LEGAL PEOPLE

Dickinson Wright PLLC is pleased to announce it received 23 national rankings and 71 rankings in Southeast Michigan in the "2022 Best Law Firms" report by U.S. News and Best Lawyers. The firm received 118 first-tier rankings overall.

Besides the national and Southeast Michigan rankings, the firm was recognized for legal excellence for practices in its Grand Rapids and Lansing, Mich.; Austin and El Paso, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; Las Vegas and Reno, Nev.; Lexington, Ky.; Nashville, Tenn.; Phoenix, Ariz.; Silicon Valley, Calif.; and Washington, D.C. offices.

Below are Dickinson Wright's local "2022 Best Law Firms" rankings:

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
Corporate Governance Law
Corporate Law
Employment Law Management
International Mergers & Acquisitions
Labor Law Management
Land Use & Zoning Law
Litigation Banking & Finance
Litigation Bankruptcy
Litigation Labor & Employment
Litigation Securities
Municipal Law

TROY

Arbitration
Banking and Finance Law
Bet-the-Company Litigation
Commercial Litigation
Corporate Law
Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
Energy Law
Environmental Law
Health Care Law
Immigration Law
Litigation Banking & Finance
Litigation Construction
Litigation Intellectual Property
Litigation Patent
Litigation Real Estate
Litigation Trusts & Estates
Mediation
Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law
Municipal Law
Patent Law
Real Estate Law
Tax Law
Trusts & Estates Law

Tier 2

DETROIT

Construction 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

TROY

Family Law
Land Use & Zoning Law
Nonprofit/Charities Law
Securitization and Structured Finance Law
Trademark Law

Tier 3

DETROIT

Litigation Tax

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Plunkett Cooney has been named a Tier 1 National "Best Law Firms" in 11 practice areas by U.S. News Best Lawyers® in 2022.

"Each year Plunkett Cooney is listed as a Best Law Firm, and I consider it as a validation of the tremendous results our attorneys and staff obtain every day for our clients," said the firm's President & CEO Thomas P. Vincent. "National recognition like this is reserved for the very best firms in the country, and there is no doubt that Plunkett Cooney is among the best of the best."

Plunkett Cooney was recognized in the following first- and second-tier metropolitan categories in Michigan and Ohio:

Appellate Practice
Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Commercial Litigation
Construction Law
Employment Law - Management
Environmental Law
Health Care Law
Insurance Law
Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants
Litigation Construction
Litigation Municipal
Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants
Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law
Municipal Law
Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants
Real Estate Law

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Sinas Dramis Law Firm is pleased to announce once again the firm's rankings in the 2022 "Best Law Firms" List.

Sinas Dramis is proud to receive recognition in three of its four Michigan locations, including a new recognition for Detroit in insurance law.

This year, Sinas Dramis Law Firm received the following local tiered rankings by U.S. News and Best Lawyers:

Metropolitan Tier 1 Detroit

Insurance Law

Metropolitan Tier 2 Detroit

Plaintiffs Personal Injury Law

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Fraser Trebilcock is pleased to announce the hiring of new attorney Lauren D. Harrington who will work in the firm's Detroit and Lansing offices. She worked at Fraser Trebilcock as a summer associate and law clerk while she pursued her law degree at Wayne State University Law School.

Before joining the firm, Harrington clerked for the Office of Legal Counsel for the Governor of Michigan. She was a legal extern for Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Cynthia D. Stephens, where she assisted with drafting bench memoranda, and did legal research for cases in the Court of Appeals and the Court of Claims.

Harrington also spent a year working with the Coalition for Property Tax Justice, helping Detroit residents avoid foreclosure and appeal property tax assessments. Before her time with the Coalition, she worked as a student attorney for the Free Legal Aid Clinic which partnered both with Lakeshore Legal Aid and the Elder Law & Advocacy Center of Michigan.

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Brooks Kushman CEO Sangeeta Shah was a panelist at an IPWatchdog webinar titled, "Re-engineering IP Law Firms to Adopt a Growth Mindset" on November 4.

Shah is the CEO of Brooks Kushman, responsible for leading the firm's Executive Committee. In addition to serving as the CEO, She maintains an active docket as an IP practitioner with more than 20 years of experience in managing patent portfolios, PTAB matters, patent litigation, and opinions. Shah works closely with several Fortune 500 clients for whom she provides strategic counseling and guidance on global intellectual property portfolios. Her patent expertise has resulted in national recognition from Managing IP, Best Lawyers, IAM, AIPLA, and the PTAB Bar Association.

Prior to becoming CEO, Shah served as the firm's chief diversity officer. In that position, she developed and implemented a range of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within and outside of the firm through outreach programs and partnerships. Under her leadership, the firm was recognized in 2018 and 2019 by ChIPs and Diversity Lab as a national Honor Roll Firm for its dedication to advancing diversity and inclusion. Shah also hosts the Breaking Mindsets Podcast where she interviews leaders who defy expectations and have accomplished great change in their field.

