LEGAL PEOPLE

Farmington Hills-based Trott & Trott PC recently announced the addition of Matthew Bedikian, Jennifer Burnett, Brett Mellin, Melissa Schmitz, and Ian Redmond to the firm's litigation and title departments. Trott Chairman David A. Trott made the announcement. Bedikian joins Trott as an attorney in the title department, concentrating his practice in the area of real estate law. Bedikian received his Bachelor's degree from Michigan State University and his law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. Prior to joining Trott, he served as a law clerk with the Michigan Bureau of Employment Relations, where he focused his practice in the areas of labor and employment law. Burnett joins Trott as a litigation attorney concentrating her practice on all litigation pertaining to residential mortgage foreclosure and lending. Burnett earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Western Michigan University and her law degree from Wayne State University Law School. Prior to joining the firm, she served as a law clerk with Detroit-based Huth Lynett, focusing her practice in the area of commercial real estate litigation. Also joining Trott as a litigation attorney, Mellin concentrates his practice in the areas of real estate, lending and foreclosure law. Mellin is a graduate of Michigan State University and earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School. He formerly served as a law clerk in Trott's title department, focusing his practice in the area of foreclosure law. Schmitz joins Trott as a litigation attorney concentrating her practice in the areas of title and foreclosure. Schmitz received her Bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan Flint and her law degree from Wayne State University Law School. Prior to joining the firm's litigation department, she served as a law clerk in the firm's foreclosure title review department. Joining Trott's litigation team, Redmond concentrates his practice in the areas of commercial litigation, real estate and business litigation. Redmond earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Dallas and his law degree from Notre Dame Law School. Prior to joining the firm, he was a sole practitioner representing both businesses and individuals in all phases of commercial litigation. * * * Butzel Long attorneys Rebecca S. Davies and Roberta P. Granadier was featured presenters during a webinar hosted by the Michigan Chamber of Commerce on April 25. The title of the webinar was "Health Care Compliance Challenges: Current Employee Benefit Issues." Davies concentrates her practice primarily in the areas of employment law and commercial litigation. She represents employers in federal and state court litigation and before state and federal administrative agencies. Davies regularly counsels employers regarding compliance under federal and state employment laws (including FLSA, FMLA, ADA and Title VII), drafts policies and procedures, and advises on preventative strategies. Granadier practices in the area of employee benefits law. She has extensive experience in ERISA law, employee benefits, executive compensation and employment law. Her practice includes retirement and compensation planning, consulting and design of qualified and nonqualified plans, stock option and equity-based programs and compliance initiatives regarding fiduciary best practices and internal plan audits. Granadier's practice also includes consulting and drafting regarding QDROs, QSLOBs, IRAs, cafeteria plans, health insurance issues, employment agreements and severance arrangements, golden parachutes, COBRA, FMLA, FLSA, ADA, ADEA and HIPAA. Also, Butzel Long attorney and shareholder Regan K. Dahle was the featured speaker during a complimentary Walsh College Business Briefing event on Tuesday, April 24. The topic for the presentation was Affirmative Action. Dahle discussed how to determine whether companies are indeed a federal contractor or subcontractor and if so, what they need to do to be in compliance. Dahle counsels clients in the areas of employment law and labor relations. She has defended employers in arbitrations; unfair labor practice and representational proceedings; and employment-related litigation, including sexual and racial harassment, age, gender and racial discrimination, wage and hour, breach of contract and intentional tort litigation. Dahle has practiced in both federal and state courts, as well as in front of various administrative agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Michigan Department of Civil Rights and Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth. Additionally, Commercial litigation attorney Clifford J. De Vine, has joined Butzel Long. De Vine is Of Counsel and based in the firm's Detroit office. De Vine concentrates his practice on commercial litigation, construction litigation, arbitration, and mediation. He has more than 35 years of experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants in the construction industry. He primarily represents sub and specialty contractors, suppliers, manufacturers, owners, developers, public agencies, architects, engineers, designers, and general contractors involved in public and private projects. De Vine also has advised on general corporate law matters. With more than 25 years of experience as a sole arbitrator and chairman of three arbitrator panels involving complex construction projects with values up to $100 million, De Vine is an arbitrator and mediator for the American Arbitration Association's Construction and Commercial Panels, a case evaluator for the Wayne County Circuit Court, a mediator for the Oakland County Circuit Court, and a volunteer mediator at the Wayne County Mediation Center. De Vine has arbitrated construction projects involving