Legal People

Timothy R. Damschroder, a longtime shareholder with Bodman PLC has been named the recipient of the 11th Annual Stephen H. Schulman Outstanding Business Lawyer Award by the State Bar of Michigan Business Law Section.

Damschroder is the chairperson of the Business Law Practice Group at Bodman, specializing in mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, general business, corporate governance, securities offerings, and tax. He has served in leadership roles both for the State Bar of Michigan Business Law Section and for other professional associations and organizations, including several years on the
council of the Section and as chairman (2002-03). He has specialized in securities law, with specific emphasis on securities litigation and investor arbitration, for over 25 years.

In 2013, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder appointed Damschroder to the newly created Michigan Health Endowment Fund Board. The Fund, which was created under Public Act 4 of 2013, will benefit the health and wellness of Michigan residents through programs focusing on children and seniors. Damschroder serves as Treasurer of the Fund, which is expected to receive up to $1.56 billion in contributions over 18 years.

“I am very honored for this recognition because if you look at Prof. Schulman’s impact in our field, and the list of the past recipients of this award, it’s a list of professionals I have always admitted and wanted to emulate,” Damschroder said.

Damschroder has been named the Best Lawyers® 2016 Corporate Law “Lawyer of the Year.”  He is listed as one of four top-tier ranked lawyers in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2016 under Corporate/M&A – Michigan, being called, “an excellent choice of counsel for private equity and venture capital firms.”

His work on the Michigan Health Endowment Fund has been particularly rewarding, he says. As of July 2016, the fund has been responsible for funding $120 million to benefit statewide programs. “It was truly created from scratch through state legislation. When we first met we had no money and no governing documents. My focus has been on finance and treasury activities for the fund. It has been great to provide grants and invest a portion into an endowment for local communities around Michigan.”

Over the years Damschroder has negotiated and closed dozens of corporate finance transactions totaling more than $1 billion.

“I’ve been blessed in my career to have been afforded incredible opportunities,” Damschroder said “Being a part of the Business Law Section throughout my entire career certainly has contributed to these opportunities and the networking and dialogue with colleagues in this profession as part of the section has been invaluable.”

Damschroder was introduced at the Schulman Award Ceremony, which preceded the Section’s Annual Meeting on October 7 in Grand Rapids, by Dan Minkus, the 2013 recipient of the Schulman Award. Minkus is managing member of the Birmingham office of Clark Hill PLC.

Damschroder serves on the Board of Directors of the Washtenaw County United Way and on various committees of Zion Lutheran Church in Ann Arbor. He is a past president of the Business Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan, a past president of Board of Directors of Peace Neighborhood Center, a past vice chair of the Board of Directors of Nonprofit Enterprise At Work (NEW Center), and a past member of the St. Joseph Mercy Health System’s Development Council.

Bodman is also pleased to announce that Jamie K. Ling will join the Troy office as a staff attorney with the Enterprise Procurement Group.

Ling represents business clients in connection with the drafting and negotiation of commercial contracts, including vendor contracts for a broad range of goods and services. Previously, Ling worked as an attorney at another Michigan-based business law firm where she represented clients in connection with licensing, privacy, and technology transactions.

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Ogletree Deakins is pleased to welcome Mark Nasr to the firm’s Detroit (Metro) office as an associate.

An experienced litigator, Nasr focuses his practice on representing employers in complex employment and construction litigation matters in state and federal courts as well as administrative agencies. Nasr has been named a Michigan Super Lawyer Rising Star.

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Dawda, Mann, Mulcahy, & Sadler PLC has been recognized as one of Midwest Real Estate News’ 2016 Best of the Best. Managing Member Ed Dawda made the announcement.

Best of the Best rankings are based upon the number of real estate transactions handled during the previous year. In 2015, Dawda Mann’s real estate practice group completed 848 real estate transactions and ranked in the top five firms of the 36 Midwest law firms evaluated, moving them up one spot on the list from the previous year. This is the 10th consecutive year Dawda Mann has broken the top 10 list.

“At Dawda Mann, we are committed to helping clients that range from Fortune 500 organizations to smaller publicly and privately owned businesses ensure their legal needs are expertly met,” said Dawda. “The Best of the Best award is a prestigious honor and a testament to the commitment to client success displayed by the 19 hard-working attorneys involved in our real estate practice group and we congratulate them on this great accomplishment.”

Dawda Mann’s real estate work includes acquisitions and dispositions, commercial leasing, commercial litigation, construction, development, environmental, finance, debt and equity, transactional, tax structuring/tax credit and workout, foreclosure and bankruptcy, and more. The firm was also recognized for completing transactions in commercial, condominium, healthcare, industrial, land, multifamily, office, residential, retail and student housing.

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Cordell & Cordell, the nation’s largest domestic litigation firm focusing on representing men in family law cases, has announced the opening of its first office in Southfield, Michigan. Cordell & Cordell has more than 200 attorneys working in more than 100 offices across the United States.

Perceptually, men are at a disadvantage in family courts, but Cordell & Cordell is expanding in an effort to support more men through the divorce process. The firm has established itself as a leader in family law devoted to equal rights for men facing divorce. The new Southfield office (2000 Town Center, Suite 1900, Southfield, MI 48075) will broaden the opportunities for divorcing dads to gain information and counsel.

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Brooks Kushman has expanded its patent prosecution team with the addition of associate Anand Viswanathan. Viswanathan will support Brooks Kushman clients in the life sciences, medical device and chemistry industries in the firm’s Southfield office.

