LEGAL PEOPLE

Potestivo & Associates PC is proud to announce that President Brian A. Potestivo has been selected for inclusion in the 2012 Michigan Super Lawyers list. Potestivo founded Potestivo & Associates in 1990, focused on understanding the goals and business objectives of his clients. With an entrepreneurial spirit and his clients' best interests always in mind, the firm has grown from a single person practice to a one hundred plus person organization with three offices in two states. He continues to mentor and instruct team members, keeping them motivated and informed while improving job performance and satisfaction. As an attorney and business owner, Potestivo has shaped his practice into a nationally recognized leader in the mortgage banking and servicing industry. He has accomplished this through his leadership abilities, dedication to his clients, professionalism, and knowledge of the law. Potestivo also understands the challenges of the new marketplace and works with clients to implement successful solutions. Potestivo is active in several key industry and professional associations; traveling regularly to meet with members and advocate on behalf of our clients in legislative efforts on a state and federal level. He understands the importance of being part of the solution in a time of economic uncertainty; in fact Potestivo & Associates was a founding member of Detroit HOPE, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating Michigan communities about foreclosure prevention options. * * * Super Lawyers magazine has recognized several attorneys at Southfield-based Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer, & Weiss PC. Jaffe CEO Bill Sider made the announcement. The publication included the following local Jaffe attorneys in its 2012 Michigan Super Lawyer listing. Detroit * David Griem - Criminal Defense: White Collar. Southfield * Joel M. Alam - Securities & Corporate Finances. * Peter M. Alter - Business Litigation. * Christopher A. Andreoff - Criminal Defense. * Thomas E. Coughlin - Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights. * Jeffrey G. Heuer - Business Litigation. * Michael F. Jacobson - Business Litigation. * Ira J. Jaffe - Business/Corporate. * Shirley A. Kaigler - Estate Planning & Probate. * Michael S. Khoury - Information Technology/Outsourcing. * Mark L. Kowalsky - Securiti* es Litigation. * Mark P. Krysinski - Real Estate. * Elizabeth L. Luckenbach - Estate Planning & Probate. * Eli Maroko - Immigration. * Judith Greenstone Miller - Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights. * Jennifer M. Oertel - Nonprofit. * Harold D. Pope - Employment & Labor. * Louis P. Rochkind - Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights. * Mark D. Rubenfire - Real Estate. * Brian G. Shannon - Appellate. * William E. Sider - Tax. * Peter Sugar - Securities & Corporate Finance. * Holli H. Targan - Banking. * Scott R. Torpey - Aviation. * Arthur A. Weiss - Tax. * Jay L. Welford - Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights. * Richard A. Zussman - Real Estate. Additionally, Super Lawyers included the following Jaffe attorneys in its 2012 Michigan Rising Star listing: Southfield * Marko J. Belej - Tax. * Jeremy D. Bisdorf - Intellectual Property. * John P. Decker - Business/Corporate. * Paul R. Hage - Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights. * Lee B. Kellert - Mergers & Acquisitions. * Richard E. Kruger - Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights. * Christopher J. Moceri - Business/Corporate. * Johnathan C. Myers - Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights. * Eric D. Novetsky - Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights. * James W. Rose - General Litigation. * Alicia S. Schehr - Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights. * Sarah S. Weston - Securities & Corporate Finance. * * * Eleven attorneys from Barris, Sott, Denn, & Driker PLLC have been named to the 2012 Michigan Super Lawyers list, and four have been named to the Rising Stars list. The attorneys on the Super Lawyers list are members Eugene Driker, William Barris, Todd Mendel, Dennis Barnes, Stephen Glazek, Daniel Share, Morley Witus, C. David Bargamian, James Fontichiaro, Robert Kass, and Sharon Woods. The attorneys on the Rising Stars list are members Kevin Kalczynski, Erica Fitzgerald, Leo Gibson, and associate Melonie McKenzie Stothers. Driker was ranked among the Top 10 attorneys, and Woods was ranked among the Top 50 women attorneys. Both were also ranked among the Top 100 attorneys. The publication recognized Driker, Mendel, Witus, Woods, Barnes, and Glazek for excellence in the field of business litigation; Barris, Share, Fontichiaro, and Bargamian for excellence in the field of real estate law; and Kass for excellence in the field of estate planning and probate law. Kalczynski, Fitzgerald, and Stothers were recognized as Rising Stars in the field of business litigation, and Gibson was recognized as a Rising Star in the field of bankruptcy & creditor/debtor law. * * * Ten lawyers from Pepper Hamilton LLP have been named by Michigan Super Lawyers magazine