Butzel attorney Michael G. Sarafa has been appointed to the Oakland County Bar Association’s (OCBA) Legislative Committee which promotes the OCBA’s position on current and pending legislation that affects the practice of law and the administration of justice.
With 35 years of experience in business, law, finance, and public affairs, Sarafa helps clients navigate issues in the governmental sector as well as in the realm of outside counsel services.
He is a member of Butzel’s Government Relations and Regulatory Specialty Team and General Counsel Services Practice Department.
Sarafa began his career in the governmental arena as a legislative aide in the Michigan House of Representatives and later served as an executive assistant to Dennis Archer during his tenure as mayor of Detroit.
His leadership, financial management, and negotiation skills were honed during his years spent as CEO of a Michigan bank and a large multi-state franchise. As managing partner of a Michigan private equity firm, he led the analysis of business and investment opportunities, all related due diligence, negotiations, and management of the firm’s legal team. He successfully sourced, acquired and helped grow multiple southeast Michigan-based growth companies.
Sarafa is a member of the State Bar of Michigan. He has been recognized by the American Bankers Association Stonier Graduate School of Banking, Wayne State University’s Center for Peace & Conflict Studies Community Peacemaker, and Crain’s Detroit Business’ 40 Under 40.
• • •
Dickinson Wright is pleased to announce that Colby Zurbay has joined the firm’s Troy office as an associate.
Zurbay focuses her practice on probate and fiduciary litigation. She brings a focused approach to her work. She has experience representing individuals and entities from both a prosecution and defense perspective.
Zurbay is a member of the Oakland County Bar Association (Lawyer Well-Being Committee and New Lawyer Committee), the Inns of Court, and the Minnesota State Bar Association. She is a Fellow of the Oakland County Bar Foundation.
Zurbay received her B.A. from the University of Wisconsin and her law degree from the University of St. Thomas School of Law.
• • •
Dykema recently announced that the firm has selected several members to serve on its Executive Board for a three-year term commencing on January 1, 2024. Among those selected to
serve on the board are Kyle R. Hauberg of the Bloomfield Hills office and Thomas M. Schehr of the Detroit office.
Hauberg is a real estate lawyer who negotiates and closes development transactions, property acquisitions and sales, leases, and financing projects, along with partnerships and joint ventures related to real estate. His real estate industry clients include REITs, institutional owners, commercial developers, and national retailers. Hauberg also regularly advises private equity companies on real estate and environmental issues. He represents reflect a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, industrial, healthcare, banking, retail, sports and entertainment, professional services, and residential home builders. He is the former director of Dykema’s Real Estate and Environmental Department, serving in the role from 2012-2022.
Hauberg earned his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School and a B.A from the University of Nebraska.
Schehr is an experienced commercial litigator who regularly handles business, financial services, and healthcare disputes. In addition to his work in the trial courts, Schehr has won appeals for clients in important cases before the Michigan Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit. He also regularly serves as an arbitrator, mediator, and special master. He previously served as director of Dykema’s Financial Industry Group, a team of more than 100 lawyers covering various practices and specialties.
Schehr earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School and a B.A. from Michigan State University.
• • •
Kitch Attorneys & Counselors PC is pleased to announce the following attorney promotions and wishes to acknowledge each individual’s outstanding accomplishments:
Danielle Dezbor-Craig has been promoted to principal. Dezbor-Craig concentrates her practice on automobile insurance defense, including personal injury protection and bodily injury liability defense.
Katharine Gostek has been promoted to principal. Gostek focuses her practice on appellate law and complex legal issues in litigation.
Michael Kern has been promoted to principal. Kern focuses his practice on the representation of senior living providers in administrative and regulatory matters, senior housing, and medical malpractice defense.
Jonathan Miller has been promoted to principal. Miller focuses his practice in the area of employment law, with an emphasis on worker’s compensation defense and general litigation matters.
Gina Puzzuoli has been promoted to principal. Puzzuoli focuses her practice on No-Fault defense, including First-Party and Third-Party Auto Negligence, Civil Rights Defense of Municipalities and Police Officers, Negligence and Insurance defense.
Paul Shailor has been promoted to principal. Shailor focuses his practice on PIP/Third-Party Automobile litigation.
