LEGAL PEOPLE

Geaneen M. Arends has joined Butzel Long law firm as a senior attorney based in the firm's Detroit office. Arends concentrates her practice on commercial real estate and general business law.

Arends has advised corporate clients on a variety of real estate transactions, including development agreements, purchase and sale transactions, and office, light industrial and retail leases throughout the United States. She has represented both borrowers and lenders in multi-million dollar real estate financing transactions. She also assists clients with general business planning and insurance and risk management issues.

Prior to joining Butzel Long, Arends was in-house counsel for a real estate investment and property management firm and previously practiced in the real estate groups of two Detroit law firms.

Arends is a graduate of Michigan State University (B.A., History, 1994) and of Boston College Law School (1998). She is admitted to the State Bar of Michigan and the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Michigan.

Arends serves on the Board of Directors for Michigan Community Resources (formerly known as Community Legal Resources), an organization that provides free legal services and technical assistance to nonprofit organizations revitalizing and bringing economic development to underserved communities in Detroit and throughout Michigan. Arends is an alumna of Leadership Detroit, Class XXVII. She also belongs to the Royal Oak Woman's Club, the Royal Oak Historical Society, and the Royal Oak Nature Society.

Additionally, Butzel Long attorney and shareholder Phillip C. Korovesis has been appointed to serve on the Leadership Oakland Board of Directors.

Korovesis, a graduate of Leadership Oakland, Class XVIII. "It offers participants an opportunity to gain key insights, meet business and government leaders and to positively impact our region."

Based in Butzel Long's Detroit office, Korovesis is a Litigation Practice Group Leader and also serves as the chair of Butzel Long's Trade Secret and Non-Compete Specialty Team, which focuses on trade secret, non-compete and business tort litigation.

Korovesis' practice is focused on commercial disputes, with trial, litigation and consultation expertise in non-compete/trade secret disputes, product liability defense, life insurance claims and business and financial services industry disputes.

He has represented clients in state and federal appellate courts. He has arbitrated cases before the American Arbitration Association, the National Association of Securities Dealers, and the New York Stock Exchange (now The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority).

Korovesis is a regular presenter on trade secret and non-compete issues to lawyers and other professionals. He is immediate past president of the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel (MDTC).

He is an active member of the Defense Research Institute in the commercial litigation, product liability and life insurance areas. He is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, and the American Bar Association.

Korovesis is a graduate of Wayne State University (B.S., 1984; law degree, 1987). He also is a graduate of Leadership Oakland, Class XVIII, and has been recognized by Michigan Super Lawyers (Business Litigation).

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Dykema is pleased to announce that the 2012 Edition of Chambers USA identifies Michigan Dykema practice areas and several local Dykema lawyers in this year's rankings.

Chambers USA lists the following local Dykema practices as leaders:

* Corporate/M&A.

* Labor & Employment.

* Litigation: General Commercial.

* Real Estate.

Chambers USA lists the following local Dykema lawyers as leading practitioners, identified by practice area:

* J. Michael Bernard - Corporate/M&A.

* Amy M. Christen - Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation.

* John A. Entenman - Labor & Employment.

* James P. Feeney - Litigation: General Commercial.

* Martin Jay Galvin - Labor & Employment.

* Dennis M. Haffey - Litigation: General Commercial.

* Kyle R. Hauberg - Real Estate.

* Patrick F. Hickey - Litigation: General Commercial.

* Margaret Adams Hunter - Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation.

* Jin-Kyu Koh - Corporate M&A.

* Aleksandra A. Miziolek - Corporate/M&A.

* Brian J. Page - Real Estate.

* Cameron H. Piggott - Real Estate.

* Joseph A. Ritok Jr. - Labor & Employment.

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The Michigan Defense Trial Counsel announces its new officers and board members.

Chair Members:

* D. Lee Khachaturian - secretary.

* Mark A. Gilchrist - treasurer.

* Raymond W. Morganti - vice president.

* Timothy A. Diemer - president.

* Phillip C. Korovesis - immediate past president.

Board Members:

* Matthew T. Nelson.

* Terence P. Durkin.

