LEGAL PEOPLE

Trott & Trott PC joined with NDeX Michigan (NDeX) to support Starfish Family Services during their fall charity initiative. Trott President and Managing Partner David A. Trott made the announcement. Trott and NDeX employees were offered casual time in exchange for contributing funds and volunteering at Starfish Family Services headquarters in Inkster, where the team painted rooms inside the building and performed fall cleaning in the organic garden--harvesting crops, weeding and preparing the garden for winter. In total, employees from both companies donated more than 160 hours of their time and $3,220 to the cause. The companies also matched their employees' donations with a gift of $3,220, bringing the total monetary donation to $6,440. "Our charity initiatives have consistently brought our employees together as a team for the good of the community," said Trott. "We were thrilled to have the opportunity to help local families in need through our partnership with Starfish Family Services." To finish out their yearlong corporate giving campaign, Trott and NDeX will join together again this winter to support Mittens for Detroit during the months of November and December. * * * Amy K. Fehn of Wachler & Associates PC spoke about successful audit strategies regarding MICs, MACs and RACs," to an audience of radiology practice business professionals at the RMBA Fall Conference in Las Vegas, NV. Fehn has represented physicians and health care organizations in health care regulatory and corporate matters as well as the defense of Medicare Audits and other third-party audits for the past 13 years. Prior to graduating from law school, she served as a registered nurse in the coronary care unit, and later worked as a clinical systems analyst for the hospital's information systems. In addition, Andrew B. Wachler presented "Beyond the RACs: MACs and ZPICs Coming to a Practice Near You," to attendees of the Health Care Compliance Association Physician Practice Compliance Conference in Philadelphia, PA. He co-presented with Anna Grizzle, a partner in the firm Bass, Berry, & Sims PLC; and Melody Mulaik, MSHS, president, Coding Strategies, Inc. Wachler has been practicing health care law for more than 25 years. He counsels health care providers and organizations nationwide in a variety of health care legal matters. In addition, he writes and speaks nationally to professional organizations and other entities on health care law topics such as Medicare appeals, Stark and fraud and abuse, HIPAA, and other topics. In addition, Wachler, along with Ted Doolittle, deputy director of Policy at the Center for Program Integrity, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Edward Vishnevetsky of Munsch, Hardt, Kopf, & Harr PC of Dallas, spoke to health care attorneys and others interested in health policy at the ninth annual Washington Health Care Summit in Arlington, VA. The title of the presentation was, "The Effect of Medicare Audits (ZPICs, RACs, CERTs, MICs, etc) on Ancillary Healthcare Providers (i.e. DME, Pharmacy Infusion, Home Health, Hospice) and Physicians." * * * Bowman and Brooke is proud to announce that David R. Janis has been elected as vice-chair/chair-elect of the Antitrust, Franchising & Trade Regulation Section of the State Bar of Michigan. Janis is an associate in the firm's Troy office who practices in the areas of commercial litigation, product liability, tobacco litigation, antitrust law, franchise law, and construction law. Janis graduated from James Madison University in 2002 and earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School in 2005. While in law school, he interned for United States District Court Judge Avern Cohn, Eastern District of Michigan. * * * Dykema Gossett PLLC recently announced the addition of William C. Lentine as an associate in the firm's Taxation and Estates practice group in Detroit. Prior to joining Dykema, Lentine was with the Kerr, Russell & Weber, PLC firm in Detroit. Lentine focuses his practice on Taxation, advising clients on state and local, international, partnership and corporate tax considerations including treaty implications, special allocations, S corporation issues, and executive compensation. Lentine also has experience in corporate governance, securities law, and mergers and acquisitions. At his previous firm, Lentine was the China Practice Group lead attorney and also a Retirement Planning Committee member. Lentine earned his Bachelors in Accounting from the Eli Broad College of Business, Michigan State University, and his law degree from Michigan State University's College of Law. He is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and is also