LEGAL PEOPLE

Robert Anderson, a member of Dawda Mann PLC, has been elected to a three-year term on the Eastern Michigan Better Business Bureau's board of directors. Anderson concentrates his practice in the areas of business law, including corporate and finance, business, litigation and entertainment law. He represents both public and private companies on business planning issues including formation, acquisitions, liquidations, succession planning, general financial matters and corporate governance. His transactional experience extends to partnerships, limited liability companies, equity financing and loan documentation on behalf of both banks and private businesses. Anderson earned his law degree from Michigan State University College of Law and his Bachelor of General Science from the University of Michigan. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Michigan, the Oakland County Bar Association, Vistage International, and the Association for Corporate Growth. * * * Butzel Long attorney and shareholder Robin Luce Herrmann was the featured speaker for a program titled, "The Basics of Governing and Politicking with an Emphasis on the Public's Right to Know," on Thursday, May 10, in Suttons Bay. The program was presented by the Leelanau Enterprise and Enterprise Printing. Herrmann is a Practice Group leader for one of Butzel Long's two Business Litigation Groups. She concentrates her practice in the areas of media law, particularly defamation and access issues; commercial litigation, including RICO; non-competes and trade secrets; and civil rights. She has trial and appellate experience in both state and federal courts in a variety of areas. Herrmann also is general counsel of the Michigan Press Association. In addition, Herrmann previously taught Law of the Press in the Journalism Department at Oakland University. She also has been a guest speaker on Law of the Press at Wayne State University, Central Michigan University, and Oakland University. Herrmann is heading up a new committee within the American Bar Association. Herrmann leads the First Amendment and Media Litigation Committee's Diversity Outreach Subcommittee. In 2011, Herrmann was appointed to the State Bar of Michigan Law and Media Committee. She also is a member of the American Bar Association including the ABA Communications Law Forum; Woman Advocate Committee of the Litigation Section; a past member and vice-chair of the ABA Law and Media Committee; and active in the Media Law Resource Center. Herrmann has been very active with Community Legal Resources over the years. Currently, she is chair, Board of Directors. She also served as vice-chair Board of Directors - 2006 to 2009; chair, Finance Committee - 2003 to 2006; she has been a board member since 2003. Herrmann is a 1984 graduate of the University of Michigan and a 1993 graduate of the Detroit College of Law. Additionally, Butzel Long attorney Shanta S.W. McMullan will participate in a panel presentation during the Annual Ethics Conference on May 17 at Walsh College's Troy campus. The program is presented jointly by the Walsh Institute and the Michigan Women's Tax Association. The focus of the presentation is Ethics in Social Media. To register, visit www.thewalshinstitute.com/lchottopics. "Social media and ethics go hand in hand," said McMullan. "Everyone who is engaged in social media needs to be conscious of their ethical responsibilities. I will also focus on the legal implications of social media during the program." Based in Butzel Long's Detroit office, McMullan concentrates her practice in labor and employment law. She represents employers in judicial and administrative proceedings, and provides employment counseling regarding compliance with federal and state employment laws (including FMLA, FLSA, ADA and Title VII). She is admitted to practice in the State of Michigan, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, and the U.S. Court of Appeals in the Ninth Circuit. Also, Butzel Long attorney Bernard J. Fuhs will moderate a webinar on Wednesday, May 16, presented by the American Bar Association Section of Labor and Employment Law and the ABA Center for Continuing Legal Education. The title of the webinar is: "Non-competes in the Electronic Workplace: Solicitation in the Age of Social Media." Based in Butzel Long's Detroit office, Fuhs concentrates his practice in the areas of business and commercial litigation. He has experience in non-compete, non-disclosure, and trade secret disputes, business and financial services industry disputes, franchise and dealerships, transportation and logistics industry disputes, construction, real estate, securities, and sales representative matters. He has successfully litigated and counseled clients on non-compete and trade secret matters in all 50 states. He also advises start-up and closely held businesses, as well as sports and fitness industry members. Fuhs is a frequent speaker on non-compete and trade secret issues and has authored and contributed to numerous publications (both national and local) regarding the same. Fuhs was selected as a 2012 Business Litigation Top Lawyer by DBusiness Magazine. He also was recently named to the 2011 Michigan Super Lawyers' Rising Star List. * * * Dykema recently announced that its Chairman and CEO Peter M. Kellett has been named to the board of trustees of New Detroit, a coalition of leaders from Detroit's business, civic, grassroots and religious communities, united to promote improved race relations through economic, educational and social initiatives. Kellett, resident in Dykema's