Legal People

Trott & Trott, P.C.
Trott & Trott, P.C., a Farmington Hills-based law firm serving the mortgage banking industry, has been named a recipient of two beautification awards for its landscaping efforts at the Trott Financial Center (TFC). Trott & Trott President and Managing Partner David A. Trott made the announcement.

On Oct. 7, for the third consecutive year, The Farmington Hills Beautification Commission awarded TFC the “City of Farmington Hills Beautification Award” in recognition of its efforts and outstanding achievements in support of the objectives and purposes of the Farmington Hills Beautification Commission.

At its annual awards program on Oct. 15, Keep Michigan Beautiful, Inc. (KMB) also honored TFC with a Michigan Award. This is the second highest honor given by the organization and recognizes the outstanding effort by a group or individual in furthering the goals of KMB. The TFC was among 50 honored by KMB, including 22 Michigan recipients.

“We are honored to be recognized for our commitment to the beautification of our office and grounds,” said Trott. “We take great pride in our presentation, both to our clients and the community at large.”

Trott & Trott PC represents mortgage bankers, banks, credit unions, mortgage servicers, regional property owners, investor groups and individual entrepreneurs in the state of Michigan.

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Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP
Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP is pleased to announce that 35 of its attorneys were recognized in the 2010 edition of “Michigan Super Lawyers” as “Rising Stars.” Additionally, 64 Honigman attorneys were recognized in the 2010 edition of “Michigan Super Lawyers’” list of  top attorneys in the state.

Listed below are the Honigman attorneys honored in “Michigan Super Lawyers” as “Rising Stars” and the practice areas for which they were recognized:.
• Jason R. Abel, Business Litigation.
• Jennifer Sheehan Anderson, Intellectual Property.
• Michael S. Ben, Securities & Corporate Finance.
• Jennifer L. Benedict, Health Care.
• Jonathan D. Block, Real Estate.
• Joscelyn C. Boucher,  Securities & Corporate Finance.
• Sean F. Crotty, Employment & Labor.
• Matthew S. Disbrow, Employment Litigation: Defense.
• Rebecca L. Donnini, Estate Planning & Probate.
• Michael D. DuBay, Business/Corporate.
• Thomas W. Forster II, Real Estate.
• Nicholas B. Gorga, Business Litigation.
• Frank L. Gorman, Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights.
• Michael P. Hindelang, Business Litigation.
• Richard D. Hoeg, Business/Corporate.
• David J. Jacob, Real Estate.
• Matthew R. Keuten, Health Care.
• Adam L. Kochenderfer, Business Litigation.
• Melissa A. Langridge, Business/Corporate.
• Evan J. Leibhan, Business/Corporate.
• Daniel W. Linna Jr., Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights.
• Tara E. Mahoney, Employment & Labor.
• H. Roger Mali, Real Estate.
• Megan Conlon McCulloch, Environmental.
• H. Kirk Meadows, Environmental.
• Kelly T. Murphy, Intellectual Property.
• Arthur T. O’Reilly, Business Litigation.
• Justin R. Peruski, Business/Corporate.
• Kenneth J. Phillips, Business/Corporate.
• Jill M. Przybylski, Business Litigation.
• Jill S. Schloff, Real Estate.
• Joseph R. Sgroi, Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights.
• Tricia A. Sherick, Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights.
• Aaron M. Silver, Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights.
• Richard J. Zecchino, Business Litigation.

The firm is also pleased to announce that Steven J. Migliore has joined the firm as an attorney in the Corporate and Securities Department.

Migliore concentrates his practice on stock/asset purchases, acquisitions and general corporate work.

He earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School, an M.B.A. from Wayne State University and a B.A. from Michigan State University in Supply Chain Management.

He comes to Honigman from Evans & Luptak PLC in Farmington Hills.