* Barbara E. Buchanan.

* Michael I. Conlon.

* Angela E. Boufford.

Also serving on the board are Lawrence G. Campbell, Allison Reuter, Scott S. Holmes, Jeffrey C. Collison, Hillary A. Ballentine, and Richard J. Joppich.

Serving as section chairs are Beth A. Wittmann, David M. Ottenwess, John Mucha III, R. Paul Vance, Richard W. Paul, Ridley S. Nimmo II, Michael Janes, Gouri Sashital, Darwin Burke, and Thaddeus E. Morgan.

Serving as regional chairs are Bennet J. Bush, David Carbajal, Johanna M. Novak, John P. Deegan, Nicole L. DiNardo, Paul E. Tower, and Tyren R. Cudney.

The Michigan Defense Trial Counsel Inc. is the statewide association of attorneys representing the defense in civil litigation. For additional information, visit www.mdtc.org.

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Bridget Mary McCormack, dean of Clinical Affairs at the University of Michigan Law School and a candidate for the Michigan Supreme Court in November, received a Distinguished Brief Award from the Thomas M. Cooley Law Review recently in Lansing. The awards are presented annually in recognition of the most scholarly briefs filed before the Michigan Supreme Court.

"It is an honor to be recognized for my work in the Michigan Supreme Court, especially given the important issues it decides that directly affect the citizens of our state, and my overriding interest in ensuring that everyone gets a fair shake in our courts," McCormack said.

McCormack, who regularly practices before the Michigan Supreme Court, was recognized for the brief filed in People v. Likine, which argued the court should reaffirm that involuntary omissions may not be criminalized and that there must be an opportunity for a defendant to present evidence that an act was involuntary.

As dean of Clinical Affairs at the University of Michigan Law School, McCormack is responsible for developing the school's practical education curriculum that gives law students "hands-on" experience helping clients in a courtroom as they did in the Likine case. Under her leadership, the program has expanded to include clinics dedicated to children's health, low-income taxpayers, the wrongfully accused, and business entrepreneurs.

McCormack graduated from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut and New York University Law School. She started her career at The Legal Aid Society, where she worked side-by-side with people who needed someone to guide them through a complicated legal system, before taking a teaching fellowship at the Yale Law School. She was appointed professor at the University of Michigan in 1998.

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Kristin Lusn, attorney and counselor, recently announced the opening of her new private law practice, Lusn Law PLLC located at 612 East 4th Street in Royal Oak.

Lusn is currently taking on new corporate clientele for a wide variety of matters including workers' compensation, labor and employment as well as general corporate issues including formation, compliance, immigration and tax. In addition, the practice will also represent tax-exempt organizations in both legal issues and development consulting.

"It has always been my aspiration to open my own law firm to expand my practice areas and better serve my clients," said Lusn. "The firm will focus on everyday issues that face employers with an emphasis on improving procedures to avoid costly litigation."

Lusn previously served as an attorney with Giarmarco, Mullins, & Horton from 2009 to 2012. She is a member of the State Bar of Michigan Young Lawyers Section, Oakland County Bar Association and is one of the youngest members elected by her peers to serve on the Workers' Compensation Council of the State Bar of Michigan.

She was also selected by those in her industry as a "Rising Star" in Super Lawyers and as a DBusiness "Top Lawyer" in 2012. In addition, Lusn was recently awarded the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association's "Barristers Community Impact Award" for her dedication and many accomplishments that have helped to better Detroit's community.

Lusn's community activities are focused on helping make the city and its surrounding communities thrive with business, nonprofit and economic growth. She currently serves the Detroit Historical Society as a trustee and founding member of the young professional "313" auxiliary, the Detroit Institute of Arts as a board member of the Founder's Junior Council, the Detroit RiverFront Conservancy as a committee member and founding chairperson of the of the active professionals group, "Riviere28," in addition to many other activities.

Lusn graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Arts from the Eli Broad School of Business and Management. She graduated from Michigan State University College of Law, with a concentration in Corporate Law and earning a certificate in Trial Practice.

Published: Mon, Jul 16, 2012