Butzel attorney Anthony J. Scalise will participate
in a panel program during the annual Michigan Defense Expo (MDEX) on
Wednesday, May 13. The topic for the panel discussion is titled, “Beyond
Borders: How Defense Businesses Can Win in Foreign Markets.” Butzel is a
MDEX sponsor.
For more than 20 years, Scalise has advised corporate entities in the aerospace and defense industry on defense-industry mergers and acquisitions (M&A), government contracting matters related to combat tracked vehicle weapon systems programs, and complex commercial matters. His experience spans buy-side and sell-side acquisitions, divestitures, and strategic investments, and ongoing regulatory, contractual, and compliance issues associated with operating in highly regulated national security environments.
Scalise has experience navigating complex regulatory issues, including Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and antitrust reviews, and government contract evaluation and negotiation in the context of M&A. He assists clients with novation and consent requirements, Federal Acquisition Regulation/Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (FAR/DFARS) compliance, export controls, security clearance matters, and the seamless integration of contracts, subcontractor relationships, and supply chains after closing. He partners with acquirers and sellers across every stage of the transaction, from initial diligence and deal structuring through execution and post-closing compliance.
Scalise has a background in advising on U.S. Department of Defense and federal contracting matters. He helps clients with everything from developing strategies to win contracts, constructing proposals, negotiating terms, and managing contracts through to completion and compliance. His experience covers a range of Army and Dept. of Defense procurement programs, surge and sustainment planning, and building multi-level subcontracting teams that keep critical defense operations running smoothly.
• • •
Foster, Swift, Collins, & Smith PC welcomes civil litigation attorney Joseph J. Giacalone to the firm’s Southfield office.
Giacalone’s experience at the state and federal level includes:
• No-Fault automobile negligence
• Premises and products liability
• General negligence
• Insurance coverage
• Breach of contract
• Municipal litigation
• Workers’ Compensation and employment litigation
In addition to his civil practice, Giacalone previously served as an assistant city attorney and defense attorney for multiple Oakland County cities. He attended Michigan State University College of Law and Kalamazoo College.
Outside of his practice, Giacalone is actively involved in community service efforts for Knights of Columbus for which he serves as the elected council advocate and as the secretary of the Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Preparatory Alumni Association, an alumni representative of the Kalamazoo College Baseball team, a youth baseball coach, and a men’s league baseball and hockey player.
• • •
McDonald Hopkins is proud to welcome Caley Blackard as an associate in the Litigation Department and the national Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group in the firm’s Detroit office.
Her practice focuses on assisting clients with cybersecurity incidents, breaches, and responses to state and federal regulatory investigations, primarily by defending cybersecurity and data privacy-related claims.
Blackard also has experience advising organizations on compliance with federal and international privacy laws, spanning a wide breadth of industries, including business services, pharmaceuticals, health care and hospitality. She has offered strategic counsel to mitigate risks and help ensure compliance when guiding clients through regulatory investigations.
“I enjoy how fast-paced and ever-evolving data privacy law is. It challenges us to keep learning every day. I also find it incredibly meaningful to support clients through difficult situations. Beyond resolving the immediate issue, I hope clients walk away with key insights they can carry forward. Ideally, the next time we speak, it’s not because of another breach, but because they’ve been able to learn and grow from the experience,” Blackard said.
Blackard received her law degree from Loyola University College of Law, New Orleans, and a Bachelor of Science with a minor in Art History from Drexel University.
• • •
Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that Frederick A. Acomb, principal and leader of the firm’s International Disputes Group, has been appointed co-chair of the American Bar Association International Litigation Committee. His appointment will commence August 5, 2026, and runs through August 4, 2027.
Acomb represents clients around the world in transnational litigation and international arbitration matters and has appeared before arbitration tribunals in Asia, Europe, and North America. He also has experience handling international automotive supply chain disputes.
As co-chair, Acomb will help support the committee’s leadership and activities, including programming, business planning and member engagement.
• • •
Taft is pleased to announce that Daniel Solomon has joined the firm’s Compliance, Investigations, and White Collar Defense practice as partner in the Detroit and Washington, D.C. offices.
