Three local Butzel attorneys have been elected shareholders. Shanika A. Owens, Blake C. Padget, and Blaine A. Veldhuis are newly elected shareholders.
Owens, based in Butzel’s Detroit office, focuses her practice on helping clients navigate mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and real estate law. Her experience includes a wide range of transactions in a variety of industries.
In 2022, Owens, along with her colleagues, represented the seller in an acquisition worth more than $400 million. She and the team received the 2023 Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Detroit Chapter’s M&A Deal of the Year award in recognition of their legal expertise in navigating the transaction.
Based in Butzel’s Troy office, Padget concentrates his practice on labor and employment law. He is part of Butzel’s employment litigation team defending employers in cases involving claims of discrimination, harassment, and wrongful termination. He also has experience counseling clients on employment law issues such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) interactive process and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). In addition to spending several years in private practice, Padget has experience working in-house on labor and employment matters for one of Detroit’s largest employers.
Padget has helped counsel clients on rapidly developing employee issues such as employee complaints and discipline. He has responded to charges from administrative agencies, including the EEOC, MDCR, and NLRB.
Veldhuis, based in Butzel’s Troy office, focuses his practice on defending wage and hour claims, discrimination claims, sexual harassment claims, whistleblower claims, commercial litigation, and general employment litigation. He counsels employers in employee relations and discipline and discharge matters, and also assists employers in drafting employment policies and in complying with the federal and state employment laws. Veldhuis also focuses on the defense of complex ERISA litigation and single plaintiff ERISA cases.
Veldhuis has experience representing defendants and respondents in administrative and governmental investigations, including Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Department of Labor audits, and investigations conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Michigan Department of Civil Rights, and the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.
In addition, Butzel attorney Geaneen M. Arends is among attorneys named to Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s 2024 ‘Michigan Go To Lawyers’ Power List. She is recognized in the category of business transactions.
Based in the firm’s Detroit office, Arends is a Butzel vice president and serves on the firm’s Board of Directors. She also serves as chair of the firm’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. Arends is a business attorney with more than 25 years of experience in mergers & acquisitions and commercial real estate transactions.
She assists businesses with entity formation and maintenance, general business contracts, equity and asset sales, and minority-owned business certification. Arends has been lead counsel or significantly involved in domestic and international M&A transactions in a variety of sectors, including the automotive and professional service industries. She also advises businesses on a variety of real estate transactions, including financing, acquisition, disposition, development and leasing of multi-family residential, retail, office and industrial properties throughout the United States.
Arends is an alumna of Leadership Detroit, Class XXVII. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Karmanos Cancer Institute, Detroit PBS, and Detroit Legal News Co. (DTRL) U.S.: OTC and is a member of the Real Property Law Advisory Board for the Institute of Continuing Legal Education. She also is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and the Detroit Bar Association and its foundation.
Arends has been honored by Best Lawyers in America® - Real Estate Law, 2025; Crain’s Detroit Business - Notable Black Business Leaders, 2024; 2021 Diversity Business Leader Honoree by Corp! Magazine; Crain’s Detroit Business - Notable Executives in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, 2021; Crain’s Detroit Business - Notable Woman Attorney, 2017; M&A Advisor - Cross-Border M&A Deal of the Year (over $50MM – $100MM), 2016; Association for Corporate Growth, Detroit - All Star Deal of the Year Over $50 Million, 2015; Michigan Lawyers Weekly - Women in the Law, 2014; and, DBusiness Top Lawyers in Metro Detroit, Nonprofits/Charities Law, 2014; Corporate Law, 2018 & 2022, 2023; Real Estate Law, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2020-2023; Mergers & Acquisitions Law, 2018, 2020.
Arends is a graduate of Michigan State University (B.A., History, 1994) and of Boston College Law School (1998). She is admitted to the State Bar of Michigan and the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan.
• • •
Warner Norcross + Judd LLP announced two Detroit-area attorneys have been named partners.
The new partners are John C. Muhs and Michael A. Stone. Muhs is based in Detroit, and Stone is based in Macomb County. Both are members of the State Bar of Michigan.
