start, you must carefully review your policy, organize all correspondence with your insurer, gather photos and videos, repair estimates, invoices, and any expert reports that support your claim.

Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of your case allows you to anticipate challenges and respond effectively. Being thorough at this stage not only strengthens your position but also sets the tone for the entire litigation process, giving you confidence and control as you move forward. The more prepared you are, the more likely your case will proceed smoothly and increase your chances of a favorable outcome.

Filing the Lawsuit

The process begins when your attorney formally files a complaint with the court. In an insurance lawsuit, this usually involves claims for property damage, fire loss, or denied insurance coverage. Once filed, the insurance company is then officially notified and served, and it is required to respond, by answering the complaint.

The Answer and Preliminary Motions

After serving your complaint on you insurer, it typically has a set period of time to file an answer. When it answers, the insurer admits or denies your claims and may raise defenses. At this stage, either party may also file preliminary motions, such as motions to dismiss, which can slightly extend the timeline.

Discovery Phase

The discovery phase is one of the most time-intensive parts of litigation. During discovery, both sides exchange evidence, documents, and witness information. Depositions, interrogatories, and requests for production help build each party’s case. In insurance disputes, this phase can take several months or even over a year, especially if experts are involved, such as engineers or fire investigators.

Pre-Trial Mediation and Motions

Even before a trial, there are often opportunities to resolve the case. Settlement negotiations or mediation can sometimes resolve disputes faster. But if negotiations fail, parties may file pre-trial motions to clarify issues, exclude evidence, or request summary disposition or judgment. Each motion can add weeks or months to the process.

Trial

If the case proceeds to trial, the court schedules hearings and trial dates, which can be influenced by the court’s docket. A typical trial may last several days to weeks, depending on the complexity of the case.

Post-Trial and Appeals

After the trial, either party may file appeals, which can extend the resolution timeline by additional months or even years. But even without appeals, most insurance disputes take at least two years from filing to resolution, and sometimes more.

Key Takeaways

Insurance lawsuits are often complex and involve detailed evidence and expert testimony.

The process typically lasts one to two years, or more.

Understanding each stage—filing, discovery, pre-trial motions, trial, and possible appeals—helps policyholders stay prepared and avoid surprises.

If you are dealing with a denied insurance claim or ongoing insurance dispute, working with an experienced insurance attorney can streamline the process, ensure your rights are protected, and help you pursue the compensation you deserve.
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Rabih Hamawi, of Law Office of Rabih Hamawi PC, has expertise in insurance coverage, business negotiations, and commercial litigation. He focuses his practice on representing businessowners, homeowners, property owners, and other insurance policyholders in fire, property damage, and insurance-coverage disputes with insurance companies and in errors-and-omissions cases against insurance agents.

By Samuel Damren

This is the third commentary on the emergent Trump brand of fascism.  Previous commentaries focused on historical comparisons with fascists movements in Europe 1919-45.  

As discussed in those commentaries, fascism relies upon an idealized identity of a single “people” for its political fuel and cohesion, not on a specific ideology.  When analyzed as a methodology and process, but not an ideology, several shared characteristics become evident.  

First, fascist movements promote the promise of return to a romanticized past glory and greatness of their people, real or mythologized.  Second, fascist movements harness their followers’ anger and rejection of present-day government in the belief that the fascist leader can return them to glory.  Third, fascist movements depend on continual crisis and political violence to grow into functioning regimes.  Fourth, the end form of fascist government is always dictatorship.  

In “Fascism in Europe, 1919-45,” historian Philip Morgan notes  that fascist movements were “born in crisis, exploited crisis and saw themselves as the only route out of crisis.” 

The crisis giving birth to Italian fascism was a dysfunctional and corrupt parliament coupled with the real threat of Bolshevist  influence.  Mussolini rose to power quite suddenly in the 1920s crushing labor unions through violent action and intimidating and assassinating political opponents. 

