Legal People ...

Brandon C. Griffith joined Honigman, Miller, Schwartz, and Cohn LLP as an associate in its Intellectual Property Department's Patent Practice Group. He will be located in the firm's Bloomfield Hills office. Honigman's IP practice serves clients regionally, nationally and internationally and Griffith is the 13th attorney to join Honigman in this practice area in 2015.

Griffith focuses his practice on preparing and prosecuting patent applications in a wide range of mechanical and electromechanical technologies, including medical devices, automotive components and control systems, industrial equipment, consumer electronics, and athletic equipment. Griffith is admitted to practice in Michigan.

He earned a law degree from the University of Michigan and a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Notre Dame.

Griffith joins Honigman from Harness, Dickey, & Pierce PLC in Troy.

In addition, Jonathan P. O'Brien and Honigman, Miller, Schwartz, and Cohn LLP have been recognized in Intellectual Asset Management's (IAM) Patent 1000-The World's Leading Patent Practitioners 2015 edition. O'Brien and Honigman are among only 10 attorneys and five firms named in Michigan.

O'Brien concentrates his practice on life sciences (pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device), industrial chemistry, battery technology and nanotechnology. He provides clients with global IP strategies related to IP procurement and enforcement, product clearance, and various transactional and regulatory issues.

Along with the IAM recognition, O'Brien was named an "IP Star" by Managing Intellectual Property magazine from 2013 through 2015. He was named a "Leader in the Law" by Michigan Lawyers Weekly in 2014. O'Brien also has been named in The Best Lawyers in America from 2012 through 2015, and in Michigan Super Lawyers as a "Rising Star" in 2011, 2013 and 2014.

He earned a law degree from Michigan State University College of Law. O'Brien also received a Ph.D. in chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a B.S in chemistry from Hope College.

Honigman is also pleased to announce that the firm has elected Karen R. Pifer and Stanley H. Pitts to its Board of Directors for four-year terms beginning on July 1. Pifer is a member of Honigman's Real Estate Department and is located in the firm's Bloomfield Hills office. Pitts is a member of Honigman's Labor and Employment Department and is located in the firm's Detroit office.

Pifer advises and represents clients in various types of real estate transactions, including the acquisition, sale, development, financing and leasing of shopping centers, hotels, office buildings and other real estate projects. She also serves Honigman as the Bloomfield Hills office co-managing partner.

Pifer earned a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School and a B.A. from Albion College.

Pitts focuses his practice on the defense of employers facing labor and employment challenges. He defends individual and class action lawsuits at the state and federal level and provides assistance during administrative agency investigations. Pitts has more than 30 years of litigation experience on behalf of public and private employers, having served as lead counsel in numerous high-stakes employment discrimination trials and complex litigation matters. He also serves Honigman as chair of its Committee on Minority Attorney Initiatives.

Pitts earned a law degree from Wayne State University Law School and a B.S. from Wayne State University.

Patrick T. Duerr, David Foltyn, Joshua F. Opperer, Julie E. Robertson, and Phillip D. Torrence were re-elected to the board for additional four-year terms.

Honigman also proudly announces that Elizabeth C. Lamoste, an associate, has earned the Detroit Young Professionals' Vanguard Award. This honor recognizes the outstanding talent of 15 of the region's young professionals and entrepreneurs who are making a difference in our community.

Lamoste practices Complex Commercial Litigation, and is a member of the Insurance Recovery and Advisory, e-Discovery and Information Management, and Data Security and Privacy Litigation Practice Groups. She also serves as a co-boss of Nerd Nite Detroit, which is a bi-monthly evidence-based entertainment event where nerds across all disciplines share their knowledge through presentations and demonstrations.

Lamoste earned a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School and a B.A. in sociology and political science from Columbia University.

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The law firm of Dean & Fulkerson is pleased to announce that the lawyers of Campbell, O'Brien, & Mistele, a Troy law firm for more than 60 years, have joined Dean & Fulkerson. Curtis Mistele and Robert Figa, formerly partners at Campbell, O'Brien, & Mistele, have joined as partners/shareholders, and Henry Mistele, formerly managing partner, has joined in a senior/of counsel position.

Campbell, O'Brien, & Mistele was originally founded in 1952 by Dale Campbell and Edwin O'Brien, and later joined by Henry Mistele who brought his entrepreneurial and business background to the firm.

Henry Mistele, who came out of the business world to practice law, possesses experience as an entrepreneur and lawyer for over forty years.

