Alumni Accomplishments
Ellen B. Janette, '88, of Plunkett Cooney’s Bloomfield Hills Office, was named a shareholder of the firm. Janette extends her practice in the areas of insurance coverage and professional liability. She represents insurance carriers in insurance coverage disputes in the areas of environmental contamination and construction defect. Her professional liability practice includes defense of malpractice claims against real estate professionals, attorneys and accountants in state and federal courts. Janette also earned Martindale-Hubbell's highest rating-AV, which is a peer review rating process. Ratings fall into the categories of legal ability and general ethical standards.
January 27, 2009Michael Killelea, '88, was recently hired as senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of Goodrich Petroleum Corporation. He spent the past 20 years in the E&P business with several companies, including serving as senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary at Pogo Producing Company.
March 13, 2009Ellen Bartman Jannette, '88, has been promoted to partner with Plunkett Cooney. Jannette is a member of the insurance law and professional liability practice groups in the Bloomfield Hills, Mich., office. Jannette will focus on representing insurance carriers in insurance coverage disputes, particularly in the areas of environmental contamination and construction defect.
April 2, 2009David M. Thoms, '88, a principal in the Troy office, was recently re-elected secretary of the board of directors of the Visiting Nurse Association of Michigan.
April 28, 2009Joseph Ammar, '88, has joined Plunkett Cooney's Kalamazoo office. A member of the firm's Banking, Bankruptcy and Creditors' Rights Practice Group, Ammar focuses his practice in the areas of creditors' rights, bankruptcy and commercial law, representing secured lenders and financial institutions.
June 15, 2009David N. Goltz, '88, is the vice president of Administration and General Counsel for Highway Technologies in Oak Brook, Ill., where he leads the Company's Legal, Human Resources, Risk Management and Safety Departments.
July 2, 2009Julie Secontine, '88, risk manager for Oakland County, was interviewed on spinalcolumnonline.com.
January 19, 2010
David M. Thoms, '88, was appointed to the Greenleaf Trust Board of Directors. He is a principal in the personal services group and co-leader of the non-profit and charitable organizations group at Miller Canfield's Troy, Mich., office.
May 18, 2010
Timothy M. Wittebort, '88, of Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC, was recently named to the May/June 2010 issue of Super Lawyers - Corporate Counsel Edition in the areas of real estate and construction.
May 18, 2010
Susan E. Padley, '88, of Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC, was recently named to the May/June 2010 issue of Super Lawyers - Corporate Counsel Edition in the areas of real estate and construction.
May 18, 2010
David Thoms, '88, a Miller Canfield principal, was elected to a one-year term as president of the board of directors of Alliance Françaises de Grosse Pointe.
June 30, 2010
Linda S. Ross, '88, a partner and chair of the Health Care Department at Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP, recently addressed health organization board members attending the Excellence in Governance Fellowship program of the Michigan Health and Hospital Association. Her presentation was titled "Hospital/Physician Relationships and the Law...What Every Board Member Must Know." Ross has been named in Best Lawyers in America from 2005 to 2011 and Michigan Super Lawyers from 2007 to 2010, as well as one of its top 50 women from 2007 to 2010. She also was recognized as a "Top Lawyer" by DBusiness in 2010 and 2011.
April 26, 2011
Linda S. Ross, '88, partner and chair of the Health Care Department at Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP (Honigman), addressed the HealthcareNEXT Inforum industry group at the DMC Children's Hospital. She participated in a panel discussion regarding how hospitals, health systems and physicians can best position themselves in relation to the new health care laws. In her practice, Ross represents hospitals, physicians and other health care systems and providers regarding affiliations, acquisitions, divestitures, mergers, reorganizations and joint ventures. She also advises health care providers about compliance matters including the Stark Law, the Anti-kickback Statute, self-disclosures to the Office of Inspector General, and laws and regulations affecting tax-exempt entities. Ross has been named in Best Lawyers in America from 2005 to 2011 and Michigan Super Lawyers from 2007 to 2010, as well as one of its top 50 women from 2007 to 2010.
July 7, 2011
David M. Thoms, '88, LL.M., a principle in Miller Canfield's Troy, Mich. office, has been re-elected to a one-year term as president of the board of directors of Alliance Françaises de Grosse Pointe. At Miller Canfield, Thoms is a member of the Personal Services Group and co-leader of the Nonprofit and Charitable Organizations Group. He concentrates his practice in estate planning and tax, non-profit organizations, business entity planning and tax, succession planning and real estate.
July 27, 2011
David M. Thoms, '88, LL.M., a principal with Miller Canfield, has been re-elected secretary of the executive committee of the Michigan Colleges Foundation. At Miller Canfield, Thoms is a member of the Personal Services Group and co-leader of the Nonprofit and Charitable Organizations Group. He concentrates his practice in estate planning and tax, nonprofit organizations, business entity planning and tax, succession planning and real estate.
August 18, 2011
Linda S. Ross, '88, a partner and chair of the Health Care department at Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP, has been named a Fellow by the State Bar of Michigan's Health Care Law Section.
