Columns

Butzel immigration law attorney Reginald A. Pacis has been named to the Detroit Bar Association Foundation’s 2026 Class of Fellows. Fellows help support the Foundation’s mission to expand pro bono service, legal education, and community engagement.

Pacis focuses his practice in immigration law and has handled a variety of immigration matters including H-1B specialty occupation cases, L-1 Intracompany transfers, Labor Certification matters, Immigrant Visa Petitions/Adjustment of Status applications and interviews, TN Free trade cases, H-1B Department of Labor Investigations, I-9 employer verification compliance, and U.S. Port of Entry airport and land port interviews.

Recently, Pacis was named a 2026 Fellow of the Michigan State Bar Foundation.  He also was named Immigration Lawyer of the Year in 2025, 2023 and 2013, respectively in the field of Immigration Law by The Best Lawyers in America® and has been listed in Best Lawyers® for several years.

Pacis is a member of the American Bar Association, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), and the Samahang Pilipino Ng Oakland Filipino organization. He served two consecutive one-year terms from 2003 to 2005 as chairperson of the Michigan Chapter of AILA and was a member of the AILA National Board of Governors for those terms.

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Plunkett Cooney partner Frank T. Mamat was recently named a member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Section 
Council of the State Bar of Michigan (SBM). 

The ADR Section Council is composed of 21 attorneys who oversee and administer the regular activities of the section to enhance access to mediation and arbitration services. Members interface with the SBM Board of Commissioners and the Representative Assembly as well as assist the State Court Administrative Office in the review and revision of court rules related to ADR practices. The council directs the section’s programs, policies and professional training initiatives. 

A partner of Plunkett Cooney, Mamat utilizes his more than 50 years of experience to help companies, contractors, employers, lawmakers and trade associations resolve union matters. His expertise includes contract negotiations, elections, union avoidance and labor arbitrations. He also advises clients on noncompete agreements, unfair labor practice litigation, harassment suits, wage and hour issues, OSHA-MIOSHA safety matters and entertainment law. He is also a registered lobbyist.

In addition, Mamat’s experience includes the resolution of National Labor Relations Board matters, attempted union organization, mass picketing and violence, and secondary boycotts and pressure. His clients also rely on his counsel and advice on ERISA trust funds and related fiduciary liabilities.

Mamat has been honored by several other media and peer review platforms, including Best Lawyers in America, Michigan Super Lawyers, DBusiness magazine’s Top Lawyers, the Labor Relations Institute, American Lawyer magazine and the American Registry. He was also named to the 2025 class of Go To Lawyers in employment law as determined by Michigan Lawyers Weekly. 

Mamat serves as a hearing officer for National Arbitration and Mediation (NAM), which is one of the nation’s leading full-service providers of ADR services. As a panel member, he is available to arbitrate and mediate cases throughout Michigan. 

Mamat received his undergraduate degree from the University of Rochester in 1971 and his law degree from Syracuse 
University College of Law in 1974.

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Miller Johnson is pleased to welcome Michael El-Zein to the firm’s Immigration Practice Group. El-Zein brings experience in immigration litigation and government service, with a practice focused on representing individuals in complex immigration matters before immigration courts and federal district courts.

Prior to joining Miller Johnson, El-Zein served as an assistant United States attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, where he handled both civil and criminal matters across multiple units. In the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Unit, he managed forfeiture cases involving assets seized by federal agencies, including Customs and Border Protection. As a member of the Civil Rights Unit, he worked closely with underserved and marginalized communities to protect their legal rights. He also served in the Defensive Litigation Unit, defending the federal government in civil actions and focusing on immigration-related mandamus litigation involving the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Earlier in his career, El-Zein served with the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Principal Legal Advisor in Detroit, where he litigated hundreds of removal cases on behalf of the United States. He regularly appeared before Immigration Courts and represented the government in appeals before the Board of Immigration Appeals.

El-Zein earned his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Anthropology from the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

Miller Johnson is also pleased to welcome Anya Lusk back to the firm’s Education Practice Group. After several years advising and leading within school districts across Michigan, Lusk rejoins the firm with a combination of legal expertise and practical, firsthand insight.

Drawing on her experience as both outside legal counsel and a senior HR executive and general counsel for one of Michigan’s largest school districts, Lusk provides practical, business-focused legal advice and strategic counsel.

Before transitioning into school district leadership, Lusk practiced education and public sector labor and employment law at Miller Johnson, where she represented school districts in state and federal litigation, including employment discrimination and tort claims, as well as proceedings before administrative agencies. She also handled employment investigations, advised clients on complex legal and regulatory questions, and drafted employment agreements, policies, administrative regulations, and other critical school district documents.

