Alumni Accomplishments
Martin S. Frenkel, '94, a shareholder at Southfield-based Maddin, Hauser, Wartell, Roth & Heller PC, was a featured panelist at a national conference hosted by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) in Chicago.
May 11, 2009Elisa Angeli Palizzi, '94, has been sworn in as the 2009-2010 president of the Federal Bar Association, Eastern District of Michigan.
August 10, 2009Mona Armstrong, '94, senior assistant prosecutor was featured in The Times Herald as a potential candidate for St. Clair County Circuit Judge.
January 17, 2010Michael Cone, '94, was a speaker at the Georgetown University Law Center's 2010 International Trade Update held in Washington, D.C. The topic of his panel was the "Nuts and Bolts of Litigating a Customs Case."
April 21, 2010
Michael T. Cone, '94, a member of Wayne Law's external advisory committee for the Program for International Legal Studies, now practices in the areas of administrative law, customs, and international trade with McCullough Ginsberg Montano and Partners LLP in New York. Additionally, he will be presenting a seminar on importing and exporting textiles to members of the Van Andel Global Trade Center in Grand Rapids, Mich., on Aug. 18, 2010.
August 2, 2010Ted C. Tow III, '94, of Northglenn, Colorado, will replace retiring District Court Judge John T. Bryan in the 17th Judicial District - which serves Adams and Broomfield counties - effective Jan. 11. Tow is currently the executive director of the Colorado District Attorneys' Council. Prior to that, he served as a deputy district attorney in the 17th Judicial District, a civil litigator and as a manager in the private sector.
September 23, 2010Lorraine Shalhoub, '94, vice president and general counsel of Chrysler Canada, was profiled in the December issue of Inside Counsel magazine. The article talks about her career and her being named Canadian General Counsel of the Year in 2010. http://www.insidecounsel.com/Issues/2010/December-2010/Pages/Chrysler-Canada-GC-Lorraine-Shalhoub-on-Her-Road-to-Success.aspx?k=Lorraine+Shalhoub
December 6, 2010
Michael T. Cone, '94, was recently featured on NPR's All Things Considered program in an interview ("Sawing Apart Gym Shoes At The Port Of Long Beach"). Cone is also presenting a food importing seminar in Grand Rapids on Jan. 26, an importing seminar in New York on Jan. 27, and will be a panelist on March 2 for Georgetown Law CLE's 2011 International Trade Update. Additionally, he recently won a case at the CIT relating to government procurement.
January 26, 2011
Rachel Brochert Roe, '94, recently joined Munson Healthcare as assistant general counsel. Munson Healthcare is a multi-hospital regional health system based in Traverse City, Michigan. Prior to her affiliation with Munson Healthcare, she was a shareholder in the law firm of Smith Haughey Rice and Roegge.
March 10, 2011
Michael T. Cone, '94, provided expertise in a Ms. Magazine post titled "How Gender Gets Stopped at the Border." Cone, a member of the Wayne Law Program for International Legal Studies Advisory Committee, practices in the areas of administrative law, customs and international trade with McCullough Ginsberg Montano and Partners LLP in New York.
July 18, 2011
Mike Kolasa, '94, LL.M., has opened a new division in Marquette, Mich., for The Stephenson National Bank and Trust (SNBT). As Vice President and Trust Officer of the Marquette Trust and Investment Services Office, he will focus primarily on financial, tax, and estate planning as well as account investment management for clients.
April 16, 2012
Sabrina Johnson, '94, was appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder to replace former Inkster District Judge Sylvia James, who was removed from the 22nd District Court bench for financial improprieties. Johnson served as a Wayne County assistant prosecutor from 1996-02 and from 2008 until her 2012 appointment. From 2002-08, she managed her own private law firm. Her appointment runs through Jan. 1, 2013.
September 6, 2012
Eric Jones, '94, was featured in an Oakland County Legal News article titled "Top gun: IP attorney served as a pilot in Air Force, National Guard." His is an intellectual property attorney and shareholder with Reising Ethington in Troy, and teaches in Nicaragua several times a year.
September 6, 2012
Michael Cone, '94, has been appointed to a new term as a member of the Advisory Committee for the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York. He practices in the areas of administrative law, customs, and international trade with FSB FisherBroyles in New York. Cone counsels clients on a broad array of regulatory compliance issues. His administrative expertise includes matters falling under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, the Food and Drug Administration, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Products Safety Commission, and a variety of other administrative bodies that regulate the importation and sale of merchandise. He also represents clients in all phases of litigation before federal and state courts, including the U.S. Court of International Trade. Advisory committee members work with the court to enhance its internal operations and amend its rules in order to improve practice before the court. Cone is a frequent speaker at professional and commercial trade events, and has been quoted in the New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, the Journal of Commerce, Women's Wear Daily, Marie Claire magazine and other publications. Cone is general counsel for and a member of the Board of The Gohan Society, a nonprofit charity that seeks to further awareness of Japanese cuisine and culinary arts. He is fluent in French, and has studied and practiced law in Paris.
February 19, 2013
Alan Taylor, '94, has joined Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney Ltd., a litigation firm with offices in seven cities nationwide, as a shareholder in the firm's Detroit office. Taylor will focus his practice on commercial litigation, professional negligence defense for attorneys and accountants, insurance defense, real estate litigation, business transactions and defending creditors' rights. He has extensive experience representing publicly traded corporations, private companies and individuals throughout Michigan.Taylor also regularly counsels landlords and tenants on all aspects of commercial, industrial and residential tenancies.Taylor was named to the 2011 and 2012 Michigan Super Lawyers lists and was recognized as a 2011 Top Lawyer by DBusiness Magazine. He is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell and is actively involved in several legal and real estate organizations including multiple sections of the Michigan State Bar.
