Legal People

Butzel Long
Several Butzel Long attorneys have been chosen by their peers for inclusion in “The Best Lawyers in America®” 2011 edition. 

The following attorneys were selected for the 2011 edition:
Bloomfield Hills office
• Alexander B. Bragdon – Employee Benefits Law.
• Stephen A. Bromberg – Real Estate Law.
• Frederick G. Buesser III – Family Law.
• Gordon W. Didier – Real Estate Law.
• Edward D. Gold – Family Law.
• Howard B. Goldman – Real Estate Law.
• Roberta Granadier – Employee Benefits Law.
• D. Stewart Green – Real Estate Law.
• Patrick A. Karbowski – Real Estate Law.
• Allan Nachman – Real Estate Law.
• Steven M. Ribiat – Commercial Litigation.
• Anthony J. Saulino Jr. – Real Estate Law.
• Thomas L. Shaevsky – Employee Benefits Law.
• Jack D. Shumate – Environmental Law.
• David W. Sommerfeld – Trusts and Estates.

Detroit office.
• Linda Armstrong – Immigration Law.
• James C. Bruno – Corporate Law – International Trade and Finance Law.
• Robert G. Buydens – Employee Benefits Law.
• Carey A. Dewitt – Labor and Employment Law.
• Herbert C. Donovan – Personal Injury Litigation.
• Arthur Dudley II – Corporate Law.
• David F. DuMouchel – Criminal Defense: White-Collar; Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law.
• Eric Flessland – Construction Law.
• John P. Hancock Jr. – Labor and Employment Law.
• Robert A. Hudson – Corporate Law – International Trade and Finance Law.
• Philip J. Kessler – Antitrust Law – Bet-the-Company Litigation – Commercial Litigation.
• Justin G. Klimko – Corporate Governance and Compliance Law; Corporate Law; Mergers & Acquisitions Law; Securities Law.
• Edward M. Kronk – Personal Injury Litigation – Product Liability Litigation.
• Clara DeMatteis Mager – Immigration Law.
• Laurie J. Michelson – First Amendment Law.
• Reginald A. Pacis – Immigration Law.
• Carl Rashid Jr. – Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law – Real Estate Law – Tax Law.
• Richard E. Rassel – Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; First Amendment Law.
• James S. Rosenfeld – Labor and Employment Law.
• Bruce L. Sendek – Commercial Litigation.
• Nicholas J. Stasevich – Corporate Law.
• Louis Theros – Labor and Employment Law.
• Daniel B. Tukel  – Labor and Employment Law.
• James E. Wynne – Personal Injury Litigation.

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Dykema
Dykema announces that numerous attorneys from its Michigan offices were named “Super Lawyers” for 2010 and several attorneys were named “Michigan Rising Stars” 2010. 

The 2010 “Michigan Super Lawyers” are:
Bloomfield Hills Office
• Maria B. Abrahamsen – Health Care.
• Brendan J. Cahill – Business/Corporate.
• Michael G. Cumming – Estate Planning & Probate.
• James P. Feeney – Personal Injury Defense: Products.
• Adam M. Fishkind – Real Estate.
• Alan M. Greene – Land Use/Zoning.
• Dennis M. Haffey – Business Litigation.
• Howard B. Iwrey – Antitrust Litigation.
• Mark G. Malven – Information Technology/Outsourcing.
• Bonnie Mayfield – Employment Litigation: Defense.
• D. Richard McDonald – Securities & Corporate Finance.
• Marilyn A. Peters – Business Litigation.
• Ronald L. Rose – Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights.
• Sheryl L. Toby – Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights.

Detroit Office
• J. Michael Bernard – Mergers & Acquisitions.
• Eric T. Carver – Estate Planning & Probate.
• Samuel C. Damren – Business Litigation.
• John A. Entenman – Employment & Labor.
• Robert J. Franzinger – Business Litigation.
• Martin Jay Galvin – Employment & Labor.
• Grant P. Gilezan – Environmental.
• Steven E. Grob – Tax.
• Patrick F. Hickey – Business Litigation.
• Kathryn J. Humphrey – Personal Injury Defense: Products.
• Margaret Adams Hunter – Employee Benefits/ERISA.
• Mark D. Jacobs – Environmental.
• Peter M. Kellett – Personal Injury Defense: Products.
• Jin-Kyu Koh – Business/Corporate.
• Kathrin E. Kudner – Health Care.
• Daniel P. Malone – Business Litigation.
• Derek I. Meier – Immigration.
• Aleksandra A. Miziolek – Mergers & Acquisitions.
• Cameron H. Piggott – Real Estate.
• Joseph A. Ritok – Employment & Labor.
• Rex E. Schlaybaugh Jr. – Securities & Corporate Finance.