Hitler’s rise to power was more gradual. “But for” the world-wide Depression plunging Germany into economic chaos in the 1930s and adding to existing political and economic instability, the Nazi fascist party with Hitler as leader might never have risen to political power.  As part of that process, Hitler put Germany on a war production economy forging bonds with significant financial interests and with unemployed workers.

After securing footholds on political power, each of the fascist regimes in Italy and Germany continued to depend on the existence of a state of seemingly perpetual crisis and political violence to fully consolidate power.  Many of those events were contrived, manufactured, and instigated by the leaders themselves.

Fascist dictatorships in Germany and Italy were premised on political pillars of restoring past glory to the Aryan and Italian people through a new form of government. Instead, those governments ended up displaying the “worst of the worst” of both peoples, and was responsible for genocide with millions of war dead, national humiliation, and enduring shame.

The MAGA movement resides on a political pillar of “Making America Great Again” no different than fascist movements across Europe from 1919-45.  The precise period in our history referred to has never been clear.  The second pillar of fascist movements in Germany and Italy – the rejection of prior forms of government in favor of establishing a new form – was never part of the Trump campaign in 2016. 

That changed in Trump 2.0, not in the 2024 campaign but in his actions after re-entering office. Trump feigned knowledge of Project 2025 during the campaign.  He is now implementing that blueprint which includes provisions under the “Unitary Executive Theory of the Presidency” that substantially alter the traditional checks and balances of power in American democracy.  

One year into his second term, Trump’s increasing reliance on crisis, emergency powers, and political violence should mark a tipping point for MAGA voters. Stated more simply by MAGA podcasters: “This is not what we signed up for.”  

The list of overstated “imminent crisis” relied upon as justification for unilateral aggressive acts by Trump is long and continues to grow. 

Previous commentary in this series discussed the “shock” troop actions undertaken by ICE to conduct brutal sweeps based on racial profiling in Minneapolis.  This form of political violence closely mirrors the tactics employed by Nazis against civilian populations to capture Jews in occupied Europe. Similar ICE operations are scheduled to commence elsewhere in the spring and summer.

Additionally disturbing, but just as Mussolini and Hitler did after securing power, Trump has unilaterally embarked on a separate form of political violence through ever-increasing foreign military interventions and attacks.  The renewed attacks on Iran begun February 27 are the most recent instance.  

Inside America, Trump is laying groundwork to claim that the very elective system that produced a touted “landslide” victory for him in 2024 must similarly come under emergency executive control in 2026.

Finally, as Trump races headlong to implement Project 2025, he ignores campaign promises to MAGA supporters, including the avoidance of further entanglements in foreign wars. 

On economic issues, he refers MAGA voters to the stock market.  As to full disclosure of the Epstein files, Trump places the interests of the “Epstein Class” above promises for transparency and legal obligations under bi-partisan legislation.  

This is apparently how Presidents act under Unitary Executive Theory: they act like fascist dictators.
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Samuel Damren is a retired Detroit lawyer and author of “What Justice Looks Like.”

By Berl Falbaum

So, we’ll get to the bottom-line question immediately: Is the U.S. attack on Iran justified?

Now, for the problem: that question can’t be answered. Why?

I’ll explain.

Disparate voices can have different opinions on the matter if both argue their case on facts. It can be a respectful difference of opinion on a life-and-death issue.

But, as Hamlet said, “Ay, there’s the rub.”

We cannot make an informed decision because the “facts” supporting the mission come from a mythomaniac, a compulsive liar—President Trump.

Trump either lied in June 2025 when he told us that he had “obliterated” its nuclear and missile capabilities or he is lying now by stating the U.S. is facing an “imminent” threat.

He can’t have it both ways.

When Trump informed the country of his decision in an eight-minute speech, he cited the attack by Iran on the U.S.S. Cole in 2000 during the Clinton administration. Even if Iran was the culprit—and experts, at the time, questioned whether Iran played a role—that’s 26 years ago.