Muhs is a transactional attorney who specializes in securities and investment matters. He is a member of the firm’s industry-leading impact investing group, where he works with community development financial institutions, church extension funds, charitable loan funds and other organizations to finance community development activities.
Muhs has been recognized on Best Lawyers® Detroit: Ones to Watch List since 2021. He serves as board secretary of Detroit Phoenix Center and is a member of Opportunity Finance Network, Denominational Investors & Loan Administrators and the Michigan Venture Capital Association.
Muhs earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School.
Stone chairs the firm’s aerospace and defense industry group and specializes in government contracting, drawing on his military career to enable organizations to take full advantage of commercial opportunities. Stone brings diverse skills and experience to his practice being a former litigator, corporate general counsel, and major general of the U.S. Army.
He currently serves on numerous community, military and veterans service boards.
Stone earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Detroit Mercy, a law degree from Michigan State University College of Law, and a master’s degree from the U.S. Army War College.
• • •
The Michigan Supreme Court (MSC) has appointed Executive Court Administrator Frank Hardester, of the Third Circuit Court in Wayne County, to the Michigan Judicial Council (MJC) through a recent administrative order. Hardester’s appointment fills one of four slots on the MJC designated for trial court administrators and is for a full term that began January 1 and ends December 31, 2027.
The MJC is charged with making recommendations to the Michigan Supreme Court on matters pertinent to the administration of justice, including developing a strategic agenda for the judicial branch and suggesting proposals that would enhance the work of all courts.
Hardester has nearly 30 years of experience working in public service, including 27 years in the courts, and has worked in the Third Circuit Court since June 2023. He previously served as court administrator in the 36th Circuit Court in Van Buren County. A graduate of Western Michigan University, Hardester has held leadership positions in several industry and professional organizations, including president of the Michigan Association of Circuit Court Administrators, member of the Foreign Language Board of Review through an appointment by the MSC, and director on the board of the National Association for Court Management.
“I am thankful for Chief Judge Patricia Perez Fresard allowing me to dedicate time to this endeavor,” said Hardester. “I am also very honored to join the Michigan Judicial Council and contribute my expertise to the important work of advancing the Council’s strategic vision for the judiciary. I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues to enhance access to justice and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our courts for those we serve.”
Since its inception in April 2021, the MJC has outlined a strategic planning process, identified its mission and vision statements, and long-range goals for the judicial branch. In 2023, the MJC established workgroups under its Strategic Agenda to implement its Operational Plan. Reports and recommendations can be found on the Michigan Judicial Council webpage at www.courts.michigan.gov/administration/special-initiatives/mjc.
• • •
Jones Day has announced that 37 lawyers were admitted to its partnership effective January 1, including two lawyers in Detroit.
The new partners in Detroit are Andrew J. Clopton and Kurt A. Johnson, both with the Issues & Appeals practice group. Clopton is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, obtaining his law degree in 2015. Johnson is a graduate of the U-M Law School, earning his law degree in 2015.
• • •
Bodman PLC is pleased to announce that Daniel J. Canine and Jessica D. VanWert have rejoined the firm’s Banking and Finance Practice Group and will launch an equipment and trade finance practice.
Canine and VanWert are veteran banking and finance attorneys with experience negotiating and structuring equipment lease finance transactions. Both join as members of Bodman based in the Troy office.
Canine concentrates his practice in the structuring, negotiation, documentation, and closing of equipment and trade finance transactions. He represents banks and equipment finance companies on equipment loan and lease originations, lease and loan acquisitions, and sales and remarketing of off lease equipment. He also represents banks and equipment finance companies in connection with establishing financing, vendor and referral programs, and developing standard equipment finance documentation.
Canine is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School and received his undergraduate degree from Michigan State University’s James Madison College. He began his legal career with Bodman in 2000. Over the last 25 years, he has practiced at Bodman and held in house roles, including at Macquarie Equipment Finance and most recently at Mitsubishi HC Capital America, Inc. where he served as executive vice president and general counsel. He is a legal instructor for the Certified Lease & Finance Professional (CLFP) Foundation.