February 28, 2013
Tammy Klugh, '94, was recognized by the Michigan Chronicle as a "Woman of Excellence 2014" honoree. She is vice president of diversity, inclusion and compliance for Kelly Services. In her role, Klugh partners with leaders throughout Kelly Services to design global strategies to create an inclusive environment internally as well as develop staffing solutions for customers. Prior to joining Kelly in 1999 as the director of diversity, Klugh was assistant director, Diversity and Compliance Office, for Oakland University in Rochester Hills. She began her career with the U.S. Department of Labor, Office Federal Contract Compliance Programs as a compliance officer serving southeastern Michigan.
March 29, 2013Mark Sparschu, '93, joined Brooks Kushman P.C. Sparschu joins the leading intellectual property (IP) law firm as a senior attorney and will be responsible for client counseling in trademark and other IP law matters, including brand protection and trademark development, clearance, counterfeiting and litigation. Most recently, Sparschu served as chief trademark counsel for Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn, Mich., where he had overall responsibility for the trademark law matters for Ford and its worldwide subsidiaries, including the Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo, Land Rover, Jaguar and Aston Martin brands. In this capacity, he led a group of eight trademark professionals in four countries and outside counsel throughout the world.
March 6, 2009Marcy J. Ford, '93, a partner with Farmington-Hills based Trott & Trott PC, has been named USFN Secretary. USFN is a national resource network serving the mortgage industry. Ford is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, Oakland County Bar Association, Federal Bar Association, National Association of Chapter 13 Trustees, American Bankruptcy Institute, Consumer Bankruptcy Association (CBA) and the Michigan Mortgage Lenders Association (MMLA).
November 13, 2008David Galbenski, '93, has authored a book: "Unbound: How Entrepreneurship is Dramatically Transforming Legal Services Today." The book highlights and dissects how the demands of a changing marketplace are forcing the legal industry, rooted in century-old law firms and billing practices, to behave less like a profession and more like a business. The book also demonstrates how entrepreneurial best practices are being applied to the rapidly changing legal services industry. Nineteen leading visionaries from corporate counsel, law firms, and legal outsourcing providers offer input on where the industry is going over the next three to five years. Seven key trends are examined in the book. The hard-cover edition is slated for an April 20, 2009 release, and can be ordered at www.unboundlegal.com, or by contacting Karen Weaks at kweaks@unboundlegal.com.
April 10, 2009Portia Roberson, '93, has been named director of intergovernmental affairs and public liaison at the U.S. Justice Department in Washington, D.C. She formerly worked at the Detroit Medical Center.
June 12, 2009Rob Iwrey, '93, co-founded the Health Law Partners, PC, a boutique firm specializing in healthcare law in Southfield, Mich., with Abby Pendleton, '96, Adrienne Dresevic, '02, and Jessica Gustafson, '05.
June 18, 2009Andrew M. (Jake) Grove, '93, is a shareholder at Reising Ethington, PC. He is now in his third year serving as an adjunct professor teaching Trademark Law and Unfair Competition at the University of Detroit Mercy Law School. He is also co-author of the student case book Patent Law published by Thomson West. Grove has also been selected as a Michigan Super Lawyer in each of the last four years.
July 24, 2009Andrew "Jake" Grove, '93, a shareholder at the intellectual property law firm Reising Ethington, has been asked back to teach the Trademark and Unfair Competition law class this year at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. He was asked to teach again after last year's students gave him excellent reviews. Grove is a co-author of the West Publishing Company's Sixth Edition of the textbook Cases and Materials on Patent Law, Including Trade Secrets, Copyrights, Trademarks and a corresponding teacher's guide. He has been asked to help write the next edition of this textbook and teacher's guide.
August 21, 2009
Michelle C. Harrell, '93, of Maddin, Hauser, Wartell, Roth & Heller, PC, has been named as a shareholder of the firm and the managing shareholder of the firm's eight-member General & Complex Litigation Group. She concentrates her practice on complex commercial, real estate, receivership and family law litigation. Harrell is a Barrister in the American Inn of Court, Oakland County Chapter; an appointed member of the U. S. Courts Committee of the State Bar of Michigan, a mentor in the Oakland County Bar Association Mentor Program; and an Oakland County Circuit Court Case Evaluator.
January 11, 2010Jake Grove, '93, has joined Honigman, Miller, Schwartz and Cohn, LLP as a partner in its Litigation Department. Grove concentrates his practice on intellectual property litigation with a particular emphasis on patent, trade secret and other technology-related subjects.
November 17, 2009William J. Kliffel, '93, was named a shareholder with Butzel Long. Previously, Kliffel was a senior attorney with the firm. He has extensive experience in the area of asbestos defense litigation, including product identification, liability issues, appearance work and medical aspects of defense of both manufacturers and suppliers. He also has experience in the defense of automotive negligence, premises liability, medical malpractice and products liability cases.
March 26, 2010Mark Sparschu, '93, shareholder of Brooks Kushman PC, was appointed to head the firm's trademark group. The appointment was announced by Mark Cantor, president of the firm, and furthers the continued success of the firm's diverse trademark team.
June 8, 2010
Kim Yapchai, '93, is now director of Corporate Ethics and Counsel-Retail/Wholesale Group for Masco Corporation.