Additionally, Honigman is pleased to announce that Richard E. Zuckerman, a partner in the firm’s Litigation Department and chair of its White Collar Crime Practice Group, has been reappointed to the State Bar of Michigan’s Judicial Qualifications Committee for the sixth year. The committee evaluates candidates for appointment to judicial vacancies and reports its findings, in confidence, to the authority requesting its assistance.

In his legal practice, Zuckerman focuses on federal and state white collar criminal defense, civil and criminal antitrust and tax litigation, securities fraud defense, and environmental crimes defense. He is a former attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice Organized Crime and Racketeering Section, where he supervised complex, multi-agency investigations and prepared and tried criminal cases developed from those investigations.

Zuckerman has been listed in the “Best Lawyers in America” from 2001 to 2011 and in Michigan “Super Lawyer” from 2005 to 2010. In addition, he was named by Chambers USA in “America’s Leading Lawyers for Business” from 2005 to 2010 and as “Top Lawyer in White Collar Crime & Government Investigations.”

Zuckerman is admitted to the states bars in California, Michigan and Nevada. He earned his law degree from Southwestern University School of Law and a B.A. from the University of Michigan.

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Wachler & Associates PC
Andrew B. Wachler of Wachler & Associates PC, along with Michael E. Paulhus, delivered a presentation on Civil False Claims Act amendments, strategies for defending False Claims Act cases and audits, and current and recent audit-related developments to attorneys at the American Health Lawyers Association Fundamentals of Health Law program Oct. 24 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Chicago.

Wachler also addressed an audience of health care professionals on the topic of RAC contractors and the audits they perform Oct. 25 at the Medical Group Management Association 2010 Annual Conference

in New Orleans. Wachler’s presentation focused on the impact of RACs on physician practices, successful strategies for responding to medical record requests and managing a RAC audit. He described the types of claims on which contractors will focus and illustrated compliance tips and successful appeals strategies with practical experiences.

Wachler has been practicing health care law for more than 25 years. He counsels health care providers and organizations nationwide in a variety of health care legal matters. In addition, he writes and speaks nationally to professional organizations and other entities on health care law topics such as Medicare appeals, Stark and fraud and abuse, HIPAA, and other topics.

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Howard & Howard
Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC is pleased to announce that Brenna D. Pelerin (formerly Brenna D. Mansfield) and R. Saleha Mohamedulla have joined the firm. They will both practice out of the firm’s Royal Oak Office.

Pelerin concentrates her practice in estate planning, special needs planning, disability planning and post-death administration.

Prior to joining Howard & Howard, Pelerin was part of the Estates & Trust Practice Group of Giarmarco, Mullins, & Horton. She was also a judicial intern at Wayne County’s Juvenile Division for Third Judicial Circuit of Michigan Judge Virgil Smith and studied at the National Center for Adoption Law & Policy in Columbus, Ohio.

Pelerin is licensed in the State of Michigan. She is a member of the Board of Directors for the Society of Financial Services Professionals, the Board of Directors for the Young Woman’s Home Association, the American Bar Association, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and a Partner with Cornerstone Schools Association. She was selected as a Michigan Rising Star by her peers in 2009 and 2010.

Pelerin earned her B.A. from Miami University in 2004 and her law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 2007.

Mohamedulla concentrates her practice in intellectual property law, focusing primarily on patent prosecution and patent infringement litigation in chemical and mechanical technologies.

Prior to joining Howard & Howard, Mohamedulla was in corporate practice at The Dow Chemical Company, where she was patent counsel for its films technology. As patent counsel, she prepared and prosecuted patent applications, advised business groups on global intellectual property development, prepared transactional business arrangements and managed outside counsel.

Mohamedulla previously acquired insight into the patenting process as a patent examiner in the United States Patent and Trademark Office. While at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Mohamedulla examined patent applications in the chemical and semiconductor processing arts, including integrated circuits, chips, photoresists, photolithography and other chemical processes.