Keith Wright has been promoted to principal. Wright focuses his practice on general business law, construction, employment, and healthcare regulatory issues.
Paul Wilk has been promoted to Associate principal. Wilk focuses his practice in the areas of mass tort litigation and product liability with a focus on asbestos litigation as well as third-party automobile liability defense and No-Fault litigation.
Xavier Burns has been promoted to senior associate. Burns focuses his practice on No-Fault auto cases and general negligence.
Jennifer Fahrenholt has been promoted to senior associate. Fahrenholt focuses her practice on immigration and customs law and is licensed in the U.S. and Canada.
Gabriella Grimaldi has been promoted to senior associate. Grimaldi focuses her practice on all aspects of medical malpractice defense, including birth trauma litigation.
Michael Root has been promoted to senior associate. Root focuses his practice on no-fault insurance, auto negligence, personal injury and workers’ compensation defense.
• • •
Honigman LLP announced that Colleen P. Clarkson has joined its Regulatory Department as a partner in the firm’s Insurance Practice Group.
Based in Honigman’s Bloomfield Hills office, Clarkson joins Honigman from one of the largest non-governmental purchasers of healthcare in the United States, where she served as assistant general counsel & compliance officer. Specializing in contract negotiation with various business vendors and third parties, such as carriers and pharmacy benefit managers, she helps clients navigate complex issues and mitigate legal risks in highly regulated industries.
Clarkson earned her law degrees from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and Michigan State University College of Law, and her Bachelor of Arts from Michigan State University.
• • •
Taft is pleased to announce it has elected 23 attorneys to the firm’s partnership. Detroit-based attorneys Justin Hanna, James Kresta, Michael Pomeranz, and Brian Stone are among those elected partners.
Hanna is an attorney in the Mergers and Acquisitions, Private Equity and Venture Capital, and Emerging Companies practice groups. Hanna’s expertise centers on business and real estate law, with a strong emphasis on middle-market M&A. He has dedicated his practice to empowering entrepreneurs, investors, and businesses of all sizes to grow through effective strategic planning and analysis, regardless of the size, complexity, or scale of representation.
Hanna received his B.S. and M.B.A. from Wayne State University. He earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School.
Kresta counsels and represents public and private companies in in all aspects of sophisticated commercial litigation, including shareholder disputes, real estate disputes, constitutional law, restrictive covenants, business torts, employment disputes, and contract disputes. As an attorney in Taft’s Commercial Litigation practice group, Kresta’s diverse practice includes every aspect of dispute resolution, including: contract review, negotiations, pleadings, discovery, substantive motions, trials, and appeals.
Kresta received his B.A. from Franciscan University of Steubenville. He received his law degree from Wayne State University Law School.
Pomeranz counsels commercial and non-profit clients both to avoid and to resolve complex commercial disputes involving intellectual property, contracts, trade practices, and allegations of fraud, among other topics. He has represented clients in state and federal bankruptcy, trial, and appeals courts, including the United States and state Supreme Courts, as well as in arbitration. He represents clients in several industries, including highly regulated industries, such as retail automotive, construction and development, finance, and technology.
Pomeranz earned his B.A. from Yale University and his law degree from Yale Law School.
Stone concentrates his practice on commercial real estate transactions, including acquisitions, sales, financing, and leasing of all types of real estate. He represents owners, developers, management companies, builders, and operators in all aspects of commercial real estate. He also represents lenders and borrowers in connection with complex real estate finance matters.
Stone received his undergraduate degree from Michigan State University and his law degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law.
• • •
McDonald Hopkins LLC is proud to announce Sharon Cruz as the newest addition to the firm. Cruz is counsel in McDonald Hopkins’ Litigation Department and is joining the firm’s distinguished Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group.
Cruz is accredited by the International Association of Privacy Professionals as a Certified Information Privacy Professional for the United States.
A seasoned criminal prosecutor and investigator, Cruz’s practice focuses on data privacy litigation, with specific expertise in data privacy compliance, investigation, and cybercrimes. She has litigated complex class actions concerning data breaches and privacy violations and issued and enforced hundreds of subpoenas to Facebook, Google, and other major corporations in her cybercriminal investigations.