VanWert concentrates her practice in representing equipment finance companies in negotiating and structuring equipment finance and leasing transactions. She counsels banks and equipment finance companies in all stages of loan and leasing originations, including review, preparation and negotiation of loan documents and leases, collateral documents and other ancillary documents, and corporate authority and organizational documents. She also represents banks and equipment finance companies in connection with lease and loan acquisitions, development of financing, vendor and referral programs, and workout and restructuring of lease and loan transactions.
VanWert is a graduate of Indiana University School of Law and received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan. She began her legal career at Bodman in 2007. She left the firm in 2017 to serve in-house roles, including in-house counsel for one of the nation’s largest all-digital bank and industry-leading auto financing businesses and, most recently, as general counsel for a leading equipment leasing solutions provider that specializes in acquiring equipment for clients in the construction and industrial, healthcare, IT solutions and services, material handling and automation, and renewable energy and solar sectors.
Bodman is also pleased to announce that Arti Batra joined the firm as a member in the High Net Worth Practice Group.
Batra, who is based in the firm’s Detroit office, counsels high net worth individuals, multigenerational families, and blended families on estate planning, charitable giving, retirement planning, planning for incapacity and disability, asset protection, business succession planning, and trust administration.
Before joining Bodman, Batra worked at a public accounting firm based in Seattle where she counseled clients and their professional advisors on ways to minimize estate, gift and generation skipping transfer taxes. She also served as a senior estate planner and vice president for a wealth management, capital markets, asset management and private equity firm as part of its wealth planning team.
Batra also founded and operated her own law firm in Southfield where she established an estate planning practice that was largely concentrated on estate planning, estate administration, business succession planning, and tax planning for high net worth clients.
Batra is a graduate of Wayne State University Law School and received undergraduate and Master of Public Health degrees from the University of Michigan. She also earned a Master of Laws degree in Taxation from Villanova University Charles Wridger School of Law.
• • •
Attorney Jeffrey G. Schultz has joined the litigation practice of Foster, Swift, Collins, & Smith PC in Southfield. Schultz concentrates his practice on personal injury and insurance defense
matters. He has experience in a variety of civil defense fields including construction litigation, first and third-party auto liability, workers’ compensation defense, and premises liability.
Schultz received his law degree from Wayne State University Law School.
• • •
McDonald Hopkins is proud to announce the recognition of several attorneys recognized by Leading Lawyers.
The following local attorneys have received the recognition of Leading Lawyers for 2025:
James J. Boutrous II—Employment Law: Employee, Employment Law: Management, Trade Secrets/Unfair Competition Law
James Giszczak—Data Privacy, Trade Secrets/Unfair Competition Law
Patrick A. Karbowski—Land Use, Zoning & Condemnation Law, Real Estate Law: Commercial, Real Estate Law: Finance
Antoinette Pilzner—Tax Law: Business
Miriam Rosen—Employment Law: Management
Michael P. Witzke—Elder Law, Trust, Will & Estate Planning Law
• • •
Varnum is proud to announce that Louis F. Ronayne and Jacob R. Whately have been promoted to partner.
Ronayne is based in the firm’s Novi office and is a member of the Litigation Team. He represents clients in a range of business and commercial litigation matters, including high-stakes disputes involving temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions. He has experience in litigating contracts and business torts, including non-compete, UCC, and fraud cases, real estate matters, and construction disputes. In addition, Ronayne is an experienced appellate advocate.
Whately is a member of Varnum’s Corporate Team. Based in the firm’s Birmingham office, he focuses on mergers and acquisitions and also advises clients on general corporate matters, including business formations, restructurings and dissolutions, contract drafting and negotiations, terms and conditions analysis, disputes with customers and suppliers, nondisclosure agreements and corporate governance. Whately is also a member of the Venture Capital and Emerging Companies specialty area and advises emerging companies on capital fundraising, including SAFE financing, preferred equity financing and securities law compliance.
• • •
Miller Canfield is proud to announce that Elizabeth Baker and Christopher Dutot, attorneys in the firm’s immigration practice, have been named the recipients of the 2024 Richard J. Seryak Award for Outstanding Pro Bono and Community Service.