Then he pointed to Iran’s attack on the U.S. embassy in 1979. It captured and held dozens of embassy employes hostage for 444 days, releasing them on the day President Reagan was inaugurated in 1981. Again, that is some 45 years ago. 

Finally, he pointed to Iran’s proxies who carried out a Marine barracks bombing in Beirut that killed 241 in 1983 (43 years ago).

But most important, none of the three presidents—Clinton, Carter or Reagan—started a war.

Justifying “Operation Epic Fury,” Trump claimed that Iran was planning a pre-emptive missile strike while intelligence agencies maintain that Iran does not have the capability for such an assault.

Notwithstanding the success of “Operation Midnight Hammer” in June 2025, Trump is now arguing:

“… [T]hey attempted to rebuild their nuclear program and to continue developing long-range missiles that can now threaten our very good friends and allies in Europe, our troops stationed overseas…”

He added Iran’s missile could “soon reach the American homeland.”

So, following an obliteration in June, “We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally, again, obliterated.”

That’s two obliterations in roughly eight months.

Finally, comes the matter of motivation—the objective.

First, it was to support the protestors on the streets demanding democracy. Then it was to destroy Iran’s ballistic missile program; then, to “obliterate” its nuclear capabilities again; then to make way for regime change.

On regime change, he acknowledged a new government might be worse than the one destroyed. That could happen, he said.

If we cannot trust his “facts,” can we trust his motivation?

Here’s a thought: Could Trump have launched the attack because Iran opposed his candidacy for president in 2020 and 2024?

That is a deplorable, prosperous idea. He would not start a war with implications for the entire world because he is angry about Iran’s political opposition. I should be ashamed of myself for even suggesting that.

Absolutely true. But I did not bring it up. Trump did.

“Iran tried to interfere in 2020, 2024 elections to stop Trump, and now faces renewed war with United States,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

His message repeated the headline of an article alleging Iranian interference in American elections. The article claimed Tehran sought to influence U.S. voters through intelligence operations designed to weaken Trump’s campaign prospects in 2020 and again during the 2024 race.

We have a mini-precedent for a president ordering a military strike against Al-Queda in Afghanistan and Sudan to allegedly draw attention away from a sexual scandal.

On August 20, 1998, three days after Clinton testified on the Monica Lewinsky scandal, “Operation Infinite Reach” launched missiles against al-Qaeda bases in Khost, Afghanistan, and the Al-Shifa pharmaceutical factory in Khartoum, Sudan, in retaliation for United States embassy bombings. Some countries, media outlets, protesters, and Republicans accused Clinton of ordering military operations as a diversion.

The president’s actions drew parallels to a movie “Wag the Dog,” which featured a fictional president faking a war to distract attention from a sex scandal.

Even if not true—and hopefully it is not—it is utterly chilling that Trump would even raise the issue of Iran’s opposition to him in the two presidential elections while discussing the war.

Would Trump be that nefarious, that narcissistic?  I’m going to let readers decide.
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Berl Falbaum is a veteran journalist and author of 12 books.

Butzel attorney and shareholder Javon R. David has been named to Crain’s Notable Women in Law. 

David is a member of Butzel’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice Group,  one of the firm’s largest practice areas. She concentrates her practice in the areas of commercial litigation, media and entertainment law, and products liability. She has litigation experience, successfully 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. 

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Dickinson Wright is pleased to announce that Aleanna Siacon (associate, Troy) has been named co-president of the Michigan Asian Pacific American Bar Association (MAPABA). She is also a recipient of the inaugural MAPABA Rising Star Award. Both honors were announced at the MAPABA Lunar New Year Dinner on February 21.

“I’m honored to be named co-president of MAPABA for the upcoming 2026-2027 year,” said Siacon. “I first became a member of MAPABA as a law student and previously served as treasurer and vice president. Over the years, I’ve seen firsthand how MAPABA bridges generations of attorneys, legal professionals, and law students across areas of interest, cultures, identities and different lived experiences. What makes the organization special is its commitment to the pillars of fellowship, mentorship and community.

