Legal People

Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss, P.C.

Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer, & Weiss PC’s Roshunda Price was elected to the Presbyterian Villages of Michigan board of directors. Presbyterian Villages of Michigan has a 72-year history of providing quality senior living and services to over 5,000 individuals across Michigan.

Price is a partner at Jaffe and a member of the firm’s Corporate, Real Estate, and Emerging and Growth Practice Groups. She focuses on advising clients on a variety of corporate and real estate matters, including selection and structure of business entities, financing transactions, mergers and acquisitions, joint venture and strategic alliances, real estate development, the acquisition and disposition of commercial and residential property, construction transactions and landlord/tenant leasing arrangements.

A certified public accountant and a member of the State Bar of Michigan, Price earned a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School as well as a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.

Additionally, Jaffe announced that six of its attorneys have been named to DBusiness magazine’s 2018 Top Lawyers list. The attorneys recognized in their practice areas are:

• Christopher A. Andreoff – White-Collar Criminal Defense

• David L. Steinberg – Franchise Law

• Jennifer M. Oertel – Nonprofit / Charities Law

• Mark L. Kowalsky – Securities Law

• Paul R. Hage – Bankruptcy and Creditor / Debtor Rights Law

• Shirley A. Kaigler – Trusts and Estates

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Plunkett Cooney

Plunkett Cooney recently named two attorneys as its newest shareholders.

Josephine A. DeLorenzo and Courtney L. Nichols were unanimously approved by the firm’s Board of Directors as the firm’s newest shareholders. The promotion from associate attorney is based on the recommendations of the firm’s Shareholder Evaluation Committee and is effective January 1, 2018.

DeLorenzo focuses her practice in the areas of appellate and insurance law. She has experience with governmental law, professional liability, no-fault law, and insurance coverage.

Prior to joining the firm, DeLorenzo worked as a law clerk for Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Kurtis T. Wilder as well as a prehearing attorney for the court.

Selected by Michigan Super Lawyer magazine as a “Rising Star” in Appellate Law for three years, DeLorenzo is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and is admitted to practice before the state and federal courts in Michigan, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court. DeLorenzo received her law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 2008 and her undergraduate degree from University of Notre Dame in 1991.

Nichols serves as the firm’s Labor and Employment Law Practice Group Leader. She focuses her litigation practice in the area of employment law, including harassment, discrimination and retaliation claims brought under state and federal statutes. In addition, Nichols provides counsel to employers of all sizes regarding complicated employment and labor issues prior to litigation, including compliance with the ADA, FMLA, and FLSA. She also advises institutions of higher education with respect to Title IX sexual assault claims on campus.

Nichols has been designated by Michigan Super Lawyer Magazine as a “Rising Star” in the area of employment & labor law for two years and she received the “Up & Coming Lawyer” Award from Michigan Lawyers Weekly in 2015. Nichols is a member of the Oakland County Bar Association, the State Bar of Michigan and the DRI-The Voice of the Defense Bar. Admitted to practice before the state and federal courts in Michigan, she received her law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2011. Nichols received her undergraduate degree from the James Madison College at Michigan State University in 2008.

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Butzel Long

Butzel Long immigration law attorney Reginald A. Pacis was interviewed recently on GlobalAutoIndustry.com, a comprehensive online resource for automotive supplier executives, to discuss key immigration matters impacting businesses today. Pacis discussed recent current and future changes impacting immigration.

Pacis focuses his practice in immigration law and has handled a variety of immigration matters including H-1B specialty occupation cases, L-1 Intracompany transfers, Labor Certification matters, Immigrant Visa Petitions/Adjustment of Status applications and interviews, TN Free trade cases, H-1B Department of Labor Investigations, I-9 employer verification compliance, and U.S. Port of Entry airport and land port interviews.

He was named Immigration Lawyer of the Year 2013 in the field of Immigration Law by The Best Lawyers in America and has been listed in Best Lawyers for several years. Pacis is a member of the American Bar Association, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), and the Samahang Pilipino Ng Oakland Filipino organization. He served two consecutive one-year terms from 2003 to 2005 as chairperson of the Michigan Chapter of AILA and was a member of the AILA National Board of Governors for those terms. Pacis previously served as secretary (2001 to 2003) and membership chairperson of the Michigan Chapter of AILA (1998 to 2003). 