as top attorneys in the state for 2012. All are resident in the firm's Detroit office. Pepper Hamilton lawyers named to the 2012 Michigan Super Lawyers list are: * Vicki R. Harding. * Robert S. Hertzberg. * Kay Standridge Kress. * Robert C. Ludolph. * Abraham Singer. * Michael B. Staebler. * Thomas P. Wilczak. Pepper Hamilton lawyers named to the 2012 Michigan Rising Stars list are: * Kurt A. Kissling. * Michael A. Temple. * James D. VandeWyngearde. Nine lawyers from Pepper Hamilton's Detroit office have been named to the 2013 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. They are: * Todd C. Fracassi. * Rene M.L. Hansemann. * Vicki R. Harding. * Robert S. Hertzberg. * Kay Standridge Kress. * Robert C. Ludolph. * Abraham Singer. * Michael B. Staebler. * Thomas P. Wilczak. Fracassi is a partner in the Environment and Energy Practice Group and is engaged primarily in matters of environmental litigation and regulatory affairs, and corporate environmental counseling. Fracassi is a 2000 graduate of Wayne State University Law School, and a 1995 graduate of the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, in association with Syracuse University, where he earned an M.S. in environmental policy. He is a 1993 graduate of the University of Michigan. Hansemann is a partner concentrating in domestic and international corporate transactions and real estate matters. Hansemann graduated from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 1988 and received a B.S. in business administration from Wayne State University in 1985. Harding is a partner who handles commercial transactions with an emphasis on real estate and bankruptcy issues. She earned her law degree from Harvard Law School in 1977, following her graduation from the University of Texas at Austin in 1974, with a B.A. in mathematics. Hertzberg is a partner and co-chair of the firm's Corporate Restructuring and Bankruptcy Practice Group. He represents secured lenders, debtors, debtors-in-possession, trustees, creditors and creditors' committees. Hertzberg is a 1979 graduate of Thomas M. Cooley Law School. He earned a B.A. from Eastern Michigan University in 1976. Kissling is Of Counsel in the Environment and Energy Practice Group. Kissling focuses his practice on environmental law and specializes in addressing issues under the Clean Air Act and its state/local counterparts. Kissling received his undergraduate degree from Valparaiso University in 1996, with a B.S. in civil engineering and chemistry minor. He earned his law degree and a master's degree in environmental law from Vermont Law School in 2000. Kress is a partner who concentrates her practice in corporate restructuring insolvency and bankruptcy matters, representing debtors, creditors' committee, secured creditors, trustees and individual creditors and parties in interest, both as lead counsel and as co-counsel in out-of-court workouts and in bankruptcy courts throughout the United States. Kress earned her law degree from Wayne State University Law School in 1986. She received her B.A. from Bowling Green State University in 1978. Ludolph is Of Counsel and chairman of the Detroit office's Labor and Employment Practice Group and a member of the Independent Contractor Compliance Practice Group. Ludolph concentrates his practice on defending corporate clients in employment discrimination, employment contract and ERISA litigation, representing management in labor relations matters, and advising organizations on health and academic law issues. Ludolph received his A.B. degree from Dartmouth College in 1970; his law degree degree from Wayne State University in 1980 and his Ph.D. degree from the University of Michigan in the field of higher education administration. Singer is Of Counsel and head of the litigation department in the firm's Detroit office. He is a member of the Commercial Litigation Practice Group. Singer handles a broad-ranging commercial litigation and white-collar criminal defense practice in federal and state trial courts. Singer is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Michigan Law School Staebler is a partner who leads Pepper's Small Business Investment Company practice and is co-chair of the firm's Fund Services Group. Staebler concentrates his practice in the formation and operation of SBICs, venture capital and private equity funds, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate finance and governance. He earned his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School in 1969, following his graduation from Harvard College in 1966 with a B.A. in American history. Temple is a senior attorney concentrating his practice in commercial law, including venture capital, mergers and acquisitions, domestic and international corporate transactions, and securities transactions. Temple is a 1999 graduate of Wayne State University Law School. He received his undergraduate degree from Michigan State University in 1996, where he earned a B.A. in economics. VandeWyngearde is Of Counsel and concentrates his practice in the area of general commercial litigation. He has experience litigating contractual disputes, securities