July 2, 2010
Stephen P. Brown, '93, a partner of Plunkett Cooney, was recently selected for membership in the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (FDCC), an international organization whose members dedicate their practice to the representation of corporations and insurance companies in the defense of civil litigation.
October 4, 2010Lisa Budyk Zimmer, '93, a partner with the law firm Warner Norcross and Judd LLP, has been named to The Best Lawyers in America® 2011.
October 14, 2010Mary C. Bonnema, '93, of McGarry Bair PC, was profiled in the On the Stand section of the Michigan Lawyers Weekly Aug. 9, 2010 issue.
November 4, 2010
Kim Yapchai, '93, has been nominated for the 2012 Crain's General and In-House Counsel awards. She is currently employed by Masco Corporation as Director of Corporate Ethics and Counsel-Retail/Wholesale Group. Kim Yapchai is co-chair of the In-House Counsel Committee for the State Bar of Michigan - Business Law Section. Ms. Yapchai is also Vice President - Strategy on the Wayne Law Alumni Association board.
February 28, 2012
Megan Bonanni, '93, has been named partner at Royal Oak law firm Pitt McGehee Palmer Rivers and Golden.
April 27, 2012
Kimberlee Yapchai, '93, was recently named Assistant General Counsel and Director of Group Legal Affairs and Corporate Ethics at Masco Corporation in Taylor, Mich.
May 25, 2012
Sangeeta Shah, '93, of Brooks Kushman PC was named one of 20 awardees of Michigan Lawyer Weekly's Women in the Law 2012.
July 30, 2012
Ann Maire Uetz, '93, was recognized in "The Best Lawyers in America 2013." The listings are based on peer review. Uetz is a partner with the Detroit office of Foley & Lardner LLP.
September 4, 2012
Amanda Mercer, '93, was the captain of a six-woman team that smashed a world record for a relay swim across the English Channel and back in July. Their effort was a fundraiser for ALS research on behalf of a friend. Mercer also is undergoing treatment for breast cancer. She focuses her private law practice in Ann Arbor on mediation and contract law.
September 17, 2012
Judith Layne, '93, was listed in Best Lawyers in America for Trusts and Estates Law. Layne is a member in Dickinson Wright PLLC's office in Troy. She focuses her practice in the areas of estate planning and administration, corporate, and taxation.
October 22, 2012
Peter Webster, '93, was listed in Best Lawyers in America and Michigan Super Lawyers in 2012. Webster is a member in Dickinson Wright PLLC's office in Troy. He focuses his practice in the areas of antitrust and trade regulation, commercial and business litigation, real estate, and schools and education.
October 22, 2012
Marcy Ford, '93, was recognized as a 2013 Top Lawyer by DBusiness magazine. Ford, partner and executive vice president at Trott & Trott PC, was selected in the Bankruptcy and Creditor/Debtor Rights category. She serves as the chair of Trott's Executive Committee and is president of USFN.
November 20, 2012
Sangeeta Shah, '93, was featured in a Motion magazine article titled "Chemist finds just the right legal balance."
December 12, 2012
Robert Iwrey, '93, of Southfield-based The Health Law Partners, recently co-wrote a whitepaper published by the State Bar of Michigan on licensing procedures and investigations for health care providers titled, "Licensure & Certification: Process & Investigation." Iwrey is a founding shareholder of the firm. As a co-author, Iwrey's chapter provided fellow attorneys with an outline of the processes followed by Michigan's Bureau of Health Care Services with regard to investigations and prosecutions of health care providers that allegedly violate Michigan's Public Health Code. The chapter also reviews the collateral effects that are associated with licensing sanctions. Iwrey is a practicing litigator and has specialized his practice in health care transactional law, including licensure, staff privileges, contracts, physician practice issues, and health care investigation and audit defense. Iwrey was also recognized as a Super Lawyer in Health Law in each of the past three years and a DBusiness Top Lawyer in Health Care/Corporate Governance & Compliance in 2010, 2012 and 2013.
March 1, 2013
Marc Wise, '93, was selected for inclusion in "Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business." He is a shareholder with Maddin Hauser Wartell Roth & Heller PC, and was honored in the Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation practice area.
May 14, 2013Cameron J. Evans, '92, a partner with Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP, was appointed Chair of the State Bar of Michigan’s Law and the Media Committee for the 2008-09 term. The focus of the committee is to develop, recommend and support programs that promote a positive relationship between law and the media. In addition to representing businesses in all facets of employment-related litigation, Evans has an active First Amendment media law practice representing newspapers, radio and television stations.
December 1, 2008Bryan Weldman, '92, has been hired as litigation partner at the Chicago-based personal injury law firm of Levin & Perconti. Prior to coming to Levin & Perconti, Bryan was a partner at Sinas, Dramis, Brake, Boughton & McIntyre, PC, a leading personal injury law firm in Michigan. Waldman has served as President of the Michigan Trial Lawyers Association (2003-2004), and in May 2007 the Governor of Michigan appointed him as a member of the Civil Service Commission where he was elected Chair in September of 2007. He has also received an “AV” rating from Martindale-Hubbell and was selected as one of the Best Lawyers in America and a Michigan SuperLawyer.
November 24, 2008Anna M. Maiuri, '92, has been re-elected chair of the managing directors, Miller Canfield’s five-person management administration. The managing directors work closely with CEO Michael W. Hartmann to oversee the firm’s offices and lawyers in the United States, Canada, Poland and China. Maiuri has been with Miller Canfield for nearly 17 years and is a principal in the Troy, Michigan office.
