Office of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently announced appointments to the following boards and commissions:
—Workers’ Disability Compensation Appeals Commission
Granner Ries has served on the Workers’ Disability Compensation Appeals Commission since 2019, as well as from 2005 to 2011. Ries previously worked in private practice, representing employees in worker’s compensation matters. Ries earned a Bachelor of Science in interdisciplinary engineering from Purdue University and law degree from Wayne State University Law School. Ries will be reappointed as an attorney with five or more years’ experience in the field of workers’ compensation law for a term commencing August 1, 2026, and expiring July 31, 2030.
The Workers’ Disability Compensation Appeals Commission created in Executive Order No. 2019-13 handles, processes, and decides appeals from orders of the director and the workers’ compensation magistrates as provided for under the Worker’s Disability Compensation Act of 1969. The Commission may promulgate rules on administrative appellate procedure for purposes under the act.
This appointment is subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.
—Hispanic/Latino Commission of Michigan
Veronica Beltran is an?assistant director of student engagement and culture?at Wayne State University Law School. Beltran?was previously the?legal director?for the?Southwest Detroit Immigrant and Refugee Center.?Beltran?earned a?Bachelor of?Arts?in?political science, Spanish, and Latin American studies from Grand Valley State University and a?law degree from?the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.?Beltran?is?appointed for a term?commencing February 11, 2026, and expiring December 10, 2029.?Beltran succeeds Monteze Morales, whose term has expired.
The Hispanic/Latino Commission of Michigan was created to develop a unified policy and plan of action to serve the needs of Michigan’s Hispanic and Latino people. The law directs the Commission to advise the Governor, the Legislature, and the office concerning the coordination and administration of state programs serving the Hispanic and Latino population.
This appointment is subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.
—————
Plunkett Cooney
During Plunkett Cooney’s recent annual meeting, partner Benjamin M. Glazebrook was among those elected by his colleagues to serve as a member of the firm’s board of directors. He was elected to his first two-year term.
A member of Plunkett Cooney’s Detroit office, Glazebrook serves as leader of the firm’s Transportation Law Practice Group. He focuses his litigation defense practice primarily in the areas of motor vehicle liability and Michigan No-Fault law.
Glazebrook represents the insured policyholders of some of the nation’s leading auto insurance providers. These matters typically involve claims of first and third-party liability, as well as uninsured and underinsured motorist claims. He also has experience resolving cases of alleged fraud and suspicious claims involving insureds and medical providers.
Admitted to practice law in state and federal courts in Michigan, Glazebrook is also a member of the firm’s Commercial Litigation Practice Group. He received his law degree in 2006 from the Wayne State University Law School and his undergraduate degree in 2002 from the University of Michigan.
—————
McDonald Hopkins LLC
McDonald Hopkins is pleased to welcome attorney Jane Petoskey as an associate in the firm’s Litigation Department and national Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group.
Petoskey said McDonald Hopkins is her destination firm because of the collaborative team of skilled attorneys who are passionate about providing data privacy advice.
“I am most excited about joining such a seamlessly run data privacy team that uses advanced technologies to provide intelligent and efficient legal advice to clients across a broad range of industries,” she added.
Petoskey’s practice focuses on incident response and data breach matters, as well as data privacy and cybersecurity compliance work. She advises clients of all sizes and industries through privacy and data security matters, including counseling clients on compliance with domestic and international laws and regulations, including the CCPA, COPPA, GLBA, HIPAA and HITECH, and GDPR.
“I frequently counsel clients through corporate emergencies, such as business interruption events, where they may be encountering certain issues for the first time,” Petoskey said. “In those moments, it’s critical to set clear expectations early, quickly build trust, and maintain strong communication.”
Prior to joining McDonald Hopkins, Petoskey represented clients in data incident and breach matters, advising organizations through incidents, regulatory inquiries, and notification obligations under U.S. state and federal and international privacy laws. She also assisted clients with developing and enhancing data privacy and security compliance programs and advising on related technology and vendor agreements.
She is particularly drawn to data privacy law for its practical, solutions-oriented nature.
“What I enjoy most about practicing in this area of law is the ability to help clients emerge from challenging situations, whether that be compliance gaps, security issues, or data breaches, in stronger positions,” Petoskey said. “These efforts often involve implementing employee training, new policies and procedures, stricter controls, and additional security measures, which ultimately reduce risk across a client’s entire business.”
Petoskey is a Certified Information Privacy Professional in the United States (CIPP/US) and a Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM), and she is a Fellow of Information Privacy (FIP).
In addition, McDonald Hopkins is proud to announce that Detroit Member Michael Latiff has been named a 2026 Thomson Reuters “Stand-Out Lawyer.”
Latiff serves as chair of McDonald Hopkins’ Litigation Department and on the firm’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee. He has experience as lead counsel in the litigation of significant commercial, business, automotive, construction, trade secret/non-compete, product liability and toxic tort, real property, OSHA/MIOSHA, and professional liability disputes.
Latiff has tried several jury and non-jury trials in state and federal courts. In addition, he has represented clients in many arbitration disputes.
—————
Kemp Klein Law Firm
Kemp Klein Law Firm is proud to announce that Austin W. Probst has been named a 2026 Up & Coming Lawyer by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.
Probst represents families, individuals, and fiduciaries in a wide range of probate, estate, and trust matters, including estate planning, Medicaid planning, and complex probate and trust disputes. His practice encompasses guardianships, conservatorships, estate and trust administration, and litigation, and he regularly appears before both trial and appellate courts.
