Butzel immigration law attorney Reginald A. Pacis has been named to the Detroit Bar Association Foundation’s 2026 Class of Fellows. Fellows help support the Foundation’s mission to expand pro bono service, legal education, and community engagement.
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.
Recently, Pacis was named a 2026 Fellow of the Michigan State Bar Foundation. He also 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.
• • •
Plunkett Cooney partner Frank T. Mamat was recently named a member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Section
Council of the State Bar of Michigan (SBM).
The ADR Section Council is composed of 21 attorneys who oversee and administer the regular activities of the section to enhance access to mediation and arbitration services. Members interface with the SBM Board of Commissioners and the Representative Assembly as well as assist the State Court Administrative Office in the review and revision of court rules related to ADR practices. The council directs the section’s programs, policies and professional training initiatives.
A partner of Plunkett Cooney, Mamat utilizes his more than 50 years of experience to help companies, contractors, employers, lawmakers and trade associations resolve union matters. His expertise includes contract negotiations, elections, union avoidance and labor arbitrations. He also advises clients on noncompete agreements, unfair labor practice litigation, harassment suits, wage and hour issues, OSHA-MIOSHA safety matters and entertainment law. He is also a registered lobbyist.
In addition, Mamat’s experience includes the resolution of National Labor Relations Board matters, attempted union organization, mass picketing and violence, and secondary boycotts and pressure. His clients also rely on his counsel and advice on ERISA trust funds and related fiduciary liabilities.
Mamat has been honored by several other media and peer review platforms, including Best Lawyers in America, Michigan Super Lawyers, DBusiness magazine’s Top Lawyers, the Labor Relations Institute, American Lawyer magazine and the American Registry. He was also named to the 2025 class of Go To Lawyers in employment law as determined by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.
Mamat serves as a hearing officer for National Arbitration and Mediation (NAM), which is one of the nation’s leading full-service providers of ADR services. As a panel member, he is available to arbitrate and mediate cases throughout Michigan.
Mamat received his undergraduate degree from the University of Rochester in 1971 and his law degree from Syracuse
University College of Law in 1974.
• • •
Miller Johnson is pleased to welcome Michael El-Zein to the firm’s Immigration Practice Group. El-Zein brings experience in immigration litigation and government service, with a practice focused on representing individuals in complex immigration matters before immigration courts and federal district courts.
Prior to joining Miller Johnson, El-Zein served as an assistant United States attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, where he handled both civil and criminal matters across multiple units. In the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Unit, he managed forfeiture cases involving assets seized by federal agencies, including Customs and Border Protection. As a member of the Civil Rights Unit, he worked closely with underserved and marginalized communities to protect their legal rights. He also served in the Defensive Litigation Unit, defending the federal government in civil actions and focusing on immigration-related mandamus litigation involving the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Earlier in his career, El-Zein served with the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Principal Legal Advisor in Detroit, where he litigated hundreds of removal cases on behalf of the United States. He regularly appeared before Immigration Courts and represented the government in appeals before the Board of Immigration Appeals.
El-Zein earned his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Anthropology from the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
Miller Johnson is also pleased to welcome Anya Lusk back to the firm’s Education Practice Group. After several years advising and leading within school districts across Michigan, Lusk rejoins the firm with a combination of legal expertise and practical, firsthand insight.
Drawing on her experience as both outside legal counsel and a senior HR executive and general counsel for one of Michigan’s largest school districts, Lusk provides practical, business-focused legal advice and strategic counsel.
Before transitioning into school district leadership, Lusk practiced education and public sector labor and employment law at Miller Johnson, where she represented school districts in state and federal litigation, including employment discrimination and tort claims, as well as proceedings before administrative agencies. She also handled employment investigations, advised clients on complex legal and regulatory questions, and drafted employment agreements, policies, administrative regulations, and other critical school district documents.
Lusk earned a law degree from Albany Law School and received her B.A. from Oakland University.
• • •
FisherBroyles LLP has expanded its litigation and dispute resolution capabilities with the addition of Ahmed Hassouna as a partner in Detroit.
Hassouna brings more than 22 years of experience representing individuals, businesses, professionals and insurers in complex civil disputes. His practice focuses on alternative dispute resolution, civil litigation, professional liability, healthcare and pharmacy law, insurance, regulatory and compliance matters, products liability, white collar litigation and investigations, and emerging industries.
