Foster, Swift, Collins, & Smith PC shareholder Stefania Gismondi has been selected as a 2026 Fellow of the Michigan State Bar Foundation.
Gismondi is a member of the General Litigation Practice Group in Foster Swift’s Southfield office. Her practice includes defense and representation for businesses and individuals in insurance coverage disputes, managing and resolving first and third-party no-fault automobile claims and insurance and liability issues and trends regarding autonomous vehicles.
Established in 1984, the Fellows Program recognizes Michigan attorneys for their professional excellence and service to the community. It supports the Michigan State Bar Foundation’s mission to improve the administration of justice and expand the delivery of civil legal services to vulnerable populations in Michigan.
Each year, a select group of attorneys and judges are invited to join the Fellows Program following a peer nomination and selection process. There are more than 1,500 active Fellows statewide.
The Michigan State Bar Foundation was established in 194 as the state funder for civil legal aid and provides leadership and grants to improve the civil justice system and increase access to justice. For additional information, visit www.msbf.org.
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Cooley Law School Distinguished Professor Emeritus Joseph Kimble was honored with the 2026 Burton Award for Book of the Year on Legal Writing for the book, “Essentials for Drafting Clear Legal Rules.” He co-authored the book with Bryan A. Garner, distinguished research professor at SMU Dedman School of Law. The awards ceremony was held at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., on June 1.
This marks the third time that Kimble has received the prestigious Burton Award. He previously won Burton Awards for Reform in Law in 2007 and 2011 for his work in helping to completely redraft the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the Federal Rules of Evidence.
“In some ways, this book has been 30 years in the making because it reflects the work that Bryan and I have done in helping to restyle all five sets of federal court rules,” said Kimble. “The guidelines and techniques that we applied throughout are captured in this book. It’s all about the ways to achieve clarity — 90 or so guidelines and techniques, and something like 250 before-and-after examples. And we decided to make the book available for free online. We’re trying to change the way that lawyers draft, and the book is already being used in some law schools.”
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McDonald Hopkins welcomes attorney Allison Cronin to the Litigation Department and the Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group. Her practice focuses on incident response, pre-breach services, and regulatory defense.
“I am excited to work alongside attorneys who are leaders in a dynamic and rapidly expanding area of law, while representing clients across a wide range of industries. I am especially looking forward to contributing to a practice that is helping shape how businesses respond to the legal implications of emerging technology,” Cronin noted.
“The firm’s outstanding reputation stood out, but also its collaborative, supportive culture. From my first conversations with the attorneys here, it was clear that the team values mentorship and brings together attorneys with diverse subject matter expertise to provide exceptional client service.”
Cronin has a background spanning legal technology, artificial intelligence, and real estate law. She began her career as a legal technology consultant at a global technology company where she partnered with law firms and corporate legal departments to implement technology-driven solutions. She also worked as a legal AI trainer, training and evaluating artificial intelligence models to improve their performance on legal tasks. This role gave her hands-on experience with emerging technologies and the evolving intersection of AI and the law.
Prior to joining McDonald Hopkins, Cronin practiced at a title company and its affiliated law firm where she advised clients on a range of real estate and title matters.
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Honigman LLP recently announced that Dwight Floyd has been appointed as the firm’s chief operating officer (COO). A former litigation partner, biologist, and transformational law firm leader, Floyd most recently served as the COO of Eversheds Sutherland (US). Based in Detroit, Floyd will oversee the firm’s operations, including finance, information technology, talent, business development, marketing, and administrative functions, helping advance Honigman’s strategic priorities and support its continued growth.
Joining the firm with more than 25 years of legal and operational leadership experience, Floyd possesses a track record of leading complex initiatives, implementing strategic change, and building high-performing teams, as well as fostering communication, alignment, and accountability.
“Honigman’s growth trajectory, strong market position, and entrepreneurial culture make this an incredibly exciting time to join the firm,” said Floyd. “I am honored to take on this role and look forward to partnering with the firm’s leadership team to support the firm’s continued evolution, strengthen its operational platform, and enhance the exceptional service Honigman delivers to its clients.”
Floyd earned his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law, his M.S. from Colorado State University, and his B.S. from Clemson University.
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Brooks Kushman is pleased to announce that the firm and Sangeeta Shah have been selected for a 2026 Legal Innovation Award recognition for Law Firm Excellence in Innovation by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.
Shah is the president of Brooks Kushman, leading the firm’s shareholders and driving the firm’s strategic vision and business administration. In her first year, she expanded the practice by bringing on several new attorneys and spearheading initiatives to strengthen the firm’s infrastructure, positioning it for long-term growth.
In addition to her leadership role, Shah maintains a practice with more than 20 years of experience managing patent portfolios, PTAB matters, patent litigation, and opinions. As an early leader in inter partes review proceedings, she serves as co-chair of the firm’s post-grant practice and works closely with Fortune 500 clients, providing counseling on post-grant matters and complex global intellectual property portfolios.
Shah’s expertise has earned national recognition from Managing IP, Best Lawyers, AIPLA, and the PTAB Bar Association, including being recognized as a member of IAM Strategy 300: The World’s Leading IP Strategists.