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Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC

Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC is pleased to announce that Ian W. Larkin has joined the firm and will practice out of the Royal Oak.

Larkin concentrates his practice in business and corporate law. He began his career with Howard & Howard as a summer associate in 2016. Prior to joining as a full-time associate, he worked for Blue Cross Blue Shield as a government compliance intern where he conducted regular review and audit of internal controls within each functional area, regularly reporting investigative, analytic and audit data to all stakeholders.

Larkin received his B.S.B.A. from Wayne State University in 2013 and his law degree from Wayne State University Law School in 2017. He is licensed to practice in the State of Michigan.

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Kerr Russell

Kerr Russell adds new talent to Detroit location

Cody Attisha, associate, will focus on taxation law, corporate law, and mergers and acquisitions. 

Prior to joining Kerr Russell, Attisha served as a tax associate with an international “Big 4” accounting firm where he advised on various aspects of federal, state and local taxation. Attisha assisted with tax advisory relating to corporate restructurings and mergers and acquisitions. He was also involved with credits and incentives such as working with local community development entities in applying for new market tax credit allocations. Attisha also has tax controversy experience including petitioning the Michigan Tax Tribunal and assisting with defending clients before the IRS and State of Michigan. Previously, Attisha worked as a tax associate for a boutique tax controversy law firm in Southfield.

Attisha graduated from Wayne State University Law School.  He earned a bachelor of science in business administration with a major in accounting from Wayne State University.

Derek Boyd, associate, is in Kerr Russell’s commercial litigation practice, while providing support for the defense of medical malpractice actions, as well.

Prior to joining Kerr Russell, Boyd represented physicians and hospitals in a wide variety of both medical malpractice and general negligence matters. He also worked for a “Big Three” auto­maker in its transfer pricing counsel group, helping establish and execute global tax strategy for its subsidiaries and ensuring compliance with statutory guidelines.

Boyd graduated from Wayne State University Law School.

Andrew Eurich, associate, will focus on corporate and transactional (M&A) work. Having recently served as in-house corporate counsel for a broadcast communications company, Eurich has had experience in contract drafting, structuring of acquisitions and divestitures, real estate deals, banking transactions, regulatory compliance, and intellectual property.

He graduated from Wayne State University Law School.  His undergraduate degree is in psychology from Michigan State University.

Stephen Reaume, associate, is working in a general litigation capacity and is supporting our business and corporate law, estate planning, and health care practitioners.

He graduated from Wayne State University Law School. His undergraduate degree in sociology is from DePaul University in Chicago.  He is an active member of the Detroit Athletic Club.

Reaume was a judicial intern for U.S District Court Judge Stephen J. Murphy III, Eastern District of Michigan.

Paul Burkett, paralegal, will be assisting Kerr Russell’s medical malpractice area.

Since 2010, Burkett has worked in commercial litigation as well as municipal, business, and medical malpractice for a number of Southeast Michigan firms.

As a member of Kerr Russell’s medical malpractice team, Burkett’s work will include all aspects of discovery including: case management; medical research; ordering records; summarizing medical records and other relevant documents; drafting discovery pleadings including interrogatories and document requests; responding to discovery pleadings; drafting witness lists and discovery motions. He will also assist with trial preparation, which includes: creating trial books; indexing deposition transcripts; organizing exhibits; and creating demonstrative aids.

Burkett obtained his Bachelor’s degree in psychology from University of Detroit Mercy and his paralegal certificate from Oakland Community College.

Kerr Russell also recently added Jill Clinard, legal assistant, and Heather Kalfayan, administrative support team.

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Dickinson Wright PLLC

Dickinson Wright PLLC is pleased to announce that attorney William L. Rosin has joined the firm’s Troy office as a member.

