Butzel immigration law attorney Reginald A. Pacis participated
in a panel discussion on immigration law updates during a Know Your
Rights Town Hall event on Sunday, April 13, at the Buddhist Meditation
Center – Watpaknam Michigan in Sterling Heights. The event was presented
by the Asian & Pacific Islander American (APIA) Vote Michigan.
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.
Pacis 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.
In addition, Butzel attorney Jennifer Dukarski was a featured speaker – twice – during the WCX 2025 World Congress on April 9-10 in Detroit.
Dukarski participated in a panel discussion on April 9 titled, “Is Getting to SAE 3 Unobtainable?” On April 10, she was featured during a panel program on “Prognostics.”
Dukarski leads Butzel’s Connected and Autonomous Mobility Team. Her automotive expertise as a former design engineer, Six Sigma master black belt, continuous improvement lead champion, and quality manager gives her a unique perspective on balancing the legal issues and business applications of emerging automotive technology.
Dukarski focuses her legal practice where technology, mobility, and communications meet. A leader in the area of electrified, connected and automated vehicles, she negotiated some of the first robotaxi agreements in the world. A champion of the responsible use of AI, Dukarski regularly advises and teaches on AI risk mitigation. She was named one of the 30 Women Defining the Future of Technology by Warner Communications for her innovative thoughts and contributions to the tech industry.
• • •
Honigman LLP recently announced Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Chief Legal Counsel Christina Grossi will be joining the firm as a partner in the Government Relations and Regulatory Practice Group beginning June 2.
Grossi joins the firm following two years serving as chief legal counsel to Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. As the governor’s top legal advisor, Grossi advised on major litigation facing the state, helped craft significant legislation, and implemented numerous policy priorities.
Prior to that, Grossi spent a decade serving in leadership positions in the Michigan Department of Attorney General, including as the chief deputy attorney general. In that role, she supervised thousands of high-profile civil and administrative cases, criminal investigations and managed a staff of over 250 attorneys and investigators.
In her return to the private sector after her tenure of public service, Grossi will leverage her knowledge of state government to expand Honigman’s government relations efforts and representation of public officials. Additionally, her expertise when it comes to government relations and regulatory actions, internal and government investigations, litigation, employment law and labor relations, as well as election law, will serve a diverse range of the firm’s clients.
“I am incredibly proud of my service to Governor Whitmer, Attorneys General Nessel and Schuette, and to the People of the State of Michigan,” said Grossi. “After my time in public service, I look forward to applying my experience to help Honigman’s clients navigate complex legal and regulatory challenges. Honigman has such a renowned presence across the state, and I am eager to be part of such a dynamic local legacy. It’s an honor to continue serving in this new capacity.”
Before her roles in public service, Grossi worked for Gilbert, Smith, & Borrello for more than five years, where she practiced municipal, labor and employment law as well as civil defense litigation. She also served as an adjunct professor at Michigan State University’s College of Law.
Grossi earned her law degree from Cooley Law School and received her B.A. from James Madison College at Michigan State University.
• • •
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has selected Alexis Blane to serve as acting chief legal counsel for the executive office as Christina Grossi takes a new opportunity outside of state government.
“Christina Grossi is a skilled legal mind and lifelong public servant who has fought for Michiganders in every community throughout her career,” said Whitmer. “She protected people’s fundamental rights and freedoms from assaults on their reproductive care, ensuring they could make their own decisions about their own bodies. As a member of my team, she’s led our legal strategy and helped coordinate crisis response for natural disasters, upholding our laws, and keeping people safe. I can’t say enough about the lasting difference she has made for our state. I wish Christina the best.”
Blane joined the executive office in 2022 as special counsel, leading the office’s work on reproductive rights, education, and economic development. Prior to serving in the governor’s office, she was the principal deputy counsel and acting counsel to the Mayor of New York City from 2018-21. Blane also has worked in the nonprofit space and at the U.S. Department of State. She attended New York University Law School and holds a doctorate from the University of Oxford, where she was a Rhodes Scholar.