After graduating law school, Mohamedulla practiced as an associate at a prominent general practice law firm in Washington, D.C. In this role, she prosecuted patent applications relating to liquid crystal technology and electrical and mechanical devices for LG Display Co., Ltd. and LG Chem Ltd. She also prepared non-infringement, invalidity and product clearance opinions.

Mohamedulla received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Michigan State University in 1999. In 2004, she earned her law degree from George Mason University School of Law in Arlington, Virginia.

Mohamedulla is admitted to the state bars of Michigan, the District of Columbia and Virginia. She is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

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Warner, Norcross, & Judd LLP
William R. Jansen, a partner with the law firm Warner, Norcross, & Judd LLP, has been named among the top litigators in Michigan in the fourth annual publication of Benchmark Litigation.

Jansen, the partner in charge of the Southfield office, was recognized for his work in commercial litigation. He was acknowledged by peers as an “absolute star” who was among the “top 15 trial lawyers in the state.”

Jansen was one of five attorneys in the firm recognized by the publication. The law firm was also one of those “highly recommended” by Benchmark Litigation after interviews with clients, peers and competitors.

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Nemeth Burwell P.C.
Attorneys Patricia Nemeth and Linda Burwell, founding partners of Detroit-based employment law firm Nemeth Burwell P.C., partner Anne Widlak and of counsel attorney Ingrid K. Brey have been included in the November/December issue of DBusiness magazine’s exclusive 2011 list of metro Detroit’s Top Lawyers. Nemeth, Burwell, and Widlak were named in their specialty areas of labor and employment and Brey was name in her specialty area of immigration.

Nemeth specializes in the labor and employment arena as a litigator, consultant, and negotiator. Her areas of expertise include reductions in force/layoffs and rehiring after layoffs, religious, ethnic, and gender discrimination, workplace harassment, wrongful discharge, union organizing activities and multi-party lawsuits. Nemeth completed the mediation training required under the Michigan Court Rules in 2003 and serves as a certified mediator for all types of civil litigation matters, including employment.

Nemeth holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan and her law degree and Master’s Degree in Labor Law from Wayne State University School of Law. She is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and the Illinois Bar.

Burwell specializes in the labor and employment arena as a litigator, arbitrator and consultant and represents management in all aspects of labor and employment law. Her areas of expertise include wrongful discharge, discrimination, non-competition, harassment, interference with contract, equal pay, retaliation, whistleblowers, wage and hours, unfair labor practices, breach of contract, libel and slander, and invasion of privacy. A nationally recognized speaker and author on employment law and risk management issues, Burwell often serves as the legal expert on panels involving employment laws.

Burwell earned her law degree from Wayne State University School of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan State University. She is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, along with the Federal and the United States Supreme Court Bar.

Widlak is an employment law litigator and counselor. She has successfully defended cases in state and federal courts involving a comprehensive array of claims, including workplace harassment; discrimination based on age, disability, sex, race, national origin and other protected categories; retaliation; violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act; wrongful discharge; and intentional interference with an at-will employment relationship.Widlak has served as a panel chairperson for the Michigan Attorney Discipline Board. She is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America (LCA), a trial lawyer honorary society comprised of less than one-half of one percent of lawyers in the United States.

Widlak earned both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in English from Georgetown University. She earned her law degree from the Wayne State University School of Law.

Brey focuses her practice exclusively on immigration law. Specifically, she represents employers who seek to employ foreign nationals within the United States. She also advises employers on worksite immigration compliance and enforcement issues. Brey has published numerous articles on immigration law, including a chapter in the Institute of Continuing Legal Education’s handbook, Employment Law in Michigan. She is a frequent speaker on immigration law and presents yearly at the national American Immigration Lawyers’ Conference and other national immigration conferences throughout the U.S.
Brey earned her law degree from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School and a master’s degree in labor law from the Georgetown University Law Center. She received her bachelor’s degree in social science from Michigan State University.