a licensed CPA in the state of Illinois. Dykema Gossett PLLC also announced that Christyn M. Scott, an associate in the firm's Litigation practice group in Bloomfield Hills, has been named by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as one of the Up & Coming Lawyers for 2011. The honorees will be acknowledged at Michigan Lawyers Weekly's Up & Coming Lawyers luncheon December 8 at the Troy Marriott. Scott has experience in consumer financial services litigation, and has obtained precedent-setting results in this area of the law. She has worked hard on behalf of some of the nation's top lending institutions to make new law in the fast-changing world of litigation involving Michigan's foreclosure laws, violations of the Truth in Lending Act, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, the Michigan Consumer Protection Act, competing title priority claims, and fraud claims arising from residential loan transactions. She earned her law degree from Michigan State University and a B.A. from Oakland University. * * * Alan S. Gorosh, counsel for Ford Motor Company, was recently honored by DBusiness Magazine after being voted as a Top Lawyer for 2012 in the specialty of Corporate Counsel. In 2011 he received a Top Lawyer designation by DBusiness Magazine in the Workers' Compensation field. Gorosh joined the office of the General Counsel at Ford Motor Company in 1980 and is currently working in the Human Resources-Healthcare Management group. * * * Southfield-based Maddin, Hauser, Wartell, Roth, & Heller PC announced that it has been recognized by U.S. News - Best Lawyers® "Best Law Firms." The Southfield-based law firm was listed for this honor as a Tier 1 firm in the Detroit metropolitan rankings in six practice areas: * Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law. * Franchise Law. * Insurance Law. * Land Use & Zoning Law. * Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants. * Real Estate Law. "At Maddin Hauser, we take pride in giving our clients top quality service," said Maddin Hauser President and CEO Steven D. Sallen. "To be honored among the 'Best Law Firms' in America is a true testament to the hard work and dedication of all of our attorneys and staff." * * * Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak, & Stewart PC is pleased to announce that the firm has been named the first "Law Firm of the Year" in Litigation - Labor & Employment in the 2011-2012 U.S. News - Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms" rankings. "I would first like to thank our clients for recognizing us in this way," said Kim Ebert, managing shareholder of Ogletree Deakins. "It has been an exceptionally good year for the firm as our model of providing excellent value and premier client service continues to be attractive not only to clients, but also to laterals who have contributed to the significant growth across our national platform." Last month, the firm announced that 16 of the firm's attorneys have been named Best Lawyers' 2012 "Lawyers of the Year" in specified locales and practice areas. Earlier, Ogletree Deakins announced that 141 of the firm's attorneys across 32 of the firm's offices had been named to the peer-review publication, The Best Lawyers in America 2012® * * * Both partners of the law firm King & Murray PLLC have recently received top lawyer designations. Attorney Thomas J. Murray has been named to the Michigan Super Lawyers list as one of the top attorneys in the area of Business Litigation for 2011. Attorney Stephen W. King and Murray have also been named to the list of Top Lawyers by DBusiness magazine for 2012 in the areas of Business Law, Business Litigation and Commercial Litigation. * * * Six attorneys at the intellectual property law firm of Rader, Fishman, & Grauer PLLC, Bloomfield Hills office, have been named to the Michigan Super Lawyers list as top attorneys in Michigan for 2011. The Rader, Fishman & Grauer listed Michigan Super Lawyers for 2011 and the practice areas for which they were recognized are: * R. Terrance Rader - Intellectual Property Litigation. * Glenn E. Forbis - Intellectual Property Litigation. * Thomas E. Bejin - Intellectual Property Litigation. * Michael D. Fishman - Intellectual Property. * Kristin L. Murphy - Intellectual Property. * Michael B. Stewart - Intellectual Property. * * * The law firm of Dawda Mann has earned top ranking for its Employee Benefits (ERISA) and Environmental practice areas in the venerable "Best Law Firms" rankings, released today by U.S. News Media Group and Best Lawyers®. In addition to its Detroit Tier 1 rankings for Employee Benefits and Environmental Law, Dawda Mann achieved Detroit Tier 2 rankings for