Baker and Dutot exemplify the values celebrated by the Seryak Award through their commitment to pro bono service, particularly in the Road to Restoration driver’s license restoration clinics. This public-private partnership, which includes the Michigan Secretary of State’s Office, DTE Energy, United Way, and the Michigan Attorney General’s Office, has helped nearly 10,000 Michigan residents regain their driving privileges.
Established in 2015, the Seryak Award honors the extraordinary legacy of Richard J. “Dick” Seryak, a leading employment lawyer and litigator at Miller Canfield for nearly 40 years. Seryak was committed to ensuring that individuals without resources could access the legal assistance they needed, setting a standard for client service, professional excellence, and dedication to pro bono and community service.
• • •
Plunkett Cooney partner Glenn C. Ross was recently named to the 2025 Class of Go To Lawyers for Commercial Real Estate as determined by Michigan Lawyers Weekly (MiLW).
A member of Plunkett Cooney’s Business Transactions & Planning Practice Group in the Bloomfield Hills office, Ross has nearly 15 years of experience representing clients in numerous aspects of general corporate law, business and commercial matters, and mergers and acquisitions, as well as in transactions related to complex financing. He provides counsel and advice regarding a variety of financing sources for real estate projects and business transactions, including the use of tax credits, conventional construction and permanent financing loans, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans, 221(d)(4) and 221(f) FHA loans, HOME funds, private activity bonds and other federal, state and local financing sources.
A 2011 graduate of Wayne State University Law School, Ross is a member of the State Bar of Michigan. He received his undergraduate degree from Michigan State University in 2005.
• • •
Brooks Kushman is proud to announce that Reza Roghani Esfahani, Fanqi Meng, and Dustin Zak have been promoted to shareholder through election by their peers.
Esfahani is an intellectual property attorney at Brooks Kushman, specializing in patent and trade secret litigation across a range of technologies, including mechanical, chemical, and computer sciences. She is also a member of the firm’s post-grant practice group, with extensive experience representing clients in Inter Partes Review proceedings. Esfahani’s experience includes representing clients in high-stakes litigation, such as his key role in the successful defense of Ford Motor Company in Versata Software v. Ford Motor Company, where the team reduced a $1.4 billion damages claim to just $3 in nominal damages. With a technical background in chemical engineering, Esfahani brings an understanding of complex technologies to his legal practice, ensuring clients receive effective and strategic IP representation.
Meng is an intellectual property attorney who focuses his practice on patent prosecution and litigation in the electrical arts and computer systems. His practice also includes free and open-source software compliance and review. Meng has experience in preparing and prosecuting patent applications on a variety of technologies, including electronics, computers, and automotive-related arts. In addition, he has been involved in several patent dispute negotiations and settlements. Prior to joining Brooks Kushman, Meng spent three years working as a patent practitioner in Beijing, China, conducting various patent practices. With this international background, Meng works with a diverse range of clients from various parts of the world, including the US, EU, Greater China Region, Japan, and South Korea. He also has experience drafting patent applications and responses to office actions, as well as conducting various patent practices in computer systems and electronics.
Zak is a registered patent attorney who focuses his practice on patent prosecution, online enforcement, and litigation. He possesses a range of technical experience, from chemical and material arts to software applications and artificial intelligence. Zak has managed many of his clients’ patent portfolios to protect and advance their key products and technologies. He also has experience with online enforcement of his clients’ intellectual property, such as on Amazon.com. Zak has played roles in the success of his clients as both plaintiffs and defendants in patent litigation. His role in patent prosecution, online enforcement, and patent litigation gives him a unique perspective to provide valuable insight into litigation strategies and protecting his clients’ technologies.
In addition, Brooks Kushman is proud to announce that eighteen of the firm’s lawyers were named “Leading Lawyers for 2025” by Leading Lawyers Magazine. The Leading Lawyers for 2025 include:
Sangeeta Shah
Matthew Jakubowski
Michael Brodbine
Robyn Lederman
Molly Crandall
Marc Lorelli
Mark Cantor
William Abbatt
Frank Angileri
Erin Bowles
John Halan
Jeffrey Szuma
William Conger
Kevin Heinl
Elizabeth Janda
James Kushman
Thomas Lewry
Robert Tuttle
Owens, based in Butzel’s Detroit office, focuses her practice on helping clients navigate mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and real estate law. Her experience includes a wide range of transactions in a variety of industries.