September 28, 2011
Linda S. Ross, '88, a partner and chair of the Health Care Department at Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP, has been named a Fellow by the State Bar of Michigan's Health Care Law Section.
December 6, 2011
Joseph M. Ammar , '88, an attorney in Plunkett Cooney's Kalamazoo, Michigan, office's Banking, Bankruptcy and Creditors' Rights practice group, has been named partner in the firm.
February 8, 2012
David Thoms, '88, principal in the Troy office of Miller Canfield, has been re-elected for a one-year term as president of the Alliance Française de Grosse Pointe. At Miller Canfield, Thoms is a member of the Personal Services Group and co-leader of the Nonprofit and Charitable Organizations Group. His areas of expertise are estate planning and tax, nonprofit organizations, business entity planning and tax, succession planning and real estate.
November 15, 2012
Julie Secontine, '88, drafted the Interstate Mutual Emergency Aid Act, which recently was approved by the state House of Representatives and Senate and enables first responders to cross state lines to respond to incidents on a day-to-day basis without a declaration of emergency. The act will allow first responders' credentials and licenses to automatically transfer to other Midwestern states when responding to a request for mutual aid. Secontine is Oakland County risk manager and Michigan's representative on the Mid-American Mutual Aid Consortium (MAMAC), the organization tasked with removing barriers to multi-state emergency response. Secontine is certified by the Michigan State Police in emergency management. She is the legal advisor to Michigan Task Force 1 and Oakland County Fire Mutual Aid Organization. Plus she is a member of eight emergency management organizations.
December 18, 2012
Margaret Scott, '88, has joined the Motor Vehicle Litigation Practice Group at Secrest Wardle's Troy office. In addition to practicing Motor Vehicle Law, Scott also specializes in Municipal Law and Property, Fire and Casualty. Scott served as an Oakland County assistant prosecuting attorney from 1988 to 2008. The majority of her career was spent as a special prosecutor of the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office where she was elevated to the office of chief of the Auto Theft Unit in 1996. As a felony trial prosecutor Scott prosecuted crimes involving insurance fraud, identity theft, embezzlement, and arson of insured property. During her time with the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office she successfully prosecuted nearly 100 percent of the cases assigned to the Auto Theft Unit. Scott is presently an instructor and presenter for various programs for the Michigan State Police, the Michigan Chapter-International Association of Arson Investigators, International Association of Special Investigative Units, the North Central Regional Chapter-International Association of Auto Theft Investigators, and the Michigan Association of Vehicle Theft Investigators. She has also instructed for the National College of District Attorneys, Prosecutor's Association of Michigan, the International Association of Arson Investigators, Oakland County Community College Police Academy, and numerous police departments in southeastern Michigan, as well as a number of area high schools. She completed the National District Attorney's Association's Career Prosecutor Course in 1990 and the Experienced Prosecutor Course in 1996.
March 4, 2013
Margaret Scott, '88, was appointed prosecutor in Waterford Township. She is a partner with Secrest Wardle law firm in Troy. She was chief of the auto theft unit with the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office between 1996-2008. From 1988-1990, she worked as a district court prosecutor in several communities including Royal Oak, Oak Park, Walled Lake, Novi and Farmington Hills.
March 27, 2013Phillip Korovesis, '87, was announced as the new treasurer for the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel.
July 23, 2009Margaret Van Meter, '87, joined the newly-expanded Southfield offices of Warner, Norcross and Judd, LLP.
July 30, 2009Kathy Browne, '87, multiple patent holder and founder of Grow!USA, also founded and funds a related non-profit, Green!USA, www.green-usa.org, which became a 2008 international leader in alternatives to peat for soil amendments in garden and landscape design. Green!USA has been cited as authoritative by Treehugger, Suite101 Environment News, and other Internet sites. Since 2007 Ms. Browne has received two local Council for Community Development Residential Landscape Design Excellence Awards, with the second being awarded October 8, 2009. Her DAR national conservation medal-winning garden design and installation work for the 2004 Michigan State Fairgrounds -- which was videotaped for the Grosse Pointe cable television prgram "Pointes of Horticulture" -- has been accepted in DVD format into the collection of historic artifacts by the Detroit Historical Society Museums, which intend to show the half-hour production to schoolchildren.
September 28, 2009Artis M. Noel, '87, joined Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP's Corporate and Securities Department as of counsel. He also is as a member of the newly-formed International Automotive Legal Team, a collaboration with Minneapolis-based Faegre & Benson LLP. He most recently served as the chief of export compliance for General Motors.
January 4, 2010
Kathy Browne, '87, president/CEO and founder of Green!USA, a registered Michigan non-profit environmental protection and conservation organization, recently announced the receipt by Green!USA of full 501(c)(3) public charity tax donation status by the Internal Revenue Service. Green!USA promotes the use of compost and other organic soil amendments instead of peat. Peat bog preservation conserves waterfowl wetlands habitat, reduces global warming, preserves wetlands heavy metals filtration, and helps control flooding which would otherwise fall on the taxpayer to remedy. For more information, please visit Green!USA at www.green-usa.org.