Detroit office, began his three-year term as the firm's chairman and CEO in January 2012. Prior to this appointment, he chaired the firm's Litigation Department and for many years served as trial counsel for some of the nation's largest corporations. He has tried to verdict consumer class actions, numerous product liability cases involving catastrophic injury or death, and many business disputes. Kellett is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), a Sustaining Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, and a life member of the Sixth Circuit Judicial Conference. * * * Anessa Owen Kramer, a partner in the Intellectual Property (IP) and Technology Practice Group at Honigman, Miller, Schwartz, and Cohn LLP, was one of only two U.S. attorneys invited to address more than 100 Chinese and Japanese companies in Beijing, China. At the one-day event on innovations and trademarks known as the Linda Liu Annual International Intellectual Property Symposium, Kramer discussed brand protection for Chinese companies in the U.S. The Linda Liu Group is a Beijing-based firm that provides legal and language services to its clients. Kramer represents a number of owners of famous and well-known brands, counseling them on issues such as global clearance and filing strategies, IP management, trademark enforcement and litigation, cybersquatting, and trademark licensing. She has also handled more than 100 U.S. trademark oppositions, and frequently negotiates successful settlements on behalf of her clients. Kramer is a frequent speaker and author on IP issues. She has been recognized as one of Detroit's "40 Under 40" people to watch by Crain's Detroit Business, one of 25 "Leaders in the Law" by Michigan Lawyers Weekly, a Michigan Super Lawyer in 2010 and 2011 and a DBusiness Top Lawyer for 2012. Kramer earned her law degree from George Washington University Law School and a B.A. from Michigan State University. * * * Mark Krysinski, partner with Southfield-based law firm Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer, Weiss PC, has been recognized by The American Lawyer and Corporate Counsel as a 2012 Top Rated Lawyer® in Corporate Real Estate Law. Jaffe CEO William Sider made the announcement. Krysinski is a member of the Real Estate Practice Group, specializing in commercial development and leasing of real estate; financing and leasing of office, industrial, apartment and retail projects nationwide; complex mixed-use condominium developments, manufactured housing communities and multi-family housing communities. He is immediate past chairman of the Real Property Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan and former chair of the State Bar Commercial Leasing Committee. Krysinski has also been named as a Michigan Super Lawyer annually since 2006. * * * Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Michael Warren was awarded the Daughters of the American Revolution Medal of Honor by the Erza Parker Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Warren has received this honor for his leading work on Patriot Week. The award was presented at the chapter's monthly meeting on May 4 at the First Presbyterian Church in Royal Oak. According to the DAR, the Medal of Honor is "the most prestigious honor awarded by the DAR," and the recipient must have "shown extraordinary qualities of leadership, trustworthiness, service, and patriotism. The recipient must have made unusual and lasting contributions to our American heritage by truly giving of himself/herself to his/her community, state, country, and fellow man." "I am very humbled that I have received this wonderful award," stated Warren. "Patriot Week is a large grass-roots movement and would not have been possible without the inspiration of the co-creator, my daughter Leah, and the support of a huge array of Patriots. I accept the award on their behalf." Warren was nominated by Attorney General Bill Schuette, former State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Watkins, Cornerstone Schools President and CEO Ernestine Sanders, Detroit Country Day School Deans of Students Denise Liberty and D. Nathanial Grubaugh, the Board of Directors of Patriot Week Inc., and Ezra Parker President Cora Burch. "We need to renew the American Spirit, and Patriot Week is a vital way to do it," remarked Warren. Patriot Week (patriotweek.org). Framed by the key dates of Sept. 11 (the anniversary of the terrorists' attacks) and Sept.17 (Constitution Day, the anniversary of when the United States Constitution was signed), Patriot Week celebrates and honors America by celebrating the First Principles, Founding Fathers and other Patriots, vital documents and speeches, and flags that make America the greatest nation in world history. Patriot Week activities have occurred in over a dozen states and legislation to permanently recognize the week is pending final approval in the Michigan State Legislature. * * * Len Rancilio Jr. of Rancilio & Associates is the founding president of the Michigan Process Servers Alliance. The trade group is focused on marketing, legislative affairs, education and industry best practices for process servers across the state. The alliance currently has 25 members and expects to add another 50 to 75 individuals at its first annual meeting in June. "I am very honored to be named the first president of this group by my peers," Rancilio said. "Our mission to advance the professional development of process servers across the state and serve as a resource for practitioners and our clients in this important