In 2022, Owens, along with her colleagues, represented the seller in an acquisition worth more than $400 million. She and the team received the 2023 Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Detroit Chapter’s M&A Deal of the Year award in recognition of their legal expertise in navigating the transaction.
Based in Butzel’s Troy office, Padget concentrates his practice on labor and employment law. He is part of Butzel’s employment litigation team defending employers in cases involving claims of discrimination, harassment, and wrongful termination. He also has experience counseling clients on employment law issues such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) interactive process and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). In addition to spending several years in private practice, Padget has experience working in-house on labor and employment matters for one of Detroit’s largest employers.
Padget has helped counsel clients on rapidly developing employee issues such as employee complaints and discipline. He has responded to charges from administrative agencies, including the EEOC, MDCR, and NLRB.
Veldhuis, based in Butzel’s Troy office, focuses his practice on defending wage and hour claims, discrimination claims, sexual harassment claims, whistleblower claims, commercial litigation, and general employment litigation. He counsels employers in employee relations and discipline and discharge matters, and also assists employers in drafting employment policies and in complying with the federal and state employment laws. Veldhuis also focuses on the defense of complex ERISA litigation and single plaintiff ERISA cases.
Veldhuis has experience representing defendants and respondents in administrative and governmental investigations, including Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Department of Labor audits, and investigations conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Michigan Department of Civil Rights, and the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.
In addition, Butzel attorney Geaneen M. Arends is among attorneys named to Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s 2024 ‘Michigan Go To Lawyers’ Power List. She is recognized in the category of business transactions.
Based in the firm’s Detroit office, Arends is a Butzel vice president and serves on the firm’s Board of Directors. She also serves as chair of the firm’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. Arends is a business attorney with more than 25 years of experience in mergers & acquisitions and commercial real estate transactions.
She assists businesses with entity formation and maintenance, general business contracts, equity and asset sales, and minority-owned business certification. Arends has been lead counsel or significantly involved in domestic and international M&A transactions in a variety of sectors, including the automotive and professional service industries. She also advises businesses on a variety of real estate transactions, including financing, acquisition, disposition, development and leasing of multi-family residential, retail, office and industrial properties throughout the United States.
Arends is an alumna of Leadership Detroit, Class XXVII. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Karmanos Cancer Institute, Detroit PBS, and Detroit Legal News Co. (DTRL) U.S.: OTC and is a member of the Real Property Law Advisory Board for the Institute of Continuing Legal Education. She also is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and the Detroit Bar Association and its foundation.
Arends has been honored by Best Lawyers in America® - Real Estate Law, 2025; Crain’s Detroit Business - Notable Black Business Leaders, 2024; 2021 Diversity Business Leader Honoree by Corp! Magazine; Crain’s Detroit Business - Notable Executives in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, 2021; Crain’s Detroit Business - Notable Woman Attorney, 2017; M&A Advisor - Cross-Border M&A Deal of the Year (over $50MM – $100MM), 2016; Association for Corporate Growth, Detroit - All Star Deal of the Year Over $50 Million, 2015; Michigan Lawyers Weekly - Women in the Law, 2014; and, DBusiness Top Lawyers in Metro Detroit, Nonprofits/Charities Law, 2014; Corporate Law, 2018 & 2022, 2023; Real Estate Law, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2020-2023; Mergers & Acquisitions Law, 2018, 2020.
Arends is a graduate of Michigan State University (B.A., History, 1994) and of Boston College Law School (1998). She is admitted to the State Bar of Michigan and the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan.
• • •
Warner Norcross + Judd LLP announced two Detroit-area attorneys have been named partners.
The new partners are John C. Muhs and Michael A. Stone. Muhs is based in Detroit, and Stone is based in Macomb County. Both are members of the State Bar of Michigan.
Muhs is a transactional attorney who specializes in securities and investment matters. He is a member of the firm’s industry-leading impact investing group, where he works with community development financial institutions, church extension funds, charitable loan funds and other organizations to finance community development activities.