• • •
Miller Johnson is proud to announce that Detroit attorney Andrew Goetz has been appointed to the American Arbitration Association’s (AAA) National Roster of Arbitrators. Goetz is a member in the firm’s litigation practice and is the chair of the firm’s Internal Investigations and Compliance group.
Goetz’s experience runs the gamut of civil and criminal law, including administrative, health care, employment, national security, securities, education, and constitutional law. Before joining Miller Johnson in 2024, he spent nearly 14 years at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, where he served as the office’s appellate chief and part of the executive team and supervised all of the office’s civil and criminal appellate litigation.
While previously in private practice at a large international law firm in Washington, D.C., Goetz represented clients on internal investigations, white collar and regulatory defense, alleged accounting and securities fraud, and corporate compliance.
Goetz received his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School in 2007 and a B.S. in Chemistry and B.A. in Political Science from Michigan State University in 2004.
• • •
Dickinson Wright is pleased to announce that Juliet Boyd (member, Troy) has been named to Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s 2025 Up and Coming Lawyers.
“I am honored to be selected by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as a member of their 2025 Up and Coming Lawyer Class. This list is filled with such talented and accomplished attorneys, and it’s a privilege to be included among their ranks,” said Boyd.
Boyd focuses her practice in the areas of probate litigation as well as estate planning and administration. She combines a tradition of service with the use of cutting-edge technology, assisting clients with estate planning, estate and trust administration and litigation, and contested and uncontested guardianship and conservatorship matters. She assists clients with planning and litigation surrounding revocable trusts, irrevocable trusts, estate and trust administration (representing fiduciaries and beneficiaries), fiduciary litigation, and litigation involving protected individuals.
Boyd is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and she is an Oakland County Bar Foundation Fellow. She is recognized as a leader in her field by Best Lawyers in America® “Ones to Watch” for Litigation – Trusts and Estates, and Michigan Super Lawyers® “Rising Stars” for Estate and Trust Litigation.
• • •
Taft Detroit partner Alicia Schehr presented at the ICSC+Continuing Education Michigan Conference on April 10. Schehr moderated the 2025 Legal Update panel. Panelists explored Michigan’s commercial real estate landscape, discussing key court decisions, new legislation, and upcoming trends.
Schehr focuses her practice on commercial finance and high-end real estate financing, specifically manufactured housing, senior living residences, and multi-family units. She assists in all aspects of financing for both borrowers and lenders, including strategic planning.
• • •
Kitch Principal Terence Durkin has been appointed to the Board of Trustees at the St. Vincent & Sarah Fisher Center (SVSF). Durkin is committed to advancing SVSF’s mission of delivering educational opportunities and community services within the metro Detroit region.
In addition to his responsibilities at SVSF, Durkin serves as chair of the Providence Foundation (formerly Ascension Providence Foundation) and is a member of the Plymouth Rotary Club. He is also a member of the Core Leadership Team of Oak Mac SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) and the past president of the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel.
• • •
Giarmarco, Mullins, & Horton PC is pleased to announce the election of Kenneth Chapie, an equity partner in the firm’s Municipal and Schools Litigation Group, to its Board of Directors.
Chapie has built a career representing public school districts, municipalities, and employers in litigation involving wrongful discharge, employment discrimination, harassment, breach of contract, retaliation, and other employment-related matters.
Chapie also serves as an advisor to public and intermediate school districts on matters involving special education, Title IX, student discipline, civil rights, and constitutional claims. As a trial lawyer, he has defended clients at every level of the judicial system, including the United States Supreme Court.
Chapie is admitted to practice in the State of Michigan, the Eastern District of Michigan, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. His has been recognized as a Michigan Rising Star by Super Lawyers, “Top Lawyer” in School Law and Litigation by dbusiness, and Top Attorney in Michigan by the New York Times.
• • •
Secrest Wardle is pleased to welcome Juliana B. Sabatini to the team. Sabatini is an executive partner who has more than 20 years of experience litigating cases in federal and state courts.