Rosin has experience in representing national and multi-national corporations in their business transactions. The representation includes counseling clients in the buying and selling of businesses as well as routinely providing legal advice in many other areas of corporate business law including: selecting and creating the appropriate corporate entity, buy-sell agreements, shareholder agreements, financing transactions, employment agreements, management agreements, supply and distribution agreements, non-compete and confidentiality agreements, purchase orders, and joint ventures. Many of Rosin’s clients are in the automotive industry and his years of experience with them makes him qualified to assist clients in dealing with the issues specific to the automotive industry. His non-automotive experience includes the representation of clients engaged in consulting, sales, investing, manufacturing, lending, among others.

Rosin is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and the American Bar Association. He is recognized as a leader in his field by Best Lawyers in America, Michigan Super Lawyers, and DBusiness Top Lawyers. Rosin received his B.A. from James Madison College of Michigan State University and his law degree from Wayne State University Law School.

Dickinson Wright is also pleased to announce that attorneys Eric Bartley, Heather Olson, Brian Foley, and Chelsey Marsh co-authored the Community Land Trust Manual, published by Michigan Community Resources.

The second edition of the Community Land Trust Manual provides overviews of the legal considerations most commonly involved in establishing and maintaining Community Land Trusts. Community Land Trusts are private, nonprofit corporations created to provide secure affordable access to land and housing for the benefit of the community. The manual covers a range of topics from “The Homebuyer’s Guide to Community Land Trusts” to “Primers” for local officials, financial institutions, local assessors, and more.

Michigan Community Resources, the publisher of the Community Land Trust Manual, supports and empowers nonprofit community-based organizations working in low-income communities, with an emphasis on community and economic development, by providing pro bono legal services and technical assistance. Originally known as Community Legal Resources, the organization grew from a legal service provider for nonprofits to a comprehensive support organization in Michigan. They provide the legal, community organizing, and urban planning skills and resources that community-based organizations and low-income communities need to revitalize and thrive. To learn more, visit www.mi-community.org.
Attorneys Eric Bartley, Heather Olson, Brian Foley, and Chelsey Marsh are located in Dickinson Wright’s Troy office where they focus their practices on real estate finance.

In addition, Dickinson Wright announces that attorney James P. Spica addressed the Great Lakes Regional Conference of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) on Saturday, Dec. 2, in Chicago as a member of the Conference’s CLE faculty. His topic was the Uniform Directed Trust Act (UDTA). The UDTA has been promulgated by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, also known as the Uniform Law Commission (ULC). Spica is a ULC commissioner (appointed by the State of Michigan’s bipartisan Legislative Council) and served as the American Bar Association (ABA) advisor to the ULC Drafting Committee that developed the UDTA. He is also the acting chair of the Divided and Directed Trusteeships ad Hoc Committee of the Council of the Probate and Estate Planning Section of the State Bar of Michigan, which has developed a legislative proposal to enact the UDTA in Michigan as an amendment to the Michigan Trust Code.

Spica, an ACTEC Fellow and a former member of the ACTEC State Laws Committee, is the principal author of the Michigan Personal Property Trust Perpetuities Act of 2008 and of the multi-statute Michigan “trust decanting” regime enacted in 2012. He is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, and in addition to serving as the ABA advisor to the ULC Directed Trust Drafting Committee, served on the ad hoc committee of the ABA Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section that drafted the Section’s response to the Treasury Department’s request (IRS Notice 2011-101) for comments on the tax implications of trust decanting. He is a member of the Michigan Commission on Uniform State Laws, a former member of the Council of the Probate and Estate Planning Section of the State Bar of Michigan (2006-2015) and a current member of the Michigan Institute for Continuing Legal Education (ICLE) Probate and Estate Planning Advisory Board.

As a member in Dickinson Wright’s Detroit office, Spica focuses his practice on estate and tax planning, trust banking, and trust litigation. Listed in Chambers High Net Worth Guide, The Best Lawyers in America, Michigan Super Lawyers, Leading Lawyers, and DBusiness Top Lawyers, he is a coauthor of the ICLE treatises “Michigan Estate Planning Handbook” (3rd ed. 2016 & Supp.) and of “Trust Administration Under the Michigan Trust Code” (2010 & Supp.). He clerked for U.S. Tax Court Judge Richard C. Wilbur (1985) and taught jurisprudence, taxation, trusts, and decedents’ estates as an assistant/associate professor of law at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law (1989-2000, tenured 1996).