Hassouna has developed a mediation practice and serves as a neutral in first-party no-fault, third-party bodily injury, personal injury, professional liability, insurance and commercial disputes.
Hassouna also brings in-house experience, having spent approximately 12 years as trial attorney and house counsel for Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and The Progressive Corporation. In those roles, he advised on litigation, claims, coverage and risk management, providing firsthand insight into the business and legal considerations facing institutional clients.
“I was drawn to FisherBroyles’ global platform and collaborative approach,” said Hassouna. “The firm provides an excellent platform to expand my work in litigation, mediation and regulatory matters while giving me the opportunity to work with talented attorneys across markets. I look forward to helping clients navigate complex disputes and business challenges.”
Hassouna is recognized as AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell and was named a Michigan Super Lawyer from 2023 through 2026. He is chair of the Michigan Board of Chiropractic’s Disciplinary Subcommittee, past president of the Association of Defense Trial Counsel, and a member of the State Bar of Michigan Character and Fitness District G Committee.
Hassouna began his legal career as a judicial law clerk for the 46th Circuit Trial Court, serving Crawford, Kallaska, and Otsego Counties, where he clerked for Judge Alton T. Davis, now justice emeritus of the Michigan Supreme Court. He earned his law degree from The University of Toledo College of Law and his bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University. He is admitted to practice in Michigan and Ohio and before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
• • •
McDonald Hopkins is pleased to welcome and Jordan Lee to its Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group.
Lee’s practice focuses primarily on data privacy litigation, including data breach and website tracking litigation.
Before joining McDonald Hopkins, Lee served as a judicial law clerk to a judge on the Court of Appeals of Indiana, where he researched and analyzed complex legal issues and prepared preliminary opinions.
Earlier in his career, Lee worked as a paralegal at an Indianapolis law firm. He also served as a legal intern with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, where he conducted legal research and supported litigation attorneys and investigators.
“I was drawn to the firm because it makes bringing value to its clients a genuine priority,” Lee said of McDonald Hopkins. “I was also impressed by the firm’s collaborative culture, its commitment to developing its attorneys and its reputation for taking on sophisticated legal work with a client-centered approach.
“Data privacy law is incredibly interesting because it is a rapidly changing area of law that often presents novel legal issues,” he added. “I am most excited to work alongside incredibly knowledgeable litigators with significant experience in the data privacy space. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to contribute, learn, and grow my own practice in an environment surrounded by a team of accomplished litigators.”
Lee is based in McDonald Hopkins’ Detroit office.
• • •
Varnum is pleased to announce that Susan Kowal has joined the firm as counsel on its Banking and Finance Practice Team.
Kowal brings nearly three decades of experience advising lenders and borrowers on commercial financing transactions, including loan origination, documentation, restructuring, and workouts. Her practice includes commercial real estate, asset-based, equipment, and business loans, as well as SBA financing and syndicated transactions. As part of her SBA practice, she is certified as designated counsel for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 504 Loan Program.
In addition to her banking and finance practice, Kowal represents developers, property owners, and investors in commercial real estate matters, including acquisitions and sales, development, financing, and leasing. She also advises businesses on formation, acquisitions and divestitures, shareholder agreements, and other corporate matters.
• • •
Honigman CEO and Executive Committee Chairman David Foltyn was named as an “Inspiring Leader” by Corp! Magazine. He
was selected for leading by example, inspiring those around them to perform at high levels, and contributing to their communities.
Foltyn has served as the chairman and CEO of Honigman since 2008. He oversees the firm’s more than 400 attorneys as well as a growing national client base served by prominent practices in intellectual property, private equity, corporate and securities, real estate, and litigation, among others.
In addition, Honigman was recently recognized by DBusiness Magazine as one of Metro Detroit’s preeminent intellectual property law firms, a distinction based on the size of its IP team.
Ranked Band 1 in Michigan by Chambers USA since 2018, Honigman’s IP practice provides comprehensive patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret counsel to clients around the globe.
• • •
McKeen & Associates is pleased to announce that attorney Alexis Andrews has joined its litigation team. Andrews brings focused experience in medical malpractice litigation and mediation.
Andrews earned her law degree from Michigan State University College of Law. She later practiced law and served as a mediator for district courts throughout southeastern Michigan, gaining experience navigating complex legal matters and facilitating resolution in high stakes disputes.
