88th edition: OCBA honorees to be saluted at Annual Meeting

By Tom Kirvan
Legal News

“Virtual” no longer is the operative word for the Oakland County Bar Association’s Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony, scheduled this year on Thursday, June 2.

Unlike the past two years when the Annual Meeting was held in the virtual realm due to the pandemic, this year’s edition will be an “in-person” gathering from 5-8 p.m. at The Community House in Birmingham.

“Join the OCBA as we salute outstanding leaders in the law and celebrate another amazing year,” said Jennifer Roosenberg, executive director of the OCBA. 

“During this event, we will recognize the 2022 OCBA award recipients, members celebrating 40 years in legal practice in Michigan, and those who have been a member of the OCBA for 50 or more years. Then, outgoing OCBA President Kaveh Kashef will pass the gavel to incoming President Elizabeth L. Luckenbach. Liz will then be sworn in as the bar’s 90th president, and her first action as the new leader will be to deliver remarks about her vision for the year ahead.”

The 2022 honorees include: 

• The late Thomas Plunkett, former Oakland County prosecutor and partner at Williams Williams Rattner & Plunkett, Distinguished Career Achievement Award; 

• Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald, Distinguished Public Servant Award; 

• Giancarlo Guzman, of the ACLU of Michigan, Allene and Martin Doctoroff Liberty Bell Award;

• Patricia Felix, of the Law Office of Patricia Felix, Pro Bono Award – Lakeshore Legal Aid;

• Julie Kosoveck, of Brooks Wilkins Sharkey & Turco, Distinguished Service Award;

• Douglas Toering, of Mantese Honigman, Professionalism Award;

• Clarence Dass, of The Dass Law Firm, the Frances R. Avadenka Memorial Award; 

• Oakland County Circuit Judge Nanci Grant, the S. Gerald Gorcyca Meritorious Service to Veterans Award;

• Michael Steinberger, of General Motors, the Bonnie L. Beutler Outstanding New Lawyer Award;

• Public Access to Legal Services Committee, the Committee of the Year Award.

In addition to the award recipients, 30 attorneys will be in the spotlight as 40-year honorees at the Annual Meeting. They include: Jody Aaron, Robert Badgley, Richard Baron, Douglas Bernstein, Orlando Blanco, Michael Coakley, Louis Corey, Richard Danforth, Barry Fagan, Stephen Feldman, Mark Filipp, Sandra Glazier, Milton Greenman, Kenneth Gross, Marcia Jobe, Paul Johnson, R. Bradley Lambert, Michael Lebow, Dani Liblang, Brian McKeen, Cynthia Merry, Julie Nelson-Klein, Susan Paletz, Michael Robbins, Geoffrey Silverman, Raymond Sterling, Douglas Toering, John Toth, Thomas Waun, and Sara Zivian Zwicki.

Also to be honored at the Annual Meeting will be those in the select 50-year-and-plus member circle, according to Roosenberg.

“The 50-Plus-Year Member honorees are being recognized for their dedication to the OCBA by being members of the OCBA for 50 consecutive years or more,” said Roosenberg. “This is the first time we are recognizing those who hit the 50-year milestone, so we included not only those who are celebrating 50 years of membership this year, but also those who have been members more than 50 years. Our two longest serving members both joined in 1954, Thomas W. Payne and Robert M. Radner.”

The half-century and beyond group includes: James Boucher, Marty Burnstein, Judge Stephen Cooper, L. Gene DeAgostino, Walter Denison, Judge Pat Donofrio, Richard Eriksen, Robert Feldstein, Judge Bernard Friedman, Charles Gabe, Leonard Givens, Walter Goldsmith, George Googasian, Henry Gornbein, Alan Greenberg, Hanley Gurwin, William Hampton, Mark Hauser, Michael Hutson, James Johnston, Jon Kingsepp, Judge Sheldon Larky, Harold Larson, Jeffrey Leib, and G. Vernon Leopold.

Also among the 50-year honorees: Douglas Mann, Alexander McGarry, Judge Gerald McNally, Robert Meisner, Judge Fred Mester, Harold Milton, Judge Eugene Arthur Moore, J. Timothy Patterson, Thomas Payne, Robert Peterson, Dennis Pheney, Edgar Pugh, Robert Radner, John Rogers, Thomas Sawyer, John Schaefer, Joel Schavrien, T. Gordon Scupholm, and Burton Shifman.

“We invite you to join us at this spectacular event as we celebrate the great work of these important bar leaders, reflect on the past year, and look ahead to a great future,” Roosenberg said in the invitation to attend the June 2 event.

 

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