Lusk earned a law degree from Albany Law School and received her B.A. from Oakland University.

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FisherBroyles LLP has expanded its litigation and dispute resolution capabilities with the addition of Ahmed Hassouna as a partner in Detroit.

Hassouna brings more than 22 years of experience representing individuals, businesses, professionals and insurers in complex civil disputes. His practice focuses on alternative dispute resolution, civil litigation, professional liability, healthcare and pharmacy law, insurance, regulatory and compliance matters, products liability, white collar litigation and investigations, and emerging industries.

Hassouna has developed a mediation practice and serves as a neutral in first-party no-fault, third-party bodily injury, personal injury, professional liability, insurance and commercial disputes.

Hassouna also brings in-house experience, having spent approximately 12 years as trial attorney and house counsel for Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and The Progressive Corporation. In those roles, he advised on litigation, claims, coverage and risk management, providing firsthand insight into the business and legal considerations facing institutional clients.

“I was drawn to FisherBroyles’ global platform and collaborative approach,” said Hassouna. “The firm provides an excellent platform to expand my work in litigation, mediation and regulatory matters while giving me the opportunity to work with talented attorneys across markets. I look forward to helping clients navigate complex disputes and business challenges.”

Hassouna is recognized as AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell and was named a Michigan Super Lawyer from 2023 through 2026. He is chair of the Michigan Board of Chiropractic’s Disciplinary Subcommittee, past president of the Association of Defense Trial Counsel, and a member of the State Bar of Michigan Character and Fitness District G Committee.

Hassouna began his legal career as a judicial law clerk for the 46th Circuit Trial Court, serving Crawford, Kallaska, and Otsego Counties, where he clerked for Judge Alton T. Davis, now justice emeritus of the Michigan Supreme Court. He earned his law degree from The University of Toledo College of Law and his bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University. He is admitted to practice in Michigan and Ohio and before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

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McDonald Hopkins is pleased to welcome and Jordan Lee to its Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group.

Lee’s practice focuses primarily on data privacy litigation, including data breach and website tracking litigation.

Before joining McDonald Hopkins, Lee served as a judicial law clerk to a judge on the Court of Appeals of Indiana, where he researched and analyzed complex legal issues and prepared preliminary opinions. 

Earlier in his career, Lee worked as a paralegal at an Indianapolis law firm. He also served as a legal intern with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, where he conducted legal research and supported litigation attorneys and investigators.

“I was drawn to the firm because it makes bringing value to its clients a genuine priority,” Lee said of McDonald Hopkins. “I was also impressed by the firm’s collaborative culture, its commitment to developing its attorneys and its reputation for taking on sophisticated legal work with a client-centered approach.

“Data privacy law is incredibly interesting because it is a rapidly changing area of law that often presents novel legal issues,” he added. “I am most excited to work alongside incredibly knowledgeable litigators with significant experience in the data privacy space. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to contribute, learn, and grow my own practice in an environment surrounded by a team of accomplished litigators.”

Lee is based in McDonald Hopkins’ Detroit office.

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Varnum is pleased to announce that Susan Kowal has joined the firm as counsel on its Banking and Finance Practice Team.

Kowal brings nearly three decades of experience advising lenders and borrowers on commercial financing transactions, including loan origination, documentation, restructuring, and workouts. Her practice includes commercial real estate, asset-based, equipment, and business loans, as well as SBA financing and syndicated transactions. As part of her SBA practice, she is certified as designated counsel for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 504 Loan Program.

In addition to her banking and finance practice, Kowal represents developers, property owners, and investors in commercial real estate matters, including acquisitions and sales, development, financing, and leasing. She also advises businesses on formation, acquisitions and divestitures, shareholder agreements, and other corporate matters.

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Honigman CEO and Executive Committee Chairman David Foltyn was named as an “Inspiring Leader” by Corp! Magazine. He 
was selected for leading by example, inspiring those around them to perform at high levels, and contributing to their communities.

Foltyn has served as the chairman and CEO of Honigman since 2008. He oversees the firm’s more than 400 attorneys as well as a growing national client base served by prominent practices in intellectual property, private equity, corporate and securities, real estate, and litigation, among others.

In addition, Honigman was recently recognized by DBusiness Magazine as one of Metro Detroit’s preeminent intellectual property law firms, a distinction based on the size of its IP team.

Ranked Band 1 in Michigan by Chambers USA since 2018, Honigman’s IP practice provides comprehensive patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret counsel to clients around the globe.

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McKeen & Associates is pleased to announce that attorney Alexis Andrews has joined its litigation team. Andrews brings focused experience in medical malpractice litigation and mediation.