“I’m excited to lead MAPABA into this next chapter, while remaining firmly grounded in its foundational values of connection, mutual support and collective advancement – which remain the organization’s compass as we take our first steps into a new year of thoughtful innovation, sustainable growth, and increased visibility,” Siacon added.

As co-president of MAPABA, Siacon will spearhead the organization’s events and programming in the coming year to further advance relations between the legal profession and the public. MAPABA is an affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and the primary local bar association connecting and advocating for the interests of Asian-Americans in the legal profession.

Siacon focuses her practice on commercial litigation and works on a variety of complex business disputes. She has a passion for civil litigation and all its intricacies and has experience defending and counseling companies, municipalities, and school districts in an array of legal matters from investigation to matter resolution. She is recognized as a leader in her field by Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch.” In 2025, Siacon was appointed to the State Bar of Michigan’s Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Committee, and, in 2026, she was named to Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s Up and Coming Lawyers. 

Siacon is a member of the State Bar of Michigan Young Lawyers Section Executive Council, a Fellow of the Oakland County Bar Foundation, and a member of Federal Bar Association – Eastern District of Michigan Chapter. 

Siacon received her B.A. from Wayne State University and her law degree from Wayne State University Law School.

In addition, Dickinson Wright is pleased to announce that three attorneys have been named to Crain Detroit Business 2026 Notable Women in Law. 

Dickinson Wright attorneys selected for this year’s Notable Women in Law include:

Jill Ingber, senior director of Attorney Recruitment and Professional Development, Troy

Monica Labe, member, Troy

Elizabeth Luckenbach, member and division director, Regulatory/Administration, Troy

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Plunkett Cooney partner Glenn C. Ross was recently named a Fellow of the American College of Mortgage Attorneys (ACMA).  The newly elected Fellows will be formally inducted into membership at ACMA’s Annual Meeting on Sept. 17-19 at the Ritz-Carlton, Bacara in Santa Barbara, California.

Ross, who serves as Plunkett Cooney’s Business Transactions & Planning Practice Group leader, has 15 years of experience representing clients in numerous aspects of general corporate law, business and commercial matters, and mergers and acquisitions, as well as in transactions related to complex financing. He provides counsel and advice regarding a variety of financing sources for real estate projects and business transactions, including the use of tax credits, conventional construction and permanent financing loans, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans, 221(d)(4) and 221(f) FHA loans, HOME funds, private activity bonds and other federal, state and local financing sources. 
A 2011 graduate of Wayne State University Law School, Ross is a member of the State Bar of Michigan. He received his undergraduate degree, with honors, from Michigan State University in 2005.

In addition, Plunkett Cooney  partner and Litigation Department leader Courtney L. Nichols was recently named by Crain’s Detroit Business as one of the news publication’s 2026 Notable Women in Law.

Since joining the firm in 2011, Nichols has built an active employment law practice. She serves as outside employment law counsel to numerous Michigan companies, and she defends employers in workplace-related litigation through their insurance providers.

A former co-leader of Plunkett Cooney’s Labor & Employment Law Practice Group, Nichols currently serves as the firm’s Litigation Department leader. She is also a member of the firm’s Strategic Planning, Retirement and Salary and Bonus committees, and she serves as general counsel for employment law issues on behalf of the firm.

Nichols is a member of Plunkett Cooney’s Bloomfield Hills office where she focuses her litigation practice in the area of employment law, including the defense of discrimination, retaliation and civil rights claims. She provides counsel to employers of all sizes regarding complicated employment and labor issues prior to litigation, including compliance with the ADA, FMLA and FLSA. Nichols also assists clients with drafting and enforcing employment policies and contractual agreements.