Muhs has been recognized on Best Lawyers® Detroit: Ones to Watch List since 2021. He serves as board secretary of Detroit Phoenix Center and is a member of Opportunity Finance Network, Denominational Investors & Loan Administrators and the Michigan Venture Capital Association.
Muhs earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School.
Stone chairs the firm’s aerospace and defense industry group and specializes in government contracting, drawing on his military career to enable organizations to take full advantage of commercial opportunities. Stone brings diverse skills and experience to his practice being a former litigator, corporate general counsel, and major general of the U.S. Army.
He currently serves on numerous community, military and veterans service boards.
Stone earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Detroit Mercy, a law degree from Michigan State University College of Law, and a master’s degree from the U.S. Army War College.
• • •
The Michigan Supreme Court (MSC) has appointed Executive Court Administrator Frank Hardester, of the Third Circuit Court in Wayne County, to the Michigan Judicial Council (MJC) through a recent administrative order. Hardester’s appointment fills one of four slots on the MJC designated for trial court administrators and is for a full term that began January 1 and ends December 31, 2027.
The MJC is charged with making recommendations to the Michigan Supreme Court on matters pertinent to the administration of justice, including developing a strategic agenda for the judicial branch and suggesting proposals that would enhance the work of all courts.
Hardester has nearly 30 years of experience working in public service, including 27 years in the courts, and has worked in the Third Circuit Court since June 2023. He previously served as court administrator in the 36th Circuit Court in Van Buren County. A graduate of Western Michigan University, Hardester has held leadership positions in several industry and professional organizations, including president of the Michigan Association of Circuit Court Administrators, member of the Foreign Language Board of Review through an appointment by the MSC, and director on the board of the National Association for Court Management.
“I am thankful for Chief Judge Patricia Perez Fresard allowing me to dedicate time to this endeavor,” said Hardester. “I am also very honored to join the Michigan Judicial Council and contribute my expertise to the important work of advancing the Council’s strategic vision for the judiciary. I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues to enhance access to justice and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our courts for those we serve.”
Since its inception in April 2021, the MJC has outlined a strategic planning process, identified its mission and vision statements, and long-range goals for the judicial branch. In 2023, the MJC established workgroups under its Strategic Agenda to implement its Operational Plan. Reports and recommendations can be found on the Michigan Judicial Council webpage at www.courts.michigan.gov/administration/special-initiatives/mjc.
• • •
Jones Day has announced that 37 lawyers were admitted to its partnership effective January 1, including two lawyers in Detroit.
The new partners in Detroit are Andrew J. Clopton and Kurt A. Johnson, both with the Issues & Appeals practice group. Clopton is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, obtaining his law degree in 2015. Johnson is a graduate of the U-M Law School, earning his law degree in 2015.
• • •
Bodman PLC is pleased to announce that Daniel J. Canine and Jessica D. VanWert have rejoined the firm’s Banking and Finance Practice Group and will launch an equipment and trade finance practice.
Canine and VanWert are veteran banking and finance attorneys with experience negotiating and structuring equipment lease finance transactions. Both join as members of Bodman based in the Troy office.
Canine concentrates his practice in the structuring, negotiation, documentation, and closing of equipment and trade finance transactions. He represents banks and equipment finance companies on equipment loan and lease originations, lease and loan acquisitions, and sales and remarketing of off lease equipment. He also represents banks and equipment finance companies in connection with establishing financing, vendor and referral programs, and developing standard equipment finance documentation.
Canine is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School and received his undergraduate degree from Michigan State University’s James Madison College. He began his legal career with Bodman in 2000. Over the last 25 years, he has practiced at Bodman and held in house roles, including at Macquarie Equipment Finance and most recently at Mitsubishi HC Capital America, Inc. where he served as executive vice president and general counsel. He is a legal instructor for the Certified Lease & Finance Professional (CLFP) Foundation.
