Legal People

Potestivo & Associates PC is pleased to announce that through united fundraising efforts firm-wide, they have raised $4,568 for the American Cancer Society’s signature event, Relay 4 Life, held June 26-27 at Hart Middle School in Rochester Hills.
“The annual fundraising we do for the American Cancer Society’s Relay 4 Life is something all of our employees look forward to and continue to get creative with year after year,” says Brian Potestivo, founder and president, Potestivo & Associates. “It brings our employees together for a common goal and the money we are able to donate at the end of the relay, is something everyone can feel proud of.”
The firms various departments put together a wide range of fundraising events such as bake sales, 50/50 raffles, euchre tournaments and themed lunches. During the relay, several employees participated and took on a leg of the relay with family and friends and fellow coworkers. Those who didn’t relay showed support by attending the event and cheering on the walkers.
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John A. Anderson
, attorney with the law firm of Giarmarco, Mullins, & Horton PC, has been appointed by the Board of Trustees for Genesys Regional Medical Center, Grand Blanc, Michigan, to serve as a member of the Executive Committee of the medical center’s Board of Trustees and as an officer of the corporation in the capacity of Corporate Secretary. The appointments were made by the Genesys Board at its meeting on June 2 and becme effective July 1.
Anderson specializes in health care law with Giarmarco, Mullins, & Horton PC in Troy.
“I’m honored by the appointment” Anderson said. Anderson also observed that “Genesys is widely acclaimed as one of the nation’s best hospitals and it’s exciting to be part of a dynamic organization focused on quality healthcare delivery to residents of the Southeastern Michigan region.”
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Miller Canfield associate Karolina Niemirska-Fido (Warsaw, Poland office) and principal Richard A. Walawender (Detroit, Mich. office) co-authored “Poland’s Revised Bankruptcy, Reorganization Law.” The article appears in the June 2010 issue of the American Bankruptcy Institute Journal.
Niemirska-Fido advises Polish and foreign clients conducting business in Poland, with an emphasis in bankruptcy and reorganization proceedings.
Walawender heads the firm’s Corporate, International, and Automotive Groups and co-founded the firm’s Polish partnership in 1991. He is the lead attorney on numerous multinational M&A transactions for U.S., Canadian, European, Asian, Mexican and Polish clients.
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Michael D. Mulcahy, one of the managing members of Dawda, Mann, Mulcahy, & Sadler PLC has been recognized for the seventh year in a row for his legal expertise in the area of real estate in the 2010 edition of Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.
Mulcahy specializes in a range of business, finance and real estate transactions. He represents sellers and buyers in the purchase, sale and financing of major retail centers, offices buildings and multi-use projects and represents borrowers and banks in connection with loan workouts. Mulcahy earned his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School.
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Robert Zawideh brings two decades of experience to Kemp Klein as he joins the full service law firm located in Troy. Zawideh helps businesses and families involved in estate and post-death disputes, complex business and commercial litigation, employment claims, franchise litigation, real estate claims and contract disputes.
Zawideh’s litigation practice has taken him before Michigan’s trial and appellate courts, including the Michigan Supreme Court, as well as before federal courts, state courts and arbitration panels across the United States.
Zawideh earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School in 1990 and his Bachelor of Arts, Justice, Morality & Constitutional Democracy from Michigan State University in 1987.
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Elizabeth Luckenbach Brown, partner with Southfield.-based Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer, Weiss PC, has been elected by the Board of Trustees as treasurer of the Oakland County Bar Foundation. Jaffe CEO Richard Zussman made the announcement.
Brown, a trustee of the Foundation, will serve a one-year term as treasurer that commences July 1, 2010. As treasurer, Brown will oversee all financial activities of the Foundation.
Brown is a member of Jaffe’s Estate Planning/Probate and Litigation practice groups, concentrating in probate litigation, special needs planning and elder law. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and is a graduate of DePaul University College of Law.