Nichols was recently selected as a Best Lawyer in America® for Employment Law – Management and Labor and Employment Litigation and as Rising Star by Michigan Super Lawyer magazine for Employment & Labor. In 2024, DBusiness Magazine named Nichols among its 30 in Their Thirties business leaders, and in 2023 Crain’s Detroit Business named her a Notable Leader in Employment & Labor Law. Nichols was also honored by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as a 2025 Influential Woman of Law and as a 2021 Go To Employment Lawyer and 2015 Up & Coming Lawyer.

Admitted to practice in the state and federal courts in Michigan, Nichols is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, and she serves as vice chair of the Labor & Employment Law Practice Group of ALFA International, a global consortium of law firms. 

Nichols received her law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2011 and her undergraduate degree from the James Madison College at Michigan State University in 2008.

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Crain’s Detroit Business has named Foster Swift shareholder Dora A. Brantley to the 2026 Notable Women in Law list.

Practicing in the firm’s Southfield office, Brantley defends professional liability claims and claims brought against restaurants, hospitality companies, manufacturers, transportation carriers, landlords, small business owners and governmental entities. She is often retained by insurance carriers for coverage disputes involving auto negligence, fire losses, and construction and toxic torts.

Brantley is the only attorney selected by two Fortune 500 fast food corporations to defend claims and litigation in Michigan, including tort liability and alleged civil rights violations. She previously served on the boards of Ronald McDonald House Charities Detroit and LIFT Women’s Resource Center in Detroit, an organization established to assist women struggling with various social issues, including domestic violence and substance abuse.

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Miller Johnson is pleased to welcome Jacqueline Zablocki to the Education practice group.

Prior to joining Miller Johnson, Zablocki served as the Civil Rights/Title IX coordinator for an intermediate school district in southeast Michigan. In that role, she oversaw organizational compliance with Title IX, Title VI, Section 504, and the Title II of the ADA. She led investigations into allegations of discrimination and harassment, coordinated responses to state and federal agency complaints, and provided supportive and remedial measures to students and staff. She also delivered ongoing professional development to administrators, educators, and students on legal obligations related to civil rights, accessibility, and nondiscrimination, while serving as a consultant to local school districts on navigating complex compliance issues related to Title IX and other civil rights laws.

Zablocki graduated from Chicago-Kent College of Law and Albion College (B.A.).  She is licensed to practice in Michigan and Illinois.

Miller Johnson is also pleased to announce that Fadwa Hammoud has been appointed to a two-year term on the Board of Directors for Leaders Advancing & Helping Communities (LAHC).

“I’m truly honored to join a board doing such transformative work and helping ensure our communities have the resources, support, and opportunities they deserve,” Hammoud said.

Hammoud is the managing member of Miller Johnson’s Detroit office and part of the firm’s senior leadership team. She leads investigations, litigation, and crisis response across industries, representing clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies and government officials to closely held businesses and nonprofits. 

Before joining Miller Johnson, Hammoud served as Michigan’s solicitor general—the youngest and first Arab-American Muslim in the role—representing the state in critical appellate matters. In 2022, she made history as the first Arab-American Muslim woman to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court, winning Brown v. Davenport and influencing national precedent in criminal, civil rights, and constitutional law.

Hammoud serves on the Executive Committee of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer to support Michigan’s long-term economic strategy and investment. She has also contributed to the Michigan Middle Eastern American Affairs Commission and advisory committees focused on historically underrepresented communities.

Hammoud earned her law degree from Wayne State University Law School and her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan – Dearborn.

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Zausmer is proud to announce that Executive Shareholder Cinnamon Plonka has been honored in Crain’s Detroit Notable Women in Law.

Plonka is a litigator who specializes in civil litigation, including no-fault and third-party automobile negligence, employment litigation, and insurance fraud. She practices at both the trial and appellate levels. She is an experienced trial attorney and often serves as the go-to counsel for insurance carriers due to her ability to maintain long-term, high-value client relationships.