As a former assistant attorney general for the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, Cruz provides an enforcer’s perspective in developing litigation strategies for clients and educating stakeholders, law enforcement officers, and healthcare providers on cyber safety, blockchain technology, and the dangers of the dark web. In her role with the Illinois State Attorney General’s Office, Cruz investigated and prosecuted numerous high-tech internet crimes and played a pivotal role in task forces aimed at combatting human trafficking. She also gained experience supervising forensic investigations, developing data privacy policies, and counseling on cybersecurity and regulatory compliance with CCPA, GDPR, and other state, federal and international data privacy laws.
Cruz’s litigation practice also includes expertise in prosecuting environmental crimes. She has additional experience as a Cook County assistant state’s attorney, and several years of experience in the tech field prior to the start of her legal career.
Cruz earned her law degree from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law and her B.A. from Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis.
• • •
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently announced the appointments of Adrienne Young to the Michigan Court of Appeals, Second District and Philip Mariani to the Michigan Court of Appeals, Third District.
Young is an Assistant Defender at the State Appellate Defender Office (SADO) who represents individuals convicted of felonies who cannot afford counsel in courts across the state, including an active appellate practice and several appearances at the Michigan Supreme Court. She serves as co-vice chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee of the Oakland County Bar Association, and is a member of several other legal associations including the Oakland Region of the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan and the D. Augustus Straker Bar Association.
She also served six years as an elected trustee on the Birmingham Public Schools Board of Education. Before joining SADO, Young clerked with the Michigan Supreme Court.
Young is a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School. Prior to attending law school, Young earned her master’s degree in education while serving as a special education teacher. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan.
This appointment was made to fill a partial term following the resignation of Judge Eilzabeth Gleicher. The term will commence on February 20 and expire at twelve o’clock noon on January 1, 2025.
“I am truly humbled by the trust and confidence that Governor Whitmer has placed in me, and by the opportunity to serve in the seat that Judge Gleicher held,” Young stated. “These are two bold women leaders who lift as they climb, and you can count me among the countless attorneys they have mentored and inspired. I am eager to continue my public service to our state in this capacity and look forward to working alongside the judges on this Court who I have come to know and respect from my years at SADO.”
Mariani has served as a deputy legal counsel in the Executive Office of Governor Whitmer since January of 2019. Prior to joining the governor’s office, Mariani practiced as an appellate attorney with Mark Granzotto PC, clerked for Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget M. McCormack of the Michigan Supreme Court, and taught a course at Wayne State University Law School focused on judicial writing, ethics, and decision-making. He also previously worked as a litigator with Hangley, Aronchick, Segal, Pudlin, & Schiller and as a federal judicial clerk for U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Anthony J. Scirica, Third Circuit, U.S. District Court Judge Michael M. Baylson, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and U.S. District Court Judge David R. Grand, Eastern District of Michigan.
Mariani received his Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University and his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
This appointment was made to fill a partial term following the resignation of Judge Douglas B. Shapiro. The term will commence March 15 at 5 p.m. and expire at twelve o’clock noon on January 1, 2025.
“The work of our Court of Appeals has a tremendous impact on the lives of Michiganders, the law of our state, and the quality of justice our courts provide,” Mariani stated. “I am grateful to Governor Whitmer for the opportunity to contribute to this vital work and am eager to continue serving the people of Michigan through it.”
• • •
Maddin Hauser is pleased to announce that Rita M. Lauer and Corinne S. Rockoff have been elevated to shareholders.
Lauer focuses her practice on business and employment litigation and complex commercial transactions for companies of all sizes. She is part of the Corporate and Business and Employment and Workforce Management practice groups. Her practice includes defending administrative/governmental complaints, negotiating and drafting purchase and lease agreements, and advising on employment matters.
Recognized by Best Lawyers in America, Lauer is admitted to practice before the Michigan Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan. She earned her law degree from Syracuse University School of Law and her Bachelor of Science from Central Michigan University.
Rockoff works with financial institutions, entities, individuals, and investors in litigation and negotiation as a member of the firm’s Financial Services and Real Property Litigation group. Her practice includes real estate and mortgage litigation, general civil litigation, construction disputes, and financial services matters.
Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America and Super Lawyers “Rising Stars” recognize Rockoff for her work in real estate law. In 2022, she was named a Michigan Mortgage Lenders Association (MMLA) “Rising Star.” She earned her law degree from The George Washington University Law School and her Bachelor of Sciences from Carnegie Mellon University.