Curtis Mistele practiced law at Campbell, O'Brien, & Mistele for more than twenty years, and has developed a practice primarily focused on advising businesses on major business transactions, contractual matters, employment relations, corporate governance, and internal investigations.

Robert Figa practiced law at Campbell, O'Brien, & Mistele for more than twenty years and is primarily a litigator in commercial, civil and criminal cases with extensive experience in employment, family, bankruptcy and real estate law.

"From our first meeting with Dean & Fulkerson, we realized our firm cultures and client-service philosophies aligned remarkably well," said Curt Mistele. "The relationship we have with our clients has always been fundamental to the core of what we do. Our clients have always been able to contact us at any time, day and night, and work with the same professional they have grown to trust and rely upon. Dean & Fulkerson embraces the same service philosophy. We are excited to be able to provide our clients with a larger firm's depth of services and experience, while still maintaining our fee structure and client attentiveness."

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Secrest Wardle has been selected to appear on the list of "Michigan's Economic Bright Spots" for 2015. The list will be published in Corp! Magazine's July/August 2015 issue. Secrest Wardle congratulates all of the 2015 Economic Bright Spot winners.

Corp! Magazine honored this year's Economic Bright Spot winners at a June 25 breakfast event at VisTaTech Center in Livonia. John G. Mitchell, executive partner, and Krystal D. Hermiz, partner, both of Secrest Wardle's Troy location, attended the event.

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Attorney Mark S. Kopson, who serves as the Healthcare Industry Group Leader of Plunkett Cooney, has been reappointed to a one-year term as chair of the Payers, Plans and Managed Care (PPMC) Practice Group of the American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA).

The AHLA is the nation's largest nonpartisan educational organization devoted to legal issues in the healthcare field. The PPMC Practice Group addresses legal issues concerning health plans, insurers and managed care providers, including provider and government contracting, plan operations and management, litigation, and compliance.

As PPMC chair, Kopson's responsibilities include overseeing all PPMC activities, five vice-chairs and three affinity groups; collaborating with other practice group leaders; and serving as liaison between PPMC and the AHLA board of directors.

A shareholder in Plunkett Cooney's Bloomfield Hills office and a member of its board of directors, Kopson represents healthcare providers and integrated delivery systems, public and private payers and other managed care entities in Michigan and throughout the United States. He has experience and expertise in the areas of managed care negotiation, contracting and dispute resolution, performance/outcomes-based reimbursement and revenue cycle, and as well as regulatory compliance and agency investigation response. His practice also includes the formation and counseling of integrated delivery networks, certificates of need and regulatory issues related to for-profit acquisitions of non-profit providers.

Kopson is a life member of the AHLA having previously served six years as a vice-chair of PPMC and one year as chair of its Managed Care Contracting Affinity Group, as well as two years on the AHLA Board Mentoring Committee. He is the chair-elect of the Health Care Law Section, and member of the Business Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan; as well as the Business Law, Health Law, and Law Practice Management sections of the American Bar Association.

A graduate of the University of Detroit School of Law in 1985, Kopson received his undergraduate degree from the University of Detroit in 1981.

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Dickinson Wright PLLC is pleased to announce that during the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel's Annual Meeting, Attorney Richard Paul was elected as treasurer of the organization for the 2015-2016 term. His appointment began on July 1, 2015.

Paul has served as secretary of MDTC, chair of the MDTC Commercial Litigation Section, chair of the 2013 MDTC Annual Meeting, and was the recipient of the MDTC President's Special Recognition Award.

He is a member in Dickinson Wright's Troy office where he focuses his practice on ADR, automotive litigation, class actions, commercial and business litigation, and product liability litigation. His representations include serving as trial counsel for various manufacturers and accounting firms and serving as National Discovery Counsel for Ford Motor Company.

Paul is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the American Bar Association, the Oakland County Bar Association, the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, and the Defense Research Institute. He is recognized as a leader in his field by Michigan Super Lawyers and DBusiness' Top Lawyers.

Paul received his A.B. from Dartmouth College and his law degree from Boston College Law School.

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Alison Orlans, president and CEO of The Orlans Group, announced that Mike Telford has been promoted to senior vice president of eTitle, eAMC and Towne Auction; and Vince Imbrogno will assume the role of director of operations for eTitle and eAMC.

The companies of eTitle, eAMC and Towne Auction provide title, settlement, appraisal, valuation and auction services in more than 20 states.

Telford's new responsibility as senior vice president is to lead the firms in their business strategy and growth plans.

As director of operations for both eTitle and eAMC, Imbrogno is responsible for delivering great service, rewarding and recognizing an extraordinary team.

Published: Mon, Jul 20, 2015