eight practice areas, including Banking and Finance Law, Real Estate Law and Tax Law; and Detroit Tier 3 ranking for Corporate Law and Trusts and Estates Law. * * * The Probate & Estate Planning Section of the State Bar of Michigan has elected officers and new members for 2011-2012 as follows: Officers * George W. Gregory of George W. Gregory PLLC - chairperson. * Mark K. Harder of Warner, Norcross, & Judd - chairperson-elect. * Thomas Sweeney of Clark Hill - vice chairperson. * Amy Morrissey of Westerman & Morrissey PC - secretary. * Shaheen Imami of Prince Law Firm - treasurer. New members * Christopher A. Ballard of Honigman, Miller,Schwartz, & Cohn. * George F. Bearup of Smith, Haughey, Rice, & Roegge. * Nancy H. Welbur of Nancy H. Welbur PC. * * * Dykema recently announced that its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Rex E. Schlaybaugh Jr. has been reelected to a three-year term as a member of the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation Board of Directors, and a one-year term as a member of the DEGC Executive Committee. "The Detroit Economic Growth Corporation is a full service agency that has been instrumental in driving economic development in the City of Detroit, and I look forward to my continuing role in this important endeavor," said Schlaybaugh. Schlaybaugh, who has been chairman and chief executive officer of Dykema for the past 10 years, will step down from those leadership posts at the end of this year but will remain active at the firm, advising corporate clients, participating on various boards and engaging in community and civic activities. In his more than 25 years with the firm, Schlaybaugh has built a significant corporate law and corporate finance practice that includes a concentration in mergers and acquisitions; buyouts and recapitalizations; capital markets and lending; and corporate governance for public and private companies. Schlaybaugh is a frequent speaker on merger and acquisition matters and on corporate governance issues facing boards of directors. He also serves on the boards of several organizations and business entities, including the Detroit Economic Club, the Metropolitan Affairs Coalition, and the John Hancock Life Insurance Company. * * * Retired Circuit Court Judge Fred M. Mester has been appointed by Governor Rick Snyder to serve a three year term on the Michigan Community Service Commission representing individuals with experience in promoting service and volunteerism among older adults. Mester, of Bloomfield Township is a retired Oakland County Circuit Court judge. Mester served 27 years on the Sixth Circuit bench in Oakland County. He has been in private practice since his retirement from the Sixth Circuit in 2008, specializing in facilitations, arbitrations, mediations and counseling services to his clients. He still serves as a visiting circuit judge by Supreme Court Appointment. Mester is a graduate of Central Michigan University and earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School. After law school he was an attorney for Chrysler Corporation. Mester served as assistant United States attorney, in the Criminal and Civil Trials and Appeals before serving as chief of the Civil Division of the United States Attorney's Office. Prior to being elected to the Sixth Judicial Circuit, Mester served as court administrator/judicial assistant for the Sixth Judicial Circuit. He is a graduate of the National Judicial College. Mester has been an adjunct professor for Oakland University and Oakland Community College for 25 years. He is an United States Army Veteran, Captain Armor. Mester is a past president of the Federal Bar Association, Eastern District of Michigan Chapter. He served as national first vice president of the Federal Bar Association, National Delegate, Federal Bar Association, Eastern District of Michigan Chapter, former chairman, Advisory Committee to the Professional Assistance Committee, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. He is the former chairman, State Trial Courts Administration for the State Bar of Michigan. He is a current member of American Judges Association, Federal Bar Association, Michigan Judges Association, Oakland County Bar Association, and the State Bar of Michigan. Mester has a history of volunteerism and service to the community. He is the founder and President of the Pontiac Alumni Foundation, which serves the children of the City of Pontiac with a Certainty of Opportunity through its four tier program: mentoring, tutoring, enrichment and community service. He is the founder and president of Reading to Reduce Recidivism; president, Board of Directors for the William Booth Legal Aid