Andrews earned her law degree from Michigan State University College of Law. She later practiced law and served as a mediator for district courts throughout southeastern Michigan, gaining experience navigating complex legal matters and facilitating resolution in high stakes disputes.
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By Samuel Damren 

Election inspectors, generally referred to as “poll workers,” are the front-line protectors of American democracy. The ranks of these part-time public servants are not filled with career civil servants nor politicians. They are your neighbors and come from all walks of life.

In Michigan general elections, more than 35,000 individuals serve as election inspectors to assist election officials administer voting in thousands of separate elections and on ballot 
issues. Across the United States, the number of poll workers for the 2024 election topped 770,000.

In Michigan, as they are across the country, elections are run locally subject to state controls through strict procedures incorporating multiple “checks and balances,” bipartisan teams, and “back-up” protocols.

This commentary examines safeguards in place at the front-line level to prevent the occurrence of voter fraud.  

To be an election inspector in Michigan requires training which is obligatory, detailed, and time consuming.  The pay is modest with rates ranging from $175 to $300 per day.  Many inspectors volunteer their time without pay.  Their work is overseen and directed by election officials and the Michigan Department of State consistent with a detailed statutory framework.

Election inspectors must follow the “Election Inspector’s Manual” (EIM).  A multi-page manual for election officials serves as template for the EIM and is posted on the Michigan Department of State website.  It is supplemented by information from local officials keyed to their election jurisdiction.

EIMs are user friendly but extremely detailed, including screen shots and pictures of the set up and operation of Electronic Poll Books (EPB), Voter Assist Terminal (VAT), tabulators and record keeping.  It is structured as a “logic tree” taking election inspectors from the beginning of voting process on election day to conclusion. It provides step-by-step methods to address specific issues.

Diana Pratt is my neighbor. She is a retired professor of Legal Writing at Wayne State University Law School, a position she held for 26 years.  The upcoming November election will be the fourth time she has served as an election inspector in Washtenaw County.

Based on her training and personal experience, Professor Pratt observed, and wants me to share with you, that “our election system is impressive.  Multiple checks ensure that the system is safe and secure from outside interference. The EPB and election inspectors also ensure that only those registered to vote are allowed to vote.”

“When the polls are closed, the tabulated election results, back-up paper ballots, and all the additional information prepared during the day are transported to voting headquarters by a Democratic and Republican member of the precinct team,” Pratt indicated. “Every voter should be confident that their votes will be counted.”

If it occurs, admissible evidence establishing that a vote was unlawful is straight forward:  Proof that named voter X registered to vote, that under law named voter X was not entitled to vote, and that voter X voted in an election. Criminal fraud charges require proof of intent which can be problematic.

Conjecture, speculation, inadmissible hearsay, and unsupported accusations of illegal voting do not establish anything. Likewise, “irregularities” in election processing do not establish fraudulent conduct unless causally connected to the knowing acceptance of a fraudulent vote.

In all instances, identifying the name of the person who registered to vote illegally or the name used to cast a fraudulent vote is fundamental.  If you can’t identify those names, you have nothing upon which to base an allegation of illegal voting, much less to then begin to assemble the admissible and necessary evidence to prove it.  

In past instances of alleged voter fraud, purported lists of “dead” voters have been presented to various authorities only to find upon investigation that the voters were either not dead or, if deceased, did not actually vote.  Similar unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud in lawsuits have resulted in sanctions against counsel.

While rare, voter fraud does occur in Michigan.  Charges and convictions for voter fraud since 2020 number in the handful across the state.  The most recent charges were brought by Attorney General Dana Nessel in August of 2026 against five non-citizens that voted in the 2024 election.

Beginning with 35,000 front-line poll workers through the entire registration and voting process, Michigan elections have repeatedly proven to be free from outside interference and competently conducted in non-partisan tradition.
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Samuel Damren is a retired Detroit lawyer and author of “What Justice Looks Like.”

By Berl Falbaum

Of all the journalistic abuses committed by the mainstream media’s one-sided, anti-Israel (and, in some cases, antisemitic) news coverage of the Gaza War, no issue has been more divisive and contributed more to hatred of Jews than the indefensible reporting on the war’s casualties.

We’ll begin by focusing on the latest death toll number which is roughly 75,000 for the three-year war.

The problem: Just using such a number, without context, is, at best, misleading, at worst, defamatory because Israel is generally blamed for the human tragedy. Hamas escapes any charges of culpability. 

In many cases, the figures are cited as fact and not even attributed to the Hamas Health Ministry. Of course, the terrorist organization would not distort the numbers. It would be unfairly cynical to believe that.