actions, supply chain disputes, trade secrets, products liability, construction, land use, sales commission disputes, employment actions and various other areas of complex civil litigation. VandeWyngearde is a 1998 graduate of Wayne State University Law School. He received his undergraduate degree from Miami University in 1995, with a B.A. in English/journalism. Wilczak is managing partner and head of the Environmental Practice Group in the firm's Detroit office. Wilczak primarily is engaged in matters of environmental counseling, compliance, permitting and regulatory affairs, as well as environmental issues pertaining to litigation and transactional matters. He received his undergraduate degree in biological sciences from the University of Michigan; a master of science degree in natural resources policy, planning and administration from the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources; and his law degree from Wayne State University Law School. * * * Several Butzel Long attorneys have been named to Super Lawyers® 2012. Eight of the attorneys have received the designation of Rising Stars including: * David DeVine - Detroit office, Business Litigation. * Katherine J. Donohue - Detroit office, Employment & Labor. * George B. Donnini - Detroit office, Criminal Defense: White Collar. * Bernard J. Fuhs - Detroit office, Business Litigation. * Ziyad I. Hermiz - Detroit office, Business Litigation. * Danielle J. Hessell - Bloomfield Hills office, Business Litigation. * Thomas A. Kabel - Bloomfield Hills office, Real Estate. * Paul M. Mersino - Detroit office , Business Litigation. Butzel Long attorneys selected as Super Lawyers 2012 include: Bloomfield Hills office * Stephen A. Bromberg, Real Estate. * Sean H. Cook, Tax. * Gordon W. Didier, Business/Corporate. * Edward D. Gold, Family Law. * Beth S. Gotthelf, Environmental. * Roberta P. Granadier, Employee Benefits/ ERISA. * D. Stewart Green, Real Estate. * Daniel P. Malone, Business Litigation. * Max J. Newman , Bankruptcy & Creditor/ Debtor Rights. * Thomas B. Radom, Bankruptcy & Creditor/ Debtor Rights. * Dennis B. Schultz, Business Litigation. * Robert H. Schwartz, Health Care. * David W. Sommerfeld, Estate Planning & Probate. Detroit office * James C. Bruno, Business/Corporate. * Robert G. Buydens, Employee Benefits/ ERISA. * Carey A. DeWitt, Employment & Labor. * Arthur Dudley II, Mergers & Acquisitions. * David F. DuMouchel - The Top 100 (Michigan), Criminal Defense: White Collar. * John P. Hancock Jr., Employment & Labor. * Robert A. Hudson, Business/Corporate. * Justin G. Klimko - The Top 100 (Michigan), Mergers & Acquisitions. * Phillip C. Korovesis, Business Litigation. * Michael J. Lavoie, Business Litigation. * Donald B. Miller, Employment Litigation: Defense. * Reginald A. Pacis, Immigration. * Richard E. Rassel, Business Litigation. * James S. Rosenfeld, Employment & Labor. * Louis Theros, Employment Litigation: Defense. * Daniel B. Tukel, Employment Litigation: Defense. * James E. Wynne, Business Litigation. Also, Butzel Long attorney and shareholder Bill C. Panagos was a featured speaker during a seminar presented by the U.S. Attorney's Offices for the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan on Tuesday, Sept. 25. The program was titled, "Protecting Michigan's Technology." The program focused on protecting trade secrets, preventing computer intrusions and more. The seminar was designed for general counsel and security professionals, to name a few. Based in Butzel Long's Detroit office, Panagos concentrates his practice on intellectual property law, including patent prosecution, patent portfolio management, patent litigation, trademark law, and copyright law. Panagos has experience with the creation and management of intellectual property portfolios for Fortune 500 corporations. He has served in the legal departments as intellectual property and patent counsel for select global automotive suppliers. Panagos assists clients with litigation management, product development, and counseling on licensing programs that aim to maximize the value of intellectual property assets. He has managed high-profile intellectual property lawsuits, as well. Panagos has drafted and prosecuted patent applications in consumer products, chemical arts, mechanical arts, electrical arts, and engine controller software. Panagos is a graduate of Bradley University (B.S., 1978) and the Detroit College of Law (1981). He is registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office, in the United States Court of Appeals for the federal circuit, the United States Supreme Court, the State of Wisconsin, and the State of Michigan. Additionally, Butzel Long attorney Joseph E. Richotte was a featured speaker during a Criminal Justice Act Panel Attorney's Seminar hosted by the Federal Defender Office for the Eastern District of Michigan on Tuesday, Sept. 25. The seminar was an annual program designed to provide an overview to defense attorneys on the latest trends and important topics in the criminal law. Richotte presented during a session titled, "Organizing the Large Paper Case in the Digital Age." Based