Sabatini’s practice includes defending action involving general negligence, auto negligence, trucking negligence, medical malpractice, products liability, and premises liability.
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.
Pacis 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.
In addition, Butzel attorney Jennifer Dukarski was a featured speaker – twice – during the WCX 2025 World Congress on April 9-10 in Detroit.
Dukarski participated in a panel discussion on April 9 titled, “Is Getting to SAE 3 Unobtainable?” On April 10, she was featured during a panel program on “Prognostics.”
Dukarski leads Butzel’s Connected and Autonomous Mobility Team. Her automotive expertise as a former design engineer, Six Sigma master black belt, continuous improvement lead champion, and quality manager gives her a unique perspective on balancing the legal issues and business applications of emerging automotive technology.
Dukarski focuses her legal practice where technology, mobility, and communications meet. A leader in the area of electrified, connected and automated vehicles, she negotiated some of the first robotaxi agreements in the world. A champion of the responsible use of AI, Dukarski regularly advises and teaches on AI risk mitigation. She was named one of the 30 Women Defining the Future of Technology by Warner Communications for her innovative thoughts and contributions to the tech industry.
• • •
Honigman LLP recently announced Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Chief Legal Counsel Christina Grossi will be joining the firm as a partner in the Government Relations and Regulatory Practice Group beginning June 2.
Grossi joins the firm following two years serving as chief legal counsel to Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. As the governor’s top legal advisor, Grossi advised on major litigation facing the state, helped craft significant legislation, and implemented numerous policy priorities.
Prior to that, Grossi spent a decade serving in leadership positions in the Michigan Department of Attorney General, including as the chief deputy attorney general. In that role, she supervised thousands of high-profile civil and administrative cases, criminal investigations and managed a staff of over 250 attorneys and investigators.
In her return to the private sector after her tenure of public service, Grossi will leverage her knowledge of state government to expand Honigman’s government relations efforts and representation of public officials. Additionally, her expertise when it comes to government relations and regulatory actions, internal and government investigations, litigation, employment law and labor relations, as well as election law, will serve a diverse range of the firm’s clients.
“I am incredibly proud of my service to Governor Whitmer, Attorneys General Nessel and Schuette, and to the People of the State of Michigan,” said Grossi. “After my time in public service, I look forward to applying my experience to help Honigman’s clients navigate complex legal and regulatory challenges. Honigman has such a renowned presence across the state, and I am eager to be part of such a dynamic local legacy. It’s an honor to continue serving in this new capacity.”
Before her roles in public service, Grossi worked for Gilbert, Smith, & Borrello for more than five years, where she practiced municipal, labor and employment law as well as civil defense litigation. She also served as an adjunct professor at Michigan State University’s College of Law.
Grossi earned her law degree from Cooley Law School and received her B.A. from James Madison College at Michigan State University.
• • •
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has selected Alexis Blane to serve as acting chief legal counsel for the executive office as Christina Grossi takes a new opportunity outside of state government.
“Christina Grossi is a skilled legal mind and lifelong public servant who has fought for Michiganders in every community throughout her career,” said Whitmer. “She protected people’s fundamental rights and freedoms from assaults on their reproductive care, ensuring they could make their own decisions about their own bodies. As a member of my team, she’s led our legal strategy and helped coordinate crisis response for natural disasters, upholding our laws, and keeping people safe. I can’t say enough about the lasting difference she has made for our state. I wish Christina the best.”
Blane joined the executive office in 2022 as special counsel, leading the office’s work on reproductive rights, education, and economic development. Prior to serving in the governor’s office, she was the principal deputy counsel and acting counsel to the Mayor of New York City from 2018-21. Blane also has worked in the nonprofit space and at the U.S. Department of State. She attended New York University Law School and holds a doctorate from the University of Oxford, where she was a Rhodes Scholar.