Solomon’s practice focuses on international corporate compliance, internal investigations, government enforcement actions, and economic sanctions and export controls. He advises companies on compliance with supply chain due diligence laws, including the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), supplier due diligence, and risk mitigation, with a particular focus on automotive and consumer product industries. Dan also represents companies in all phases of multilateral development bank (MDB) sanctions proceedings.
Prior to joining Taft, Solomon was a partner and Asia-Pacific practice lead at a Washington, D.C.-based law firm. During his career, Solomon served as general counsel of SAIC General Motors, one of the largest and most successful automotive companies in China. Prior to that, he was the lead counsel of global compliance and the executive director of special investigations and anti-corruption for General Motors Company. He was also seconded as an international trade and compliance lawyer at the Middle East operation of a publicly traded prime government contractor client during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
• • •
Harness IP is proud to announce that Principal Bryant Wade of the Detroit office has been named among the Top 40 patent prosecution attorneys nationwide in the Patent Prosecution Intelligence Report by Patexia. In addition, Harness IP was ranked #9 nationally in Patent Prosecution Activity and #13 nationally in Patent Prosecution Performance.
Wade’s practice involves the management, preparation, and prosecution of domestic and international patent applications primarily for Japanese companies. He provides patent counsel on a global scale, prepares legal opinions and international license agreements, and enforces IP rights both in the U.S. and abroad.
• • •
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently announced the appointment of Michael McLauchlan to the MEDC Executive Committee.
McLauchlan is vice president of government relations for Ilitch Holdings. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in public policy from Michigan State University and a law degree from Detroit College of Law. McLauchlan serves on the board of directors of the Downtown Detroit Partnership, as a member of the Detroit Economic Growth Association, and as a member of the Board of Visitors of the Wayne State University Mike Ilitch School of Business.
McLauchlan was reappointed as a member from the private sector for a term commencing April 6, 2026, and expiring April 5, 2030.
The MEDC Executive Committee provides policy direction and guidance to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation regarding economic development program and initiatives, approves the MEDC corporate budget, and appoints the chief executive officer who administers all programs, funds, personnel, and all other administrative transactions of the MEDC. The MEDC Executive Committee assists the MEDC through governance, support to enable results-based action, and advocacy for the organization and economic development in Michigan.
This appointment is not subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.
For more than 20 years, Scalise has advised corporate entities in the aerospace and defense industry on defense-industry mergers and acquisitions (M&A), government contracting matters related to combat tracked vehicle weapon systems programs, and complex commercial matters. His experience spans buy-side and sell-side acquisitions, divestitures, and strategic investments, and ongoing regulatory, contractual, and compliance issues associated with operating in highly regulated national security environments.
Scalise has experience navigating complex regulatory issues, including Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and antitrust reviews, and government contract evaluation and negotiation in the context of M&A. He assists clients with novation and consent requirements, Federal Acquisition Regulation/Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (FAR/DFARS) compliance, export controls, security clearance matters, and the seamless integration of contracts, subcontractor relationships, and supply chains after closing. He partners with acquirers and sellers across every stage of the transaction, from initial diligence and deal structuring through execution and post-closing compliance.
Scalise has a background in advising on U.S. Department of Defense and federal contracting matters. He helps clients with everything from developing strategies to win contracts, constructing proposals, negotiating terms, and managing contracts through to completion and compliance. His experience covers a range of Army and Dept. of Defense procurement programs, surge and sustainment planning, and building multi-level subcontracting teams that keep critical defense operations running smoothly.
• • •
Foster, Swift, Collins, & Smith PC welcomes civil litigation attorney Joseph J. Giacalone to the firm’s Southfield office.
Giacalone’s experience at the state and federal level includes:
• No-Fault automobile negligence
• Premises and products liability
• General negligence
• Insurance coverage
• Breach of contract
• Municipal litigation
• Workers’ Compensation and employment litigation
In addition to his civil practice, Giacalone previously served as an assistant city attorney and defense attorney for multiple Oakland County cities. He attended Michigan State University College of Law and Kalamazoo College.
Outside of his practice, Giacalone is actively involved in community service efforts for Knights of Columbus for which he serves as the elected council advocate and as the secretary of the Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Preparatory Alumni Association, an alumni representative of the Kalamazoo College Baseball team, a youth baseball coach, and a men’s league baseball and hockey player.