in Butzel Long's Detroit office, Richotte practices in the areas of white collar criminal defense, Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement actions, corporate investigations, and professional discipline matters for lawyers and judges. He has represented individuals and corporations under investigation for, or charged with, antitrust violations, securities fraud, misappropriating trade secrets, violations of federal international traffic-in-arms regulations, public corruption, healthcare fraud, drug prosecutions against doctors, environmental fraud, embezzlement, and professional ethical misconduct. Richotte also counsels clients on grand jury investigations, subpoenas, and search warrants. * * * Attorneys with Nemeth Burwell PC, a Detroit law firm exclusively serving employers in the areas of labor and employment law, have been active recently in leading discussions on a variety of employment law topics. Terry Bonnette and Kathleen Gatti explored the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) with "Mastering the Interactive Process: Putting the Reasonable Back in Accommodation" at the Sept. 20 presentation of Nemeth Burwell's Raising the Bar, an educational series raising employer awareness of current issues in employment and labor law. Cliff Hammond, a former attorney for the SEIU, presented "Union Organizing in Non-Traditional Union Settings" to the American Society of Employers on Sept. 18. Bonnette presented "Legalities of Social Media" at the Health Care Association of Michigan Annual Conference on Sept. 9. Patricia Nemeth presented "Unemployment: How to Defend and Prepare" at the Health Care Association of Michigan Annual Conference on Sept. 9. * * * Dickinson Wright PLLC is pleased to announce that Henry M. Grix has been named to Michigan Super Lawyers 2012 Top 100 Lawyers list. Grix is a member in the firm's Troy office. His practice focuses on the areas of estate planning and administration, nonprofit organizations and taxation. He is involved in a number of professional and civic organizations in Southeast Michigan including the Legal and Financial Advisory Network of The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. He also serves on the Probate and Estate Planning Advisory Board for the Institute of Continuing Legal Education. Grix earned his B.A. and his law degree from the University of Michigan. Dickinson Wright is also pleased to announce that Monica J. Labe, a member of the firm's management group, has been named to Michigan Super Lawyers 2012 Top 100 Lawyers list and the Top 50 Women Lawyers in Michigan list. Labe is a member in the firm's Troy office. Her practice focuses on commercial real estate where she has extensive experience representing large multi-national corporations, developers, real estate investment companies, and lenders in the acquisition, development, leasing, financing, construction and disposition of office, retail, industrial, mixed-use and entertainment projects throughout Michigan and the U.S. She received her B.A. from the University of Michigan and her law degree from Northwestern University School of Law. Additionally, the firm is pleased to announce that Kathleen A. Lang has been named to Michigan Super Lawyers 2012 Top 50 Women Lawyers in Michigan list. Lang is a member in Dickinson Wright's Detroit office and is the director of Strategic Development for the firm. She focuses her practice on automotive, class action, commercial and business litigation, environmental, gaming, intellectual property litigation, and product liability and personal injury. She is a frequent lecturer and author on civil litigation topics and litigation skill, and is involved in leadership roles in many state and national bar organizations, and trial lawyer honorary societies. She earned her B.A. from Michigan State University and a law degree from the University of Detroit Law School. In addition, Dickinson Wright is pleased to announce that Thomas G. McNeill has been named to Michigan Super Lawyers 2012 Top 100 Lawyers list. McNeill leads the firm's Commercial Litigation practice and is resident in its Detroit office. In addition to his class action defense work, he focuses his practice on business and financial litigation, including in the areas of securities, mergers & acquisitions, private equity and financial institutions. He is president of Federal Bar Association, Eastern District of Michigan Chapter, and serves by the appointment of Michigan Governor Rick Snyder on the State Appellate Defender Commission. He earned his B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and his law degree from the University of Virginia. Dickinson Wright is also pleased to announce that Edward H. Pappas has been named the #1 Lawyer in Michigan by Michigan Super Lawyers. Pappas is chairman and a Member in the firm's Troy office. He focuses his practice in the areas of commercial and business litigation, arbitration and mediation. He is a Fellow in the International Society of Barristers, the Litigation Counsel of America, and the American College of Civil Trial Mediators. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Pappas earned his B.B.A. from the University of Michigan and his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School. In addition, the firm is pleased to announce that James A. Plemmons has been named to Michigan Super Lawyers 2012 Top 100 Lawyers list. Plemmons is a Member and Practice Department Manager for Automotive, Family Law, Product Liability Litigation and Telecommunications in the firm's Detroit office. His practice focuses on automotive, bankruptcy and restructuring, commercial and business litigation, workouts, restructurings and foreclosures, and troubled suppliers. He is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, Tennessee and Federal Bar Associations, as well as the American Bankruptcy Institute. Plemmons earned his B.A. from Michigan State University and his law degree from American University's Washington College of Law. Dickinson Wright is additionally pleased to announce that attorney Mark E. Wilson has been recognized by Best Lawyers America and Michigan Super Lawyers as a leader in Health Care Law. Best Lawyers in America® 2013 has identified Wilson as Lawyer of the Year in Health Care Law for Troy. Wilson was also included in the 2012 Michigan Super Lawyers for Health Care Law. Wilson is a member in the firm's Troy office. He focuses his practice in the areas of health care, environmental, and real estate. He is widely recognized in the medical and legal community for his ability to assist clients in securing quality control and streams of income from a variety of sources including the formation of a number of highly successful "Supergroups." He is also known for facilitating the creation of My Doctor's INN, a physician owned senior assisted living complex; the UnaSource Health "megamedaplex" medical building in Troy, Mich. as well as the WellPointe multi-specialty medical complex in Rochester Hills. Wilson is a member of the State Bar of Michigan's Health Law Section and the American Health Lawyers Association. He received his A.B. from the University of Michigan, his law degrees from Boston University School of Law and Wayne State University Law School. * * * The law firm of Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that it has been honored in a new, national litigation report as an "Awesome Opponent," among an elite group of U.S. law firms known for their litigation prowess. "We are honored to be named by corporate counsel as one of the best among other highly regarded and well-respected national firms that also have strong litigation teams," said Michael P. Coakley, leader of Miller Canfield's Litigation and Trial Group. "It's nice to be recognized for our work with complex, high-stakes litigation cases in Michigan, throughout the U.S. and around the world." * * * Daniel R. Corbet, founding partner of Corbet, Shaw, Essad, Tucciarone & Bonasso and the firm's managing partner, was named a 2012 Michigan Super Lawyer® in the practice area of Personal Injury Defense: Medical Malpractice. Corbet's practice centers on medical negligence, commercial litigation and contractual relations. Bruce R. Shaw, a founding partner at Corbet Shaw, was also named a 2012 Michigan Super Lawyer® in the practice area of Personal Injury Defense: Medical Malpractice. Shaw's practice focuses on civil litigation with emphasis in hospital liability and professional negligence claims. Additionally, Erika Jost has joined Corbet Shaw as an associate. Jost graduated from Kalamazoo College in 2008 with a bachelor's degree in philosophy. As part of her undergraduate program, she studied German language and history at Friedrich-Alexander-Universitaet Erlangen-Nuernberg. Jost earned her law degree from the University of Michigan Law School in 2011. Upon graduation from law school, Jost clerked for Probate Judge Kay Behm assigned to the Family Division of Circuit Court in Genesee County. Jost was admitted to the State Bar of Michigan in 2011. Her practice focuses on civil litigation, concentrating on medical malpractice defense and appellate practice, and family law. * * * A total of 59 Varnum attorneys were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America®. Attorneys from each of Varnum's five offices across Michigan were selected to the list. Local Metro Detroit Varnum attorneys included on the Best Lawyers in America 2013 are: * Thomas H. Bergh (Litigation - Trusts & Estates, Trusts and Estates). * Marla S. Carew (Litigation & Controversy - Tax, Tax Law). * Nancy Farnam (Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law). * Richard A. Hooker (Employment Law - Management, Labor Law - Management, Litigation - Labor & Employment). * Paul L.B. McKenney (Litigation & Controversy - Tax, Tax Law). * David K. McLeod (Banking and Finance Law). * Eric M. Nemeth (Litigation & Controversy - Tax) . * * * Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC has been selected as a Labor & Employment "Go-To Law Firm" in the In-House Law Departments at the Top 500 Companies 9th Annual Edition (from the publishers of Corporate Counsel magazine). Data on each company's primary law firms is gathered first by surveys sent to General Counsel