public and private jobs, museums, office buildings, medical facilities, apartment buildings and residential structures. He has overseen arbitrations relating to issues such as delay/disruption claims and defective work claims involving all aspects of construction. He also is chairman of a Hearing Panel for the State Bar of Michigan's Attorney Discipline Board. De Vine has written numerous articles on construction-related matters. De Vine is a graduate of the University of Michigan (B.A., 1974) and of the Detroit College of Law (1977). He is licensed to practice in Michigan and in Florida. De Vine is a member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Michigan's Real Property Section (Construction Law Subcommittee), and Scribes, the American Society of Writers on Legal Subjects. * * * Williams, Williams, Rattner, & Plunkett PC in Birmingham, is pleased to announce that Mark R. James has been named a shareholder of the firm. James has a varied business law practice advising private company and private equity clients on numerous transactional and organizational issues. His transactional work involves corporate finance (such as secured and unsecured debt financings and venture capital financings), business combinations (including domestic and cross-border mergers, acquisitions, asset and stock sales and purchases as well as joint ventures) and governance matters (including formation and general operational issues). James also practices in the areas of commercial and residential real estate and entertainment law. James has experience with debt financing transactions (both lender- and borrower-side), including multi-million dollar bank and syndicated credit facilities, mezzanine financings, convertible debt transactions, corporate restructurings, private debt offerings and secured and unsecured loans (both term and revolving credit facilities) for a variety of entities, investment companies and banks. James also provides general legal counsel to a variety of entities as well as assists individual and business clients in general civil litigation matters. * * * Patricia E. Kefalas Dudek has been appointed to the Board of Directors of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) for 2012-2013. NAELA is a professional association of over 4,200 attorneys who are dedicated to improving the quality of legal services provided to seniors and people with special needs. NAELA members assist their clients with public benefits, probate and estate planning, guardianship/conservatorship, and health and long-term care planning, among other important issues. As a board member, Dudek will help develop recommendations and plans for innovative opportunities on issues and trends relevant to NAELA and Elder and Special Needs Law. Dudek is the principal of Patricia E. Kefalas Dudek & Associates and the past chair of the Elder Law & Disability Rights Section of the State Bar of Michigan. Her practice concentrates in elder law, Medicaid, estate planning, estates/trust administration, probate, administrative law, and disability advocacy. Dudek is also a board member of United Cerebral Palsy of Metropolitan Detroit, the Bonnell Foundation (a non-profit for families and children with cystic fibrosis), and is on the Government Affairs Committee of The Arc Michigan. * * * The Michigan Association for Justice is proud to announce the winners of its most prestigious annual awards. The awards will be presented at the 67th MAJ Annual Convention Banquet. Michigan Supreme Court Justice Diane Hathaway is the winner of the 2012 MAJ Judicial Integrity Award in recognition of her commitment to uphold the integrity and independence of the judiciary. MAJ Past-President Norman Tucker is the winner of the 2012 MAJ Champion of Justice in appreciation of his commitment to the civil justice system and to preserving the rights of citizens. * * * C. Peter Theut, an expert in US-China business, has joined the Kerr Russell law firm as Of Counsel. Theut will help lead Kerr Russell's rapidly growing US-China business practice. Theut said, "In my opinion, there is no other firm in Michigan that is more committed to growing its China practice and developing business and cultural bridges between the US and China than Kerr Russell." * * * The Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants (MACPA) named Gary Remer, a shareholder at Maddin, Hauser, Wartell, Roth, & Heller PC, as the vice chair of its Membership Task Force. In this position, Remer will assist in membership development and recommend new member categories. He also will work with the committee to assist in membership retention purposes and increase the student, degreed and educator membership base. Additionally, he will evaluate and recommend affinity programs. Remer, a past chair of the MACPA Employee Benefits Committee, is a CPA and former revenue agent with the IRS. As an attorney at Maddin Hauser, he concentrates his practice in the areas of employee benefits, franchise law, corporate law and taxation. The co-author of "The Insider's Guide to IRS Plan Audits" has lectured on qualified retirement plans and other tax topics. Remer also serves as an adjunct professor at Walsh College, teaching graduate tax classes focusing on pension and profit sharing plans, section 401(k) plans, various kinds of stock and stock option plans, IRAs, SEPs, ESOPs, tax sheltered annuities, nonqualified deferred compensation plans, VEBAs, flexible benefit plans, health care plans, insurance plans, and other common fringe benefits. The Detroit College of Law at Michigan State University alum has been named in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business 2011 and 2012 as a Leader in his Field of Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation. Published: Mon, Apr 30, 2012