Legal People

Butzel Long

Butzel Long has received national recognition in the 2020 “Best Law Firms,” rankings by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers. 

Butzel Long is ranked in multiple legal specialties in the Ann Arbor, Bloomfield Hills, Detroit, Lansing, and Washington, D.C. offices.

Below is a local list of Butzel Long’s 2020 Best Law Firm rankings:

National Rankings

National Tier 2

• Corporate Law

• Litigation – Securities

• Securities Regulation

National Tier 3

• Commercial Litigation

• Employment Law – Management

• Environmental Law

Metropolitan Rankings

Metropolitan Tier 1

—Bloomfield Hills

• Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/ Insolvency and Reorganization Law

• Commercial Litigation

• Construction Law

• Corporate Law

• Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law

• Employment Law – Management

• Environmental Law

• Family Law

• Immigration Law

• Labor Law – Management

• Litigation – Antitrust

• Litigation – ERISA

• Litigation – Labor & Employment

• Litigation – Real Estate

• Real Estate Law

• Trusts & Estates Law

—Detroit

• Construction Law

• Corporate Law

• Criminal Defense: White-Collar

• Employment Law – Management

• Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law

• Immigration Law

• International Trade and Finance Law

• Labor Law – Management

• Litigation – Labor & Employment

• Mass Tort Litigation/ Class Action – Defendants

• Mergers & Acquisitions Law

• Product Liability Litigation – Defendants

• Securities Regulation

Metropolitan Tier 2

—Bloomfield Hills

• Closely Held Companies and Family Business Law

• Corporate Governance Law

• Health Care Law

• Litigation – Construction

• Litigation – Environmental

• Litigation – Trusts & Estates

• Tax Law

—Detroit

• Bet-the-Company Litigation

• Commercial Litigation

• Corporate Compliance Law

• Corporate Governance Law

• Litigation – Trusts & Estates

• Securities/ Capital Markets Law

Metropolitan Tier 3

—Detroit

• Health Care Law

• Litigation – Construction

• Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants

In addition, Butzel Long has added associate attorney Javon David to the firm. She concentrates her practice in the areas of commercial litigation and business tort litigation. David has litigation experience, successfully handling matters from the onset of suit through trial.

She also has experience representing corporations and individuals in a wide variety of negligence, general liability, insurance coverage, premises liability, and personal injury disputes.

David is admitted to practice law in the State of Michigan and the United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan.  She also is a certified mediator through the American Bar Association.  She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan-Dearborn, with concentrations in History, Political Science, and Psychology.  She received a law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 2013.

She has been named to the list of Michigan Rising Stars in Super Lawyers magazine for 2017, 2018, and 2019. David also was named among Michigan’s Top Women Lawyers from 2017-2019.

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Secrest Wardle

Secrest Wardle has proudly received multiple rankings on the U.S. News & World Report – Best Lawyers 2020 “Best Law Firms” list in the following categories:

Metropolitan Tier 1 - Troy

Insurance Law

Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants

Litigation - Insurance

Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants

Metropolitan Tier 2 - Troy

Litigation – Municipal

Metropolitan Tier 3 - Troy

Arbitration

Land Use & Zoning Law

Litigation - Land Use & Zoning

Municipal Law

Secrest Wardle is a law firm specializing in defense litigation and counsel for insurance, municipal, and commercial clients headquartered in Troy, with additional offices in Grand Rapids and Lansing. 

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Bodman PLC

Bodman PLC is pleased to announce that U.S. News & World Report, in association with The Best Lawyers in America, has named the firm to its 2020 “Best Law Firms” list in multiple areas of practice both nationally and in the southeast Michigan market.

Bodman has been ranked in the 2020 “Best Law Firms” list nationally in four practice areas and at the highest possible “Tier 1” level locally in 27 practice specialties across 3 metropolitan markets.

U.S. News ranked Bodman as a leader in the following areas:

Nationally:

• Banking and Finance Law

• Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law

• Corporate Law

• Environmental Law

Detroit Market Tier 1:

• Banking and Finance Law

• Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law

• Bet-the-Company Litigation

• Commercial Litigation

• Corporate Law

• Litigation-Banking & Finance

• Litigation-Bankruptcy

• Litigation-Environmental

• Litigation-Trusts & Estates

• Real Estate Law

• Trusts & Estates Law

Troy Market Tier 1:

• Banking and Finance Law

• Commercial Litigation

• Corporate Law

• Labor Law-Management

• Litigation-Trusts & Estates

• Real Estate Law

Ann Arbor Market Tier 1:

• Appellate Practice

• Commercial Litigation

• Copyright Law

• Corporate Law

• Litigation-Patent

• Mergers & Acquisitions Law

• Nonprofit/Charities Law

• Real Estate Law

• Tax Law

• Trademark Law

Bodman is also pleased to announce that Detroit-based business publication DBusiness Magazine has included 69 of the firm’s attorneys on its 2020 “Top Lawyers” list.