at each of the top 500 companies and second through research in various key databases such as, ALM Legal Intelligence, LitigationMonitor, Westlaw and others. Criteria for selection as a "Go-To Law Firm" were: (1) firms named as a "primary law firm" by a General Counsel at a top 500 company; or (2) law firms that were either utilized two or more times in the practice area specified since 2008 and/or counseled the client on a significant transaction/matter. Howard & Howard Attorneys is also pleased to announce that Ana M. Sarcheck has joined the firm. She will practice out of the firm's Royal Oak Office. Sarcheck concentrates her practice in intellectual property law, with a primary focus on the preparation and prosecution of patent applications. She specializes in the chemical, mechanical, electrochemical, metallurgical, communications/networking-related, software-related, and biotechnological arts. Sarcheck has prepared and/or prosecuted applications for inks, toners, fluid compositions, inkjet recording media, digital recording media, colorants (e.g., pigments), printing devices and systems, optical films and protective coatings, molecular electronics, microfluidic devices, thin film devices, displays, nanotechnology, batteries, electrolytic cells, hydrogen generation/fueling systems, shape memory polymers, carbon fibers and reinforced resins, thermoelectric materials, metal forming processes, software, telematics systems and processes, communications/networking systems, and business methods. She has represented clients in securing patent rights, evaluated patentability, invalidity, and potential infringements, and has managed the full patent application lifecycle. Prior to joining Howard & Howard, Sarcheck worked at another Detroit area law firm where she concentrated her practice on intellectual property, particularly in patent prosecution and procurement. Before practicing law, she was a research assistant and consultant for the Division of Engineering Research and the Department of Chemical Engineering, both at Michigan State University. There, her research was focused on chemotaxis and bioremediation. Sarcheck received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Michigan State University in 2000 and her law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 2003. She is admitted to the State Bar of Michigan and is registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Sarcheck is a member and CLE chair of the Michigan Intellectual Property Law Association (MIPLA) and a member of the Catholic Lawyers Society. * * * Michigan Supreme Court Justice Marilyn Kelly has been named "Woman of the Year" by Michigan Lawyers Weekly. Citing Kelly's 48 years of public service, including her tenure as a justice and chief justice of the Supreme Court, Lawyers Weekly highlighted key accomplishments, noting her efforts to help launch a new legal self-help website, Michigan Legal Help. The site offers resources for those who represent themselves in legal proceedings; see http://www.michiganlegalhelp.org/. Lawyers Weekly added that Kelly "was a loud and unwavering voice in the call for more comprehensive and fair indigent representation. She surely is gratified with HB 5804, to create the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission, going to the full House with strong bipartisan support. That Commission would set standards, attempt to stabilize funding and promote best practices. Kelly also co-chaired, with Senior Circuit Judge James Ryan of the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the Michigan Judicial Selection Task Force. The task force's "comprehensive report" recommended ways to "make the judicial selection process more effective and transparent," Lawyers Weekly said. Kelly has been a justice of the Michigan Supreme Court since 1996 and served as chief justice from 2009 to 2011. A graduate of Eastern Michigan University and Wayne State University Law School, Kelly was a courtroom attorney for 17 years in private practice before she was elected to the Michigan Court of Appeals in 1988. She was re-elected to the Court of Appeals in 1994. Raised in Detroit, Kelly earned a B.A. degree from Eastern Michigan University; after a year's graduate study at LaSorbonne, University of Paris, France, she received her master's degree from Middlebury College in Vermont. She taught French language and literature in the Grosse Pointe Public Schools, at Albion College and Eastern Michigan University. She was elected statewide to the Michigan State Board of Education in 1964 and again in 1968, and served 12 years on the Board, the last two as its president. Kelly is editor of the 6th Edition of Michigan Family Law, published by the Institute for Continuing Legal Education. From 1999 through 2003, she served as co-chair of the Open Justice Commission of the State Bar of Michigan; she is on the governing board of the National Consortium for Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Courts and has served as its president. Kelly has been awarded honorary doctor of law degrees by Eastern Michigan University, Michigan State University College of