LEGAL PEOPLE

Farmington Hills-based Fabian, Sklar, & King PC, a law firm specializing in representing victims of fires and explosions, has been recognized by U.S. News Best Lawyers as a Tier 1 "Best Law Firms" in metro Detroit for 2015 in the practice areas of Insurance Law and Personal Injury Litigation-Plaintiffs. Michael Fabian, founding shareholder of the firm, made the announcement. Three lawyers from the firm-Michael Fabian, Stuart Sklar and Jason Liss-were also selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2015. Fabian was recognized for his work in the practice area of Insurance Law, while Sklar was honored for the practice areas of Insurance Law and Personal Injury Litigation-Plaintiffs. Liss was named a "Best Lawyer" for his work in the practice areas of Litigation-Insurance and Personal Injury Litigation-Plaintiffs. "Both The Best Lawyers in America and Best Law Firms have been recognizing the most highly acclaimed attorneys in their distinct practice areas for decades, and it's a privilege to be included on both lists for 2015," said Fabian. "With both processes relying heavily on peer feedback to determine results, we are honored to be held in such high esteem by our professional colleagues in the metro Detroit area and beyond." Fabian and Sklar have both been named "Best Lawyers" each year since 2013. The 2015 edition of Best Lawyers in America will represent the first time of inclusion for Liss. - - - Ralph Colasuonno, senior counsel with Warner, Norcross, & Judd LLP, has completed requirements to become a general civil mediator. To fulfill the training requirements, Colasuonno participated in 40 hours of hands-on instruction featuring case scenarios and realistic demonstrations and achieved significant experience provisions. The General Civil Mediation training program has been approved by the State Court Administrative Office. It has been named winner of an Association of Continuing Legal Education Administrators Best Award for a continuing legal education program. As a member of the firm's Litigation Practice Group, Colasuonno concentrates his practice in banking and business litigation, as well as facilitation and mediation of commercial and general civil disputes. Colasuonno is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, Oakland County Bar Association, and the Macomb County Bar Association. He earned a bachelor of arts from the University of Western Ontario in Canada and a law degree from the Detroit College of Law. - - - Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC is pleased to announce that Christopher J. Worrel has joined the firm. He will practice out of the firm's Royal Oak Office. Worrel concentrates his practice in intellectual property with a focus on the preparation and prosecution of mechanical and electrical patent applications and office action responses. His practice also includes patent validity and infringement opinions; IP due diligence for new product introduction and technology acquisition; and negotiation and counseling regarding technology agreements. Prior to joining the firm, Worrel worked as in-house counsel for a major manufacturer of photovoltaic devices where he was responsible for counseling diverse project teams in targeted IP development, managing contract negotiation for technical engagements, and directing prosecution and portfolio management activities across multiple product and technological fields. He has also worked with a university technology transfer office indentifying technology for potential licensing opportunities. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Worrel worked as an engineer for an FDA-regulated electromechanical medical device manufacturer where he developed and supported manufacturing processes for new and existing products. Worrel received his law degree from the University of Toledo College of Law in 2011. He earned his B.S.E. from the University of Michigan in 2006. He is licensed to practice in the State of Michigan and before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. - - - Attorney Tracy L. Feliksa has joined Kemp Klein Law Firm as an associate. Her practice areas include probate law focusing on trusts, decedents' estates, guardianships, conservatorships, and fiduciary issues. Feliksa has a particular interest in elder financial abuse issues. She graduated from Michigan Technological University, with B.S. in engineering, in 1986 and has seven years professional engineering experience. She received her law degree from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School in 2013. In addition, attorney Natasha M. Lockhart has joined Kemp Klein Law Firm as an associate. Lockhart graduated from Brigham Young University, with B.A. in American Studies and English in 2010 and received her law degree from University of Michigan Law School in 2014. - - - Honigman, Miller, Schwarz, and Cohn LLP is pleased to announce that its partner Joseph R. Sgroi will be recognized by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as one of 30 "Up and Coming" attorneys for 2014. Sgroi is a member of Honigman's Corporate Department and leader of the firm's Bankruptcy, Reorganization and Creditor Rights Practice Group. He represents a wide range of businesses from various industries, including automotive and manufacturing. Sgroi has experience representing debtors, creditors, creditors' committees, customers, lenders and equity holders in bankruptcies, financial restructurings, liquidations and out-of-court workouts. Sgroi also serves as the firm's associate chief value partner, in which he is charged with implementing Honigman's client value initiatives. He has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America since 2012, as a Michigan Super Lawyers "Rising Star" since 2009 and was named by DBusiness as one of its "30 in their 30's" in 2010. Sgroi earned a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School and a B.A. in political science from the University of Michigan. - - - Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer, & Weiss PC recently announced that attorney and partner Holli Targan has been named among the Best Lawyers in America for 2014 and by DBusiness magazine as a 2015 Top Lawyer in southeastern Michigan. Jaffe CEO Bill Sider made the announcement. Targan has been consistently recognized by her peers as an expert in the field of electronic payments law. She has been honored among the Best Lawyers in America from 2010 to 2014. Locally in southeastern Detroit, she has been honored among DBusiness magazine's Top Lawyers for 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2015, which is awarded following peer review by thousands of attorneys throughout the region. Targan serves as chairperson of Jaffe's Electronic Payments practice group. With decades of experience, she specializes in the legal issues surrounding payments, including card processing, mobile payments, ATM, cash advance, ACH and stored-value systems, both domestically and internationally. She handles mergers and acquisitions, strategy development, contract negotiation, and state, federal and card brand regulatory compliance issues. She is a past president of Washington, D.C.