Alumni Accomplishments
- Posted 2009-02-09
Judge Jessica Cooper, '79, takes oath of office as Oakland County prosecutor during public swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday, Jan. 21. - Posted 2009-02-09
I. W. (Bill) Winsten, '79, was recently named chair of the Wayne State University Law School Board of Visitors. A partner in the litigation department of Honigman Miller, Schwartz, and Cohn LLP, Winsten has served the community with his leadership and expertise for more than 30 years. - Posted 2008-11-13
Steven Grob, '79, a leader of Dykema’s Taxation and Estate Practice Group, was recently ranked the “Best Lawyers in America” guide. Grob focuses on federal and state tax planning for corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, and individuals, and federal and state tax litigation. - Posted 2009-06-09
Thaddeus J. Kedzierski, '79, was elected councilmen for the newly formed Village of Grosse Pointe Shores. - Posted 2009-02-09
Maureen Aughton, '78, was recently honored as Legal Aid Attorney of the Month for her work as a steering committee member of the Collier County Foreclosure Task Force. Aughton is in solo practice in Naples, Florida and practices in the areas of real estate transactional law, estate administration and planning, guardianship and corporate law. - Posted 2009-04-21
Nancy J. Diehl, '78, retires this month after serving 25 years as a prosecutor. Diehl serves on the executive committee of the Governor's Task Force on Children's Justice, is a member of the Judicial Tenure Commission, chairs the Wayne County Council Against Family Violence, and is past president of the State Bar of Michigan. - Posted 2009-08-04
James Lanzetta, '78, joined Stewart Title Company Agency Services Group as the Michigan agency services manager. - Posted 2009-11-17
Adrienne Southgate, '78, was appointed by Providence, Rhode Island Mayor David N. Cicilline to lead the City's Law Department. Southgate spent the last seven years as deputy city solicitor. - Posted 2009-10-22
Nancy J. Diehl, '78, is the recipient of a Distinguished Alumni Award from the Alumni Association of Western Michigan University, where she received her bachelor's degree. She began her career as a staff attorney for the Michigan Misdemeanor Defender's Office and then went to serve a year as assistant corporation counsel for the city of Detroit. Diehl went on to join the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office as a trial prosecutor in Recorder Court. She has also been the deputy chief of the Child and Family Abuse Bureau and Chief of the Projects and Training Division. After serving in that capacity until 2004, she was appointed head of the Felony Trial Division. During her career in the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, Diehl also headed the first Child Abuse Unit and co-authored several books to help children deal with abuse and the legal system. She retired in April after serving as a prosecutor for 28 years. - Posted 2009-05-04
The Hon. Linda Hallmark, '77, Oakland County Probate Judge, was the recipient of the 25th Wonder Woman of 2009 award presented by the Women Officials' Network Foundation on April 30 at The Reserve in Birmingham. The award is given to those women who significantly contribute civically or professionally to their communities. The focus of the event is to support and acknowledge these women for their accomplishments and to recognize them as role models for other women. - Posted 2009-08-31
William J. Perrone, '77, of Dykema, has been listed in the Best Lawyers in America guide. He is the managing member of the firm's Lansing Office. His practice is focused in the area of state regulations, real estate and mortgage financing for clients in the manufactured housing, energy and insurance sectors. He also provides counsel to clients in all sectors on commercial transactions, commercial lending, consumer credit, consumer protection, professional licensing and regulatory issues, administrative law, corporate law and civil litigation matters. A former assistant attorney general with the state of Michigan, he has a broad range of legal experience related to state government and Michigan administrative law, including government policy, election law and campaign finance. 
Posted 2009-09-02
Bennet S. Koren, '77, of McGlinchey Stafford PLLC, was named in the recently published Best Lawyers in America.