February 24, 2010Phillip C. Korovesis, '87, has been elected vice-president of the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel (MDTC) for 2010-2011. Previously, Korovesis was treasurer of the MDTC. Korovesis is a Butzel Long attorney and shareholder.
June 4, 2010
Jean Schtokal, '87, was appointed to the Michigan District Export Council - West by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Gary Locke. Additionally, it was recently announced that she is listed in the 2011 Best Lawyers in America for her experience in International Trade and Finance Law.
August 25, 2010Meg Van Meter , '87, a Detroit-area commercial real estate attorney and past president of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Detroit, served as co-chair of the Industry Research Task Force for the 2010 benchmarking report on women in commercial real estate, Women in Commercial Real Estate. The report is a follow-up to the first ever in-depth look at the issue of men and women in commercial real estate, which was conducted by CREW Network in 2005.
December 6, 2010Theresa M. Pouley, '87, was appointed by President Obama to the Tribal Law and Order Commission on Jan. 18, 2010. Pouley is currently the chief judge of the Tulalip Tribal Court. She is also an associate justice of the Colville Tribal Court of Appeals, and a member of the Colville Confederated Tribes in Northeast Washington. Click here for White House release.
January 20, 2011Phillip C. Korovesis, '87, was elected president of the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel (MDTC) during its Annual Meeting May 19-21 in Mount Pleasant. Previously, Korovesis served as MDTC vice-president.
May 27, 2011Dan Gilbert, '87, Quicken Loans founder and chairman, was featured in a Detroit Free Press article titled "Quicken Loans Chairman Dan Gilbert picks up baton for downtown Detroit development."
July 1, 2011
Theodore B. Sylwestrzak, '87, an attorney with Dickinson Wright, was named a "Leader in his Field" by Chambers USA. Sylwestrzak is recognized for his work in bankruptcy, workouts, asset-based lending and other secured lending situations, as well as his speed, efficiency and responsiveness toward clients.
August 3, 2011Kathy Browne, '87, multiple U.S. and Chinese patent holder; board of directors member of Keep Michigan Beautiful (KMB) Inc.; and national, state, and local award-winning founder, president and CEO of Green!USA, is having her environmentally-friendly peat-free potting soil recipe reprinted in a new, upcoming cookbook for KMB.
August 23, 2011
H. Nathan Resnick, '87, founding and managing partner of Resnick and Moss PC, was named a 2012 Top Lawyer by DBusiness.
November 14, 2011
Jean Schtokal, '87, a shareholder at Foster Swift Collins and Smith PC, has been appointed as the 2012 Division Director for International Business Services for the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce. She has been on the Chamber Board of Directors since 2009.
December 13, 2011
H. Nathan Resnick, '87, of Resnick and Moss PC was recently nominated to the Board of Directors of The Bear Hug Foundation, a non-profit organization that gives at-risk, underprivileged and special needs children the opportunity to experience an outdoor summer camp in Northern Michigan.
February 14, 2012
Patrick Karbowski, '87, received the C. Robert Wartell Distinguished Service Award during the Real Property Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan's annual summer conference July 18-21 at Boyne Falls. Karbowski is a shareholder with Butzel Long, has served as chairman of the Real Property Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan and is an ex officio member of the governing council, as well as a member of many of its committees. He is chairman of its Pro Bono Committee.
August 3, 2012
Theodore Sylwestrzak, '87, was listed in Chambers USA, Best Lawyers in America and Michigan Super Lawyers for 2012. Sylwestrzak is a member in Dickinson Wright PLLC's office in Detroit. He focuses his practice in the areas of bankruptcy and restructuring, loan sales, automotive workouts, real estate workouts and foreclosures, and creditor rights and bankruptcy litigation.
October 22, 2012
Patrick Karbowski, '87, was recognized as a Top Lawyer in Metro Detroit 2013 in the practice areas of Land Use and Zoning Law and Real Estate Law by DBusiness magazine. He is with Butzel Long.
December 6, 2012
Phillip Korovesis, '87, was recognized as a Top Lawyer in Metro Detroit 2013 in the practice areas of Insurance Law and Business Litigation by DBusiness magazine. He is with Butzel Long.
December 6, 2012
Kris Dighe, '87, coauthored a chapter titled "The Use of Satellite Imagery in Environmental Crimes Prosecutions in the United States: A Developing Area," in the book "Evidence from Earth Observation Satellites: Emerging Legal Issues," published in December 2012 by Brill. The book analyzes whether data from satellite technologies can be a legally reliable, effective evidential tool in contemporary legal systems. Dighe is assistant chief of the Environmental Crimes Section of the U.S. Department of Justice.
December 7, 2012
Sarah Deson-Fried, '87, was hired by the Ann Arbor office of Schiff Hardin LLP. Deson-Fried has extensive experience practicing transactional real estate law on a national basis. She has represented a wide variety of clients, including buyers, sellers, landlords, tenants, borrowers, lenders, developers, franchisors and franchisees in connection with office, industrial, retail, residential and multi-family real estate matters. Deson-Fried also is an experienced business consultant who advises with respect to major business operations and strategy. She is a former board member of the Michigan Economic Growth Authority and former treasurer of the Michigan Humanities Council.