Frequently, to “hide” the source, the media attributed the data to “Gaza health authorities.” Those “health authorities” are the Hamas Health Ministry and its Government Media Office, the only two offices which provide information to the media.

In reporting fatalities, never, and I mean never, did the media publish figures separating civilians and combatants. And there is a good reason for that: Hamas did not provide that information. And there is a good reason for that as well: Such a number would allow analysis of the ratio between civilians vs. combatant causalities, a vital, necessary fact in judging whether competing armies have violated the rules of war, or acted unnecessarily aggressively and cruelly in targeting civilians.

Such information, most likely, would show that the ratio between civilian and combatant deaths in Gaza is not out of the norm in wartime. And Hamas, hiding the number of combatants killed, understood that all too well.

Also, never — and again never — did the media even ask Hamas for that number nor why it would not provide such information. Surely, if Hamas is able to distribute names, ages, occupations of civilians allegedly killed by Israel, it has the identities of its soldiers. 

Why didn’t the media pressure Hamas for the information? Because, besides journalistic incompetence, it would undermine their anti-Israel case. Again, another instance of distortion by omission.

A little history on the issue of combatant vs. civilian deaths in wartime:

Generally, 30-60 percent of war casualties are civilians. Much depends on variables such as population density — and the Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated regions in the world. Moreover, Hamas implemented a strategy that promoted civilian deaths, fighting from civilian infrastructures, i.e. hospitals, mosques, schools, homes, etc. It even held Israeli hostages in the homes of Gazans. 

“No blood. No news,” said Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader killed by Israel forces.

In World War II, the civilian-combatant ratio was 2:1 (the first number represents civilians). While death toll numbers vary widely, the combatant fatalities totaled about 15 million and civilians between 30-45 million.  

Here are some other ratios: Korea, 2:1 with civilians comprising 74 percent of the deaths; Vietnam, ranging from 1:1 to 2:1 with civilian deaths accounting between 46-67 percent of the fatalities.

In Gaza, Hamas and Israel use different tracking methodologies and it is difficult to independently verify either one. What numbers exist vary greatly, with some putting the civilian-combatant ratio at 4:1 (some higher for civilians) and others 1:1 to 1:5, the wide margins between the two, due, at times, to the politics of the researcher. (With exact numbers for combatant deaths not available from Hamas, and figures for civilians suspect, all analyses can be written off as speculative).

For the purposes of this column, we’ll split the difference which is, sadly, the “norm” — or even lower — for wars, particularly those fought in areas with high population densities. 

Whatever the actual figure, it is not unfair or irresponsible to conclude, it is not close to the hysterical, distorted reports promulgated daily by the media around the world.

And, discussed in this space frequently, the civilian death tolls in other countries at war such as the Sudan, Yemen and several others, are considerably higher —much higher — than in Gaza, yet the media and the world turn a blind eye.

Worth noting (again), in World War II, the Allies killed — intentionally — hundreds of thousand civilians in Germany and Japan. And I won’t mention Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In fact, bombings over Tokyo within 48 hours, claimed between 80,000-130,000 civilian lives. In the Vietnam War, between 300,000-500,000 civilians lost their lives while, post 9/11, the civilian death toll in Afghanistan was around 50,000. (These are rough figures; they vary widely.)

As to the accusation of genocide, it is nothing less than a blood libel. The charge is malicious, scandalous, slanderous, invidious ,and so much more. And it is never-ending; its roots continue to deepen and grow stronger in political soil contaminated with antisemitism.

Genocide is the deliberate and systematic destruction of a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group with the intent to destroy that group. It was defined in 1944 by a Polish lawyer, Raphael Lemkin, during the Holocaust in WW II, and, through the years, was accepted as a crime by the international community. Lemkin lost his family in the Holocaust. 

After WW II, former Nazi leaders were the first to be officially charged with genocide at the Nuremberg trials in 1945.

I am pretty confident that most in the media — and the politicians or lay people charging Israel with genocide — never heard of Lemkin, or know the definition of genocide or how the crime came to be adopted internationally.  

(An aside: On October 7, which marked the third commemoration of the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who leads a city, home to 1.3 million Jews, took the opportunity to condemn the “devastating ongoing genocide in Gaza.”)

All that said, to be clear, very clear, one grieves for the Palestinians and their suffering. The heart aches, and the tears just keep coming.  Tragedy is the unavoidable consequence of war.
As Civil War Union General William Tecumseh Sherman, who implemented scorched-earth tactics in attacking civilians and their infrastructures in the South in his March to the Sea, said “War is Hell.”