A published author and frequent lecturer, Brown is a member of numerous professional groups and committees, including the Oakland County Bar Association, the State Bar of Michigan and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. She also serves as a board member of the Children’s Center of Wayne County.
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Garan Lucow Miller PC is pleased to announce that Frederick B. Plumb and John W. Whitman have been elected to serve on the firm’s Executive Committee.
Plumb is managing shareholder of the firm’s Detroit office. His practice area covers a broad spectrum of law, including, Insurance Coverage Disputes, Bad Faith and Extra Contractual Damage Claims, First and Third Party Auto, Property Claims, Truck Accidents, Commercial Claims, and Catastrophic Claims. Plumb is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association, Oakland County Bar Association, Defense Research Institute, and the Association of Defense Trial Counsel. This is Plumb’s fourth term of the executive committee.
Whitman is a managing shareholder of the firm’s Ann Arbor office. His practice areas are Criminal Defense, Insurance Law, and Personal Injury Defense and Litigation. He is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and the Washtenaw County Bar Association.
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Butzel Long attorney and shareholder Beth S. Gotthelf was a guest on Bloomfield Community Television’s (BCTV) Practical Law show on Sunday, June 27. Gotthelf discussed alternative energy with host Henry Gornbein on the program “Practical Law.”
Based in Butzel Long’s Bloomfield Hills office, Gotthelf heads up the environmental, energy and land use practice. She represents and counsels a diverse mix of clients in numerous matters throughout the country.
Gotthelf is president of the Great Lakes Guardian for water protection, general counsel to the Michigan Association of Metal Finishers, Chair of the Birmingham Brownfield Authority, and former general counsel to the Wayne County Brownfield Authority.
She has been very active in the State Bar of Michigan, Environmental Law Section, including serving as past chair of the Section. She is co-chair of the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Natural Resources, Energy and Environmental Law, Teleconference Committee, vice chair of the ABA 2010 Eastern Water Conference and ABA 2011 National Water Conference, and vice chair of the ABA Water Quality and Wetlands Committee. She is past chair of the Environmental Law Committee of the Oakland County Bar Association and is a past member of the State Bar Representative Assembly on behalf of Oakland County.
Gotthelf serves on the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce Leadership Committee for Transportation, and is past chair of the Chamber’s Task Force on Water and Sewer Issues. She is a Fellow of the Michigan State Bar Foundation and a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America.
Gotthelf is a graduate of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law (1985) and Oakland University (B.S. Public Administration and Public Policy, 1980). In 2009, Gotthelf received an Oakland University Distinguished Alumni Award.
Additionally, Butzel Long attorney and shareholder Laurie Michelson has been elected president of the Federal Bar Association, Eastern District of Michigan Chapter. Previously, Michelson served as president-elect (past secretary, past treasurer and past program chair) and Board member of the Federal Bar Association, Eastern District of Michigan.
The Federal Bar Association was founded nationally in 1920 by a group of federal government lawyers and has grown and expanded over the years. The Association is now recognized as the professional organization for private attorneys, government lawyers and judges involved in federal practice.
Based in Butzel Long’s Detroit office, Michelson practices in the areas of white collar criminal defense and media law/ intellectual property litigation.
Michelson was recently named for the first time to Chambers USA - America’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2010. Michelson is the practice group leader for Butzel Long’s Intellectual Property, Technology and Media practice.
Michelson has written numerous guest articles and spoken on white collar criminal law and media and intellectual property issues.
Michelson also is former chair of the American Bar Association Communication Law’s Training and Development Committee. She is a member of the Advisory Board of Trustees of Eton Academy, and the Goodfellows.
Michelson is listed in “The Best Lawyers in America” (2009) in the area of First Amendment Law.
Michelson is a graduate of The University of Michigan (A.B., 1989) and Northwestern University (law degree, 1992). She served as law clerk to United States Court of Appeals Judge Cornelia G. Kennedy, Sixth Circuit, from 1992-1993.