May 7, 2013Susan Pryce, '86, was featured in Detroit Legal News for her career change from partner at Sommers Schwartz in Southfield, to partner in a bakery business.
January 27, 2009Mark A. Metz, '86, was ranked as a leader in Corporate Governance and Compliance Law, Corporate Law, and Securities Law in the “Best Lawyers in America” guide. He provides general corporate and securities representation for many of the firm’s publicly-held corporate clients in areas such as defensive planning, director’s duties, periodic reporting, disclosure, the responsibilities of corporate insiders, stick-based benefit plans, and insider trading rules.
November 13, 2008Mark Bowman, '86, will lead Chicago-based commercial real estate firm Howard Ecker in the Detroit market.
June 8, 2009Eric S. Richards, '86, 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.
August 4, 2009Roselyn R. Parmenter, '86, a principal with Miller Canfield (Ann Arbor, Mich.), has been appointed to the Eastern Michigan University Paralegal Studies Program Advisory Board.
November 30, 2009Gregory A. Nowak, '86, one of Michigan's leading experts on state and local tax issues, has re-joined Miller Canfield in its Business Litigation and Trial Group. He will specialize in state and local taxation.
December 7, 2009Gregory A. Nowak, '86, was elected principal of Miller Canfield. Nowak is one of Michigan's leading experts on state and local tax issues. He re-joined Miller Canfield in 2009 after spending 16 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers (Detroit). He is currently the chair-elect of the Board of the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants (MACPA). He has advised the Michigan legislature on tax policy issues and has received various awards for his contributions in the area of state and local taxation.
February 2, 2010
Lynn Gandhi, '86, a partner with Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP (Honigman), spoke at the American Bar Association (ABA) and Institute for Professionals in Taxation's (IPT) advanced tax seminar. Gandhi was one of only two Michigan attorneys to speak at this national conference.
March 26, 2010
Mark A. Metz, '86, of Dykema, was ranked by his peers as a leader in corporate governance and compliance law in the 2010 edition of Best Lawyers in America.
June 25, 2010Eric Richards, '86, of Mika Meyers Beckett and Jones PLC, was included in the 2011 edition of the Best Lawyers in America.
August 5, 2010
Gregory A. Nowak, '86, has been elected as the chair of the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants for 2010-2011 year. Nowak, CPA, JD, is a principal in the Detroit office of the international law firm of Miller Canfield.
August 25, 2010Gerald T. Lievois, '86, an attorney with Dykema, was included in the 2011 edition of Best Lawyers in America.
September 2, 2010Sheryl L. Toby, '86, co-leader of the bankruptcy and corporate restructing practice group with Dykema, was included in the 2011 edition of Best Lawyers in America.
September 2, 2010Elaine Fieldman, '86, of Barris Sott Denn and Driker, PLLC, was elected to the Michigan State University College of Law's Board of Trustees on September 29, 2010, and will be serving as one of four members of the Board of Trustees.
October 22, 2010E. Powell Miller, '86, was featured in the Detroit Free Press in an article titled "Lawyer's office is lined with rare baseball cards, including Honus Wagner."
January 10, 2011
Lynn A. Gandhi, '86, a partner with Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn, was named secretary of the State Bar of Michigan's governing body of the Tax Section known as the Tax Council. Gandhi is a partner in Honigman's tax appeals department. In her law practice, Gandhi advises clients on a national basis regarding multistate tax strategies, tax disputes and litigates state tax cases. Her areas of concentration are state income and gross receipts taxes, sales and use taxes, the Michigan Business Tax and other excise taxes. She is a certified public accountant recognized in Michigan and Illinois.
January 13, 2011
Brian, '86, and Mary Morrow, '86, both assistant Wayne County prosecuting attorneys, were featured in a recent Legal News article for establishing a small college scholarship. Named the Brian and Mary Morrow Community Service Scholarship, the scholarship rewards the initiative of graduating seniors from the Detroit Public Schools ("DPS") who have been actively involved in community service projects and who desire to continue their education at the college or university level.
July 12, 2011
Hon. Nancy Meyer-Swink Saitta, '86, has become Chief Justice of the Nevada Supreme Court. She was elected to the Supreme Court in 2006, a decade after she began her judicial career with her appointment as a Las Vegas Municipal Court Judge in October 1996. Two years later, she was elected as a District Court judge presiding over felony criminal cases and complex civil cases.
October 3, 2011Eric S. Richards, '86, an attorney with Mika Meyers Beckett and Jones PLC, was included in the 2012 edition of Best Lawyers in America.
