Four Bodman Attorneys Named 2017 "Lawyers of the Year" by The Best Lawyers in America

The internationally recognized peer-review journal The Best Lawyers in America has named four Bodman PLC attorneys “Lawyers of the Year” for 2016: Timothy R. Damschroder, Susan M. Kornfield, Ralph E. McDowell, and David B. Walters.

The Best Lawyers in America is the nation’s oldest attorney-rating publication and one of the most respected peer-review journals in the world.  A single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area is honored as the Lawyer of the Year based on impressive voting averages received during the assessments from other leading lawyers in the same communities and practice areas for their abilities, professionalism, and integrity.

Walters has been named 2017 Troy Lawyer of the Year for Employee Benefits. In addition to this award, he is also listed in The Best Lawyers in America 2017 for Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law. Walters concentrates his practice in employee benefits, corporate law and estate planning. He has more than 25 years of experience counseling employers on all aspects of employee benefit plan formation, administration, and taxation. He serves on the Great Lakes Area TE/GE Council, which maintains lines of communication between the Great Lakes Area TE/GE Division of the Internal Revenue Service and the practitioner community and provides input and advice regarding tax policies and procedures related to employee benefit tax issues. Walters is a repeat honoree, having been named 2015 Troy Lawyer of the Year for Employee Benefits.

McDowell, who is chairman of Bodman’s executive management committee, has been named 2017 Detroit Lawyer of the Year for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law. McDowell assists clients primarily in the areas of commercial bankruptcy, debtors’ and creditors’ rights, and workouts. He has represented the interests of banks and other financial institutions in pre-bankruptcy workout situations, commercial bankruptcy cases, and troubled credit situations. Outside of the firm, he is a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of Hebrew Free Loan of Metropolitan Detroit, on the University of Detroit Mercy Law School Dean’s Advisory Board, and on the Audit Committee of the Detroit Institute of Arts. He is also listed in the 2017 Best Lawyers in America for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Bet-the-Company Litigation, and Litigation – Bankruptcy. McDowell was previously named Detroit Lawyer of the Year for Litigation – Bankruptcy in 2015.

Damschroder has been named 2017 Ann Arbor Lawyer of the Year for Mergers and Acquisitions.  Damschroder previously garnered Ann Arbor Lawyer of the Year honors in 2016 (Corporate Law), 2014 (M&A Law), and 2012 (Corporate Law). He is the chairperson of Bodman’s Business Practice Group. He advises clients in matters involving mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, general business, corporate governance, securities offerings, and tax. Damschroder serves on the Board of Directors of the Washtenaw County United Way and is a past president of the Business Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan. He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America 2017 for Corporate Law and Mergers and Acquisition Law.

Kornfield has been named 2017 Ann Arbor Lawyer of the Year for Trademark Law. Her prior honors include being named Ann Arbor Lawyer of the Year in 2016 (Copyright Law), 2015 (Litigation – Patent), 2014 (Litigation – Intellectual Property), and 2013 (Copyright Law). She assists clients in intellectual property matters, including information systems acquisition, copyrights, trademarks, e-commerce, noncompete agreements and other post-employment restrictions, and protection against economic espionage. She handles transactional and litigation matters and has been lead counsel in national intellectual property litigation. Kornfield is the chairperson of Bodman’s Intellectual Property Practice Group and co-chair of the Pro Bono Committee. She serves on an advisory committee to Stanford University on matters involving libraries and academic information resources, and lectures at universities, legal conferences, and business workshops on IP issues. Kornfield is listed The Best Lawyers in America 2017 for Copyright Law, Litigation – Intellectual Property, Litigation – Patent, Technology Law, and Trademark Law.

Bodman PLC is one of the Midwest’s leading business law firms, providing counsel to some of the region’s most successful companies and wealthiest individuals on a broad range of issues. Deeply rooted in the communities they serve, Bodman lawyers provide clients with the personal attention of a small firm combined with the talent and knowledge expected of the nation’s leading attorneys. To learn more, visit www.bodmanlaw.com.

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