Clinic; charter member, Executive Board, Center for the Study of Citizenship at Wayne State University; Common Ground Advisory Board, to name a few. Mester has received many awards and honors throughout the years including the 2006 State Bar's Champion of Justice Award; 2006 Women's Bar Association Award for outstanding leadership within the legal community; named by the Detroit News as one of the top civil and criminal judges in Michigan for 2005 and 2006; John N. O'Brien Award for outstanding volunteer service to the people of Oakland County; received the Oakland County Quality People, Quality County Award; Hall of Fame, Central Michigan University Journalism College, admitted 2010; ROTC Military Hall of Fame, Central Michigan university; awarded Central Michigan University's Centennial Award; Honorary Doctor of Laws, Central Michigan University, 1995. Upon his retirement from the Sixth Circuit, Mester and his wife established the Honorable Fred M. And Lynne Mester Scholarship Endowment Fund at Central Michigan University College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral Science for undergraduate students who demonstrate outstanding leadership and make a contribution to their community through service and volunteerism. * * * Butzel Long attorney and shareholder Michael J. Lavoie has been appointed by Governor Rick Snyder to serve a three-year term on the Michigan Community Service Commission, which works to create a culture of service and volunteerism. Lavoie is a leading member of Butzel Long's business litigation practice group. He practices in the areas of products liability defense, commercial, environmental, construction litigation, criminal white collar defense; conducted numerous internal corporate investigations; designed and implemented a variety of compliance programs; extensive experience representing companies in the automobile manufacturing and supply industries, the construction industry, the waste management industry, and numerous small to medium size businesses. Lavoie has served for several years as president of the Historical Society for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. He also has served for many years as a board member and officer of the Pontiac Alumni Foundation engaged in youth mentoring and related activities. Lavoie is the president of Friends of Burkina Faso, a national association of former Peace Corps volunteers who served in Burkina Faso. Lavoie was the recipient of the 2007 Frances R. Avadenka Memorial Award of Oakland County Bar Association, the 2008 State Bar of Michigan Champion of Justice Award and the 2010 Leon Hubbard Community Service Award. Lavoie is a 1975 graduate of the University of Notre Dame. He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Burkina Faso (then Upper Volta) from 1975-77. He earned his law degree from the University of Detroit in 1980. After law school, he became an assistant U.S. attorney in Detroit where he rose to become assistant chief of the Criminal Division. Lavoie joined Butzel Long in private practice in 1986. Lavoie said, "I thank Governor Snyder for this opportunity to serve the State of Michigan as it further promotes the critical needs of community service." * * * Detroit-based employment law firm Nemeth Burwell PC is pleased to announce that an article co-written by attorneys Patricia Nemeth and Terry Bonnette was published in the October/November issue of Executive Counsel Magazine, a bi-monthly trade publication geared to CEOs, CFOs and General Counsel. The article, titled, "Don't be Blind-Sided by GINA: The Surprisingly Wide Reach of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act," explores GINA's intended and unintended impact on employers following the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's issuance of final GINA regulations in November 2010. The article also outlines six exceptions to GINA and employer confidentiality requirements about maintaining an employee's genetic information. * * * Miller Canfield, with offices in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Poland and China, announced that U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers ranked the firm among the nation's best law firms in the 2011-2012 edition of "Best Law Firms in America." Miller Canfield is one of the top 20 firms in the U.S. in number of first-tier metropolitan rankings - 88 in all - and has more first-tier metropolitan rankings than any other law firm in Michigan. In addition to having the most first-tier metropolitan rankings, Miller Canfield also received a National First-Tier Ranking in Sports Law. Additionally, Miller Canfield principal David M. Thoms (Troy office) was honored with the William Booth Award by The Salvation Army Eastern Michigan Division and its Metro Detroit Advisory Board at the nonprofit's annual Board Civic Awards Dinner on Oct. 26. The William Booth Award, named for the nonprofit's founder, is one of the highest awards conferred upon an individual by The Salvation Army. It is given annually to a deserving individual for outstanding service to the community though the donation of time, talents and energy, as well as dedication to The Salvation Army's goal of service. 