December 22, 2011
Gregory Nowak, '86, received two distinguished awards for his public service. Nowak received the Cowger Leadership Award from the American Cancer Society for his outstanding contribution to the ACS' fundraising effort, serving as finance chair for the past two years. He also received the Distinguished Service Award from the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants for his contributions to the accounting profession in Michigan. He is the past chair of the board of the MACPA. A principal at Miller Canfield, Nowak is one of Michigan's leading experts on state and local tax issues. With over 20 years' experience, he focuses his practice on both structural tax planning and state tax controversy matters. He has served as a tax policy advisor to the Michigan legislature and Snyder administration. He is a longtime member of the MACPA and received their Hoatlin Award in 2008 and Special Recognition Award in 2009. He is chair of the Detroit Regional Chamber Tax Committee and a member of the council of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He is a member of the boards of the Detroit Historical Society and the Accounting Aid Society, and treasurer of the Detroit Yacht Club.
October 21, 2012
Ken Neuman, '86, was named one of The Best Lawyers in America 2013 in the practice area of real estate litigation for the second consecutive year. He is a managing partner of Neuman Anderson P.C., a Birmingham-based business law firm specializing in complex commercial litigation. Neuman concentrates his practice in complex commercial litigation and business consulting, with a focus on corporate, real estate/construction, accounting and forensic issues, and contract disputes. Neuman is a registered certified public accountant and spent several years with one of the "big eight" accounting firms prior to beginning his legal career. He has been named a Michigan Super Lawyer since 2007 and a DBusiness magazine Top Lawyer.
November 17, 2012
Elizabeth Pezzetti, '86, was appointed by the Michigan Supreme Court to the Committee on Model Civil Jury Instructions, which drafts standard instructions for juries in civil cases. Pezzetti is a judge with the Oakland County Probate Court.
December 10, 2012
Lynn Gandhi, '86, was named chair of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce Tax Policy Committee for a two-year term. The committee works closely with the legislature, industry and state agencies on a variety of tax related issues, particularly those related to state and local tax. She is a partner in the Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP's Tax Practice Group. Gandhi advises clients on a national basis regarding multistate tax strategies, tax disputes and litigates state tax cases. Her areas of concentration are state income and gross receipts taxes, sales and use taxes, Michigan business taxes and other excise taxes. She is also experienced in unclaimed property processes and audits, from both the preventive and defensive postures, and is deeply engaged in investment incentive opportunities. She is a certified public accountant recognized in Michigan and Illinois. Gandhi also serves as secretary of the State Bar of Michigan's Tax Council and Chair of the American Bar Association's Gross Receipts Tax subcommittee. She has been named in "Best Lawyers in America "from 2010 to 2013, Michigan Super Lawyers in 2011 and 2012 and as a DBusiness "Top Lawyers" in 2013.
February 26, 2013Joseph M. Fazio, '85, was elected by Miller Canfield to serve a two-year term as managing director, effective Jan. 1, 2009. He is a principal in the Real Estate Group in the Ann Arbor, Michigan office. His specific areas of expertise include complex commercial real estate acquisitions and developments, with extensive experience in ground leasing, entity formation, public/private development agreements, as well as conventional, securitized and tax-increment financing. He is recognized in The Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA and Michigan Super Lawyers for his real estate work.
February 2, 2009Michael A. Fleming, '85, of Plunkett Cooney’s Bloomfield Hills office, was named a shareholder of the firm. He lends his expertise in the areas of banking and finance law, and creditor’s rights and bankruptcy. He represent s clients in commercial and secured transactions, including loan workouts, foreclosures and commercial loan collections, as well as business reorganizations, debtor and creditor's rights, and probate and estate administration. Fleming has also earned Martindale-Hubbell's highest rating-AV, which is a peer review rating process. Ratings fall into the categories of legal ability and general ethical standards.
January 27, 2009Linda G. Burwell, '85, a partner at Nemeth Burwell PC, was a presenter at the annual Michigan Society for Human Resource Management (MISHRAM) State Conference, Oct. 15-17 in Dearborn, Mich. Burwell’s presentation focused on the legal, policy and HR challenges that electronic communications present to employers.
December 1, 2008Diane Akers, '85, a partner in the Detroit office of the law firm Bodman LLP, was appointed co-chair of the Business Impact Committee of the Judicial Cross-roads Task Force. The Task Force, created by the State Bar of Michigan, addresses maintaining judicial services despite decreased funding and the economic down-turn.
October 23, 2009Linda Burwell, '85, founding partner with Nemeth Burwell, was included in DBusiness magazine's exclusive 2010 Martindale-Hubbell list of metro Detroit's finest barristers.
November 17, 2009Jay Kaplan, '85, an ACLU of Michigan staff attorney, was featured in the Detroit Legal News regarding his recent lecture at Wayne Law. Kaplan's lecture topic was Perry v. Schwarzenegger, the ongoing federal challenge to California's same-sex marriage ban.
January 15, 2010
Linda Burwell, '85, a founding partner of Detroit-based employment law firm Nemeth Burwell, P.C., has been named one of Michigan's 25 Leaders in the Law by Michigan Lawyers Weekly. Burwell and her fellow honorees from throughout the state's legal community were celebrated at an awards luncheon today at the Marriott in Troy.