March 13, 2009Charles M. Fish, '92, has joined the international law firm of Chadbourne & Parke LLP as counsel in the intellectual property practice in the New York office. Prior to joining Chadbourne, Fish was vice president and chief patent counsel for Time Warner Inc. in New York.
March 13, 2009Mari Anne Guidobono, '92, has been appointed to the position of vice president, River Place Trust, a division of Community Central Bank.
April 27, 2009Gary Kendra, '92, opened a law practice in TechTown.
July 21, 2009Brenda Wilson-Hale, '92, currently chief executive officer of the Washington State University Foundation and vice president for university development, will join Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as vice president for institute advancement.
April 28, 2010
Mark V. Heusel, '92, joined Dickinson Wright PLLC's litigation group as a member in the Ann Arbor office. Heusel specializes in commercial litigation and has extensive experience representing regional, national and international clients in a variety of areas, including commercial transactions and litigation, employment litigation, including non-compete and trade secret matters, and regulatory land use compliance.
June 8, 2010
Jess A. Bahs, '92, LL.M. 1998, of Howard and Howard Attorneys PLLC, was named to DBusiness Top Lawyers 2011. Attorneys were selected through a process that included a peer review survey that polled more than 15,000 private attorneys in Oakland, Wayne, Macomb, Washtenaw and Livingston counties.
November 16, 2010Andrey Tomkiw, '92, and Steven J. Enwright, '97, have formed Tomkiw Enwright PLC, a new law firm in Royal Oak, Mich., dedicated to providing personalized and strategic legal services to leading and emerging businesses. Tomkiw Enwright will focus on representing businesses in the areas of labor and employment law, complex litigation, business formation and planning, venture finance, entertainment/ media law and general corporate counsel.
March 4, 2011
Anna Maiuri, '92, a Miller Canfield principal, was elected to serve as chair of the Environmental Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan. At Miller Canfield, Maiuri serves as chair of the firm's Energy, Environmental and Regulatory practice group specializing in air, water and land environmental law issues and has years of experience representing companies with interests in the global marketplace. Her expertise also includes helping corporations, business owners and operators assess environmental liabilities when purchasing, selling or leasing assets both across the country and around the world. Maiuri is named a Michigan Best Lawyer and recognized as one of the Top 50 Women Lawyers in Michigan by Super Lawyers for her work in Environmental Law.
September 26, 2011
Jess A. Bahs, '92, LL.M. '98, of the law firm Howard and Howard, has been named to DBusiness Top Lawyers 2012.
November 2, 2011
Valerie Newman, '92, SADO assistant defender, argued in the United States Supreme Court on October 31, 2011 on behalf of the Defendant/Respondent in Lafler v Cooper, Docket No. 10-209. Anthony Cooper's lawyer wrongly advised his client to reject a guilty plea, and the Court is considering whether ineffective assistance of counsel at the plea bargaining stage should provide a remedy on appeal where there was a fair trial. Briefs and a summary of the case can be found through the United States Supreme Court website. For complete coverage of this case, please see SCOTUSblog's website.
March 6, 2012
Anna Maiuri, '92, was named one of 20 awardees of Michigan Lawyer's Weekly's Women in the Law 2012. She is with Miller Canfield Paddock and Stone PLC.
July 30, 2012
Valerie Newman, '92, of the State Appellate Defender Office was named one of 20 awardees of Michigan Lawyer Weekly's Women in the Law 2012. She also received the Appellate Defender Commission's inaugural Thomas Award for Excellence in Appellate Advocacy.
July 30, 2012
Mark Heusel, '92, was listed in Best Lawyers in America and Michigan Super Lawyers for 2012. Heusel is a member in Dickinson Wright PLLC's office in Ann Arbor. He focuses his practice in the areas of automotive litigation, commercial and business litigation, intellectual property and trade secrets litigation, international, and labor and employment litigation.
October 22, 2012
Valerie Newman, '92, was named as one of Lawyers USA's seven "Lawyers of the Year." Her work on the 2011 Lafler v. Cooper case, during which she arguing successfully before the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of the defendant, was cited. She convinced the court that the right to effective assistance of counsel includes not just effective representation at trial, but also effective advising regarding plea bargains. Newman is an assistant defender with the State Appellate Defender's Office.
January 9, 2013
Anna Maiuri, '92, joined the Troy office of Dickinson Wright PLLC. With more than $2 billion in transactions to date, Maiuri has extensive experience in helping corporations, business owners and operators assess environmental liabilities when purchasing, selling or leasing assets both across the country and around the world. She is particularly experienced in helping utility companies and manufacturers achieve regulatory compliance through effective negotiations with governmental regulators that result in cost-effective strategies that fulfill both the client's and the regulator's needs. Maiuri also has extensive experience in complex matters including developing a strategy to address methane issues at a former municipal landfill, obtaining wetland determinations, and obtaining a remedial action plan approval for installation of a public water system to resolve claims associated with a county landfill. She also focuses her practice in the areas of oil and gas, automotive, climate law, energy, environmental and regulatory, and international and emerging markets. Maiuri has been honored by Michigan Lawyers Weekly's with the "2012 Women in the Law" award, was selected by "Best Lawyers in America" as Detroit's 2012 Environmental Lawyer of the Year and been recognized by Michigan Super Lawyers and DBusiness. Maiuri is a member of the State Bar of Michigan's Environmental Law Council, the Oakland County Bar Association and the American Bar Association. She is also a member of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce's Environmental Law Section, and serves as a board member for North Star Reach, working to build a camp for children with serious illnesses.