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Collins, Einhorn, Farrell & Ulanoff P.C.
“Best Lawyers®” has named Collins, Einhorn, Farrell, & Ulanoff Shareholder and President Michael J. Sullivan as the “Detroit Area Best Lawyers Professional Malpractice Lawyer of the Year” for 2011.

Sullivan has nearly 30 years of litigation and trial experience. In the professional liability arena, he has defended attorneys, physicians, accountants, architects, engineers, real estate appraisers, real estate brokers and title agents in defense of significant claims involving personal injury, property damage and business loss.

The University of Detroit Mercy School of Law alum also has experience in product liability litigation, and maintains an active general civil litigation practice, including business disputes, insurance disputes, and personal injury defense. In the field of business litigation, Sullivan represents parties in commercial disputes, including Tier One and Tier Two automotive suppliers in disputes with vendors and purchasers.

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Dykema
Dykema announces that five of its local attorneys have been named “Super Lawyers” in the November 2010 Corporate Counsel edition. They are:
Detroit office
• John A. Entenman – Employment & Labor.
• Martin Jay Galvin – Employment & Labor.
• Margaret Adams Hunter    – Employee Benefits/ERISA.
• Derek I. Meier – Immigration.
• Joseph A. Ritok – Employment & Labor.

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Plunkett Cooney
Plunkett Cooney attorneys Paul J. Dwaihy, Gary W. Francis, Jeffrey S. Hengeveld, Chiara Mattieson, Megan P. McKnight, George A. Netschke IV, and Nicole E. Wilinski were recently named “Rising Stars” in the 2010 issue of “Michigan Super Lawyers” magazine.

In the area of personal injury defense: medical malpractice, Dwaihy was acknowledged for his work. A member of the firm’s Mount Clemens office and Medical Liability Practice Group, Dwaihy concentrates his practice on defending medical malpractice litigation with a particular emphasis on birth trauma cases. A graduate from Michigan State University College of Law in 2003, he earned his undergraduate degree from University of Michigan in 2000.

Francis, a member of Plunkett Cooney’s Labor and Employment Practice Group, has also been recognized as a rising star. Francis focuses his practice primarily on traditional labor law, employment law and employee benefits (ERISA). A member of the firm’s Bloomfield Hills office, Francis earned his master’s degree in Labor Law from Wayne State University Law School in 2007 and both his undergraduate and law degrees from Michigan State University.

A member of the firm’s Bloomfield Hills office and recognized as a rising star in professional liability: defense, Hengeveld practices exclusively in the area of professional liability with an emphasis on claims against attorneys, accountants and real estate professionals. Hengeveld is a 2003 graduate of Michigan State University College of Law, and he earned his undergraduate degree from James Madison College at Michigan State University in 2000.

Mattieson, a member of the firm’s Litigation and Commercial Litigation practice groups, was selected as a rising star for her expertise in business litigation and bankruptcy & creditor/debtor rights. Mattieson concentrates her practice on litigation defense in the areas of retail law, business law, and premises, motor vehicle and general liability.Mattieson earned her law and undergraduate degrees from Wayne State University in 2003 and 2000 respectively.

McKnight, an attorney in Plunkett Cooney’s Banking, Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights and Commercial Litigation practice groups, was recognized for her work in business litigation. McKnight focuses her practice primarily in the area of business litigation with emphasis on banking and lender liability disputes. Admitted to practice in the state, federal and bankruptcy courts in Michigan, as well as in the state and federal courts in Illinois, McKnight received her law degree from University of Michigan Law School in 2003. She received her undergraduate degree from Kalamazoo College in 1999.

Netschke is a member of the firm’s Construction Law and Banking, Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights practice groups. Netschke, who was recognized for his expertise in construction litigation, represents design professionals, general contractors, construction managers, subcontractors and owners in both commercial and personal injury litigation.Netschke earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School in 2001 and his undergraduate degree from James Madison College at Michigan State University in 1996.