—————
Zausmer, P.C.
Zausmer PC is pleased to announce the promotion of Jason Schneider to shareholder. The firm also congratulates Dylan Beadle and Christopher Best on their elevation to principal attorney. Managing Shareholder Mark Zausmer made the announcement on February 2.
Schneider, a commercial litigation attorney, handles a variety of litigation, including business and commercial disputes, insurance, real estate, employment, civil rights, and general liability claims.
Beadle handles high-exposure insurance disputes through disciplined strategy and early risk assessment. He represents insurers and self-insured entities in property loss, premises liability, and first- and third-party automobile matters.
Best defends insurers against fraudulent and disputed claims, using in-depth case analysis and strategic litigation to achieve their legal goals. He has a background in Special Investigative Unit (SIU) matters and focuses on first- and third-party no-fault claims.
—————
Clark Hill PLC
Clark Hill has appointed new leadership across its Hospitality, Food & Beverage, and Retail practices.
Clark Hill’s Food & Beverage group is now led by Jason R. Canvasser, member in the firm’s Detroit office. The multi-disciplinary team represents food and beverage processors, manufacturers, industry groups, distributors, retailers, and other clients in the industry with corporate structuring, transactions, employment issues, litigation, and other matters.
While each industry group has its own defined leadership and areas of focus, the teams frequently collaborate given the interconnected nature of their clients’ needs and the shared regulatory, operational, and transactional issues across these sectors. The overarching initiative is led by Maria Fracassa Dwyer, Detroit office, and Ashley Kisner, Dallas office.
“With dedicated leaders overseeing each area, we can deepen subject-matter knowledge, enhance client service, and more effectively reach clients within each sector,” Dwyer explained.
—————
Brooks Kushman P.C.
Brooks Kushman recently announced that the firm has been recognized in Juristat’s Top Patent Firms awards, earning distinctions across multiple performance categories that measure both patent prosecution outcomes and operational efficiency before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
The firm received recognition for Normalized Allowance Rate, Normalized Office Actions to Allowance, Normalized Time to Allowance, Extensions, and Time to Response After Office Action.
The firm was also recognized among top-performing firms in the Automotive and Information Technology sectors, highlighting its depth of experience supporting innovation across complex and rapidly evolving technologies.
—————
Butzel Long
Butzel attorney Debra Geroux will co-present a session during the Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE) 31st Annual Health Law Institute on Thursday, March 12. The presentation is titled, “Mitigate Licensing, Patient Complaints, and Grievances.” The panel of attorneys will address best practices to manage risks and uphold professional standards.
Geroux is co-chair of Butzel’s Health Care Industry Team. Her health care practice focuses on health care compliance, cybersecurity and privacy, and statutory reporting obligations.
She has assisted health care practitioners in defense of state and federal debarment, fraud, waste and abuse investigations and litigation, cyber incident and breach response, including state and federal post-breach investigations, licensing and credentialing, government and commercial payor audits and a host of other health care issues. Geroux has experience in supply chain and source contracting for a large Michigan-based health system, including negotiations of its IT contracts.
Geroux is a Certified Information Privacy Professional – United States (CIPP/US) through the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). She also holds Certified in Healthcare Privacy Compliance (CHPC) and Certified in Healthcare Compliance (CHC) designations from the Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA) Compliance and Certification Board (CCB). Geroux also serves on IAPP Advisory Board.
—————
Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone
Miller Canfield announced the election of Jennifer Sabourin as a managing director and the re-election of Thomas Cranmer and Jeffrey Aronoff to the firm’s board of managing directors. The elections were confirmed at the firm’s 2026 annual meeting, held February 6-7 in Detroit.
The firm also recognized attorneys elevated to principal and senior principal:
—Elevations to Principal
Alan Aboona
Ahmad Chehab
George Holton
Kara Hoorn
Matthew Warmbir
—Elevations to Senior Principal
Brian Gallagher
Ashley Higginson
Ron Liscombe
Sam Galecki Sager
In addition, Miller Canfield has announced that Jeffrey Aronoff and Steven Frank will serve as co-leaders of the firm’s Public Finance Group. They succeed Thomas Colis, who is stepping down as practice group leader after serving in the role since 2023.
Colis represents cities, counties, townships, villages, schools, libraries and authorities on a broad range of public financings and related matters. His work includes guiding clients on legal structures and documentation for the issuance and sale of bonds supporting public infrastructure and capital projects, as well as advising on millage and ballot proposals, elections, special assessments, and tax issues. He also represents investment banking firms as underwriter’s counsel in connection with tax-exempt bond transactions.
Aronoff focuses on public finance and securities matters, including municipal infrastructure finance and economic development finance, serving as bond counsel and underwriter/purchaser’s counsel on a variety of transactions. He also advises governmental clients on general matters, including economic development initiatives, fiscal distress issues and public-private collaboration. Aronoff has experience in airport finance and conduit financing for tax-exempt organizations, and in helping establish and support intergovernmental and regional authorities. In addition to serving as a co-leader of the practice group, he is a member of the firm’s Board of Managing Directors.
Frank represents issuers and underwriters in a wide range of traditional and complex tax-exempt and taxable financings, with a focus on the higher education, health care, senior living, and public and private utility sectors. He also has experience in advising governmental entities on all aspects of public-private partnerships, including procurement, development, financing, and implementation.