- Posted 2009-11-16
Ed Zelenak, '77, received the "Excellence in Municipal Law and Governance Award" from the Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys on Sept. 28, 2009. - Posted 2009-11-17
The Hon. Linda S. Hallmark, '77, served as chairperson of the Governor's Task Force for Children's Justice 14th annual Summit Conference. The summit focused on the impact of child abuse and neglect on brain development in infants and children. - Posted 2009-02-09
David Marvin, '76, an energy law attorney and chairman of the Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications Department for the Fraser Trebilcock law firm, commended the Governor Granholm for her recent Executive Order to create the Great Lakes Wind Council. In numerous articles and interviews, Marvin has been calling for the creation of a council like the one that the Governor created. He says such a council is "necessary in order to clear the path for future development." - Posted 2009-08-10
David E. S. Marvin, '76, was included in the 2010 edition of the Best Lawyers in America. Lawyers are selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers solely on the basis of a nationally-conducted peer-review survey in which more than 25,000 leading lawyers vote on the legal abilities and professional achievements of other lawyers in their specialties. Marvin has been recognized in Best Lawyers for more than 10 years consecutively. - Posted 2009-08-31
Gary P. Gordon, '76, of Dykema, has been listed in the Best Lawyers in America guide. He was Chief Deputy Attorney General for the State of Michigan prior to joining Dykema. He had responsibility for all operations of the office including human resources, budget, legislative liaison, communications, and oversight of all law divisions, consisting of approximately 300 attorneys. Before his appointment as Chief Deputy, Gordon was Governmental Affairs Bureau Chief, responsible for overseeing the Public Employment, Elections, and Tort Division, Transportation Division, Highway Negligence Division, Corrections Division, Labor Division, and Civil Rights Division. - Posted 2008-11-13
Samuel C. Damren, '75, of Dykema’s Detroit office, was ranked as a leader in Commercial Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution in the “Best Lawyers in America” guide. Damren is a member of the Litigation Practice Group. - Posted 2009-04-21
David F. DuMouchel, '75, was honored by "Best Lawyers" during its 25th Anniversary Event held in Atlanta, Ga. DuMouchel is based in Butzel Long's Detroit office and chairs the firm's Corporate Compliance, Internal Investigations and Criminal Defense practice. - Posted 2009-08-04
David R. Fernstrum, '75, of Mika, Meyers, Beckett and Jones, PLC, was included in the 2010 edition of the Best Lawyers in America. Lawyers are selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers solely on the basis of a nationally-conducted peer-review survey in which more than 25,000 leading lawyers vote on the legal abilities and professional achievements of other lawyers in their specialties. - Posted 2009-07-21
Richard G. Himelrick, '74, published an article in the Arizona State Law Journal titled "The Importance of Statutory Text: From Scienter to Nonstatutory Defenses under Arizona Securities Law." He was also listed in the 2009 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. - Posted 2009-08-14
Richard Himelrick, '74, was included in the 2010 edition of the Best Lawyers in America. Lawyers are selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers solely on the basis of a nationally-conducted peer-review survey in which more than 25,000 leading lawyers vote on the legal abilities and professional achievements of other lawyers in their specialties. - Posted 2009-08-31
Albert Ernst, '74, of Dykema, has been listed in the Best Lawyers in America guide. He is a member of the government policy practice group, focuses on a broad variety of entities in regulatory and corporate matters, including all of the state's rural electric cooperatives and rural electric cooperatives throughout the country, International Transmission Company, Aquila Networks, Edison Sault Electric Company, SEMCO, Kohlberg, Kravis & Roberts, Verizon and Michigan Technological University, among others. - Posted 2009-02-09
Judge Jessica Cooper, '73, was named a Power Lawyer by Crain's Detroit Business. Cooper was recently elected as Oakland County's first female prosecutor. - Posted 2009-07-16
Richard Kay, '73, has joined Warner, Norcross and Judd, LLP. - Posted 2008-11-18
Arthur Y. Liss, '72, founder of Bloomfield Hills-based Liss, Seder, & Andrews PC, has been named in the 15th edition of “The Best Lawyers in America” 2009. He specializes in the area of no-fault insurance litigation and is a member of the American Association for Justice, the Michigan Association for Justice and the Wayne and Oakland County Bar Associations. He has also served as the chair of the Oakland County Circuit Court Committee. - Posted 2008-11-18
William O. Lynch, '72, of Fryhoff & Lynch PLLC, was included in the 2009 edition of “Best Lawyers in America” as one of only 28 family law practitioners in Michigan. Lynch practices family law and provides legal counsel and assistance to individuals seeking divorces or annulments. He also assists in negotiating prenuptial or postnuptial agreements, or litigating changes in child custody, parenting time and support. He is a frequent speaker on prenuptial and postnuptial agreements and on separate property claims in divorce actions. - Posted 2009-05-13