March 5, 2013
Valerie Newman, '92, will be honored April 27 with a Headliner Award from the Women of Wayne Alumni Association. She was named as one of Lawyers USA's seven "Lawyers of the Year." Her work on the 2011 Lafler v. Cooper case, during which she arguing successfully before the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of the defendant, was cited. She convinced the court that the right to effective assistance of counsel includes not just effective representation at trial, but also effective advising regarding plea bargains. Newman is an assistant defender with the State Appellate Defender's Office
March 26, 2013Matthew Meyer, '91, was recently hired by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and Chief of its Civil Division.
February 9, 2009Mark A. Davis, '91, was unanimously re-elected as President and CEO of Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC for his second, five year term.
January 21, 2009Belinda Reed Shannon, '91, was appointed to Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University's Board of Trustees for a one-and-half year term that ends on Jan. 6, 2011.
August 3, 2009
Phyllis Adams, '91, has been appointed practice group leader of the Dykema's Health Care practice group. Adams' practice is devoted to representation of clients in the health care sector with respect to corporate and regulatory issues, including long-term care and assisted living facilities, continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), and hospitals. In particular, Adams' practice focuses on certificate of need (CON) issues, health facility acquisitions and other changes of ownership, including related licensure and Medicare/Medicaid certification matters, CCRC registrations, long-term care/skilled nursing facility management and operating agreements, assisted living licensure matters, and health care joint ventures.
January 11, 2010Steven M. Ribiat, '91, a shareholder with Butzel Long, has been elected to serve a two-year term on the firm's Board of Directors.
April 23, 2010
Mark A. Davis, '91, president and CEO 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, 2010John D. Gaber, '91, a partner with Williams, Williams, Rattner and Plunkett, PC, participated in the 2010 Summer Conference of the Real Property Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan. He was the moderator and a presenter for the featured seminar "Lessons Learned from the Downturn."
August 9, 2010
Mark A. Davis, '91, LL.M., president and CEO of Howard and Howard Attorneys PLLC, was named to DBusiness Top Lawyers 2011. Attorneys were selected through a process that included a peer review survey that polled more than 15,000 private attorneys in Oakland, Wayne, Macomb, Washtenaw and Livingston counties.
November 16, 2010
Kurt Heise, '91, LL.M. 1993, was elected to the Michigan State House on Nov. 2 and will take office on Jan. 1. He will be representing the 20th House District (Northville, Plymouth, Wayne and Canton east of I-275). He also serves as an adjunct professor in WSU's Civil and Environmental Engineering Department and as a consultant for the WSU Urban Watershed Enviromental Research Group (UWERG).
December 6, 2010
Mary E. Golota, '91, has been named counsel at Cantor Colburn LLP, one of the country's leading intellectual property specialty law firms.
January 31, 2011
Mark A. Davis, '91, president and CEO of the law firm Howard and Howard, has been named to DBusiness Top Lawyers 2012.
November 3, 2011
Mark Wilson, '91, joined Dickinson Wright PLLC as a member in the firm's Troy office. He is one of five leading practitioners in the health care industry to join the firm's healthcare practice. Wilson is known for facilitating the implementation of new medical complexes in the region. He earned his LL.M. from Wayne Law.
August 23, 2012
Traci Rink, '91, was named chair of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan after nine years of service on the Family Law Council. She is a referee with Oakland County Friend of the Court.
October 25, 2012
Martha Snow, '91, was appointed by Gov. Snyder to Wayne County Circuit Court to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Gershwin Drain. She is a shareholder of the Xuereb Snow law firm and has more than 20 years of experience as a civil trial lawyer, primarily practicing family law. Snow previously was a special assistant attorney general, shareholder of the Martha M. Snow law firm, and an associate attorney at Pepper and Associates.
December 4, 2012
Norma Gant, '91, joined LeClairRyan as a partner in the firm's litigation department. She is a resident in the national law firm's Detroit office. Gant is an experienced trial lawyer who has evaluated, managed and tried cases for over 22 years. She focuses her practice on the defense of product liability cases and complex civil litigation nationwide. She has a history of defending and obtaining favorable results for companies of all sizes in various types of litigation. She has defended some of the world's largest manufacturers in matters involving the design and manufacture of products including automobiles and related components, industrial machinery, recreational and playground equipment, household products, medical devices and professional hair care appliances. She also has many years of experience defending automobile negligence and premises liability litigation. Gant also regularly defends clients in business and commercial litigation and counsels clients on key legal issues while assessing the potential impact on their businesses beyond the particular litigation at issue. In addition, she has substantial experience defending litigation involving children and products made for or used by children. Gant developed the Children and Product Liability Litigation Group and has written numerous articles on issues involving children and child safety. As a certified child passenger safety technician, she volunteers her time with Safe Kids Worldwide and teaches seat belt and child seat safety to elementary and pre-school children and their caregivers.
April 23, 2013Mark J. Bennett, '90, senior counsel at the law firm of Miller Canfield and leader of the firm's Climate Change Practice Team, will be speaking throughout the U.S. on various climate change-related topics in the first few months of 2009 with a focus on the expected federal economic stimulus package in the climate change area. The proposed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 contains over $54 billion in climate-change related funding with an emphasis on immediate investment in "ready to go" programs involving renewable energy, green building retrofits as well as energy-efficiency and clean energy related projects. Bennett sees wide spread growth opportunities for companies in the real estate and engineering industries as well as the myriad of professionals who support them, including engineers, attorneys and finance professionals.