Brooks Kushman is also proud to announce the firm has been ranked in the 2022 edition of the U.S. News and World Report list of "Best Law Firms" by Best Lawyers.

Nationally, Brooks Kushman holds tier three rankings in Intellectual Property Litigation and Trademark Law. On the regional level, Brooks Kushman holds tier one rankings in Intellectual Property Litigation, Patent Litigation, Patent Law, and Trademark Law in Detroit.

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Clark Hill PLC has added attorney Katie Ilijic as an associate to its Education Practice in Detroit. She brings previous experience working with public school districts in Michigan and Illinois.

Ilijic represents school districts in the area of education law with a focus on special education and school disability law related matters. She most recently served as in-house counsel for Chicago Public Schools and taught in Michigan prior to attending law school.

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Kerr Russell has been ranked in the U.S. News and Best Lawyers® "Best Law Firms" list regionally in 18 practice areas.

The ranked areas include the following:

Metropolitan Tier 1 Detroit

Construction Law
Corporate Law
Health Care Law
Litigation Antitrust
Litigation Construction
Medical Malpractice Law Defendants
Personal Injury Litigation Defendants

Metropolitan Tier 2 Detroit

Antitrust Law
Appellate Practice
Insurance Law
Land Use & Zoning Law
Municipal Law
Tax Law

Metropolitan Tier 3 Detroit

Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
Employment Law Management
Immigration Law
Real Estate Law

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Butzel attorney Beth S. Gotthelf is a recipient of the National Association for Surface Finishing (NASF) Award of Merit. The award was presented during the National SUR/FIN Manufacturing & Technology Conference and Trade Show held recently at the TCF Center in Detroit.

Gotthelf has served as general counsel to the Michigan Chapter of the National Association of Surface Finishers since 1990 and Vice President since 2019. She has counselled the association and its members on a wide variety of issues throughout the years providing solid, practical and timely insight on ever changing regulations and of late, COVID issues. She also has guided members through the many challenging PFAS impacts in the facility, air, wastewater, stormwater, and soil, along with the financial challenges.

Gotthelf is Butzel's director of Innovation and External Relations, co-chair of the Energy & Sustainability Practice, and co-chair of the Aerospace & Defense industry team.

She has helped auto suppliers diversify into alternative energy and defense, which have been lifelines to those companies.

She now counsels clients in governmental contracting, ITAR, EAR, and Foreign Military Sales. Gotthelf also is a leader in environmental law, bringing creative solutions to remediation, redevelopment, tax incentives, and waste management.

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Steinhardt, Pesick, & Cohen PC (SPC) has been listed in the U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers® 2022 Edition of "Best Law Firms." In the newly-released annual publication, SPC received the highest Tier 1 rankings at the metropolitan level in three categories:

Commercial Litigation
Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law
Real Estate Law

In August, managing shareholder Jerome P. Pesick was selected by his peers for inclusion in the 28th edition of The Best Lawyers in America® in the practice areas of eminent domain, and condemnation law and real estate law. He also received "Lawyer of the Year" honors in the practice area of Real Estate Law Troy. Pesick has received "Lawyer of the Year" honors six times since 2011.

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Best Lawyers has named Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer, & Weiss to the 2022 class of "Best Law Firms." Jeffrey M. Weiss, Jaffe CEO, made the announcement.

Jaffe has been recognized nationally as part of the 2022 class of "Best Law Firms" in the areas of Appellate Practice and Corporate Law. The firm received recognition in the Detroit metro area in the following:

Appellate Practice
Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/ Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Corporate Law
Immigration Law
Information Technology Law
Litigation - Insurance
Litigation - Intellectual Property
Mergers and Acquisitions Law
Real Estate Law
Tax Law
Trusts and Estates Law
Commercial Litigation
Copyright Law
Family Law
Insurance Law
Litigation - Bankruptcy
Litigation - Construction
Litigation - Environmental
Litigation - Real Estate
Litigation - Securities
Bet-the-Company Litigation
Criminal Defense: White-Collar
Litigation - Banking and Finance
Securities/Capital Markets Law
Securities Regulation
Trademark Law

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Foster Swift welcomes associate Kathrine A. Ruttkofsky to the firm's Southfield office as a member of the litigation practice group. She joins Foster Swift as a lateral hire from her previous Troy-based law firm.

Ruttkofsky's practice is primarily in insurance defense, toxic tort defense and personal injury litigation.

Ruttkofsky graduated with her law degree from Western Michigan Cooley Law School in 2013.

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Howard & Howard has been named to the 2022 U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers Best Law Firms list in the following local areas:

Metropolitan Tier 1

TROY

Commercial Litigation
Litigation Intellectual Property
Litigation Patent
Patent Law
Trademark Law

Metropolitan Tier 2

TROY

Energy Law

Metropolitan Tier 3