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For the sixth consecutive year, Honigman, Miller, Schwartz, and Cohn LLP’s Real Estate; Corporate/Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A); and Litigation: General Commercial practices have achieved a number one rating in the legal research publication Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business (Chambers). In addition, Honigman’s Real Estate and Corporate/(M&A) practices have been the only number one ranked firm in Michigan for the past three years.
Chambers also rated Honigman’s Employee Benefits and Labor and Employment practices among the top three in the state for the fifth year in a row and Banking and Finance among the top three in Michigan for the last two years.
In addition to Honigman’s Real Estate Department’s ranking, its chair, Lawrence McLaughlin, has been named by Chambers as a “star” in this legal practice for four consecutive years.
The following individuals at Honigman were named “Leading Attorneys” by Chambers in 2010 (the practice area appears below as designated by Chambers):
• Ankers, Norman, Litigation: General Commercial (Detroit).
• Aviv, Joseph, Litigation: General Commercial (Bloomfield Hills).
• Baty, Donald,    Banking & Finance: Bankruptcy (Detroit).
• Burstein, Richard, Real Estate (Bloomfield Hills).
• DeMars, Gregory, Real Estate (Detroit).
• Fink, Herschel, Litigation: General Commercial (Detroit).
• Foltyn, David,  Corporate/M&A (Detroit).
• Friedman, Michael, Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (Detroit).
• Henney, Raymond, Litigation: General Commercial (Detroit).
• Kunz, Donald, Corporate/M&A (Detroit).
• Lewis, Denise, Real Estate (Detroit).
• Luckoff, Howard, Real Estate (Bloomfield Hills).
• McLaughlin, Lawrence, Real Estate (Detroit).
• Parsigian, David, Corporate/M&A (Ann Arbor)
• Sable,    E. Todd, Banking & Finance: Bankruptcy (Detroit).
• Sargent, William, Labor & Employment (Detroit).
• Schermerhorn, Gregory, Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (Detroit).
• Schwartz, Alan S., Corporate/M&A (Detroit).
• Weiss, Robert, Banking & Finance: Bankruptcy (Detroit).
• Zuckerman, Richard, Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (Detroit).
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Jennifer Gasiecki, an attorney with the Detroit based firm of Blake, Kirchner, Symonds, Larson, Kennedy, & Smith PC, is fulfilling a career goal of studying international law, as she embarked on a six week internship with the international law firm of Pinsent Masons on June 28.
Gasiecki was awarded the internship after competing in her second Association for Corporate Growth Detroit Chapter Cup, a competition for Masters in Business Administration (MBA) Students last Spring.
Gasiecki, who completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Detroit Mercy and then obtained her law degree at Penn State University, is currently attending Walsh College in Troy where she hopes to earn a dual MBA and Masters of Science in Finance. This past spring, the Detroit attorney representing Walsh competed in her second consecutive ACG Detroit Cup, and though she was disappointed her team did not win the 2010 competition, she did successfully earn the internship offered by Pinsent Masons besting 14 other Cup competitors who applied.
“I have to thank my firm for allowing me a six week sabbatical, because without this consideration I would not have been able to partake in this amazing opportunity. I am just hoping to learn as much as I can, soak in the English culture and network,” Gasiecki, a resident of Waterford and native of Troy said. “Since, I am the lead attorney on some business at our firm, my firm was very cooperative in giving me the time off for this once in a lifetime experience. With the time difference and emails, I may have to do some double duty but it will be worth it.”
According to Gasiecki, ACG Detroit Cup competition is extremely valuable to MBA students and offers real world experience and she highly recommends it to anyone studying for their MBA or interested in private investment banking.
While Gasiecki was disappointed that her Walsh College Team did not win the 2010 ACG Detroit Cup, she is excited about interning with Pinsent Masons, one of the Top 100 International Law firms in the world and the 15th largest firm in England.
“It will be a wonderful professional and personal experience,” she said.