Gismondi is a member of the General Litigation Practice Group in Foster Swift’s Southfield office. Her practice includes defense and representation for businesses and individuals in insurance coverage disputes, managing and resolving first and third-party no-fault automobile claims and insurance and liability issues and trends regarding autonomous vehicles.
Established in 1984, the Fellows Program recognizes Michigan attorneys for their professional excellence and service to the community. It supports the Michigan State Bar Foundation’s mission to improve the administration of justice and expand the delivery of civil legal services to vulnerable populations in Michigan.
Each year, a select group of attorneys and judges are invited to join the Fellows Program following a peer nomination and selection process. There are more than 1,500 active Fellows statewide.
The Michigan State Bar Foundation was established in 194 as the state funder for civil legal aid and provides leadership and grants to improve the civil justice system and increase access to justice. For additional information, visit www.msbf.org.
.
• • •
Cooley Law School Distinguished Professor Emeritus Joseph Kimble was honored with the 2026 Burton Award for Book of the Year on Legal Writing for the book, “Essentials for Drafting Clear Legal Rules.” He co-authored the book with Bryan A. Garner, distinguished research professor at SMU Dedman School of Law. The awards ceremony was held at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., on June 1.
This marks the third time that Kimble has received the prestigious Burton Award. He previously won Burton Awards for Reform in Law in 2007 and 2011 for his work in helping to completely redraft the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the Federal Rules of Evidence.
“In some ways, this book has been 30 years in the making because it reflects the work that Bryan and I have done in helping to restyle all five sets of federal court rules,” said Kimble. “The guidelines and techniques that we applied throughout are captured in this book. It’s all about the ways to achieve clarity — 90 or so guidelines and techniques, and something like 250 before-and-after examples. And we decided to make the book available for free online. We’re trying to change the way that lawyers draft, and the book is already being used in some law schools.”
• • •
McDonald Hopkins welcomes attorney Allison Cronin to the Litigation Department and the Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group. Her practice focuses on incident response, pre-breach services, and regulatory defense.
“I am excited to work alongside attorneys who are leaders in a dynamic and rapidly expanding area of law, while representing clients across a wide range of industries. I am especially looking forward to contributing to a practice that is helping shape how businesses respond to the legal implications of emerging technology,” Cronin noted.
“The firm’s outstanding reputation stood out, but also its collaborative, supportive culture. From my first conversations with the attorneys here, it was clear that the team values mentorship and brings together attorneys with diverse subject matter expertise to provide exceptional client service.”
Cronin has a background spanning legal technology, artificial intelligence, and real estate law. She began her career as a legal technology consultant at a global technology company where she partnered with law firms and corporate legal departments to implement technology-driven solutions. She also worked as a legal AI trainer, training and evaluating artificial intelligence models to improve their performance on legal tasks. This role gave her hands-on experience with emerging technologies and the evolving intersection of AI and the law.
Prior to joining McDonald Hopkins, Cronin practiced at a title company and its affiliated law firm where she advised clients on a range of real estate and title matters.
• • •
Honigman LLP recently announced that Dwight Floyd has been appointed as the firm’s chief operating officer (COO). A former litigation partner, biologist, and transformational law firm leader, Floyd most recently served as the COO of Eversheds Sutherland (US). Based in Detroit, Floyd will oversee the firm’s operations, including finance, information technology, talent, business development, marketing, and administrative functions, helping advance Honigman’s strategic priorities and support its continued growth.
Joining the firm with more than 25 years of legal and operational leadership experience, Floyd possesses a track record of leading complex initiatives, implementing strategic change, and building high-performing teams, as well as fostering communication, alignment, and accountability.
“Honigman’s growth trajectory, strong market position, and entrepreneurial culture make this an incredibly exciting time to join the firm,” said Floyd. “I am honored to take on this role and look forward to partnering with the firm’s leadership team to support the firm’s continued evolution, strengthen its operational platform, and enhance the exceptional service Honigman delivers to its clients.”
Floyd earned his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law, his M.S. from Colorado State University, and his B.S. from Clemson University.
• • •
Brooks Kushman is pleased to announce that the firm and Sangeeta Shah have been selected for a 2026 Legal Innovation Award recognition for Law Firm Excellence in Innovation by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.
Shah is the president of Brooks Kushman, leading the firm’s shareholders and driving the firm’s strategic vision and business administration. In her first year, she expanded the practice by bringing on several new attorneys and spearheading initiatives to strengthen the firm’s infrastructure, positioning it for long-term growth.
In addition to her leadership role, Shah maintains a practice with more than 20 years of experience managing patent portfolios, PTAB matters, patent litigation, and opinions. As an early leader in inter partes review proceedings, she serves as co-chair of the firm’s post-grant practice and works closely with Fortune 500 clients, providing counseling on post-grant matters and complex global intellectual property portfolios.
Shah’s expertise has earned national recognition from Managing IP, Best Lawyers, AIPLA, and the PTAB Bar Association, including being recognized as a member of IAM Strategy 300: The World’s Leading IP Strategists.