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To submit an announcement for the next Legal People section, e-mail: editor@legalnews.com.
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.
Recently, Pacis was named a 2026 Fellow of the Michigan State Bar Foundation. He also 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.
• • •
Plunkett Cooney partner Frank T. Mamat was recently named a member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Section
Council of the State Bar of Michigan (SBM).
The ADR Section Council is composed of 21 attorneys who oversee and administer the regular activities of the section to enhance access to mediation and arbitration services. Members interface with the SBM Board of Commissioners and the Representative Assembly as well as assist the State Court Administrative Office in the review and revision of court rules related to ADR practices. The council directs the section’s programs, policies and professional training initiatives.
A partner of Plunkett Cooney, Mamat utilizes his more than 50 years of experience to help companies, contractors, employers, lawmakers and trade associations resolve union matters. His expertise includes contract negotiations, elections, union avoidance and labor arbitrations. He also advises clients on noncompete agreements, unfair labor practice litigation, harassment suits, wage and hour issues, OSHA-MIOSHA safety matters and entertainment law. He is also a registered lobbyist.
In addition, Mamat’s experience includes the resolution of National Labor Relations Board matters, attempted union organization, mass picketing and violence, and secondary boycotts and pressure. His clients also rely on his counsel and advice on ERISA trust funds and related fiduciary liabilities.
Mamat has been honored by several other media and peer review platforms, including Best Lawyers in America, Michigan Super Lawyers, DBusiness magazine’s Top Lawyers, the Labor Relations Institute, American Lawyer magazine and the American Registry. He was also named to the 2025 class of Go To Lawyers in employment law as determined by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.
Mamat serves as a hearing officer for National Arbitration and Mediation (NAM), which is one of the nation’s leading full-service providers of ADR services. As a panel member, he is available to arbitrate and mediate cases throughout Michigan.
Mamat received his undergraduate degree from the University of Rochester in 1971 and his law degree from Syracuse
University College of Law in 1974.
• • •
Miller Johnson is pleased to welcome Michael El-Zein to the firm’s Immigration Practice Group. El-Zein brings experience in immigration litigation and government service, with a practice focused on representing individuals in complex immigration matters before immigration courts and federal district courts.
Prior to joining Miller Johnson, El-Zein served as an assistant United States attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, where he handled both civil and criminal matters across multiple units. In the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Unit, he managed forfeiture cases involving assets seized by federal agencies, including Customs and Border Protection. As a member of the Civil Rights Unit, he worked closely with underserved and marginalized communities to protect their legal rights. He also served in the Defensive Litigation Unit, defending the federal government in civil actions and focusing on immigration-related mandamus litigation involving the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Earlier in his career, El-Zein served with the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Principal Legal Advisor in Detroit, where he litigated hundreds of removal cases on behalf of the United States. He regularly appeared before Immigration Courts and represented the government in appeals before the Board of Immigration Appeals.
El-Zein earned his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Anthropology from the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
Miller Johnson is also pleased to welcome Anya Lusk back to the firm’s Education Practice Group. After several years advising and leading within school districts across Michigan, Lusk rejoins the firm with a combination of legal expertise and practical, firsthand insight.
Drawing on her experience as both outside legal counsel and a senior HR executive and general counsel for one of Michigan’s largest school districts, Lusk provides practical, business-focused legal advice and strategic counsel.
Before transitioning into school district leadership, Lusk practiced education and public sector labor and employment law at Miller Johnson, where she represented school districts in state and federal litigation, including employment discrimination and tort claims, as well as proceedings before administrative agencies. She also handled employment investigations, advised clients on complex legal and regulatory questions, and drafted employment agreements, policies, administrative regulations, and other critical school district documents.
Lusk earned a law degree from Albany Law School and received her B.A. from Oakland University.
• • •
FisherBroyles LLP has expanded its litigation and dispute resolution capabilities with the addition of Ahmed Hassouna as a partner in Detroit.
Hassouna brings more than 22 years of experience representing individuals, businesses, professionals and insurers in complex civil disputes. His practice focuses on alternative dispute resolution, civil litigation, professional liability, healthcare and pharmacy law, insurance, regulatory and compliance matters, products liability, white collar litigation and investigations, and emerging industries.
Hassouna has developed a mediation practice and serves as a neutral in first-party no-fault, third-party bodily injury, personal injury, professional liability, insurance and commercial disputes.