What is the ratio of fair stories about Hamas vs. Israel? It is so one-sided against Israel, it makes the distorted numbers for the Gaza War look good.
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Berl Falbaum is a veteran journalist and author of 12 books.

As someone who grew up in Ann Arbor and has been a lifelong University of Michigan football fan, I fondly remember the “good old days” when an end zone ticket cost a mere $2 and a prime seat for a game against archrival Michigan State or Ohio State could be had for just $5. 

Now, in this new era of N.I.L. (Name, Image and Likeness), the cost of attending a game is in the triple digits, which doesn’t include the price of parking, food, beverages, and a much-needed seat cushion. Ah, yes, call these the “bad new days” at The Big House, especially considering the near disastrous start to the 2026 season that has pretty much erased my memory of the 2023 national title won by the Wolverines.

After the Wolverines scaled the sport’s highest peak three years ago, the euphoria of U-M’s national championship season quicky soured under the weight of intense NCAA investigations into sign-stealing and recruiting violations. This drama culminated in coaching departures, recruiting penalties, and a severe hit to the program’s reputation.

Now, as the Wolverines struggle to regain their elite status on the gridiron, the university finds itself trapped in an exhausting cycle of damage control and rebuilding.

In light of this turbulence, it might be wise if the powers that be at U-M take a hard look at a chapter in Michigan’s football past. The trip back in time is encapsulated in a 45-minute play written by Dr. Allison Metz, a professor at Grand Valley State University. The play, titled “Victors of Character,” is based on the 2016 documentary “Black and Blue,” a film that tells the back-story of the Michigan-Georgia Tech football game in 1934.

The 1934 U-M team included two notable players, one white and one black, two men who would go on to legal distinction following graduation. Their names: Gerald Ford and Willis Ward.

Ford, of course, was destined to attend Yale Law School after earning his bachelor’s degree from U-M. It would serve as his launch pad for a long career in Congress and then as Vice President and President of the United States.

Ward, who obtained his juris doctor degree from the former Detroit College of Law in 1939, eventually became a high-ranking executive at Ford Motor Co., helping expand employment opportunities for African American workers. In 1973, he was appointed by then-Governor William Milliken to the Wayne County Probate Court, becoming the first African American to serve on the probate bench in the county.

But in 1934, Ford and Ward were teammates as the Wolverines prepared to play Georgia Tech, a school based in Atlanta. Ford was a star center on the U-M team, while Ward was a standout split end who also excelled as a sprinter on the Michigan track team.

The Yellow Jackets, an all-white squad, agreed to play the Wolverines in Ann Arbor that season on the condition that U-M would not suit up Ward, the team’s only African American player. 

According to Metz, “many of Ward’s teammates were outraged when athletic officials at the University of Michigan agreed to the demand. The most outraged Wolverine was Ward’s roommate, a lineman from Grand Rapids named Gerald Ford.”

The future president threatened to quit the team in response to Ward’s benching, but changed his mind at the urging of his teammate. In response, Ford reportedly played one of his finest games as a Wolverine, helping the Maize and Blue to a 9-2 win over Georgia Tech.

Retired Detroit attorney Fritz Damm, a U-M letterwinner who in 2025 was the recipient of the coveted Ufer Award from the M Club, said the Ward-Ford story depicted the harsh reality of racial discrimination in the 1930s and is particularly relevant in the turbulent world of today.

“Obviously, we still have a long way to go when it comes to grasping the importance of racial understanding and social justice,” said Damm, whose father was a U-M teammate of Ford and Ward. “The (Metz) play really highlights how two men made a significant difference in changing perceptions.”

Ford, while serving in Congress, supported the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act, and, as president, presided over the first Black History Month in the U.S.

Ward made his mark as a “supervisor for racial integration at Ford, as a civil rights lawyer, and ultimately as the first African American probate judge in Wayne County,” Damm related.

Coincidentally, Damm would come to know Ward in his judicial capacity with the Wayne Probate Court. In 1981, Damm appeared before Judge Ward in an effort to become the legal guardian of a 14-year-old Detroit boy named Patrick.

“As we were getting ready to go to court, I told Patrick to grab a sport coat and tie out of the closet so that he would look sharp for the appearance,” Damm recalled.

By chance, the tie that Patrick hurriedly chose sported a special color combination.

“It was maize and blue,” Damm said with a smile. “Judge Ward got a kick out of that.”

Butzel attorney and shareholder Javon R. David has been named to the Crain’s Detroit Business 2026 Class of “40 Under 40.” Honorees will be recognized on Wednesday, November 18, at Cosm in Detroit.