With 35 years of experience in business, law, finance, and public affairs, Sarafa helps clients navigate issues in the governmental sector as well as in the realm of outside counsel services.
He is a member of Butzel’s Government Relations and Regulatory Specialty Team and General Counsel Services Practice Department.
Sarafa began his career in the governmental arena as a legislative aide in the Michigan House of Representatives and later served as an executive assistant to Dennis Archer during his tenure as mayor of Detroit.
His leadership, financial management, and negotiation skills were honed during his years spent as CEO of a Michigan bank and a large multi-state franchise. As managing partner of a Michigan private equity firm, he led the analysis of business and investment opportunities, all related due diligence, negotiations, and management of the firm’s legal team. He successfully sourced, acquired and helped grow multiple southeast Michigan-based growth companies.
Sarafa is a member of the State Bar of Michigan. He has been recognized by the American Bankers Association Stonier Graduate School of Banking, Wayne State University’s Center for Peace & Conflict Studies Community Peacemaker, and Crain’s Detroit Business’ 40 Under 40.
• • •
Dickinson Wright is pleased to announce that Colby Zurbay has joined the firm’s Troy office as an associate.
Zurbay focuses her practice on probate and fiduciary litigation. She brings a focused approach to her work. She has experience representing individuals and entities from both a prosecution and defense perspective.
Zurbay is a member of the Oakland County Bar Association (Lawyer Well-Being Committee and New Lawyer Committee), the Inns of Court, and the Minnesota State Bar Association. She is a Fellow of the Oakland County Bar Foundation.
Zurbay received her B.A. from the University of Wisconsin and her law degree from the University of St. Thomas School of Law.
• • •
Dykema recently announced that the firm has selected several members to serve on its Executive Board for a three-year term commencing on January 1, 2024. Among those selected to
serve on the board are Kyle R. Hauberg of the Bloomfield Hills office and Thomas M. Schehr of the Detroit office.
Hauberg is a real estate lawyer who negotiates and closes development transactions, property acquisitions and sales, leases, and financing projects, along with partnerships and joint ventures related to real estate. His real estate industry clients include REITs, institutional owners, commercial developers, and national retailers. Hauberg also regularly advises private equity companies on real estate and environmental issues. He represents reflect a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, industrial, healthcare, banking, retail, sports and entertainment, professional services, and residential home builders. He is the former director of Dykema’s Real Estate and Environmental Department, serving in the role from 2012-2022.
Hauberg earned his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School and a B.A from the University of Nebraska.
Schehr is an experienced commercial litigator who regularly handles business, financial services, and healthcare disputes. In addition to his work in the trial courts, Schehr has won appeals for clients in important cases before the Michigan Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit. He also regularly serves as an arbitrator, mediator, and special master. He previously served as director of Dykema’s Financial Industry Group, a team of more than 100 lawyers covering various practices and specialties.
Schehr earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School and a B.A. from Michigan State University.
• • •
Kitch Attorneys & Counselors PC is pleased to announce the following attorney promotions and wishes to acknowledge each individual’s outstanding accomplishments:
Danielle Dezbor-Craig has been promoted to principal. Dezbor-Craig concentrates her practice on automobile insurance defense, including personal injury protection and bodily injury liability defense.
Katharine Gostek has been promoted to principal. Gostek focuses her practice on appellate law and complex legal issues in litigation.
Michael Kern has been promoted to principal. Kern focuses his practice on the representation of senior living providers in administrative and regulatory matters, senior housing, and medical malpractice defense.
Jonathan Miller has been promoted to principal. Miller focuses his practice in the area of employment law, with an emphasis on worker’s compensation defense and general litigation matters.
Gina Puzzuoli has been promoted to principal. Puzzuoli focuses her practice on No-Fault defense, including First-Party and Third-Party Auto Negligence, Civil Rights Defense of Municipalities and Police Officers, Negligence and Insurance defense.
Paul Shailor has been promoted to principal. Shailor focuses his practice on PIP/Third-Party Automobile litigation.
Keith Wright has been promoted to principal. Wright focuses his practice on general business law, construction, employment, and healthcare regulatory issues.