Hassouna also brings in-house experience, having spent approximately 12 years as trial attorney and house counsel for Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and The Progressive Corporation. In those roles, he advised on litigation, claims, coverage and risk management, providing firsthand insight into the business and legal considerations facing institutional clients.
“I was drawn to FisherBroyles’ global platform and collaborative approach,” said Hassouna. “The firm provides an excellent platform to expand my work in litigation, mediation and regulatory matters while giving me the opportunity to work with talented attorneys across markets. I look forward to helping clients navigate complex disputes and business challenges.”
Hassouna is recognized as AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell and was named a Michigan Super Lawyer from 2023 through 2026. He is chair of the Michigan Board of Chiropractic’s Disciplinary Subcommittee, past president of the Association of Defense Trial Counsel, and a member of the State Bar of Michigan Character and Fitness District G Committee.
Hassouna began his legal career as a judicial law clerk for the 46th Circuit Trial Court, serving Crawford, Kallaska, and Otsego Counties, where he clerked for Judge Alton T. Davis, now justice emeritus of the Michigan Supreme Court. He earned his law degree from The University of Toledo College of Law and his bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University. He is admitted to practice in Michigan and Ohio and before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
• • •
McDonald Hopkins is pleased to welcome and Jordan Lee to its Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group.
Lee’s practice focuses primarily on data privacy litigation, including data breach and website tracking litigation.
Before joining McDonald Hopkins, Lee served as a judicial law clerk to a judge on the Court of Appeals of Indiana, where he researched and analyzed complex legal issues and prepared preliminary opinions.
Earlier in his career, Lee worked as a paralegal at an Indianapolis law firm. He also served as a legal intern with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, where he conducted legal research and supported litigation attorneys and investigators.
“I was drawn to the firm because it makes bringing value to its clients a genuine priority,” Lee said of McDonald Hopkins. “I was also impressed by the firm’s collaborative culture, its commitment to developing its attorneys and its reputation for taking on sophisticated legal work with a client-centered approach.
“Data privacy law is incredibly interesting because it is a rapidly changing area of law that often presents novel legal issues,” he added. “I am most excited to work alongside incredibly knowledgeable litigators with significant experience in the data privacy space. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to contribute, learn, and grow my own practice in an environment surrounded by a team of accomplished litigators.”
Lee is based in McDonald Hopkins’ Detroit office.
• • •
Varnum is pleased to announce that Susan Kowal has joined the firm as counsel on its Banking and Finance Practice Team.
Kowal brings nearly three decades of experience advising lenders and borrowers on commercial financing transactions, including loan origination, documentation, restructuring, and workouts. Her practice includes commercial real estate, asset-based, equipment, and business loans, as well as SBA financing and syndicated transactions. As part of her SBA practice, she is certified as designated counsel for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 504 Loan Program.
In addition to her banking and finance practice, Kowal represents developers, property owners, and investors in commercial real estate matters, including acquisitions and sales, development, financing, and leasing. She also advises businesses on formation, acquisitions and divestitures, shareholder agreements, and other corporate matters.
• • •
Honigman CEO and Executive Committee Chairman David Foltyn was named as an “Inspiring Leader” by Corp! Magazine. He
was selected for leading by example, inspiring those around them to perform at high levels, and contributing to their communities.
Foltyn has served as the chairman and CEO of Honigman since 2008. He oversees the firm’s more than 400 attorneys as well as a growing national client base served by prominent practices in intellectual property, private equity, corporate and securities, real estate, and litigation, among others.
In addition, Honigman was recently recognized by DBusiness Magazine as one of Metro Detroit’s preeminent intellectual property law firms, a distinction based on the size of its IP team.
Ranked Band 1 in Michigan by Chambers USA since 2018, Honigman’s IP practice provides comprehensive patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret counsel to clients around the globe.
• • •
McKeen & Associates is pleased to announce that attorney Alexis Andrews has joined its litigation team. Andrews brings focused experience in medical malpractice litigation and mediation.
Andrews earned her law degree from Michigan State University College of Law. She later practiced law and served as a mediator for district courts throughout southeastern Michigan, gaining experience navigating complex legal matters and facilitating resolution in high stakes disputes.
————————
To submit an announcement for the next Legal People section, e-mail: editor@legalnews.com.