Earlier this year, David was named to Crain’s Notable Women in Law. She is a member of Butzel’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice Group. She concentrates her practice in the areas of commercial litigation, media and entertainment law, and product liability matters. She has litigation experience, handling matters from the onset of suit through trial. 

As part of her commercial litigation practice, David represents business entities in an array of legal issues, including contract disputes, shareholder oppression claims, non-competition and trade secret disputes, real estate, and automotive supplier disputes. 

In addition, David defends media clients in defamation actions and First Amendment cases. She serves as deputy general counsel for the Michigan Press Association (MPA), providing clients with prepublication review and newsgathering advice on sunshine and open-government issues. She advises on clearance projects and performs advertising reviews as well. 

She also defends clients in product liability actions and quality disputes, including toxic tort class actions and automotive liability disputes. She previously served on the Board of Governors of MEMA, The Vehicle Suppliers Association’s Emerging Leadership Council. 

David is a member of the Board of Directors for the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel Association (MDTC) after serving as its Trial Practice co-chairperson. 

David serves on the Business Court and Counsel Committee for the Oakland County Bar Association (OCBA). She also serves on the litigation, insurance, and advertising/commercial speech committees for the Media Law Resource Center (MLRC). David is a member of Leadership Oakland as well. 

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Garan Lucow Miller PC has announced the grand opening of its newest office location in Southfield.  The announcement was made by the firm’s Executive Committee.

The more than 17,000-square-foot space, located at 20700 Civic Center Dr., Suite 500 inside Southfield’s Oakland Commons, offers permanent space for more than 100 Garan attorneys and team members, with additional flexible space available to welcome team members and clients visiting from the firm’s other locations.  The new Southfield location joins Garan’s current offices in Detroit and Grand Rapids as well as Merrillville, Ind. 

“We’ve established this new Southfield office to better accommodate our team, and more effectively and efficiently serve our clients across the state and the Midwest region,” said Ebony L. Duff, chair of Garan’s Executive Committee.  “This new professional home allows us to upgrade our facilities and bring our top legal talent together in a highly accessible, modern environment.”

The location of the new Oakland Commons facility enhances the firm’s regional coverage, positioning attorneys and clients near major transportation corridors and court systems.  Featuring state-of-the-art conference rooms, secure legal technology infrastructure and collaborative workspaces, the office is engineered to support seamless trial preparation and client engagement.

“As our client footprint continues to expand, investing in centralized, collaborative infrastructure ensures we maintain the high standard of legal service our firm is known for,” added Duff.  “This office marks an exciting new chapter in Garan’s continued growth and commitment to the Midwest legal community.”

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Michael Brady, executive partner of the Warner Norcross + Judd LLP Detroit office, has been named to the Detroit 500 for the fifth consecutive year.

As executive partner of Warner’s Detroit office, Brady leads operations for more than 60 attorneys from across the firm’s 15 industry groups and 18 practice groups. Brady also serves as co-chair of Warner’s Automotive Industry Group providing strategic direction for the 70-plus statewide attorneys who serve more than 240 automotive supplier clients worldwide.

The recipient of several national and statewide awards, Brady focuses on supply chain, complex business litigation and class action matters. He regularly represents manufacturing clients in supply chain contract negotiations and disputes involving pricing, warranties, antitrust issues and internal compliance investigations.

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Ottenwess Law is excited to announce that Gabriela Becker has joined the team as a senior associate attorney.  She focuses her practice on all aspects of medical malpractice defense, including birth trauma litigation.

Becker earned her bachelor’s degree from James Madison College at Michigan State University, double majoring in Internal Relations and Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy. She went on to earn her law degree from Wayne State University Law School. 

Becker is licensed to practice law in Michigan and is admitted to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

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Honigman Partner Megan Parpart was recently named as a 40 Under 40 honoree by Crain’s Detroit Business.  She was selected for her transactional work as well as her commitment to mentoring young attorneys, among other personal achievements.

Parpart is an attorney in the Corporate Department and Transactions & Counseling practice group who focuses her practice on representing companies of all sizes in a broad range of corporate legal matters, with a particular emphasis on complex domestic and cross-border transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, restructurings, divestures, and more. 

Parpart advises both domestic and international clients on matters in more than a dozen countries. She also counsels clients on various tax incentives, with a primary focus on Qualified Opportunity Zone investments and transactions.

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Dickinson Wright is pleased to announce that Aaron Burrell (member, Troy and Detroit) has been named to Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s 2026 Leaders in the Law.

“I am humbled to be selected by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as a member of their 2026 Leaders in the Law Class,” said Burrell. “It is an honor to be listed with such talented and accomplished attorneys.”