January 27, 2009AnnMarie Sanford, '90, an attorney in Pepper Hamilton LLP's Detroit office, has been qualified as a LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) by the Green Building Certification Institute. The LEED AP program was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council in conjunction with its LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating Systems.
February 6, 2009Lori A. Buiteweg, '90, has been named a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. A member of the International Association of Collaborative Professionals, Buiteweg also serves on the Executive Committee of the State Bar of Michigan Board of Commissioners and was past chair of the State Bar of Michigan Representative Assembly. In addition to her expertise in parenting time and legal custody, her practice includes divorce, mediation, and estate planning.
April 28, 2009
Patricia Nemeth, '90, founding partner of Detroit-based employment law firm Nemeth Burwell, PC, has been named to the 2010 edition of the Best Lawyers in America in the specialty area of labor and employment law. Best Lawyers is considered the definitive guide to legal excellence in the United States. Selection to Best Lawyers is based on a rigorous peer review survey comprising more than 2.8 million confidential evaluations by the top attorneys in the country.
August 28, 2009The Hon. Thomas Boyd, '90, has been honored by the Mid-Michigan Region of the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan as an outstanding member of the legal community who has made an exceptional contribution to women in the law. Before becoming chief judge of the 55th District Court in Mason, Boyd was in private practice as a civil litigator. In 1995, Boyd was appointed assistant attorney general by then-Attorney General Frank Kelley. His responsibilities included criminal, civil, administrative, and legislative law. Boyd was appointed to the bench in July 2005 and re-elected in 2006 and 2008. He serves on the boards of the Mason Community Fund (an advisory board of the Capital Area United Way) and the Oak Park YMCA, and volunteers for the Holt-Dimondale School Business Alliance and the Lansing Area Teen Court.
October 26, 2009AnnMarie Sanford, '90, an attorney with Pepper Hamilton LLP, has been elected to the Board of Directors of WARM Training Center. Her two-year term began on Oct. 21, 2009. WARM Training Center is a non-profit organization that promotes the development of resource efficient, affordable, healthy homes and communities through education, training and technical assistance.
November 17, 2009Mary Massaron Ross, '90, a partner in the Detroit office of Plunkett Cooney, has been elected as second vice president of the Defense Research Institute.
November 17, 2009Patricia Nemeth, '90, founding partner with Nemeth Burwell, was included in DBusiness magazine's exclusive 2010 Martindale-Hubbell list of metro Detroit's finest barristers.
November 17, 2009
Mark J. Bennett, '90, senior counsel and team leader of Miller Canfield's Climate Change practice, recently provided his multi-disciplinary expertise by serving as contributing author for two chapters in the new publication from the Urban Land Institute (ULI), Retrofitting Office Buildings to Be Green and Energy Efficient: Optimizing Building Performance, Tenant Satisfaction, and Financial Return.
In addition, on April 14 at Wayne Law, Bennett will chair the Miller Canfield International Climate Law and Policy Symposium to discuss cutting edge legal and public policy that will shape climate change law in the coming years.
February 5, 2010
Mark J. Bennett, '90, senior counsel and team leader of Miller Canfield's Climate Change practice, recently published an analysis of new interpretations of corporate proxy and disclosure rules by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in an article titled, "SEC Opens the Door for Climate Change-Related Shareholder Proposals and Disclosure Requirements, With Potential New Liabilities for Public Companies," published in the prestigious Bureau of National Affairs' (BNA) Securities Regulation & Law Report.
March 8, 2010
Patricia Nemeth, '90, the founding partner of Detroit-based employment law firm Nemeth Burwell, P.C., was recently featured on Due Process, a long-running legal news talk show hosted by Detroit attorney Henry Baskin of the Baskin Law Firm. Nemeth was featured on the March 12, 2010 program highlighting current employment law issues in Michigan. The program, which airs each Friday on Detroit Public Television Channel 56, will be repeated on July 2 and October 22. It is available for viewing online at http://www.dueprocess.tv/show_archive.htm.
March 29, 2010
Mary Massaron Ross, '90, was re-elected to the board of directors of Plunkett Cooney. She will serve a three-year term. Massaron Ross currently serves as the firm's appellate law practice group leader. A former law clerk to Associate Justice Patricia J. Boyle of the Michigan Supreme Court, she has handled appeals resulting in over 50 published opinions.
April 14, 2010
Julie E. Robertson, '90, insurance and regulatory department chair and partner at Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP, was featured in the South Carolina Captive Insurance Association's (SCCIA) webinar titled, "Captive Tax: Hot Button Issues for the IRS and How to Prepare For Them." The interactive online presentation discussed the trends in recent IRS audits, including those challenging premium deductibility and addressing federal excise tax liability, as well as the steps necessary to prepare for these essential issues.
July 27, 2010
Mark J. Bennett, '90, senior counsel and team leader of Miller Canfield’s Climate Change practice, was recently named vice-chair of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Carbon Trading and Energy Finance Committee for the 2010-2011 term.
October 14, 2010
Patricia Nemeth , '90, 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 speciality area of labor and employment.
November 4, 2010Mary Massaron Ross, '90, recently was elected by The Voice of the Defense Bar to serve as its first vice president. Massaron Ross, one of Michigan's top appellate lawyers, was elected to the position at DRI's 2010 annual meeting. She previously served as second vice president of the 22,500-member organization and is co-editor of DRI's A Defense Lawyer's Guide to Appellate Practice. A member of the board of directors at Plunkett Cooney, Massaron Ross has been named a Best Lawyer in America for Appellate Law every year since 2007 and a Michigan Super Lawyer, Top 50 Michigan Female Attorney and Top 100 Statewide Attorney every year since 2006.