March 16, 2010Joseph M. Fazio, '85, of Miller Canfield, has been elected chair of the managing directors, the firm's five-person management administration. The managing directors work closely with CEO Michael W. Hartmann to oversee the firm's 18 offices and 370 lawyers in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Poland and China. Fazio is a principal in the Real Estate Group in the Ann Arbor, Mich. office. His specific areas of expertise include complex commercial real estate acquisitions and developments, with extensive experience in ground leasing, entity formation, public/private development agreements, as well as conventional, securitized and tax-increment financing.
April 21, 2010
Linda G. Burwell, '85, founding partner of Detroit-based employment law firm Nemeth Burwell, P.C., has been named to the 2011 edition of the Best Lawyers in America® in the specialty area of labor and employment law.
August 26, 2010
Linda Burwell, '85, founding partner of Detroit-based employment law firm Nemeth Burwell, P.C., has been included in the November/December issue of DBusiness magazine's exclusive 2011 list of metro Detroit's Top Lawyers in the specialty areas of labor and employment.
November 4, 2010Holli Hart Targan, '85, an attorney with Jaffe Raitt Heuer and Weiss PC, was featured in the On the Stand section of the September 21, 2010, Michigan Lawyers Weekly.
November 10, 2010
Linda Burwell, '85, presented "Employee Privacy in the Electronic Age: Is Big Brother Watching You?" at the Bernard Gottfried Labor Law Symposium in October at Wayne Law. She facilitated a Continuing Legal Education session entitled "Working with The EEOC - An Insider's Perspective" at a national meeting of law firms in October in Washington D.C. She and Patricia Nemeth,'90, presented "Litigating Employment Claims in Michigan: The Effects of Nuanced State Laws and a Rejuvenated EEOC" to a large group of insurance representatives in October in Chicago. They also addressed social networking issues affecting employers at a large multi-national insurance group in Connecticut in a presentation entitled, "Hey, Get out of my Face...Book!" in October.
December 6, 2010
Joseph M. Fazio, '85, has been re-elected by the law firm of Miller Canfield to serve a two-year term as a managing director, effective January 1, 2011. He is part of a five-person management administration that works with the CEO to oversee the firm's offices in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Poland and China.
January 31, 2011
Nazli G. Sater, '85, has joined Warner Norcross and Judd LLP in its Southfield office. Sater, who joins the law firm as a partner, concentrates her practice in the Family Law/Divorce Practice Group. She has extensive experience in family law, including child custody and support, pre- and post-nuptial agreements, property division and related areas. Prior to joining Warner Norcross, she was a partner in the litigation department of Hyman Lippitt PC, where she concentrated her practice in divorce and family law. Sater serves on the Family Law Advisory Board of the Institute of Continuing Legal Education. She has also served as a guest lecturer on a variety of topics related to family law and divorce issues.
February 7, 2011
Linda Burwell , '85, addressed social networking issues affecting employers in a presentation entitled, "Hey, Get out of my Face...Book!" which took place in New York and Ohio in March.
March 23, 2011
Linda Burwell, '85, founding partner of Detroit-based employment law firm Nemeth Burwell PC, addressed social networking issues affecting employers in a presentation entitled, Emerging Issues of Liability Arising from the Use of Social Networking in the Workplace. The presentation was held in Connecticut before a large industry group.
August 2, 2011Mark G. Landau, '85, LL.M., of Couzens Lansky of Farmington Hills, was chosen as a 2011 FIVE STAR Wealth Manager. He is part of a select group, representing less than 7 percent of wealth managers in the Detroit metropolitan area. The award is based on survey results from thousands of consumers and other financial services professionals.
August 16, 2011
Holli Targan, '85, a partner in the Southfield office of Jaffe Raitt Heuer and Weiss PC, was recently selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America ® 2012 in the field of information technology.
October 31, 2011
Richard M. Miettinen, '85, of the law firm Howard and Howard, has been named to DBusiness Top Lawyers 2012.
November 3, 2011
Dennis J. Levasseur, '85, an attorney at Bodman PLC, was recognized in the just-released 2012 edition of Benchmark Litigation, a guide to America’s leading litigation firms and attorneys for his commercial litigation work. Benchmark honors law firms and individual attorneys who received particularly strong endorsements from clients and peers in an exhaustive annual research survey.
December 13, 2011
Derek S. Whitefield, '85, of Dykema's Los Angeles office, has been elected by the membership of the firm to the firm's 7-member executive board. In his new role, Mr. Whitefield will help guide the long-range strategic planning, policy and direction of the firm, and help oversee the firm's economic performance.
January 6, 2012John Roth, '85, is leaving his job as the Justice Department's special counsel for money-laundering policy on the Financial Action Task Force in Paris, France, to become director of the Food and Drug Administration's Office of Criminal Investigations. He'll supervise a staff of 280. Roth served on the 9/11 Commission in 2003-04.
July 2, 2012
Mindy Hitchcock, '85, was the focus of a feature story in the Grand Rapids Legal News. Her Bingham Farms legal firm is called Lady4 Justice.