Wilinski, a member of the firm’s Bloomfield Hills office, focuses her practice in the area of insurance coverage litigation. Wilinski represents insurance providers in coverage cases throughout Michigan and the Midwest. Her experience includes the defense of complex disputes in the areas of environmental and construction law. Wilinski earned her law degree from Wayne State University Law School in 2000, and her undergraduate degree from University of Michigan in 1997.

Additionally,  “Michigan Super Lawyers” magazine recently named several attorneys from Plunkett Cooney, to its 2010 list of “Super Lawyers.”

Mary Massaron Ross, Plunkett Cooney’s Appellate Law Practice Group Leader, received special recognition by the magazine for the fourth consecutive year when she was included among the top 100 attorneys statewide and the top 50 women lawyers. In addition to being an a member of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, Massaron Ross was recognized in 2008 as a “Lawyer of the Year” by Michigan Lawyers Weekly for her work with national and state appellate bar groups. She serves as the second vice president of DRI – The Voice of the Defense Bar and is a member of the firm’s Board of Directors, the Litigation Counsel of America, and the American and Michigan State bar foundations.

Below is a list of local Plunkett Cooney’s partners who have received the 2010 “Michigan Super Lawyer” designation:

Bloomfield Hills office
• Michael P. Ashcraft Jr. – Professional Liability: Defense.
• Douglas C. Bernstein – Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights, Real Estate and Banking.
• William D. Booth – Alternative Dispute Resolution, Civil Litigation Defense and Professional Liability: Defense.
• Charles W. Browning – Insurance Coverage.
• Henry B. Cooney – Civil Litigation Defense and Personal Injury Defense: Products.
• Dennis G. Cowan – Land Use/Zoning,Government/Cities/Municipalities  and Business/Corporate.
• Jerome A. Galante – Construction Litigation, Personal Injury Defense: Products and Personal Injury Defense: General.
• Jeffrey C. Gerish – Appellate and Insurance Coverage.
• Michael J. Hagerty – Civil Litigation Defense.
• Robert G. Kamenec – Appellate, Insurance Coverage and Personal Injury Defense: Medical Malpractice.
• Theresa Smith Lloyd – Employment & Labor and Employment Litigation: Defense.
• Stanley C. Moore III – Employment & Labor.
• Scott H. Sirich – Construction Litigation and Professional Liability: Defense.
• Leslie J. Stein – Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights, Banking and Business/Corporate.
• D. Jerry Watters  – Personal Injury Defense: Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury Defense: General.
• Michael D. Weaver – Personal Injury Defense: Products and Professional Liability: Defense.

Detroit office
• Loretta M.  Ames – Personal Injury Defense: General and Class Action/Mass Torts.
• Ernest R. Bazzana – Appellate, Construction Litigation and Personal Injury Defense: Products.
• James R. Geroux – Workers’ Compensation.
• Kenneth C. Newa – Insurance Coverage and Construction Litigation.
• Christine D. Oldani – Appellate, Government/Cities/Municipalities and Professional Liability: Defense.
• Stanley A. Prokop – Insurance Coverage, Civil Litigation Defense and Alternative Dispute Resolution.
• Mary Catherine Rentz – Insurance Coverage.
• Mary Massaron Ross – Appellate.
• James C. Thomas – Criminal Defense: White Collar and Criminal Defense.

Also, U.S. News and “Best Lawyers in America” has published its inaugural list of top law firm’s nationwide and Plunkett Cooney has been included.
Based on a tiered rather than a ranked system, Plunkett Cooney was recognized in the following 10 practice areas:
• Criminal Defense: Non-White-Collar.
• Criminal Defense: White-Collar.
• Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants.
• Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants.
• Workers’ Compensation Law - Employers.
• Municipal Law.
• Insurance Law.
• Labor Law - Management.
• Real Estate Law.
• Employment Law - Management.