industry." * * * Maddin, Hauser, Wartell, Roth, & Heller PC attorney Gary Remer will serve as presenter at The Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants (MACPA) Employee Benefit Plans Workshop on May 23. The event will take place at the Suburban Collection Showplace (formerly Rock Financial Showplace) located at 41600 Grand River Ave. in Novi. Titled, "Common Employee Benefit Plan Operational Compliance Matters," Remer's presentation will ensure that accountants and their clients are up to date on regulatory and compliance requirements by identifying common errors to avoid. It also will help accountants correct operational and compliance problems before they are discovered by the Internal Revenue Service and Department of Labor. Remer, a past chair of the MACPA Employee Benefits Committee, is a CPA and former revenue agent with the IRS. As an attorney at Maddin Hauser, he concentrates his practice in the areas of employee benefits, franchise law, corporate law and taxation. The co-author of "The Insider's Guide to IRS Plan Audits" has lectured on qualified retirement plans and other tax topics. Remer also serves as an adjunct professor at Walsh College, teaching graduate tax classes focusing on pension and profit sharing plans, section 401(k) plans, various kinds of stock and stock option plans, IRAs, SEPs, ESOPs, tax sheltered annuities, nonqualified deferred compensation plans, VEBAs, flexible benefit plans, health care plans, insurance plans, and other common fringe benefits. The Detroit College of Law at Michigan State University alum has been selected among the Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business in 2011 and 2012 as a leader in his field of Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation. To register for the Employee Benefit Plans Workshop, go to www.michcpa.org. * * * Bowman and Brooke LLP is proud to announce that Chambers has announced that Bowman and Brooke is named to the shortlist in the Product Liability category. This means that Bowman and Brooke LLP are named to BAND 1 for Product Liability nationally in the 2012 USA book. This reflects notable achievements over the past 12 months including outstanding work, impressive strategic growth and excellence in client service. From the shortlists, one firm will be selected as the top firm in each key practice area. Winners will be announced at the Chambers USA Awards Dinner in New York on June 7. * * * AnnMarie Sanford, an attorney in the Detroit office of Pepper Hamilton LLP, has been selected for the XXIII Leadership Oakland Class. The program develops leadership skills, exposes individuals to key issues impacting the region and enables participants to reach their full potential. Since 1990, the Leadership Oakland Cornerstone Program has brought together more than 800 leaders from corporate, civic and non-profit organizations throughout the community. Each year, as part of the 9-month program, 50 developing leaders delve into the issues facing the region - from education, government and the justice system to health and human services and race and ethnic diversity. At Pepper Hamilton, Sanford is primarily engaged in environmental regulatory issues and coordinating environmental due diligence activities in real estate and corporate transactions. She also is a member of the firm's Sustainability, CleanTech and Climate Change Team and is qualified as a LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Accredited Professional. Sanford serves on the board of directors of the WARM Training Center, a Detroit nonprofit organization that promotes the development of resource efficient, affordable, healthy homes and communities through education, training and technical assistance. She earned a B.S.Ch.E. from Wayne State University (Chemical Engineering) and her law degree from Wayne State University Law School. * * * Andrew B. Wachler of Wachler & Associates PC presented "Compliance Plans for Health Care Providers," at the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants' Health Care conference at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi. The presentation focused on the importance of setting up a compliance plan, despite the fact that the task can seem daunting. As part of his presentation, Wachler identified the key elements of an effective compliance program and discussed the latest regulatory developments and updates. Wachler along with John W. Finn, M.D. of Palliative Medicine Associates, PLLC, also presented "Hospice Care, Medicare Fraud and Abuse and the OIG," at the Michigan Hospice and Palliative Care Organization's Annual Conference in Bay City. 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. * * * Joseph E. Viviano, managing partner of the Macomb County-based law firm Viviano Law, has been named to the Michigan 'Rising Stars' list as one of the top up-and-coming lawyers by Super Lawyers. This is the second consecutive year that Viviano has been named to the list. "I'm honored to be included in the Super Lawyers Rising Stars list again," said Viviano. "It's a privilege to be selected by my peers for this type of recognition." Viviano represents clients in matters related to corporate law, commercial litigation, and real estate and is the City Attorney for Center Line. In addition, Viviano has run several successful political campaigns for local judges. After practicing law for seven years with the business law firm Bodman LLP, Viviano founded Viviano Law with partners Joseph Pagano and Jake Howlett. Today, the firm consists of five attorneys and a support staff. Published: Mon, May 14, 2012