-based Electronic Transactions Association (ETA), and served on the ETA Board of Directors for 11 years. She has also served as chair of the ETA Government Relations and Certified Payments Professional Credentialing Commission. In addition, Targan co-founded and is a board member of W.net, Women Networking in Electronic Transactions, which develops leaders within the payments industry and provides opportunities to empower women to reach their full professional potential. Serving approximately 300 members, W.net's national and regional programs focus on professional and leadership development, networking and business opportunities, mentoring and peer support, championing diversity and positioning women for greater success. Targan also regularly writes at ElectronicPaymentsLaw.com, a blog she helped launch to keep the payments industry informed of the evolving legal landscape. - - - Attorney Mark S. Kopson, who serves as Plunkett Cooney's Healthcare Industry Group leader, has been elected as the 2014-2015 chair-elect of the State Bar of Michigan's Health Care Law Section. Kopson, a shareholder in the Bloomfield Hills office of Plunkett Cooney, was recently elected during the annual meeting of the bar association's Health Care Law Section. Following his one-year term as chair-elect, he will become chair of the section in September 2015. Through its committees and programs, the Health Care Law Section serves as an educational resource for members of the bar and fosters professional development and the advancement of health care law standards. Kopson represents healthcare providers and integrated delivery systems, payers and other managed care entities in Michigan and throughout the United States. He has experience and expertise in the areas of managed care negotiation, contracting and dispute resolution, performance/outcomes-based reimbursement and revenue cycle, as well as regulatory compliance and agency investigation response. His practice also includes the formation and counseling of integrated delivery networks, certificates of need and regulatory issues related to for-profit acquisitions of nonprofit providers. Kopson's involvement in the Heath Care Law Section includes previous service as council secretary (2013-2014), chair of the Council Legislative Committee (2013-2014), chair of the Payers Substantive Law Subcommittee (2009-2010) and a member of the Technology Substantive Law Subcommittee (2008-2009). He also is a member of the State Bar's Business Law Section. Kopson also chairs the Payers, Plans and Managed Care Practice Group of the American Health Lawyers Association and is a member of the Business Law, Health Law, and Law Practice Management sections of the American Bar Association. A graduate of the University of Detroit School of Law in 1985, Kopson has received his undergraduate degree from the University of Detroit in 1981. - - - Three attorneys have joined Quinn Law Group PLLC, an intellectual property firm in Novi, according to Christopher Quinn, founder and principal of the firm. They are Roberto Colón, Stephen T. Mahan, and David A. Riegner. Roberto Colón has successfully prepared and prosecuted domestic and foreign patent applications in a wide range of technologies such as automotive powertrains and control systems, manufacturing processes, business methods, telematics systems, semiconductor packaging, and medical devices. He has also provided and drafted opinions on patentability, infringement, and validity of patents. Colón has conducted due diligence reviews to assess the value of intellectual property portfolios and detect potential liabilities. Colón previously served as chair of the intellectual property law section of the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) and is a member of the Oakland County Bar Association. Colón received law degrees from Columbia Law School and the University of Puerto Rico. He also earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Puerto Rico. He is fluent in Spanish. Stephen T. Mahan secures protection for clients' intellectual property by preparing and prosecuting patent applications and related efforts. His technical focus includes both automotive and non-automotive components and systems related to controls, electromechanical devices, manufacturing systems and other technologies. Mahan has prepared and prosecuted patents for technologies including hybrid-electric powertrain systems, electric vehicles, electro-hydraulic transmissions, power electronics, energy storage systems and electric motor/generators. He has held engineering posts at an automotive original equipment manufacturer and at Tier 1 automotive suppliers in exhaust emission systems, fuel and air intake systems, on-board diagnostics, engine management systems and tire design among others. Prior to joining the Quinn Law Group, Mahan practiced at another firm in southeast Michigan, where he practiced in patent preparation and prosecution. Mahan received a B.S. in agricultural engineering from Pennsylvania State University and an M. S. in engineering from Cornell University with an emphasis on electronics and instrumentation. He received his law degree from Michigan State University College of Law and is admitted to the State Bar of Michigan and the United States Patent and Trademark Office as an attorney. David A. Riegner concentrates his law practice on the preparation and prosecution of patents in the mechanical technologies. Prior to pursuing his law degree, Riegner was an advanced development engineer at the General Motors Technical Center for 31 years. His responsibilities at General Motors included development and implementation of advanced products, materials, and manufacturing methods for both current and future vehicles. Riegner has experience in mechanical, aerospace, materials, manufacturing, product, and systems engineering as well as global and regional engineering project management. He has experience in conventional, hybrid, electric and fuel cell vehicle engineering and manufacturing. He has also worked in advanced composite materials research at the NASA Langley Research Center. Riegner received a B.S. in mechanical and aerospace engineering from the University of Delaware and an M.S. in engineering from Purdue University. He received a law degree from the Ave Maria School of Law. Riegner is licensed to practice in Michigan courts and in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. He is also registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Published: Mon, Dec 15, 2014