The 2010 “Michigan Rising Stars” are:
Bloomfield Hills Office.
• Michael J. Blalock – Civil Litigation Defense.
• William F. Kolakowski III – Intellectual Property.
• William W. Kregel – Business/Corporate.

Detroit Office.
• Jonathan G. Gordon – Real Estate.
• James F. Hermon – Employment Litigation: Defense.
• Todd C. Schebor – Environmental.

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Michigan Gaming Control Board
On Sept. 1, Gov. Jennifer Granholm appointed former judge Kenneth Sanborn to the Michigan Gaming Control Board. Sanborn will fill a seat that has been vacant since last year.
Sanborn began his career as a lawyer in 1949 and is best known for his successful defense of Air Force member Milo Radulovich against charges of communist ties in 1953. In 1998, the case was honored with a State Bar of Michigan Legal Milestone marker for its significance to the fall of McCarthyism nationwide. Sanborn later served as a judge in the 16th Circuit Court before retiring in 1990.
The appointment establishes a full, five-member board. Sanborn will join current Board members Jim Plakas, Michael Watza, retired Judge Benjamin Friedman, and chairperson Barbara Rom.

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Honigman, Miller, Schwartz and Cohn LLP
Honigman, Miller, Schwartz, and Cohn LLP is pleased to announce the addition of several new attorneys, all of whom are former summer associates of the firm.

Kathryn A. Katz joins Honigman’s Trusts and Estates Department in Detroit. Katz earned a law degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and a B.A. in History and Political Science from the University of Wisconsin.

She formerly worked at Jones Day in Chicago as a project assistant and at the Chicago Legal Clinic as an Intern. Katz sat for the State Bar of Michigan exam in July.

Roger P. Meyers joins the firm’s Litigation Department in Detroit. He earned a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School and a B.S. in Business Administration from Suffolk University in Boston.

Most recently, Meyers served as judicial clerk for U.S. Court of AppealsJudge Raymond Kethledge, Sixth Circuit, and is a member of the State Bar of Michigan.

Matthew J. Moussiaux joins Honigman’s Corporate and Securities Department in Detroit. He earned a law degree from Wayne State University Law School. He earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix and a B.S. from Michigan State University in Building Construction Management.

Moussiaux most recently served as a judicial law clerk for U.S. District Court Judge Nancy G. Edmunds, Eastern District of Michigan, and is a member of the State Bar of Michigan.

Clara L. Seymour joins the firm’s Corporate and Securities Department in Detroit. Seymour earned a law degree from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law.

She earned a B.A. from the University of Michigan in Philosophy and Psychology. Seymour sat for the State Bar of Michigan exam in July.

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Miller Canfield
Miller Canfield recently announced that several of its lawyers were selected by their peers for inclusion in the pre-eminent legal referral guide, “The Best Lawyers in America®” 2011.

Following is a list of Miller Canfield attorneys honored in “Best Lawyers®” 2011. Lawyers  named for the first time this year are noted with an *. Lawyers thay have been recognized in “Best Lawyers” since its inception in 1983 have been noted with a **.

Detroit office
• Frederick A. Acomb – Commercial Litigation.
• Marjory G. Basile – Intellectual Property.
• Bruce D. Birgbauer** – Corporate and International Trade and Finance.
• Orin D. Brustad – Employee Benefits.
• Harold W. Bulger Jr. – Public Finance.
• Beverly Hall Burns – Education and Labor and Employment.
• Michael P. Coakley* – Commercial Litigation.
• Thomas D. Colis – Public Finance.
• Donna J. Donati – Labor and Employment.
• Lawrence M. Dudek – Construction and Real Estate.
• W. Mack Faison –  Commercial Litigation.
• Adam S. Forman – Labor and Employment.
• Brant A. Freer – Public Finance and Tax.
• Joseph F. Galvin – Land Use & Zoning – Municipal and Real Estate.
• Leonard D. Givens – Labor and Employment.
• Jonathan S. Green – Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights.
• Michael W. Hartmann – Commercial Litigation, Legal Malpractice and Professional Malpractice.
• Donald W. Keim – Public Finance.
• Douglas M. Kilbourne – Banking.
• Stephen S. LaPlante – Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights.
• Thomas W. Linn – Banking.
• Anthony J. Mavrinac – Banking.
• Michael P. McGee – Public Finance.
• Patrick F. McGow – Public Finance.
• Jeffrey M. McHugh – Public Finance.
• Samuel J. McKim III** – Tax.
• David K. McLeod – Banking.
• Christopher A. McMican – Employee Benefits.
• Megan P. Norris – Labor and Employment.
• Kathryn L. Ossian – Information Technology.
• A. Michael Palizzi – Intellectual Property.
• Thomas G. Parachini – Commercial Litigation.
• Joel L. Piell – Public Finance.
• Clarence L. Pozza Jr. – Bet-the-Company Litigation and Commercial Litigation.
• Steven A. Roach – Banking.
• Jerry T. Rupley – Education and Public Finance.
• Larry J. Saylor – Antitrust.
• P.  Rivka Schochet – Franchise.
• Richard J. Seryak – Labor and Employment.
• Michael H. Traison – Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights.
• Amanda Van Dusen – Public Finance, Education and Banking.
• Carl H. von Ende – Commercial Litigation, Bet-the-Company Litigation, and Banking.
• Peter W. Waldmeir – Energy.
• Jerome R. Watson – Labor and Employment.
• John H. Willems – Labor and Employment.
 