Burrell is a business lawyer whose practice centers on complex corporate strategy, high-stakes commercial litigation, internal and external investigations, appellate advocacy, labor and employment matters, and minority business enterprise counseling. He also serves as the chair of Dickinson Wright’s Diversity Committee and has previously co-chaired litigation training and contributed to the firm’s lateral-recruiting strategy.

Burrell currently serves as the 94th president of the Oakland County Bar Association.  This year, he was elected secretary of the State Bar of Michigan.  He has served in leadership roles for numerous organizations and committees including the American Bar Association’s Coalition of Racial and Ethnic Justice, State Bar’s Representative Assembly (chair), the State Bar’s Equal Access Initiative (co-chair), the D. Augustus Straker Bar Association (president), the National Bar Association’s Board of Governors (affiliate representative), and the Thomas M. Cooley Law School Board of Directors (vice chair). 

Burrell has been recognized by several publications including Chambers USA, Best Lawyers in America, Legal 500, Michigan Super Lawyers, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, Crain’s Detroit Business, National Bar Association, DBusiness, Profiles in Diversity Journal, Diversity MBA Magazine, and Savoy Magazine. The D. Augustus Straker Bar Association honored Burrell with its Trailblazers Award.

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Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that Todd Roeser has joined the firm’s Corporate Group as senior counsel in its Troy office.

Roeser brings more than 25 years of legal experience, primarily serving automotive and manufacturing companies in private practice and senior in-house leadership roles. His practice focuses on corporate and commercial transactions, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and other strategic business matters.

Roeser most recently served as general counsel and secretary of RESRG Automotive, an international Tier 1 automotive supplier, where he was a member of the executive leadership team and played a role in the separation, merger, and integration of two automotive supply businesses. He also built and led the company’s global legal and compliance team supporting operations in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

Previously, Roeser spent more than 16 years with Koch Industries and Guardian Industries in increasingly senior legal roles, including general counsel of SRG Global. During his in-house career, he advised executive leadership teams on strategic and commercial transactions, corporate reorganizations, labor and employment matters, environmental and real estate issues, intellectual property, litigation and compliance. His international experience includes joint ventures and major business projects in the United States, Mexico, China, Thailand, Japan, and Saudi Arabia.

Roeser was an associate in Miller Canfield’s Corporate Transactions Group from 1999 to 2005, advising domestic and international automotive and manufacturing companies on mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, financing and commercial agreements.

He earned his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan. Roeser is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and Oakland County Bar Association. He served on the MEMA Legal Issues Council Board of Governors for over a decade and serves on the Blue Heron Headwaters Conservancy board.

In addition, Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that Frances J. Hollander, an associate in the firm’s Employment and Labor Group, has been selected for the American Bar Association Section of Labor and Employment Law’s Section Development Fund Fellowship Program, a three-year fellowship that supports the development of future leaders in labor and employment law.

Hollander’s fellowship term began September 1 and runs through August 31, 2029. Through the program, fellows are encouraged to become actively involved in section activities, contribute to publications, and participate in leadership and educational initiatives that advance the practice of labor and employment law.

Hollander focuses her practice on representing employers in employment litigation and counseling matters. She has experience in wage-and-hour litigation and compliance, advising employers on issues involving employee classification, overtime calculations, tip pooling, off-the-clock work, and related state and federal wage-and-hour requirements.

Hollander represents employers in employment litigation, investigations, and counseling matters. Her practice includes defending employers in discrimination, harassment, retaliation, FMLA, and wage-and-hour matters, along with helping organizations assess compliance with state and federal employment laws. She is based in Miller Canfield’s Detroit office.

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Dykema is proud to announce that Brett Gelbord was selected for inclusion in the seventh edition of the “Global Top 200 Cannabis Lawyers” directory, published by Cannabis Law Report and Cannabis Law Journal for 2026–2027. Gelbord was also recognized in the fifth edition of the “Top 200 Global Psychedelic Lawyers and Policy & Regulatory Experts” guide for 2026.

Gelbord combines experience in employment law and commercial litigation to counsel cannabis businesses on workforce matters and business disputes. His psychedelics work includes advising clients on proposed commercial activities under local decriminalization ordinances and counseling stakeholders on legislative advocacy. 

A founding member of the Psychedelic Bar Association, Gelbord works with attorneys nationwide to help shape policy and legislation in the emerging industry.

•            •            •

Miller Johnson recently announced the launch of its Government Solutions practice, designed to help Michigan businesses navigate state and local government matters affecting their operations, investments and growth. The practice will be led by Michigan public service veteran Melanie Brown, who joins Miller Johnson as managing director of Government Solutions, after most recently serving as the state’s executive ombudsman helmed at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, helping businesses resolve matters involving state government. She will be based in the firm’s Detroit office.