November 9, 2012
Anthony Saulino Jr., '85, was recognized as a Top Lawyer in Metro Detroit 2013 in the practice area of Real Estate Law by DBusiness magazine. He is with Butzel Long.
December 6, 2012
Rick Berg, '85, was recognized as a Top Lawyer in Metro Detroit 2013 in the practice areas of Business Litigation and Commercial Litigation by DBusiness magazine. He is with Butzel Long.
December 6, 2012
Holli Targan, '85, has been elected to a one-year term as a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of Washington, D.C.-based Electronic Transactions Association. Targan served as president of the ETA in 2010 and as a member of its Board of Directors for more than 10 years. She concentrates her law practice on card processing, mobile payments and electronic payments law. She is a frequent lecturer and has published dozens of articles on industry-related topics. She is a partner at Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss PC.
January 28, 2013
Linda Burwell, '85, testified before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Washington, D.C., on March 20, as part of a round table public meeting to provide input on the agency's Quality Control Plan for investigations and conciliations. A nationally recognized speaker and author on employment law, discrimination prevention and risk management, Burwell often serves as the legal expert on panels involving employment laws and workplace trends. At Nemeth Burwell, where she is a founding partner, she serves as a litigator, arbitrator and consultant, representing management in all aspects of labor and employment law and EEOC matters. Burwell's areas of expertise include wrongful discharge, discrimination, non-competition, harassment, interference with contract, equal pay, retaliation, whistleblowers, wage and hours, unfair labor practices, breach of contract, libel and slander, and invasion of privacy. She also counsels management on collective bargaining agreements, pre-employment, discipline, and pre-termination and post-termination matters. Burwell is a board member of the National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms and an ABA Foundation Fellow. She is a member of the Michigan, Ohio, Federal, and the United States Supreme Court Bar. She has received numerous honors throughout her legal career and in 2010 was named one of Michigan's 25 Leaders in the Law by the legal trade publication Michigan Lawyers Weekly.
March 24, 2013
Byron Konschuh, '85, was appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder to the 40th Circuit Court covering Lapeer County. Konschuh has served as the Lapeer County prosecuting attorney since 2000.
March 26, 2013
Jay Kaplan, '85, is speaking at the Kalamazoo Gay and Lesbian Resource Center from noon to 3 p.m. May 6 about the arguments on the same-sex marriage cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, the different possible outcomes, and their impact. Kaplan is the LGBT Legal Project staff attorney for the ACLU of Michigan. Kaplan has worked on cases including challenging undercover sting operations targeting gay men, fighting Michigan's constitutional amendment prohibiting same-sex couples from marrying, defending the validity of second parent adoptions granted in Michigan, and recently advocating for a transgender high school student to be able to run for prom court. Kaplan was honored with the 2006 Unsung Hero Award from the Michigan State Bar and the 2010 Virginia Uribe Civil Rights Award from the National Education Association.
April 15, 2013Elizabeth Hardy, '84, was named a Power Lawyer by Crain's Detroit Business. She is a founding partner of Kienbaum, Opperwall, Hardy & Pelton PLC and has won several significant Michigan Supreme Court decisions that helped reshape legal doctrines in the state in favor of employees.
February 9, 2009Kevin J. Cox, '84, of McKeen and Associates PC has been named senior associate. Cox specializes in medical malpractice and birth trauma litigation. Prior to joining the firm, Cox was a senior partner at Weiner and Cox, where he represented clients in medical malpractice and personal injury litigation. He is also a member of the Michigan Association for Justice (MAJ) and American Association for Justice (AAJ).
December 1, 2008Thomas J. McGraw, '84, of Dykema, was ranked as a leader in the “Best Lawyers in America” guide. McGraw practices health care law, and is the leader of the firm’s Health Care Practice Group.
November 13, 2008Patricia Nemeth, '84, the founding partner of Detroit-based employment law firm Nemeth Burwell, P.C., has been named one of Michigan’s 25 Leaders in the Law by the legal trade publication Michigan Lawyers Weekly. Nemeth and her fellow honorees from throughout the state’s legal community were celebrated at an awards luncheon at the Marriott in Troy.
March 27, 2009Randall R. "Randy" Adams, '84, a Poyner Spruill attorney, has been named to the 2010 edition of Best Lawyers in America, the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. He was recognized in the Insurance Law category.
August 12, 2009David Masson, '84, has been appointed associate vice president and deputy general counsel in the University of Michigan Office of the Vice President and General Counsel, pending approval by the Board of Regents.
March 16, 2010
Patricia Nemeth, '84, founding partner of Detroit-based employment law firm Nemeth Burwell, P.C., has been named to the 2011 edition of the Best Lawyers in America® in the specialty area of labor and employment law.
August 26, 2010Elizabeth A. Silverman, '84, was featured in the On the Stand section of the Michigan Lawyers Weekly August 30, 2010 issue.
November 4, 2010
Kenneth R. Marcus, '84, a partner with Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP's Health Care Department, recently moderated a webinar panel entitled "Graduate Medical Education Payment Implications of the Healthcare Reform Law Part II: CMS Issues Final Regulations." The webinar was sponsored nationally by the American Health Lawyers Association and drew an audience from law firms and teaching hospitals located throughout the country.