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Dykema announces that the firm and several of its members have been recognized by Chambers USA, “America’s Leading Business Lawyers 2010” as leading business attorneys in the states of Michigan and Illinois.
Dykema is ranked as a leading firm in the following areas: Corporate/M&A – Michigan; Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation – Michigan; Labor & Employment – Michigan; Litigation: General Commercial – Michigan; and Real Estate – Michigan.
J. Michael Bernard, who is the leader of Dykema’s Corporate Finance Practice Group, ranked as a leader in the Corporate/M&A-Michigan area. Bernard’s practice focuses primarily on business planning, general corporate and securities matters, with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, financing transactions, corporate formation matters for emerging businesses and public company securities compliance and corporate governance.
James P. Feeney ranked as a leader in the Litigation: General Commercial-Michigan area. Feeney is a prominent trial lawyer who tackles high-stakes litigation matters for the world’s largest automakers, equipment manufacturers and suppliers. He also counsels financial institutions, real estate developers, equipment leasing companies, insurance and media companies. A resident of Birmingham, Feeney is a member of three invitation-only organizations – A Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and a member of The American Board of Trial Advocates and the Product Liability Advisory Council.
Dennis M. Haffey, for years the director of Dykema’s Litigation Department, ranked as a leader in the Litigation: General Commercial-Michigan area. Haffey’s practice focuses on complex business litigation for both plaintiffs and defendants, at trial and appellate levels in federal and state courts and in arbitrations, with an emphasis on shareholder disputes, commercial transactions, securities, distribution and supply chain claims, business torts, trade secrets, franchises, and sports and entertainment disputes.
Patrick F. Hickey ranked as a leader in the Litigation: General Commercial-Michigan and the Labor & Employment Michigan areas. He represents clients in commercial and employment matters in various state and federal trial and appellate courts in Michigan and various other states. Hickey also has extensive experience in arbitrations, mediations, and other forms of alternative dispute resolution. His litigation and arbitration experience includes matters involving non-compete agreements, trade secrets, ERISA, and discrimination claims.
Margaret Adams Hunter ranked as a leader in the Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation-Michigan area. She specializes in design, implementation and administration of pension plans, welfare plans, fringe benefit plans, stock compensation plans and executive compensation arrangements. Hunter performs compliance audits on employee benefits plans, counsels clients regarding voluntary and involuntary compliance programs sponsored by the Internal Revenue Service and Department of Labor.
Aleksandra A. Miziolek ranked as a leader in the Corporate/M&A-Michigan area. Miziolek, the director of Dykema’s Automotive Industry Group, has established a practice that primarily focuses on mergers and acquisitions, infrastructure and finance matters for clients in the automotive industry as well as Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) formed to provide essential services to communities and jurisdictions. Based in Detroit, she delivers legal counsel to publicly and privately held companies on general corporate matters, joint ventures and other strategic alliances. In addition, Miziolek advises public companies and their boards of directors, including special committees, in corporate governance and fiduciary duties.
Cameron H. Piggott ranked as a leader in the Real Estate-Michigan category. He specializes in general real estate law, with an emphasis on commercial and residential development, leasing, construction, public/private projects, master planned communities, complex real estate transactions, real estate workouts and foreclosures, and eminent domain. Piggott is a member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers.
Joseph A. Ritok ranked as a leader in the Labor & Employment Michigan category. His practice focuses on union-management relations and the defense of employment matters before federal and state agencies and courts throughout the United States. He is a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.
Ronald L. Rose ranked as a leader in the Banking & Finance: Bankruptcy Michigan category. Rose specializes in bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, and commercial matters, covering issues arising under Uniform Commercial Code and Bankruptcy Code. He has represented parties in complex commercial and corporate transactions and significant bankruptcy litigation. Rose has represented trustees in bankruptcy proceedings and debtors, purchasers of assets, secured and unsecured creditors in bankruptcy proceedings and out-of-court restructuring.

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