In his role with Brooks Kushman, Viswanathan will focus on preparing and prosecuting patent applications in a variety of industries as well as intellectual property (IP) litigation, technical design, and IP licensing.

Prior to joining Brooks Kushman, Viswanathan worked as a patent attorney at Garvey, Smith, Nehrbass, & North LLC in Metairie, Louisiana for three years. In this role, he supported clients with patent preparation and prosecution and in matters of IP litigation.

Viswanathan earned a law degree from Louisiana State University, a Doctor of Philosophy in human genetics from Louisiana State University and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Loyola University of New Orleans.

Viswanathan is admitted to practice before the Minnesota Supreme Court of Minnesota, Supreme Court of Alabama, and the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

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Julie A. Brainer has been promoted to partner at Secrest Wardle’s Troy office. She is a member of the firm’s Motor Vehicle Litigation, General Negligence, and Premises Liability Practice Groups.
Prior to joining Secrest Wardle, Brainer practiced in Florida and in the Metro Detroit area.  She is a former Oakland County assistant prosecutor and Florida state attorney. 

In addition to her prosecutorial career, she has handled matters in a variety of areas of the law, including General Negligence, Premises Liability, Amusement and Leisure Defense, Michigan Assigned Claims Plan (Servicing Insurer Defense and Servicing Insurer Subrogation) Criminal Defense, Federal Fair Housing Violations, Real Estate Professional Liability Coverage, and Liquor Liability for a Metro Detroit insurance defense firm. 

In addition, Margaret A. Scott, executive partner located in Secrest Wardle’s Troy office, recently attended the Okaland County 52-3 District Court’s Specialty Treatment Court Graduation Ceremony.  Scott was invited to attend the event in her capacity as local ordinance prosecutor for the City of Auburn Hills.  The ceremony took place on Sept. 21 and honored six graduates of the Specialty Treatment Court’s program. 

Since 2006, 98 participants who were previously dependent upon a controlled substance or alcohol have successfully graduated from the supervised treatment program.  Judges Nicholson and Carniak, who launched the Specialty Treatment Court, hosted the event and Orion Township Supervisor Chris Barnett was the keynote speaker.  Friends and family members were invited to attend the ceremony to watch their loved ones graduate.

The Third Division of the 52nd District Court serves the Townships of Addison, Oakland, Orion and Oxford, the Villages of Lake Orion, Leonard and Oxford, and the Cities of Auburn Hills, Rochester, and Rochester Hills.  Three judges sit on 52-3 District Court’s bench: Chief Judge Julie A. Nicholson, Judge Nancy Tolwin Carniak, and Judge Lisa L. Asadoorian. 

The 52-3 District’s Specialty Treatment Court is a non-adversarial program dedicated to to providing immediate treatment to non-violent offenders with substance or alcohol abuse issues.  It is a rigorous program which promotes complete abstinence through immediate rehabilitative services and intense court supervision while holding defendants accountable for their actions.

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Plunkett Cooney partner and insurance coverage attorney Patrick E. Winters has been selected to chair the annual “Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium” (ICPS) – the flagship conference sponsored by the Insurance Law Committee of the DRI – The Voice of the Defense Bar.

The ICPS, which will take place Dec. 7-9 at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel, will feature national and international faculty members who will address some of the most cutting edge and unique insurance coverage topics facing the industry today.

“It is an honor to be selected as chair of such a popular and prestigious national conference,” said Winters, who is a partner at Plunkett Cooney. “While it has been a tremendous responsibility, the ICPS steering committee members and I put together a conference we are proud of and excited to present to the industry.”

In his role as program chair, Winters is responsible for curating the symposium, including selecting and confirming topics and speakers, managing networking opportunities, overseeing marketing and hosting the event.

Winters is a member of the firm’s Bloomfield Hills office who focuses his practice exclusively in the area of insurance coverage law and the representation of insurance companies in coverage disputes involving alleged environmental contamination, professional liability, automotive, trucking, construction defects, product liability, bad faith and personal and advertising injury.

A graduate from Michigan State University College of Law in 2003, Winters received his undergraduate degree from Michigan State University in 1999. He is a member of the Oakland County and the American bar associations and the State Bars of Michigan and Ohio.

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Ackerman, Ackerman, & Dynkowski recently announced that managing partner Alan Ackerman will serve as a panelist moderator of the 13th Annual Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference at The Hague in the Netherlands.

The conference will take place on Oct. 19 through Oct. 21.  Ackerman will serve as the moderator for the panel titled “Defining and Protecting Property Rights in Intangible Assets” alongside four other attorneys from national and international perspectives. He will be moderating discussions around property rights in intangible resources for both mature and developing economies.

“I’m extremely humbled to have the opportunity to moderate at such a prestigious conference in The Hague,” says Ackerman. “To share my experiences and knowledge alongside such notable eminent domain attorneys around the word is an honor.”

The annual Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference is presented by the William & Mary Property Rights Project and designed to bring together members of the bench, bar and academia through outstanding panel discussions to explore recent developments in the law that affect property rights.

Ackerman has been aggressively fighting for the rights of displaced and undercompensated condemnation and eminent domain victims for more than 30 years. Over the past three decades, he and his firm have tried 45 cases at both the state and federal level that have resulted in just compensation exceeding the original offer by $1 million.