November 19, 2010
Laura A. Brodeur-McGeorge, '90, a partner in Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP's labor and employment department, has been elected to the board of Solid Ground, a non-profit organization based in Macomb County and dedicated to helping the homeless, and those at risk of becoming homeless, to achieve and maintain independence. Brodeur-McGeorge focuses her practice on counseling clients on employment matters, employee health and safety issues, contract disputes, trade secrets and restrictive covenants. She also litigates employment matters in federal and state courts and before various administrative agencies and arbitration tribunals.
November 24, 2010
Patricia Nemeth, '90, presented "How to Keep Rockin' when the EEOC's a Knockin'" to the Health Care Association of Michigan (HCAM) in Mt. Pleasant on September 19 with Terry Bonnette,'04. She 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 with Linda Burwell, '85. They also 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.
December 6, 2010
Patricia Nemeth , '90, was a panelist at the Oakland County Bar Association's "Hanging Out Your Own Shingle" presentation on February 17. In March, she 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.
March 23, 2011
Lori A. Buiteweg, '90, a family law attorney with Nichols Sacks Slank Sendelbach and Buiteweg of Ann Arbor, has been elected treasurer of the State Bar of Michigan and is slated to become its president in 2015. Buiteweg previously served as chairperson of the State Bar's Representative Assembly and is beginning her ninth year as district commissioner. She is a past president and current co-chair of the Washtenaw County Bar Association's Public Service Committee and serves on the parish council of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Ann Arbor. Buiteweg‘s practice focuses on mediation and collaborative practice, which uses an interdisciplinary team approach to help divorcing couples settle their disputes without going to court.
August 9, 2011
Mary Massaron Ross, '90, a partner of Plunkett Cooney, was recently named one of the most influential attorneys in the state by Michigan Lawyers Weekly. Massaron Ross, who previously served as a law clerk to former Michigan Supreme Court Associate Justice Patricia J. Boyle, practices in Plunkett Cooney's Detroit office. One of the firm's top appellate attorneys, Massaron Ross has more than 50 published opinions to her credit.
August 12, 2011
Mary Massaron Ross, '90, Appellate Law Practice Group Leader for Plunkett Cooney, is among several leading appellate attorneys who recently co-authored a book on state and federal appellate practice. Published by Law Journal Press, "Appellate Practice in Federal and State Courts" is a guide to the appellate process. The book offers step-by-step advice on a variety of issues, including factors to weight when evaluating whether to appeal, preserving issues for appeal, preparing winning motions, standards of review, and standing to appeal. Massaron Ross, one of 15 contributors, authored Chapter Six, titled: "Interlocutory Appellate Review."
September 7, 2011
Darcie R. Brault, '90, a member of Dib, Fagan and Brault PC, was named one of the Top 50 Women by the 2011 Michigan Super Lawyers magazine.
October 5, 2011
Mary Massaron Ross, '90, appellate attorney at Plunkett Cooney, was among several leading attorneys who recently co-authored Eminent Domain: A Handbook of Condemnation Law.
December 22, 2011
Mark Bennett, '90, was featured in an Oakland County Legal News article about his new law firm in Birmingham, MJBennett PLLC: Strategic Legal and Advisory Services. The article is titled "Capital Steps: Attorney's new law firm helps entrepreneurs reach their goals," and can be found at http://www.legalnews.com/oakland/1365161/.
July 31, 2012
Carolyn Pollock Cary, '90, joined Dickinson Wright PLLC as a member in the firm's Saginaw office. She is one of five leading practitioners in the health care industry to join the firm's healthcare practice. Cary focuses her practice on healthcare, employment and labor, and commercial litigation.
August 23, 2012
Lori Buiteweg, '90, was chosen secretary of the State Bar of Michigan for 2012-13. She is a partner in Nichols Sacks Slank Sendelbach and Buiteweg PC and focuses on family law.
September 6, 2012
David Bargamian, '90, was selected for inclusion in "The Best Lawyers in America 2012" for excellence in real estate law. He is a member with Barris Sott Denn & Driker PLLC.
October 8, 2012
Mary Massaron Ross, '90, was elected president of DRI-The Voice of the Defense Bar. She is head of Plunkett & Cooney PC's appellate practice group. Additionally, she has served as an active member and brief writer for DRI's Amicus Committee which files briefs in the United States Supreme Court as well as several state courts of last resort. She is a past chair of the ABA Standing Committee on Amicus Curiae Briefs where she supervised the preparation of numerous briefs filed in the United States Supreme Court. A former law clerk to Michigan Supreme Court Justice Patricia J. Boyle, Ross also has handled appellate matters before the Ohio Supreme Court, the Indiana Supreme Court, the Alabama Supreme Court, the Michigan Court of Appeals and Supreme Court, the California Court of Appeals, and the Third, Sixth, and Seventh Circuit Courts of Appeal. For seven consecutive years, she has been honored as a "Best Lawyer" in Best Lawyers in America and in 2008 was named "Lawyer of the Year" by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.