VanWert concentrates her practice in representing equipment finance companies in negotiating and structuring equipment finance and leasing transactions. She counsels banks and equipment finance companies in all stages of loan and leasing originations, including review, preparation and negotiation of loan documents and leases, collateral documents and other ancillary documents, and corporate authority and organizational documents. She also represents banks and equipment finance companies in connection with lease and loan acquisitions, development of financing, vendor and referral programs, and workout and restructuring of lease and loan transactions.
VanWert is a graduate of Indiana University School of Law and received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan. She began her legal career at Bodman in 2007. She left the firm in 2017 to serve in-house roles, including in-house counsel for one of the nation’s largest all-digital bank and industry-leading auto financing businesses and, most recently, as general counsel for a leading equipment leasing solutions provider that specializes in acquiring equipment for clients in the construction and industrial, healthcare, IT solutions and services, material handling and automation, and renewable energy and solar sectors.
Bodman is also pleased to announce that Arti Batra joined the firm as a member in the High Net Worth Practice Group.
Batra, who is based in the firm’s Detroit office, counsels high net worth individuals, multigenerational families, and blended families on estate planning, charitable giving, retirement planning, planning for incapacity and disability, asset protection, business succession planning, and trust administration.
Before joining Bodman, Batra worked at a public accounting firm based in Seattle where she counseled clients and their professional advisors on ways to minimize estate, gift and generation skipping transfer taxes. She also served as a senior estate planner and vice president for a wealth management, capital markets, asset management and private equity firm as part of its wealth planning team.
Batra also founded and operated her own law firm in Southfield where she established an estate planning practice that was largely concentrated on estate planning, estate administration, business succession planning, and tax planning for high net worth clients.
Batra is a graduate of Wayne State University Law School and received undergraduate and Master of Public Health degrees from the University of Michigan. She also earned a Master of Laws degree in Taxation from Villanova University Charles Wridger School of Law.
• • •
Attorney Jeffrey G. Schultz has joined the litigation practice of Foster, Swift, Collins, & Smith PC in Southfield. Schultz concentrates his practice on personal injury and insurance defense
matters. He has experience in a variety of civil defense fields including construction litigation, first and third-party auto liability, workers’ compensation defense, and premises liability.
Schultz received his law degree from Wayne State University Law School.
• • •
McDonald Hopkins is proud to announce the recognition of several attorneys recognized by Leading Lawyers.
The following local attorneys have received the recognition of Leading Lawyers for 2025:
James J. Boutrous II—Employment Law: Employee, Employment Law: Management, Trade Secrets/Unfair Competition Law
James Giszczak—Data Privacy, Trade Secrets/Unfair Competition Law
Patrick A. Karbowski—Land Use, Zoning & Condemnation Law, Real Estate Law: Commercial, Real Estate Law: Finance
Antoinette Pilzner—Tax Law: Business
Miriam Rosen—Employment Law: Management
Michael P. Witzke—Elder Law, Trust, Will & Estate Planning Law
• • •
Varnum is proud to announce that Louis F. Ronayne and Jacob R. Whately have been promoted to partner.
Ronayne is based in the firm’s Novi office and is a member of the Litigation Team. He represents clients in a range of business and commercial litigation matters, including high-stakes disputes involving temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions. He has experience in litigating contracts and business torts, including non-compete, UCC, and fraud cases, real estate matters, and construction disputes. In addition, Ronayne is an experienced appellate advocate.
Whately is a member of Varnum’s Corporate Team. Based in the firm’s Birmingham office, he focuses on mergers and acquisitions and also advises clients on general corporate matters, including business formations, restructurings and dissolutions, contract drafting and negotiations, terms and conditions analysis, disputes with customers and suppliers, nondisclosure agreements and corporate governance. Whately is also a member of the Venture Capital and Emerging Companies specialty area and advises emerging companies on capital fundraising, including SAFE financing, preferred equity financing and securities law compliance.
• • •
Miller Canfield is proud to announce that Elizabeth Baker and Christopher Dutot, attorneys in the firm’s immigration practice, have been named the recipients of the 2024 Richard J. Seryak Award for Outstanding Pro Bono and Community Service.