In addition to her litigation success, Plonka serves as co-chair of the Law & Civil Rights Committee of Mayor Mary Sheffield’s transition team, Rise Higher Detroit. Her group will advise on legal matters affecting the city, analyze the effectiveness of the City’s Civil Rights, Inclusion, and Opportunity capacity, and advise on protecting residents’ civil rights and access to justice. Plonka also serves on the Board of Directors for Oakland THRIVE and Forgotten Harvest.

Plonka has served on the State Bar of Michigan’s Attorney Discipline Board, as past president of the Black Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, and as a trustee of Eastern Michigan University’s Foundation Board of Trustees. She also serves on Zausmer’s Executive Committee and Diversity Committee.

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Varnum partner Mallory Field has been recognized as Notable Women in Law by Crain’s Detroit. 

Field is a member of the Business and Corporate Practice Team advising emerging and middle market companies across industries on general corporate transactions, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and capital fundraising. Field supports startups and entrepreneurs through venture financings from pre-seed to Series B, advising on SAFEs, convertible notes, equity plans, investor relations, and a wide range of brand, sponsorship, and licensing agreements. She practices from the Novi office.

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Chair of Honigman’s Corporate Department and Member of the firm’s Executive Committee, Kim Dudek was recently honored by Crain’s Detroit Business among this year’s Notable Women in Law. 

Dudek advises clients on corporate and financing transactions, counseling private equity sponsors and private borrowers on acquisition financings, working capital facilities, senior and subordinated financing transactions and recapitalizations.

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Bodman PLC is pleased to announce that Hebba Aref and Melissa A. Lewis have been selected as Notable Women in Law by Crain’s Detroit Business.

Aref is the co-chair of Bodman’s Banking and Finance Practice Group and is based in the firm’s Detroit office. She represents financial institutions in commercial lending transactions, including the structuring, negotiating and documenting of loan transactions, including syndicated loans, bilateral loans, subordinated loans, and participations. 
Aref has been recognized as a banking attorney in The Best Lawyers in America since 2023 and DBusiness Magazine “Top Lawyers” since 2024. She was also recognized in Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s Class of 2024 Influential Women in Law.

Lewis is a member of Bodman’s Banking and Finance Practice Group and a member of Bodman’s Syndications team. Based in the firm’s Detroit office, she represents national and regional financial institutions on commercial loan origination matters, including the structuring, negotiation and documentation of agented and syndicated loan transactions. 

Lewis is recognized in The Best Lawyers in America under Banking and Finance Law, in DBusiness Magazine “Top Lawyers” under Banking & Financial Service Law, and most recently, in IFLR1000 as a “Notable Practitioner” on the U.S. National list under Banking and Finance.

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Dykema  is proud to announce that Sherrie Farrell and Rochelle Lento have been recognized by Crain’s Detroit Business as 2026 “Notable Women in Law.” 

Farrell serves as Dykema’s chief diversity and inclusion officer and advises corporations on complex commercial litigation and bankruptcy matters. She represents auto manufacturers, financial institutions, nonprofits, and government entities in high-stakes disputes across industries. Over the course of her career, Farrell has served as national coordinating and discovery counsel in large-scale litigation, counseled clients on cybersecurity and data breach response, and represented creditors and other stakeholders in significant restructuring matters.

Farrell became the firm’s first chief diversity and inclusion officer and served for many years as managing member of the firm’s Detroit office. Her commitment to inclusion builds on decades of leadership within bar associations and community organizations. She has also served on the boards of Gift of Life Michigan, the Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program, Develop Detroit, and the Wolverine Bar Foundation.

Lento is a member in Dykema’s Real Estate Practice Group and is widely regarded as a leading authority on affordable housing and community development law. She structures and closes complex public and private financing transactions, guiding developers, investors, and lenders through regulatory and funding frameworks that include Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, historic tax credits, HUD financing tools, and other federal and state programs. Her recent projects include the Residences at St. Matthew, 
Higginbotham Arts Residences, and the Henry Street Redevelopment, each contributing to the expansion of affordable housing opportunities in Detroit.