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. He earned law degrees from Wayne State University School of Law and the University of Detroit-Mercy, a M.U.P. (Masters of Urban Planning) from Wayne State University, and a B.A. in History from Kalamazoo College. He also attended l'Université de Caen, France. * * * Patrice S. Arend, partner with Southfield, Mich.-based Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss, P.C., has been appointed to the Board of Directors of United VIP Credit Union, a not-for-profit financial cooperative that has been serving Michigan families since 1964. Jaffe CEO Richard Zussman made the announcement. Arend is a member of the firm's Litigation Practice Group, specializing in commercial disputes and employment litigation. She also advises clients on employment related issues, including hiring, termination, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, wage and hour issues, Family and Medical Leave Act, employee handbooks, and confidentiality and non-compete agreements. Arend earned her Bachelor's degree from Wayne State University and her Master's degree from Wayne State University. She is a graduate of the Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago-Kent College of Law. * * * Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC is pleased to announce that 15 its attorneys have been named to DBusiness Top Lawyers 2012. The Howard & Howard attorneys named in DBusinesss Top Lawyers 2012 and the areas they are listed under are as follows: Royal Oak Office: * Jess A. Bahs (Tax Law). * Henry J. Brennan III (Mergers & Acquisitions). * Mark A. Davis - president & CEO (Real Estate Law). * Joseph J. DeVito (Mergers & Acquisitions). * Robert E. Graziani (Insurance Law). * Lisa S. Gretchko (Bankruptcy and Creditors' Law). * Samuel J. Haidle (Intellectual Property Law). * Robert B. Johnston (Employee Benefits Law). * Timothy E. Kraepel (Securities Law). * David M. LaPrairie (Intellectual Property Law). * Henry P. Lee (Trusts and Estates). * Richard M. Miettinen (Mergers & Acquisitions). * Mark W. Peyser (Commercial Litigation). * Jeffrey A. Sadowski (Intellectual Property Law). * Lee A. Sartori (Tax Law). * * * Foley & Lardner LLP recently announced that it has been named the first U.S. News - Best Lawyers "Law Firm of the Year" in Health Care Law. Only one law firm in each of the nationally ranked practice areas receives this level of recognition. Additionally, in the U.S. News - Best Lawyers 2011 - 2012 "Best Law Firm" rankings, Foley achieved first-tier rankings in 145 practice areas ranked locally and nationally, up from 70 practice areas ranked in 2010. Foley is currently among the top 20 firms with the most first-tier metropolitan rankings. Practices are classified and ranked in national and metropolitan categories established by U.S. News - Best Lawyers. The firm's first-tier Detroit rankings include the following practice areas: Metropolitan First-Tier Rankings Detroit * Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law. * Corporate Law. * Employment Law - Management. * Government Relations Practice. * Health Care Law. National First-Tier Rankings * Biotechnology Law. * Commercial Litigation. * Copyright Law. * Corporate Compliance Law. * Corporate Governance Law. * Corporate Law. * Derivatives and Futures Law. * Energy Law. * Environmental Law. * Health Care Law. * Litigation - Antitrust . * Litigation - Bankruptcy. * Litigation - Intellectual Property. * Litigation - Real Estate. * Litigation - Tax. * Patent Law. * Securities/Capital Markets Law. * Sports Law. * Trademark Law. * * * Three attorneys from Williams, Williams, Rattner, & Plunkett P.C., in Birmingham have been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2012. Thomas G. Plunkett is a partner whose law practice focuses on commercial litigation, estate and trust administration and family law; Richard D. Rattner, is a partner whose law practice focuses on real estate, land use, zoning and corporate law; and John F. Mills is a partner whose law practice focuses on family law, with an emphasis on family law alternative dispute resolution and adoption law. Published: Mon, Nov 14, 2011