Lawrence Katz, '72, presented a paper with his wife, Karen Tintori, titled "Reclaiming Italian/European Citizenship - Why Italian Americans Should and Must," at the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute, Queens College, as part of the Conference on The Land of Our Return: Diasporic Encounters with Italy on April 24, 2009. - Posted 2009-02-09
Supreme Court Justice Marilyn Kelly, '71, recently spoke at the Auburn Hills campus of Cooley Law on 'ethics' in law. - Posted 2009-02-09
Robert A. Berlow, '71, will be included in the 2009 edition of "The Best Lawyers in America" and was re-elected to the board of directors of the Michigan Parkinson Foundation. Berlow, of Taubman, Nadis, & Neuman PC, concentrates his practice in the areas of business and commercial real estate law. - Posted 2009-01-27
William Beach, '71, was appointed to a one-year term as chair of Public Corporations Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan. Beach is a senior attorney in the Public Law Group at Miller Canfield. - Posted 2009-01-08
William B. Beach, '71, senior attorney in the Public Law Group at Miller Canfield, was appointed to a one-year term as chair of Public Corporations Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan. His practice comprises all aspects of real estate, intergovernmental agreements, state and federal financing incentives and tax credits. He also specializes in general governmental corporate law covering development and redevelopment of land through public and private partnerships, municipal boundary changes, and international government trade and business. - Posted 2008-11-25
Robert A. Berlow, '71, of counsel to Taubman, Nadis & Neuman, PC, a Farmington Hills, Mich., law firm, has been selected to be included in the 2009 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Berlow also received this honor in 2008. Berlow concentrates his practice in the areas of business and commercial real estate transactions. He has significant experience in negotiating commercial real estate leases on behalf of both real estate developers and tenants, including national and local retailers, tier one automotive suppliers, hospitals and medical clinics. Berlow was general counsel of Perry Drug Stores, Inc., a publicly traded retail drugstore chain, for more than 18 years. He also served as the company’s executive vice president and chief administrative officer. Berlow is a former chairperson of the Real Property Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan. - Posted 2009-03-24
Robert Nix, '71, was appointed as the Michigan State Chair for the American College of Mortgage Attorneys ("AMCA"). In addition to being a Fellow of ACMA, he is also a Fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers. He is a past Chairperson of the Real Property Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan, and a member of the Michigan Land Title Standards Committee. He is a Member of the Detroit law firm of Kerr, Russell and Weber, PLC. His practice includes real estate law, commercial law and commercial litigation, with a concentration in real estate development, financing and leasing. - Posted 2009-07-20
Robert A. Berlow, '71, was presented with the C. Robert Wartell Distinguished Service Award by the Real Property Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan at the Section's Annual Summer Conference held at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Mich., July 15-18, 2009. Berlow, of counsel to the Farmington Hills, Michigan law firm of Taubman, Nadis & Neuman, PC, is a past chairperson of the Real Property Law Section and also chaired the Section's Commercial Leasing Committee. Berlow concentrates his practice in the areas of real estate law and commercial law and has extensive experience negotiating commercial leases on behalf of developers and tenants, including local, regional and national retailers, automotive suppliers, warehouse operators and medical providers. - Posted 2009-09-15
Robert A. Berlow, '71, of counsel to Taubman, Nadis & Neuman, P.C., a Farmington Hills, Michigan law firm, has been selected for inclusion in the 2010 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. He has also been selected for inclusion in the 2009 Michigan Super Lawyers. He is a past Chairperson of the Real Property Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan. He concentrates his practice in the areas of commercial law and commercial real estate law and has extensive experience negotiating commercial leases on behalf of both developers and tenants, including local, regional and national retailers, automotive suppliers, warehouse operators and health care providers. - Posted 2009-02-09
F. Thomas Lewand, '70, was named a Power Lawyer by Crain's Detroit Business. Lewand is a partner with Bodman LLP in Detroit and has played a significant role in the 31-year federal court battling over control and operation of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department. - Posted 2009-11-17
Don M. Schmidt, '70, a principal in Miller Canfield's Kalamazoo office, received the 2009 Distinguished Municipal Attorney Award given by the Michigan Municipal League and the Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys.