Paul Wilk has been promoted to Associate principal. Wilk focuses his practice in the areas of mass tort litigation and product liability with a focus on asbestos litigation as well as third-party automobile liability defense and No-Fault litigation.
Xavier Burns has been promoted to senior associate. Burns focuses his practice on No-Fault auto cases and general negligence.
Jennifer Fahrenholt has been promoted to senior associate. Fahrenholt focuses her practice on immigration and customs law and is licensed in the U.S. and Canada.
Gabriella Grimaldi has been promoted to senior associate. Grimaldi focuses her practice on all aspects of medical malpractice defense, including birth trauma litigation.
Michael Root has been promoted to senior associate. Root focuses his practice on no-fault insurance, auto negligence, personal injury and workers’ compensation defense.
• • •
Honigman LLP announced that Colleen P. Clarkson has joined its Regulatory Department as a partner in the firm’s Insurance Practice Group.
Based in Honigman’s Bloomfield Hills office, Clarkson joins Honigman from one of the largest non-governmental purchasers of healthcare in the United States, where she served as assistant general counsel & compliance officer. Specializing in contract negotiation with various business vendors and third parties, such as carriers and pharmacy benefit managers, she helps clients navigate complex issues and mitigate legal risks in highly regulated industries.
Clarkson earned her law degrees from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and Michigan State University College of Law, and her Bachelor of Arts from Michigan State University.
• • •
Taft is pleased to announce it has elected 23 attorneys to the firm’s partnership. Detroit-based attorneys Justin Hanna, James Kresta, Michael Pomeranz, and Brian Stone are among those elected partners.
Hanna is an attorney in the Mergers and Acquisitions, Private Equity and Venture Capital, and Emerging Companies practice groups. Hanna’s expertise centers on business and real estate law, with a strong emphasis on middle-market M&A. He has dedicated his practice to empowering entrepreneurs, investors, and businesses of all sizes to grow through effective strategic planning and analysis, regardless of the size, complexity, or scale of representation.
Hanna received his B.S. and M.B.A. from Wayne State University. He earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School.
Kresta counsels and represents public and private companies in in all aspects of sophisticated commercial litigation, including shareholder disputes, real estate disputes, constitutional law, restrictive covenants, business torts, employment disputes, and contract disputes. As an attorney in Taft’s Commercial Litigation practice group, Kresta’s diverse practice includes every aspect of dispute resolution, including: contract review, negotiations, pleadings, discovery, substantive motions, trials, and appeals.
Kresta received his B.A. from Franciscan University of Steubenville. He received his law degree from Wayne State University Law School.
Pomeranz counsels commercial and non-profit clients both to avoid and to resolve complex commercial disputes involving intellectual property, contracts, trade practices, and allegations of fraud, among other topics. He has represented clients in state and federal bankruptcy, trial, and appeals courts, including the United States and state Supreme Courts, as well as in arbitration. He represents clients in several industries, including highly regulated industries, such as retail automotive, construction and development, finance, and technology.
Pomeranz earned his B.A. from Yale University and his law degree from Yale Law School.
Stone concentrates his practice on commercial real estate transactions, including acquisitions, sales, financing, and leasing of all types of real estate. He represents owners, developers, management companies, builders, and operators in all aspects of commercial real estate. He also represents lenders and borrowers in connection with complex real estate finance matters.
Stone received his undergraduate degree from Michigan State University and his law degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law.
• • •
McDonald Hopkins LLC is proud to announce Sharon Cruz as the newest addition to the firm. Cruz is counsel in McDonald Hopkins’ Litigation Department and is joining the firm’s distinguished Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group.
Cruz is accredited by the International Association of Privacy Professionals as a Certified Information Privacy Professional for the United States.
A seasoned criminal prosecutor and investigator, Cruz’s practice focuses on data privacy litigation, with specific expertise in data privacy compliance, investigation, and cybercrimes. She has litigated complex class actions concerning data breaches and privacy violations and issued and enforced hundreds of subpoenas to Facebook, Google, and other major corporations in her cybercriminal investigations.