November 30, 2012
Thomas Boyd, '90, is featured in a national documentary film. The film, "Defending Gideon," was released in March on the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court deciding Gideon v. Wainwright. The Gideon decision clarified that the 6th amendment "right to counsel" required the states to provide indigent persons accused of serious crime with an attorney. "Defending Gideon" was screened at the U.S. Department of Justice's 50th Anniversary Gideon Event, introduced by Attorney General Eric Holder. "Defending Gideon" is narrated by Martin Sheen and also features former Vice President Walter Mondale and former New York Times journalist Anthony Lewis (author of "Gideon's Trumpet"). Boyd, who is Ingham County's chief district court judge, and State Rep. Tom McMillin are featured because of their efforts to reform Michigan's indigent defense system.
April 6, 2013
Brian Kreucher, '90, has joined Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC. He practices out of the firm's Royal Oak Office. For the last 23 years, Kreucher has helped employers minimize the legal risks involved in employment decisions while maintaining business goals. He helps many clients "prevent fires" by functioning as an extension of their human resources and in-house legal team. Kreucher also assists clients in navigating employment laws, restrictive employment covenants, sales commissions laws, internal investigations and employee performance issues. Kreucher also routinely represents employers when confronted with state civil rights charges, unfair labor practice proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board, EEOC investigations and discrimination charges, labor arbitrations and commercial and general litigation matters. Kreucher's representative clients range from small businesses to a large multinational Tier 1 automobile supplier, one of the nation's largest security firms as well as a Fortune 500 company, which provides integrated logistics, warehousing and transportation solutions.
May 10, 2013Nanci Grant, '89, was recently named Secretary of the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission. The commission manages the conduct of judges, magistrates, and referees in the state. Grant was elected as a representative by the state circuit judges on the commission in 2006. She also served as a presiding judge of Oakland County Circuit Court, and as the circuit court representative on the state’s Community Correction’s Board.
January 27, 2009Judge Nanci J. Grant, '89, Oakland County Circuit Court, was named by her fellow commissioners as Secretary of the Judicial Tenure Commission.
January 21, 2009Steven Weinstock, '89, was hired as regional manager of the Marcus and Millichap firm in Oak Brook, Ill.
June 8, 2009Theresa Asoklis, '89, was selected for inclusion in the 16th edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Asoklis has focused her practice on the defense of legal malpractice claims, and attorney and judicial disciplinary proceedings for almost 20 years. The Clinton Township resident maintains an active general liability defense practice, including claims arising out of auto and trucking accidents, and complex premises liability matters. She has successfully tried many legal malpractice, auto negligence, first party no-fault, premises liability, insurance coverage, and attorney fee disputes. Asoklis also has prevailed in a number of significant appellate opinions in the legal malpractice, insurance coverage, and judicial disciplinary arenas.
September 4, 2009Donald Campbell, '89, was selected for inclusion in the 16th edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Campbell concentrates his practice in attorney grievance defense, representation in judicial tenure matters and legal malpractice defense. In addition to his law practice, he has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law teaching courses in ethics and criminal law, since 2002. Campbell also regularly teaches a seminar in corporate law and ethics. He served 10 years as an associate counsel, Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission and four years as an assistant prosecuting attorney, Oakland County, Michigan before joining the firm in 2003. He currently serves as a liaison to the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility, which is responsible for issuing the ABA's Ethics Opinions.
September 4, 2009
Nanci Grant, '89, was featured in the Oakland Press in an article titled "Judge looks forward to new role as chief." More information here.
Photo: The Oakland Press/TIM THOMPSON
January 9, 2010
Kevin P. Fularczyk, '89, joined the partnership at Hahn Loeser & Parks, LLP. Fularczyk concentrates his practice in civil litigation, including commercial matters in state and federal court. He has significant trial experience in commercial cases and has prosecuted appeals in appellate, and state supreme courts.
January 11, 2010
Kevin P. Fularczyk, '89, has joined the partnership at Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP. He concentrates his practice in civil litigation, including commercial matters in state and federal court. He has significant trial experience in commercial cases and has prosecuted appeals in appellate, and state supreme courts. Fularczyk is admitted to practice in all state courts in Florida and Michigan as well as the United States District Courts
for the Middle District of Florida, Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
February 2, 2010Hon. Nanci Grant, '89, was featured in a Detroit Legal News article titled "All in Due Time: Chief judge focuses on age-old legal issues."
January 18, 2011
Donald Campbell, '89, an attorney with Southfield-based Collins Einhorn Farrell and Ulanoff PC, will serve as moderator for a panel discussion on "ABA (American Bar Association) Standards for Imposing Lawyer Sanctions: A View After 25 Years" in Atlanta on Feb. 11. The discussion, the first-ever joint meeting of the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers (APRL), National Organization of Bar Counsel (NOBC) and National Council of Lawyer Disciplinary Boards, will examine how ABA standards have fared over the years. Campbell, a member of the APRL and former liaison to the ABA's Ethics Committee, concentrates his practice on attorney grievance defense, representation in judicial tenure matters and legal malpractice defense.
February 4, 2011Mark Schrupp, '89, was appointed chief operating officer of Detroit Public Schools. Article at http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/28410523/detail.html
July 1, 2011
Colleen M. Shevnock, '89, an attorney with Dickinson Wright, was named a "Leader in her Field" by Chambers USA. Shevnock is recognized for her work as counsel to banks and other institutional lenders in commercial lending matters, as well as the documentation for a wide array of loan transactions.
August 3, 2011
Theresa M. Asoklis, '89, has been selected for inclusion in the 18th edition of The Best Lawyers in America (2012) for her work in the area of Professional Malpractice Law-Defendants.
September 21, 2011