Baker and Dutot exemplify the values celebrated by the Seryak Award through their commitment to pro bono service, particularly in the Road to Restoration driver’s license restoration clinics. This public-private partnership, which includes the Michigan Secretary of State’s Office, DTE Energy, United Way, and the Michigan Attorney General’s Office, has helped nearly 10,000 Michigan residents regain their driving privileges.
Established in 2015, the Seryak Award honors the extraordinary legacy of Richard J. “Dick” Seryak, a leading employment lawyer and litigator at Miller Canfield for nearly 40 years. Seryak was committed to ensuring that individuals without resources could access the legal assistance they needed, setting a standard for client service, professional excellence, and dedication to pro bono and community service.
• • •
Plunkett Cooney partner Glenn C. Ross was recently named to the 2025 Class of Go To Lawyers for Commercial Real Estate as determined by Michigan Lawyers Weekly (MiLW).
A member of Plunkett Cooney’s Business Transactions & Planning Practice Group in the Bloomfield Hills office, Ross has nearly 15 years of experience representing clients in numerous aspects of general corporate law, business and commercial matters, and mergers and acquisitions, as well as in transactions related to complex financing. He provides counsel and advice regarding a variety of financing sources for real estate projects and business transactions, including the use of tax credits, conventional construction and permanent financing loans, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans, 221(d)(4) and 221(f) FHA loans, HOME funds, private activity bonds and other federal, state and local financing sources.
A 2011 graduate of Wayne State University Law School, Ross is a member of the State Bar of Michigan. He received his undergraduate degree from Michigan State University in 2005.
• • •
Brooks Kushman is proud to announce that Reza Roghani Esfahani, Fanqi Meng, and Dustin Zak have been promoted to shareholder through election by their peers.
Esfahani is an intellectual property attorney at Brooks Kushman, specializing in patent and trade secret litigation across a range of technologies, including mechanical, chemical, and computer sciences. She is also a member of the firm’s post-grant practice group, with extensive experience representing clients in Inter Partes Review proceedings. Esfahani’s experience includes representing clients in high-stakes litigation, such as his key role in the successful defense of Ford Motor Company in Versata Software v. Ford Motor Company, where the team reduced a $1.4 billion damages claim to just $3 in nominal damages. With a technical background in chemical engineering, Esfahani brings an understanding of complex technologies to his legal practice, ensuring clients receive effective and strategic IP representation.
Meng is an intellectual property attorney who focuses his practice on patent prosecution and litigation in the electrical arts and computer systems. His practice also includes free and open-source software compliance and review. Meng has experience in preparing and prosecuting patent applications on a variety of technologies, including electronics, computers, and automotive-related arts. In addition, he has been involved in several patent dispute negotiations and settlements. Prior to joining Brooks Kushman, Meng spent three years working as a patent practitioner in Beijing, China, conducting various patent practices. With this international background, Meng works with a diverse range of clients from various parts of the world, including the US, EU, Greater China Region, Japan, and South Korea. He also has experience drafting patent applications and responses to office actions, as well as conducting various patent practices in computer systems and electronics.
Zak is a registered patent attorney who focuses his practice on patent prosecution, online enforcement, and litigation. He possesses a range of technical experience, from chemical and material arts to software applications and artificial intelligence. Zak has managed many of his clients’ patent portfolios to protect and advance their key products and technologies. He also has experience with online enforcement of his clients’ intellectual property, such as on Amazon.com. Zak has played roles in the success of his clients as both plaintiffs and defendants in patent litigation. His role in patent prosecution, online enforcement, and patent litigation gives him a unique perspective to provide valuable insight into litigation strategies and protecting his clients’ technologies.
In addition, Brooks Kushman is proud to announce that eighteen of the firm’s lawyers were named “Leading Lawyers for 2025” by Leading Lawyers Magazine. The Leading Lawyers for 2025 include:
Sangeeta Shah
Matthew Jakubowski
Michael Brodbine
Robyn Lederman
Molly Crandall
Marc Lorelli
Mark Cantor
William Abbatt
Frank Angileri
Erin Bowles
John Halan
Jeffrey Szuma
William Conger
Kevin Heinl
Elizabeth Janda
James Kushman
Thomas Lewry
Robert Tuttle