Lento has played a role in the American Bar Association’s Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law, serving in multiple leadership capacities and co-editing “The Legal Guide to Affordable Housing & Community Development Law,” now in its third edition. Within the firm, she was instrumental in launching Dykema’s Women’s Business Initiative, a program dedicated to advancing women’s professional growth. Lento also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Detroit Mercy and is active with organizations including Alternatives for Girls and the Detroit Parks Coalition.

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Clark Hill’s Maria Dwyer and Anne-Marie Welch were both selected as Crain’s Detroit Business “Notable Women in Law” for 2026. 

Dwyer, a member in the Firm’s Detroit office, litigates employment and business cases and advises senior management in employment and business considerations. She also conducts workplace investigations, investigates and serves as a certified Hearing Officer in Title IX claims, and counsels educational organizations in Title IX issues. She is the member-in-charge of Clark Hill’s Detroit office and the co-leader of the Retail, Hospitality, Food & Beverage Team. 

Dwyer was previously recognized by Crain’s as a “Notable Leader in Labor & Employment Law (2023), among her other distinctions.

Welch, member and Labor & Employment attorney based in the firm’s Birmingham office, defends employers in lawsuits and administrative proceedings against wrongful discharge, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and related statutory and tort claims. She also prosecutes and defends against breaches of non-competition, non-solicitation, and confidentiality agreements. 

Welch serves as the Labor & Employment leader of the firm’s Automotive and Manufacturing industry team and has earned multiple business and legal honors over the course of her career.

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Taft partner Rick Kruger was a recent preliminary round judge at the Annual Shapero Cup, a regional competition in connection with the 34th Annual Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition. 

Kruger is a member of Taft’s Bankruptcy and Restructuring and Real Estate Finance practice groups, as well as a member of the Automotive industry group. He has a national practice focusing on both transactional and litigation aspects of bankruptcy law, debtor and creditor rights, workouts, corporate, and financing transactions. His client representations include original equipment manufacturers, borrowers, debtors, secured parties, landlords, purchasers, sellers, receivers, avoidance defendants, and unsecured creditors’ committees. 

In addition, Taft Detroit Partner Sara Kruse has been named a Notable Women in Law by Crain’s Detroit Business. 

Kruse is a corporate attorney who has dedicated her legal career to helping clients achieve their goals and position them for success. She has knowledge and experience guiding clients through the entire business evolution, from formation through exit. Kruse counsels clients on complex business transactions, mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, private debt and equity financings, venture capital, strategic partnerships, corporate governance, and other general corporate matters across diverse industries.

Taft Law is also pleased to announce that Mark Rubenfire, Detroit partner and co-chair of the Real Estate Practice Group, has been selected as a member of the 16th class of the Midwest Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame by Midwest Real Estate News Magazine. 

Rubenfire specializes in acquisitions, sales, financing, and leasing of all types of real estate, including industrial, commercial, multifamily, and residential. He has a range of transactional experience and has worked on behalf of borrowers with lenders of all types, including insurance companies, banks, and commercial mortgage-backed security (CMBS) lenders.

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Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently announced the appointment of Brittany Johnson to the Wayne County 23rd District Court for the City of Taylor. 

Johnson is an assistant prosecuting attorney at the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, where she has served since 2019. Johnson previously served as a law clerk at the City of Dearborn and as a legislative extern for the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan. Johnson serves as a board member at the Government Bar Association. 

Johnson earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology and criminal justice from Grand Valley State University, a Master of Social Work from Michigan State University, and a law degree from the Michigan State University College of Law. 

“I am deeply honored by Governor Whitmer’s appointment to serve on the 23rd District Court. I am thankful for everyone who has supported me throughout my career,” said Johnson. “I am excited to serve the people of Taylor with the fairness and respect they deserve.” 

This appointment will be made to fill a partial term following the resignation of Judge Joseph Slaven. Johnson’s term will expire at twelve o’clock noon on January 1, 2027.