Law, and Wayne State University Law School, Wayne State University also recognized Kelly with its Distinguished Alumni Award in 2010. She was named one of Michigan's 95 most powerful women by Corp! Magazine and is the recipient of the Michigan Education Association's Distinguished Service Award. Among her many other honors are the Eleanor Roosevelt Humanities Award from the State of Israel Bonds Attorney Division; the State Bar of Michigan's Michael Franck Award for outstanding contributions to the legal profession; and the Guardian of Justice Award from the American-Arab Anti- Discrimination Committee. * * * Lipson, Neilson, Cole, Seltzer, Garin PC partner, C. Thomas Ludden has been appointed by the Michigan State Supreme Court to serve a three-year term as an at-large member of the State Bar of Michigan Board of Commissioners. . The Board of Commissioners directs the State Bar of Michigan's operations, including finance, public policy, member services, and strategic planning. Its formal responsibilities include implementing policy adopted by the assembly; establishing policy for the State Bar between assembly meetings not inconsistent with prior action of the assembly; managing the State Bar, adopting a budget for it, and supervising receipt and disbursements of State Bar funds. In this role, Ludden joins members of the board of commissioners. Other functions of the Board include providing for the organization of sections of the State Bar, reviewing committee and section reports and recommendations proposing Board action and arranging for the publication and distribution of the State Bar Journal. "It is a tremendous honor to have this responsibility and I am looking forward to serving a three-year term with my colleagues," Ludden said. "The State Bar provides an important service to the legal community and the residents of Michigan." All State Bar commissioners serve on a committee as well, and Ludden has been assigned to the Professional Standards Committee. Its jurisdiction is to "review and formulate recommendations to the Board of Commissioners regarding character and fitness, the client protection fund, ethics, and the unauthorized practice of law, including multidisciplinary and multi-jurisdictional practice; develop nominations to committees, and recruitment of candidates for Board of Commissioner and Representative Assembly positions." Ludden specializes in commercial litigation, professional liability, and appellate. He has defended more than 100 law firms and lawyers during his career, while also handling a broad range of commercial disputes, including representing both landlords and tenants in commercial lease and other contractual disputes, software developers in intellectual property matters and both private and public corporations in environmental litigation. A member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Michigan and the Oakland County Bar Association, he has served on the board of the Michigan chapter of the Federalist Society since 1998. He has authored articles published by the Federalist Society, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, the Oakland County Legal News, and the Detroit Legal News. * * * Royal Oak-based Lumen Legal, a legal staffing and outsourcing company with offices throughout the United States, has been certified by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) as an official Women's Business Enterprise. Lumen Legal CEO Lynn Galbenski made the announcement. "We recognize and applaud the commitment to diversity demonstrated by our corporate and law firm clients and are pleased to offer a diverse solution for their legal staffing and placement needs," said Galbenski. "Our national certification from WBENC will allow our clients to further leverage our creativity and thought leadership while meeting their corporate diversity spend initiatives. "Our clients look to us to identify and deploy cost savings measures at every touch point," said Galbenski. "Our latest innovation has been to reallocate work from expensive legal markets to more cost effective markets like Michigan. In doing so, we are achieving significant savings for our clients while also fueling much needed job creation in our great state." Lumen Legal was recognized as one of Michigan's Economic Bright Spots in 2011 by Corp! Magazine and is a three-time recipient of the 101 Best and Brightest companies to work for in southeastern Michigan. * * * Robert Nix, a member of Kerr, Russell, and Weber PLC, was recently selected to be included in The Best Lawyers in America, 19th edition for his work in the practice area of Real Estate Law. The listing in the 2013 edition marks 20 years since he was first listed in Best Lawyers. Nix was recently ranked in the Top 100 Attorneys by Michigan Super Lawyers 2012. He was first listed in Michigan Super Lawyers 2006. The firm congratulates him on these accomplishments. * * * Maddin, Hauser, Wartell, Roth, & Heller PC shareholder Gary M. Remer will serve as presenter at the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants (MACPA) Franchising Conference on Tuesday, Oct. 23, at Laurel Manor (39000 Schoolcraft Road) in Livonia. He also serves as organizer of the event as chair of the MACPA's Franchise Task Force. Remer's presentation, "Franchising 101" will begin at 8:35 a.m. Along with Franchise Placement Specialist Mark D. Cory, from Franchise Network in Grosse Pointe, he will provide the basics of franchising from the franchisee and franchisor perspectives, as well as how franchising works as a business model, what rules and regulations apply, how to conduct proper due diligence, and the range of categories and investment levels in today's marketplace. 