• • •
Miller Johnson is proud to announce that Detroit attorney Andrew Goetz has been appointed to the American Arbitration Association’s (AAA) National Roster of Arbitrators. Goetz is a member in the firm’s litigation practice and is the chair of the firm’s Internal Investigations and Compliance group.
Goetz’s experience runs the gamut of civil and criminal law, including administrative, health care, employment, national security, securities, education, and constitutional law. Before joining Miller Johnson in 2024, he spent nearly 14 years at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, where he served as the office’s appellate chief and part of the executive team and supervised all of the office’s civil and criminal appellate litigation.
While previously in private practice at a large international law firm in Washington, D.C., Goetz represented clients on internal investigations, white collar and regulatory defense, alleged accounting and securities fraud, and corporate compliance.
Goetz received his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School in 2007 and a B.S. in Chemistry and B.A. in Political Science from Michigan State University in 2004.
• • •
Dickinson Wright is pleased to announce that Juliet Boyd (member, Troy) has been named to Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s 2025 Up and Coming Lawyers.
“I am honored to be selected by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as a member of their 2025 Up and Coming Lawyer Class. This list is filled with such talented and accomplished attorneys, and it’s a privilege to be included among their ranks,” said Boyd.
Boyd focuses her practice in the areas of probate litigation as well as estate planning and administration. She combines a tradition of service with the use of cutting-edge technology, assisting clients with estate planning, estate and trust administration and litigation, and contested and uncontested guardianship and conservatorship matters. She assists clients with planning and litigation surrounding revocable trusts, irrevocable trusts, estate and trust administration (representing fiduciaries and beneficiaries), fiduciary litigation, and litigation involving protected individuals.
Boyd is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and she is an Oakland County Bar Foundation Fellow. She is recognized as a leader in her field by Best Lawyers in America® “Ones to Watch” for Litigation – Trusts and Estates, and Michigan Super Lawyers® “Rising Stars” for Estate and Trust Litigation.
• • •
Taft Detroit partner Alicia Schehr presented at the ICSC+Continuing Education Michigan Conference on April 10. Schehr moderated the 2025 Legal Update panel. Panelists explored Michigan’s commercial real estate landscape, discussing key court decisions, new legislation, and upcoming trends.
Schehr focuses her practice on commercial finance and high-end real estate financing, specifically manufactured housing, senior living residences, and multi-family units. She assists in all aspects of financing for both borrowers and lenders, including strategic planning.
• • •
Kitch Principal Terence Durkin has been appointed to the Board of Trustees at the St. Vincent & Sarah Fisher Center (SVSF). Durkin is committed to advancing SVSF’s mission of delivering educational opportunities and community services within the metro Detroit region.
In addition to his responsibilities at SVSF, Durkin serves as chair of the Providence Foundation (formerly Ascension Providence Foundation) and is a member of the Plymouth Rotary Club. He is also a member of the Core Leadership Team of Oak Mac SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) and the past president of the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel.
• • •
Giarmarco, Mullins, & Horton PC is pleased to announce the election of Kenneth Chapie, an equity partner in the firm’s Municipal and Schools Litigation Group, to its Board of Directors.
Chapie has built a career representing public school districts, municipalities, and employers in litigation involving wrongful discharge, employment discrimination, harassment, breach of contract, retaliation, and other employment-related matters.
Chapie also serves as an advisor to public and intermediate school districts on matters involving special education, Title IX, student discipline, civil rights, and constitutional claims. As a trial lawyer, he has defended clients at every level of the judicial system, including the United States Supreme Court.
Chapie is admitted to practice in the State of Michigan, the Eastern District of Michigan, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. His has been recognized as a Michigan Rising Star by Super Lawyers, “Top Lawyer” in School Law and Litigation by dbusiness, and Top Attorney in Michigan by the New York Times.
• • •
Secrest Wardle is pleased to welcome Juliana B. Sabatini to the team. Sabatini is an executive partner who has more than 20 years of experience litigating cases in federal and state courts.
Sabatini’s practice includes defending action involving general negligence, auto negligence, trucking negligence, medical malpractice, products liability, and premises liability.