• • •
McDonald Hopkins is proud to welcome Caley Blackard as an associate in the Litigation Department and the national Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group in the firm’s Detroit office.
Her practice focuses on assisting clients with cybersecurity incidents, breaches, and responses to state and federal regulatory investigations, primarily by defending cybersecurity and data privacy-related claims.
Blackard also has experience advising organizations on compliance with federal and international privacy laws, spanning a wide breadth of industries, including business services, pharmaceuticals, health care and hospitality. She has offered strategic counsel to mitigate risks and help ensure compliance when guiding clients through regulatory investigations.
“I enjoy how fast-paced and ever-evolving data privacy law is. It challenges us to keep learning every day. I also find it incredibly meaningful to support clients through difficult situations. Beyond resolving the immediate issue, I hope clients walk away with key insights they can carry forward. Ideally, the next time we speak, it’s not because of another breach, but because they’ve been able to learn and grow from the experience,” Blackard said.
Blackard received her law degree from Loyola University College of Law, New Orleans, and a Bachelor of Science with a minor in Art History from Drexel University.
• • •
Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that Frederick A. Acomb, principal and leader of the firm’s International Disputes Group, has been appointed co-chair of the American Bar Association International Litigation Committee. His appointment will commence August 5, 2026, and runs through August 4, 2027.
Acomb represents clients around the world in transnational litigation and international arbitration matters and has appeared before arbitration tribunals in Asia, Europe, and North America. He also has experience handling international automotive supply chain disputes.
As co-chair, Acomb will help support the committee’s leadership and activities, including programming, business planning and member engagement.
• • •
Taft is pleased to announce that Daniel Solomon has joined the firm’s Compliance, Investigations, and White Collar Defense practice as partner in the Detroit and Washington, D.C. offices.
Solomon’s practice focuses on international corporate compliance, internal investigations, government enforcement actions, and economic sanctions and export controls. He advises companies on compliance with supply chain due diligence laws, including the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), supplier due diligence, and risk mitigation, with a particular focus on automotive and consumer product industries. Dan also represents companies in all phases of multilateral development bank (MDB) sanctions proceedings.
Prior to joining Taft, Solomon was a partner and Asia-Pacific practice lead at a Washington, D.C.-based law firm. During his career, Solomon served as general counsel of SAIC General Motors, one of the largest and most successful automotive companies in China. Prior to that, he was the lead counsel of global compliance and the executive director of special investigations and anti-corruption for General Motors Company. He was also seconded as an international trade and compliance lawyer at the Middle East operation of a publicly traded prime government contractor client during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
• • •
Harness IP is proud to announce that Principal Bryant Wade of the Detroit office has been named among the Top 40 patent prosecution attorneys nationwide in the Patent Prosecution Intelligence Report by Patexia. In addition, Harness IP was ranked #9 nationally in Patent Prosecution Activity and #13 nationally in Patent Prosecution Performance.
Wade’s practice involves the management, preparation, and prosecution of domestic and international patent applications primarily for Japanese companies. He provides patent counsel on a global scale, prepares legal opinions and international license agreements, and enforces IP rights both in the U.S. and abroad.
• • •
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently announced the appointment of Michael McLauchlan to the MEDC Executive Committee.
McLauchlan is vice president of government relations for Ilitch Holdings. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in public policy from Michigan State University and a law degree from Detroit College of Law. McLauchlan serves on the board of directors of the Downtown Detroit Partnership, as a member of the Detroit Economic Growth Association, and as a member of the Board of Visitors of the Wayne State University Mike Ilitch School of Business.
McLauchlan was reappointed as a member from the private sector for a term commencing April 6, 2026, and expiring April 5, 2030.
The MEDC Executive Committee provides policy direction and guidance to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation regarding economic development program and initiatives, approves the MEDC corporate budget, and appoints the chief executive officer who administers all programs, funds, personnel, and all other administrative transactions of the MEDC. The MEDC Executive Committee assists the MEDC through governance, support to enable results-based action, and advocacy for the organization and economic development in Michigan.
This appointment is not subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.