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 franchise law, employee benefits, 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. The Detroit College of Law at Michigan State University alum also serves as an adjunct professor at Walsh College, teaching graduate tax classes. * * * Anne Marie Uetz, partner at Foley & Lardner LLP and vice chair of its Bankruptcy & Business Reorganizations Practice, has been named one of the Michigan Lawyers Weekly "Women in the Law" 2012. Honorees are recognized for their commitment to excellence in the practice of law, inspirational leadership and mentorship to other women as well as significant community involvement. * * * The law firm of Cummings, McClorey, Davis & Acho PLC is pleased to announce that Ethan Vinson, a partner in the firm's Livonia office, has been elected as vice president, Board of Directors of the Belle Isle Conservancy. He has served on the Board since its creation in October 2011. * * * Honigman, Miller, Schwartz, and Cohn LLP is pleased to announce that its partner, Linda A. Wasserman, has been named one of 20 "Women in the Law" by Michigan Lawyers Weekly. Wasserman, chair of Honigman's Trusts and Estates practice, provides sophisticated estate planning and family wealth succession planning advice to high net worth individuals. Her practice also includes advising family and closely held businesses, as well as helping form and counsel private foundations and public charities. Wasserman has been recognized in Best Lawyer in America from 2006 to 2013, Michigan Super Lawyers in 2011 and 2012 and in DBusiness Top Lawyers from 2010 through 2013. Wasserman is a senior trustee of the Cranbrook Educational Community; vice chair of the Detroit Zoological Society board of trustees; chair of the Women's Leadership Initiative of the Beaumont Foundation and a member of the Foundation's board of directors; and chair of the Planned Giving Task Force of the United Way of Southeastern Michigan. She also is a member of the Professional Advisory and Steering Committees of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit/United Jewish Foundation; and a member of the Tannahill Society Advisory Committee of the Detroit Institute of Arts. Wasserman earned her law degree from the University of Michigan Law School and a B.A. from the University of Michigan. She currently is an adjunct professor teaching estate planning at the University of Michigan Law School. Additionally, Brian D. Wassom, partner in the Honigman's Litigation Department, recently led a roundtable titled "Copyright in an Augmented Reality" held at the American Bar Association (ABA) annual meeting in Chicago. The event was sponsored by the Intellectual Property Section's Copyright and New Technologies Committee. He discussed the advent of augmented reality (AR) technology, the means by which copyright law will apply to AR content, and potential solutions for managing copyright issues in the AR medium. Wassom's legal practice focuses on First Amendment and Intellectual Property issues, including copyright, trademark, publicity rights and entertainment, which involve free-speech protections and the boundaries of legally sanctioned monopolies over creative expression. He also assists media companies and journalists in exercising their freedom of the press and advises religious organizations regarding their First Amendment rights. Wassom authors the legal blog www.wassom.com, which addresses the law of social and emerging media. "Augmented Legality" is a regular feature in his blog, which is one of the first publications dedicated to analyzing the legal principles that will govern augmented reality technology. Wassom has made presentations to companies, attorneys and associations across the country on social media legal issues and has assisted several clients with drafting social media policies and litigating social media-related issues. He also was recently selected to chair the Hot Topics Subcommittee of the ABA Intellectual Property Section's Copyright Litigation Committee. In this position, he is responsible for managing a group of lawyers who track copyright litigation developments in federal courts across the country. In addition, he serves as a trademark and copyright review editor and is a member of the editorial board for Landslide, which is published by the ABA Intellectual Property Section. He earned his law degree at Case Western Reserve University School of Law. He also earned a B.A. in Political Science and International Studies from Wayne State University. Published: Mon, Oct 8, 2012