December 16, 2010
Jonathan R. Borenstein, '84, a partner with Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP, has been appointed to serve as an executive board vice president for the Apartment Association of Michigan.
March 2, 2011
Kenneth R. Marcus, '84, a partner in Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP's Health Care Department, recently addressed attendees at the Institute on Medicare and Medicaid Payment Issues program sponsored by the American Health Lawyers Association.
April 14, 2011
Patricia Nemeth, '84, LL.M. '90, founding partner of Detroit-based employment law firm Nemeth Burwell PC, has received the Outstanding Board Leadership Award from Dearborn Heights-based Vista Maria, the oldest and largest private, not-for-profit child welfare agency in Michigan for girls and young women. She will be honored at Vista Maria's annual meeting and special recognition breakfast on Tuesday, June 28 at the Dearborn Inn.
June 23, 2011
Patricia Nemeth, '84, LL.M. '90, founding partner of Detroit-based employment law firm Nemeth Burwell PC, is included in a recently published book by the American Bar Association (ABA) titled, The Road to Independence: 101 Women's Journeys to Starting their Own Law Firms.
July 26, 2011
Patricia Nemeth, '84, LL.M. '90, founding partner of Detroit-based employment law firm Nemeth Burwell PC, addressed social networking issues affecting employers in a presentation entitled, Emerging Issues of Liability Arising from the Use of Social Networking in the Workplace. The presentation was held in Connecticut before a large industry group.
August 2, 2011
William A. Beluzo Jr., '84, a Plunkett Cooney estate planning attorney, was recently named a "Detroit Five Star Wealth Manager" for 2011 by FIVE STAR Professional, an independent client satisfaction research firm. Beluzo, who works in Plunkett Cooney's Bloomfield Hills office, has more than 30 years of experience in the areas of probate and estate planning, trusts, wills, estate and trust administration, probate and trust litigation, tax law, wealth strategy planning, asset protection planning, and family and elder law. In 2010, the Institute of Business and Finance honored him with the prestigious estate planning designation of Board Certified in Estate Planning.
August 9, 2011
Patricia Nemeth, '84, LL.M. '90, founding partner of Detroit-based employment law firm Nemeth Burwell PC, was interviewed by R. J. King, editor of DBusiness magazine, for the video series View from the Top. View from the Top features the Southeast Michigan region's leading business owners, CEOs and thought leaders discussing a variety of business issues affecting the Detroit Metropolitan region.
September 7, 2011
Patricia Nemeth, '84, LL.M. '90, a founding partner of Nemeth Burwell PC, co-wrote an article with Terry Bonnette, '04, entitled, "Don't be Blind-Sided by GINA: The Surprisingly Wide Reach of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act," which was published in the October/November issue of Executive Counsel Magazine.
November 3, 2011
Randall Adams, '84, was named to "The Best Lawyers in America 2013," a peer-review publication. He focuses his practice on tort liability with an emphasis in transportation, health care and product liability. He is with Poyner & Spruill in North Carolina.
September 10, 2012
Bernadette Dennehy, '84, was listed in Best Lawyers in America and Michigan Super Lawyers for 2012. Dennehy is a member in Dickinson Wright PLLC's office in Detroit. She focuses her practice in the areas of corporate, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, real estate, and real estate finance.
October 22, 2012
Kevin Cox, '84, was elected in November to the Wayne County Third Circuit Court bench. Previously, as an assistant attorney general in the labor division of the office of Attorney General Bill Schuette since 2010, Cox represented the state of Michigan in state courts and administrative hearings.
November 26, 2012
Michael Fishman, '84, was named Best Lawyer 2013 in the area of trademark law. Moreover, he was named Lawyer of the Year in the area of trademark law for his geographic location, one of the most prestigious awards granted by Best Lawyers in America. Fishman has filed, prosecuted and maintained thousands of trademark applications and registrations in more than 200 jurisdictions worldwide. He is a founding member of Rader Fishman and Grauer PLLC.
December 4, 2012The Hon. Donald Allen Jr., '83, was honored by the Lansing Black Lawyers Association for outstanding his leadership and accomplishments.
June 8, 2009Anne Widlak, '83, a partner with Nemeth Burwell, was included in DBusiness magazine's exclusive 2010 Martindale-Hubbell list of metro Detroit's finest barristers.
November 17, 2009James S. Fontichiaro, '83, was named to the 2010 edition of "Best Lawyers Real Estate Lawyer of the Year" for 2009.
November 24, 2009James Fontichiaro, '83, of Barris, Sott, Denn & Driker, was named to the 2010 edition of "Best Lawyers in America."
December 14, 2009Kent Siegel, '83, has been appointed as chief financial officer and senior vice-president of Zion Oil & Gas, Inc. Siegel has been a member of the board of directors of Zion Oil & Gas, Inc. since November 2003 and served, until very recently, as lead independent director, chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and a member of both the Audit Committee and Compensation Committee.
July 12, 2010