By Samuel Damren 

In President Trump’s second term, as discussed in the previous commentary, a new brand of fascism appears to be taking shape in America. It accompanied the ICE occupation of Minneapolis in December and is set to spread across the country through ICE offensives in the spring and summer.  

The analysis of fascism’s rise to power and ultimate fall was the subject of voluminous works and focus in the decades immediately following World War II. Nevertheless, concern that fascism might reassert itself in the Western world later faded. The Third Reich came to be viewed as an aberration, a horrible aberration, but not something that might recur.  

At the close of the 20th century, historians re-examined the political underpinnings of fascist movements and regimes in Europe 1919-45. They did so for two reasons.  
First, in seeking to define its component parts, scholars realized that fascism is not an “ism.” Unlike socialism, capitalism, and communism, it does not espouse a uniform 
and specific political ideology applicable across borders.

Second, to fully understand fascist movements, they realized that the analysis must be individualized to each country.  

Fascism is inherently “nationalistic” in that it relies upon an idealized identity of a single “people” for its political fuel and cohesion. It only expands beyond borders as a result of conquest and the subjugation of other countries.

Other than to note that ideologies of fascist movements could vary dramatically, academics ceased trying to identify a distinct ideological foundation for fascism. Instead, they first examined the conditions necessary to birth a fascist movement and then moved to examine fascism as a process involving various stages of development ultimately leading to dictatorship.  

The European perspective and context of WW I and the period leading up to WW II differed significantly from the American experience.

America entered WW I in the late stages of the conflict. Millions had already died in consequence of protracted trench warfare.  Europe was both deeply traumatized and disillusioned to a degree that America was not by the so-called “Great War.”

In “Fascism in Europe, 1919–1945,” historian Philip Morgan notes that in response to this despondence and as popular support for the war effort eroded, political leaders in Britain, France and their allies began to portray it as a “war for democracy against the autocracies of Europe … in the promise and reward of a better post-war society.”

In the later peace settlement, the map of Europe dramatically changed placing new ethnic groups together, separating portions of ethnic populations from one another, and establishing new governments. “The outcome was a Europe,” according to Morgan, “more politically united around similar democratic parliamentary systems than at any time before.” 

It did not last. The threat of the Communist Bolshevik Revolution to capitalist economies in transformed Europe together with ethnic tensions in newly national borders spawned a “first wave” of reactionary fascist movements. Outside of Italy, none took root.  

The “second wave” of fascist movements occurred in response to the world-wide Depression originating in the United States.  Coupled with the unsustainable post-war debt imposed by the peace settlement, the “second wave” took root in Germany.

Significant populations in Italy and Germany enthusiastically embraced fascist appeal to the glorious past of Roman times in Italy and a mythologized past of Aryan superiority in Germany. For many, fascism was the only viable option for future governance remaining after the failures of autocracy, communism ,and capitalism to provide much needed stability.

Every other fascist movement in Europe failed to root. The reason was a combination of factors. Before the late 1800s, Italy and Germany did not exist as distinct states. Consequently, the more established government institutions in other European countries were better able to withstand the challenge posed by “home grown” fascist groups.

Once the fascists secured elective positions in the governments of Italy and Germany, they moved to the next stage of development: expanding their base to include other political power centers. 

They skillfully played capitalist and communist party interests against one another leading to collaboration with, and backing from, major financial interests. They made political deals with some opponents; and, alternatively, resorted to violence and threats to intimidate others.  

Upon securing leadership positions in the government, fascist leaders monopolized power with little resistance. 

In both Italy and Germany, fascist power was based on two political pillars. First, on a promise to restore the people to the position of prior glory. Second, by harnessing the anger of supporters to the political crisis resulting from wide-spread disillusion and rejection of prior norms and forms of government.

Making good on that promise and dismantling norms and existing government structures were the next stage in development for the newly empowered fascist regimes. How it occurred and lessons for present-day America will be the focus of the next commentaries in this series.
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Samuel Damren is a retired Detroit lawyer and author of “What Justice Looks Like.”