As a former assistant attorney general for the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, Cruz provides an enforcer’s perspective in developing litigation strategies for clients and educating stakeholders, law enforcement officers, and healthcare providers on cyber safety, blockchain technology, and the dangers of the dark web. In her role with the Illinois State Attorney General’s Office, Cruz investigated and prosecuted numerous high-tech internet crimes and played a pivotal role in task forces aimed at combatting human trafficking. She also gained experience supervising forensic investigations, developing data privacy policies, and counseling on cybersecurity and regulatory compliance with CCPA, GDPR, and other state, federal and international data privacy laws.
Cruz’s litigation practice also includes expertise in prosecuting environmental crimes. She has additional experience as a Cook County assistant state’s attorney, and several years of experience in the tech field prior to the start of her legal career.
Cruz earned her law degree from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law and her B.A. from Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis.
• • •
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently announced the appointments of Adrienne Young to the Michigan Court of Appeals, Second District and Philip Mariani to the Michigan Court of Appeals, Third District.
Young is an Assistant Defender at the State Appellate Defender Office (SADO) who represents individuals convicted of felonies who cannot afford counsel in courts across the state, including an active appellate practice and several appearances at the Michigan Supreme Court. She serves as co-vice chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee of the Oakland County Bar Association, and is a member of several other legal associations including the Oakland Region of the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan and the D. Augustus Straker Bar Association.
She also served six years as an elected trustee on the Birmingham Public Schools Board of Education. Before joining SADO, Young clerked with the Michigan Supreme Court.
Young is a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School. Prior to attending law school, Young earned her master’s degree in education while serving as a special education teacher. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan.
This appointment was made to fill a partial term following the resignation of Judge Eilzabeth Gleicher. The term will commence on February 20 and expire at twelve o’clock noon on January 1, 2025.
“I am truly humbled by the trust and confidence that Governor Whitmer has placed in me, and by the opportunity to serve in the seat that Judge Gleicher held,” Young stated. “These are two bold women leaders who lift as they climb, and you can count me among the countless attorneys they have mentored and inspired. I am eager to continue my public service to our state in this capacity and look forward to working alongside the judges on this Court who I have come to know and respect from my years at SADO.”
Mariani has served as a deputy legal counsel in the Executive Office of Governor Whitmer since January of 2019. Prior to joining the governor’s office, Mariani practiced as an appellate attorney with Mark Granzotto PC, clerked for Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget M. McCormack of the Michigan Supreme Court, and taught a course at Wayne State University Law School focused on judicial writing, ethics, and decision-making. He also previously worked as a litigator with Hangley, Aronchick, Segal, Pudlin, & Schiller and as a federal judicial clerk for U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Anthony J. Scirica, Third Circuit, U.S. District Court Judge Michael M. Baylson, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and U.S. District Court Judge David R. Grand, Eastern District of Michigan.
Mariani received his Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University and his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
This appointment was made to fill a partial term following the resignation of Judge Douglas B. Shapiro. The term will commence March 15 at 5 p.m. and expire at twelve o’clock noon on January 1, 2025.
“The work of our Court of Appeals has a tremendous impact on the lives of Michiganders, the law of our state, and the quality of justice our courts provide,” Mariani stated. “I am grateful to Governor Whitmer for the opportunity to contribute to this vital work and am eager to continue serving the people of Michigan through it.”
• • •
Maddin Hauser is pleased to announce that Rita M. Lauer and Corinne S. Rockoff have been elevated to shareholders.
Lauer focuses her practice on business and employment litigation and complex commercial transactions for companies of all sizes. She is part of the Corporate and Business and Employment and Workforce Management practice groups. Her practice includes defending administrative/governmental complaints, negotiating and drafting purchase and lease agreements, and advising on employment matters.
Recognized by Best Lawyers in America, Lauer is admitted to practice before the Michigan Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan. She earned her law degree from Syracuse University School of Law and her Bachelor of Science from Central Michigan University.
Rockoff works with financial institutions, entities, individuals, and investors in litigation and negotiation as a member of the firm’s Financial Services and Real Property Litigation group. Her practice includes real estate and mortgage litigation, general civil litigation, construction disputes, and financial services matters.
Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America and Super Lawyers “Rising Stars” recognize Rockoff for her work in real estate law. In 2022, she was named a Michigan Mortgage Lenders Association (MMLA) “Rising Star.” She earned her law degree from The George Washington University Law School and her Bachelor of Sciences from Carnegie Mellon University.