Troy office
• James L. Allen – Banking and Real Estate.
• Frank L. Andrews – Environmental.
• Thomas G. Appleman – Corporate and Securities.
• Brad B. Arbuckle – Corporate – Securities and Mergers & Acquisitions.
• Thomas W. Cranmer – Bet-the-Company Litigation, Non-White-Collar Criminal Defense, White-Collar Criminal Defense, Commercial Litigation and Ethics and Professional Responsibility.
• Gregory V. DiCenso – Trusts and Estates.
• Kalman G. Goren – Employee Benefits.
• Robert J. Haddad – Mass Tort Litigation – Personal Injury Litigation and Product Liability Litigation.
• Ronald E. Hodess – Construction and Real Estate.
•  Brian R. Jenney – Elder Law.
• Amy M. Johnston – Personal Injury Litigation.
• David D. Joswick – Corporate – Mergers & Acquisitions and Banking.
• Kenneth E. Konop – Trusts and Estates.
• Matthew F. Leitman – Non-White Collar Criminal Defense and White-Collar Criminal Defense.
• Anna M. Maiuri – Environmental.
• Stephen J. Ott – Mass Tort Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation and Product Liability Litigation.
• James A. Simpson – Banking.
• David M. Thoms – Non-Profit/Charities and Trusts and Estates.
• J.  Kevin Trimmer – Real Estate.
• Brian S. Westenberg – Mass Tort Litigation.
• James W. Williams – Trusts and Estates.
• Mark E. Wilson – Health Care.

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Brooks Kushman
Intellectual property (IP) legal veteran Ralph M. Burton recently retired from Brooks Kushman law firm after a 56-year career. Burton, who was a senior attorney at the time of his retirement, practiced both domestic and international patent and trademark law.

Burton began his practice in 1954 at Burton and Parker, a law firm headed by his father, Ralph J. Burton. The history of the firm goes back to 1909 when R. Parker was the lead patent attorney for Henry

Ford in the famous Selden v Ford patent litigation. After the firm merged with Brooks Kushman in 1988, he established a successful practice employing a team-oriented approach to determine cost-effective strategies and solutions for a variety of the firm’s corporate and independent clients.

“Brooks Kushman pays tribute to Ralph for his long career practicing intellectual property law,” said James A. Kushman, chairman and CEO, Brooks Kushman. “On behalf of the entire Brooks Kushman organization, I would like to thank Ralph for his efforts over the past 22 years and wish him all the best in his retirement.”

Burton is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, American Bar Association, American Intellectual Property Law Association and the Michigan Intellectual Property Law Association, of which he served as president from 1968 to 1969. He earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan.

“Ralph’s retirement is especially noteworthy as he is the first attorney to retire from Brooks Kushman,” Kushman said. “Celebrating his long career and dedication further highlights the depth of experience and expertise of our lawyers.”

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Fraser, Trebilcock, Davis & Dunlap PC
Fraser, Trebilcock, Davis & Dunlap PC and Fraser Consulting LLC recently announced the addition of Daniel Cherrin as the firm’s director of Marketing, Senior Attorney, lobbyist and public relations consultant, respectively.

Cherrin recently served as the Communications director for the City of Detroit and press secretary to interim Mayor Kenneth V. Cockrel Jr.

Cherrin is an attorney, lobbyist and PR executive with 12 years of experience providing senior public relations and government relations counsel to corporations, not-for-profits and individual clients, on state and federal regulatory and legislative matters, as well as issues affecting corporate and individual reputation, crisis management and the media.