Bodman attorneys were recognized in 33 different areas of practice.

Local Bodman attorneys included in DBusiness Top Lawyers 2020, with the practice areas for which they were nominated, are listed below by office.

Detroit office

Marc M. Bakst (Bankruptcy and Creditor/Debtor Rights Law)

M. Brian Braum Jr. (Banking & Financial Services Law)

Kelly M. Burnell (Trusts and Estates)

Andrew H. Curoe (Tax Law; Trusts and Estates)

Sarah L. Cylkowski (Litigation-Insurance)

Brandon M. Dalziel (Health Care Law)

Laurence B. Deitch (Corporate Law; M&A Law)

Robert J. Diehl Jr. (Banking & Financial Services Law; Bankruptcy and Creditor/Debtor Rights Law; Litigation-Banking & Finance)

Forrest O. Dillon (Antitrust Law; Corporate Law; M&A Law)

Fredrick J. Dindoffer (Environmental Law)

Christopher J. Dine (Nonprofit/Charities Law; Tax Law)

Nathan D. Dupes (Arbitration; Environmental Law)

Aaron D. Graves (Labor and Employment Law)

Scott P. Gyorke (Banking & Financial Services Law)

Kathleen O’Callaghan Hickey (Banking & Financial Services Law)

Frederick H. Hoops III (Nonprofit/Charities Law)

George G. Kemsley (Legal Malpractice Law)

Joseph J. Kochanek (Banking & Financial Services Law; Nonprofit/Charities Law)

David P. Larsen (Trusts and Estates)

Marguerite Munson Lentz (Trusts and Estates)

Dennis J. Levasseur (Insurance Law; Litigation-Banking and Finance; Litigation-IP)

Melissa A. Lewis (Banking & Financial Services Law)

Kelly M. Lockman (Real Estate Law)

Ralph E. McDowell (Bankruptcy and Creditor/Debtor Rights Law)

Nicholas P. McElhinny (Corporate Law; M&A Law)

Adam B. Norlander (Banking & Financial Services Law)

Joseph G. Nuyen Jr. (Health Care Law)

Rebecca D’Arcy O’Reilly (Employee Benefits Law; Litigation-Labor Employment Benefits)

Michael B. Peterman (Real Estate Law)

Jeffrey G. Raphelson (Litigation-Commercial; Litigation-IP)

Thomas J. Rheaume Jr. (Appellate Law; Litigation-Insurance)

Damali A. Sahu (Banking & Financial Services Law)

Nicholas P. Scavone Jr. (Banking & Financial Services Law; Real Estate Law)

Joseph J. Shannon (Litigation-Banking and Finance; Litigation-Commercial)

E. William S. Shipman (Health Care Law)

Larry R. Shulman (Banking & Financial Services Law)

David C. Stone (Commercial Law; Corporate Law)

Michael J. Sulaka (M&A Law)

Brian R. Trumbauer (Bankruptcy and Creditor/Debtor Rights Law)

Jaimee L. Witten (Bankruptcy and Creditor/Debtor Rights Law)

Troy office

Courtland W. Anderson (Franchise Law)

Celeste E. Arduino (Nonprofit/Charities Law)

Donovan S. Asmar (Appellate Law)

J. Adam Behrendt (Litigation-Banking and Finance; Litigation-Real Estate)

David C. Bosman (Banking & Financial Services Law)

Gene P. Bowen (Commercial Law; M&A Law)

Barbara A. Bowman (Public Finance Law; Securities Law)

Jonathan P. Burleigh (Commercial Law)

John C. Cashen (Labor and Employment Law)

Steve R. Cole (Corporate Law)

Anthony P. Cracchiolo (Tax Law; Trusts and Estates)

Michelle Thurber Czapski (Insurance Law; Litigation-Insurance)

Andrea M. DeFrain (Trusts and Estates)

Amanda J. Frank (Appellate Law)

Gregory J. Gamalski (Real Estate Law)

Mark W. Peters (Commercial Law; M&A Law; Securities Law)

Karen L. Piper (Labor and Employment Law)

Donald H. Scharg (Labor and Employment Law)

Andrew Z. Spilkin (Real Estate Law)

Thomas J. Tallerico (Litigation-Antitrust)

Thomas Van Dusen (Litigation-Commercial; Litigation-Insurance)

David B. Walters (Employee Benefits Law; Litigation-Labor Employment Benefits)

Wendy L. Zabriskie (Banking & Financial Services Law)

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Harness Dickey

Harness Dickey (www.hdp.com) is proud to earn both national and metropolitan top tier rankings in the 2020 list of “Best Law Firms” published by U.S. News – Best Lawyers®.