Brown’s career in Michigan public affairs spans more than 30 years, giving her decades of firsthand knowledge of how to cut through red tape and solve problems across multiple levels of government. 

Government Solutions will combine Brown’s government experience and relationships with Miller Johnson’s  approach to help businesses navigate a shifting economic and policy landscape—and address matters that affect how they operate, invest and compete.

Brown will work closely with lawyers across Miller Johnson to help clients navigate matters involving state and local agencies, move stalled matters forward, secure regulatory approvals and licensing, respond to investigations and enforcement actions, and pursue economic development incentives, grants, tax credits, and public financing. The practice will also help clients monitor proposed legislation and rulemaking, address government procurement matters, and coordinate complex projects involving multiple agencies or public stakeholders.

The practice consolidates Miller Johnson’s government-facing capabilities, bringing together some two dozen attorneys across the firm’s government affairs, government investigations, compliance and corporate practices, including Jeff Muth, Fadwa Hammoud, Dick Hillary, Andrew Goetz, Robert Wolford, and Jennifer McManus.

“Miller Johnson’s practical, relationship-based approach to serving clients aligns closely with how I’ve worked throughout my career,” Brown said. “Administrations change every two to four years—relationships honed over decades don’t. This is an opportunity to build something new by combining the firm’s trusted business counsel with the government experience and practical know-how needed to help clients solve difficult problems and move important matters forward.”

Before her most recent role as the state’s executive ombudsman, Brown served as deputy chief of staff in the Whitmer administration, deputy director of the Department of Talent and Economic Development during the Snyder administration, and deputy director for Southeast Michigan in the Granholm administration. Brown began her career working for U.S. Congressman Sander Levin and later working at Wayne County and in the Michigan Legislature for then-state Senator Gary Peters, now Michigan’s senior U.S. senator. She has also held leadership positions in multiple state departments and currently serves on the Oakland University Board of Trustees after her appointment in 2024.

By Mindi M. Johnson, 
Amanda J. Dernovshek,
and Julie LaVille Hamlet

When most business owners start talking about “succession,” it sounds like a financial term. But if we’re honest, it rarely feels that way, it feels more personal.

It feels like sitting at the kitchen table late at night, staring at numbers, and realizing this thing you built, isn’t just a business anymore. It’s the crew who showed up when you only had a used van and a couple pieces of old equipment. It’s the office manager who’s been there 30 years and knows more about the place than you do. It’s the technician who bought his first house because this company gave him steady work.

What started as a small mom-and-pop operation, slowly became something bigger. It became a steady paycheck for dozens of families. It became Little League sponsorships and church donations. It became a pillar in the community and somewhere along the way, it stopped feeling like “a company” and started feeling like a family.

So, when the time comes for the business owner to retire, the question isn’t just, “What’s it worth?,” its “What happens to all of them?”

That’s usually when the term “ESOP” first comes up. An Employee Stock Ownership Plan, or “ESOP,” isn’t some trendy idea or clever loophole. It’s a federally regulated retirement plan, governed by the IRS and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). It’s similar in structure to a 401(k) plan, but instead of holding mutual funds, it holds your company’s stock.

That’s the exciting part: the ESOP can buy your stock. Instead of selling the business to a competitor or selling to private equity (or even possibly shutting the doors when you retire), you sell to the ESOP, which holds the stock in trust for the people who helped you build it.

Now, if you’re like most owners, this is where you lean back in your chair and say, “Okay… how does that even work?” Fair question.

The ESOP is a separate legal entity, a tax-qualified trust. That trust buys your stock at fair market value, determined by an independent valuation firm. The purchase can be funded with company cash, bank financing, seller financing, or a combination of all three. There’s an independent trustee whose job is to represent the employees’ interests. There are attorneys, advisors, valuation experts, and other professionals who make sure it’s done correctly and fairly.

You receive liquidity for the stock that you sell. Your management team keeps running the company day to day and your employees become beneficial owners of the business through the ESOP trust, without writing a personal check or taking on personal risk. No one has to mortgage their house, no one has to “buy in.”

And usually, after walking through all of this, an owner leans forward and says: “Okay… what would this look like for us?” That’s not a commitment, that’s just the beginning of a thoughtful conversation about legacy, stewardship, and making sure the people who helped you build the fire, get to keep sitting around it long after you step away. 
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Mindi Johnson, Amanda Dernovshek, and Julie Hamlet are all shareholders at Foster, Swift, Collins, & Smith PC.