In this new position, Cherrin expands the services already offered by Fraser, Trebilcock, and Fraser Consulting to include: Litigation Communications, Public Affairs and Community Engagement Strategies, Crisis Communications, Media Relations, and serve as a company’s spokesperson.

Cherrin is a Michigan SCAO-approved civil mediator. He is a member of the Standing Committee on Law and the Media for the State Bar of Michigan and was recently elected to its’ Representative Assembly. Cherrin also is a member of the Board of Directors of the MS Society of Michigan and Urban League of Southeastern Michigan. He is registered to lobby before the United States Congress and Canada’s Parliament.

Additionally, Fraser Trebilcock attorney Kenneth S. Wilson was recently cited as one of the top attorneys from around the United States by “Super Lawyers” Magazine. Wilson’s practice area is Employment & Labor; Franchise/Dealership

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Foley & Lardner LLP
Foley & Lardner LLP announced that nine Detroit office attorneys have been named 2010 Michigan “Super Lawyers” by Law & Politics Media, Inc. In addition, four Detroit office attorneys have been named 2010 Michigan Rising Stars by the organization.

The nine Detroit attorneys named 2010 Michigan “Super Lawyers” and their primary practices, as classified by Law & Politics, are:
• Salvatore A. Barbatano, Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights.
• John F. Birmingham Jr., Employment & Labor.
• Patrick Daugherty, Securities & Corporate Finance.
• Steven H. Hilfinger, Mergers & Acquisitions.
• Judy A. O’Neill, Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights.
• Chris E. Rossman, Health Care.
• Thomas B. Spillane, Mergers & Acquisitions.
• John R. Trentacosta, Business Litigation.
• Ann Marie Uetz, Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights.

The four Detroit attorneys named 2010 Michigan “Rising Stars” and their primary practices, as classified by Law & Politics, are:
• Daljit S. Doogal, Mergers & Acquisitions.
• Jason D. Menges, Business Litigation.
• Scott T. Seabolt, Business Litigation.
• John A. Simon, Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights.

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Howard & Howard
Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC is pleased to announce that it has been ranked first in bank merger and acquisition transactions in the Midwest year-to-date, according to SNL Financial.

An authority on collecting, standardizing and disseminating relevant corporate, financial, market and mergers and acquisitions data, SNL Financial compiles mergers and acquisitions data throughout the course of the year.

The Midwest division covers Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

In addition, several of Howard & Howard’s attorneys were recently named to Michigan “Super Lawyers” and “Michigan Rising Stars” 2010 as a result of a survey by Law & Politics Media, Inc.

Local Howard & Howard attorneys and the practice areas under which they are listed in “Michigan Super Lawyers” 2010 are as follows:
• Henry J. Brennan III, Mergers & Acquisitions.
• Mark A. Davis (president & CEO), Real Estate.
• Robert E. Graziani, Insurance Coverage.
• Lisa S. Gretchko, Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights (Recognized among the Top 50 Women).
• Mark W. Peyser, Business Litigation.
• Brad A. Rayle, Employment Litigation: Defense.
• Jeffrey A. Sadowski, Intellectual Property Litigation.
• John A. Wise, Business/Corporate.
• Timothy M. Wittebort, Real Estate.

The Howard & Howard attorneys and the practice areas under which they are listed in Michigan Rising Stars 2009 are as follows:
• Christopher S. Andrzejak, Intellectual Property.
• Joseph J. DeVito, Mergers & Acquisitions.
• Stephen P. Dunn, Business Litigation.
• Trent K. English, Intellectual Property.
• Michael O. Fawaz, Business Litigation.
• Kristopher K. Hulliberger, Intellectual Property.
• David M. LaPrairie, Intellectual Property.
• Matthew B. Woodworth, Business Litigation.

Also, Howard & Howard attorney Jeffrey A. Sadowski was recently named to the 2011 edition of “The Best Lawyers in America®.”

Sadowski practices in the firm’s Royal Oak Office and was honored by “Best Lawyers” for Intellectual Property Law.  Sadowski concentrates his practice in litigation and prosecution in various aspects of patent, trademark, copyright, computer law and franchising.

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Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer, & Weiss PC
Lawrence Jordan, shareholder with Southfield-based Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer, & Weiss PC has been re-appointed to the Technology and Training Advisory Board of the Institute for Continuing Legal Education for a three-year-term running through June 30, 2013. Jaffe CEO Richard Zussma made the announcement.

Jordan serves as group coordinator of the firm’s intellectual property practice group with more than 30 years experience focusing in the areas of trademark, copyright, licensing, information technology, Internet, publishing and entertainment law.