Harness Dickey is included in the following national and local rankings:

National Tier 2

• Trademark Law

National Tier 3

• Copyright Law

• Litigation – Intellectual Property

• Litigation – Patent

• Patent Law

Metropolitan Tier 1

Troy

• Copyright Law

• Litigation – Intellectual Property

• Litigation – Patent

• Patent Law

• Trademark Law

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Nemeth Law PC

Nemeth Law PC, a Detroit-based labor and employment law firm, announced that Deborah Brouwer, a partner in the firm, has been selected for inclusion in the Crain’s Detroit Business 2019 Notable Women in Law list, featuring 22 acclaimed women attorneys working in the private and public sector, including law firms, general counsel, non-profits, and government.

Brouwer’s labor and employment practice includes the defense of lawsuits against employers involving claims of race, age, religion, national origin, gender and disability discrimination, and harassment and retaliation, as well as FLSA, FMLA and non-competition suits. She also provides employer training and conducts discrimination and harassment investigations on behalf of employers. Brouwer has experience appearing before
administrative agencies, including the EEOC, MDCR, MIOSHA, OSHA and the NLRB, and also appears frequently before the Michigan Court of Appeals and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Brouwer is active in professional and community organizations. She is treasurer, Board of Directors, Michigan Defense Trial Counsel; member, State Bar of Michigan Appellate Section and Labor and Employment Law Section; member, American Bar Association, Litigation Section; member, DRI; chair of the Board of Directors of Assured Family Services; and vice president, Board of Trustees, Luella Hannan Memorial Foundation.
Brouwer  earned her law degree from the Wayne State University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree and Master of Arts degree, both from the University of Michigan.

The Crain’s Detroit Business recognition of Notable Women in Law comes on the heels of Brouwer being named a Michigan Super Lawyer in employment litigation defense in September 2019; in September 2018, she was named a Woman in the Law honoree by the legal trade publication, Michigan Lawyers Weekly.

Nemeth Law is also proud to announce that it has again been recognized as a tier-one law firm by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers in its 2020 list of “Best Law Firms.” In the recently released, tenth annual edition of “Best Law Firms,” Nemeth Law is ranked a Tier 1 firm at the metropolitan level in three categories:

• Employment Law – Management

• Labor Law – Management

• Litigation – Labor & Employment

In August 2019, Patricia Nemeth, founder of Nemeth Law PC, was selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2020. Nemeth was recognized in the practice areas of Employment Law–Management; Labor Law–Management; and Litigation–Labor and Employment. She has been included on the Best Lawyers’ list since 2010.

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Dickinson Wright PLLC

Dickinson Wright PLLC is pleased to announce it received 21 national rankings and 76 rankings in Southeast Michigan in the “2020 Best Law Firms” report by U.S. News and Best Lawyers. The firm received 114 first-tier rankings overall.

Below are Dickinson Wright’s “2020 Best Law Firms” national and local rankings:

National Rankings

Tier 1

• Commercial Litigation

• Construction Law

• Litigation – Real Estate

• Real Estate Law

• Tax Law

Tier 2

• Appellate Practice

• Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law

• Corporate Law

• Land Use & Zoning Law

• Litigation – Bankruptcy

• Litigation – Labor & Employment

• Litigation – Securities

• Mergers & Acquisitions Law

Tier 3

• Banking and Finance Law

• Employment Law – Management

• Labor Law – Management

• Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law

• Litigation – Construction

• Litigation – Intellectual Property

• Native American Law

• Trusts & Estates Law

State/Metropolitan Rankings

Tier 1

Detroit

• Appellate Practice

• Banking and Finance Law

• Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law

• Bet-the-Company Litigation

• Commercial Litigation

• Construction Law

• Corporate Governance Law

• Corporate Law

• Employment Law – Management

• International Mergers & Acquisitions

• Labor Law – Management

• Litigation – Banking & Finance

• Litigation – Bankruptcy

• Litigation – Labor & Employment

• Litigation – Securities

• Litigation – Trusts & Estates

• Municipal Law

Troy

• Arbitration

• Banking and Finance Law

• Bet-the-Company Litigation

• Commercial Litigation

• Corporate Law

• Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law

• Energy Law

• Environmental Law

• Family Law

• Immigration Law

• Land Use & Zoning Law

• Litigation – Banking & Finance

• Litigation – Construction

• Litigation – Environmental

• Litigation – Intellectual Property

• Litigation – Real Estate

• Mediation

• Municipal Law

• Public Finance Law

• Real Estate Law

• Securitization and Structured Finance Law

• Tax Law

• Trusts & Estates Law

Tier 2

Detroit

• Energy Law

• Environmental Law

• International Trade and Finance Law

• Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law

• Litigation – Antitrust

• Litigation – Environmental

• Litigation – Mergers & Acquisitions

• Mergers & Acquisitions Law

• Real Estate Law

• Trusts & Estates Law

Troy

• Criminal Defense: White-Collar

• Health Care Law

• Litigation – Trusts & Estates

• Nonprofit/Charities Law

• Patent Law

• Trademark Law

Tier 3

Detroit

• Litigation – Tax

Troy

• Litigation – Patent