Potestivo & Associates PC is pleased to announce the hiring of Kristy Steffani. She joined the attorney team on Wednesday, Feb. 3. Steffani is located at the firm's Rochester office as an associate attorney, primarily serving the Bankruptcy Department.
Steffani completed her B.S. at Madonna University where she majored in Paralegal Studies. She went on to earn her law degree at Western Michigan Cooley Law School in 2013.
Steffani has spent more than two years representing creditors in Chapter 7 and 13 bankruptcy proceedings and Chapter 7 bankruptcy Trustees. Prior to this role, she served as an attorney/partner for Foundations Legal Group PLLC.
Steffani's professional interests have been focused on creditors rights. She has enjoyed participating in THAW (The Heat and Warmth Fund), and Shades of Pink Foundation.
Potestivo is also pleased to announce the hiring of Qiana Rivers. She joined the attorney team on Monday, Feb. 8. Rivers is located at the firm's Rochester office, primarily serving the Foreclosure Department.
Rivers completed her B.A. at Marygrove College in 2006. She went on to earn her law degree and Master of Public Administration at Cleveland State University in 2011.
Rivers has spent many years drafting legal documents and representing clients in bankruptcy, family law, and business law transactions. She has also served as a research attorney for Honigman, Miller, Schwartz, & Cohn. In this capacity, she researched federal statutes and prepared litigation for the firm's international clients.
Rivers' professional interests include personal and corporate reorganizations, and she enjoys bridging the gap between large businesses and the community. Rivers also enjoys volunteering in metro Detroit where she is able to combine her love for community service and her grant writing skills. In recent years, she has contracted with local churches and community programs to negotiate contracts, write grants, and manage small programs.
- - -
Four Oakland County Circuit Court judges were recently honored as "Top Judges" by DBusiness magazine. The magazine polled more than 19,000 private attorneys in metro Detroit to select the top circuit court judges in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb Counties. The selection criteria was based on integrity, knowledge of the law, efficiency, and judicial temperament.
The four Oakland County Circuit Court judges being honored as "Top Judges" are: Judge Rae Lee Chabot, Judge Lisa Gorcyca, Chief Judge Nanci Grant, and Judge Wendy Potts.
- - -
Brian McKeen, managing partner of McKeen & Associates of Detroit, (www.mckeenassociates.com) spoke at the Michigan Association for Justice (MAJ) 26th annual "Seminar in the Snow" at Shanty Creek in Bellaire, Michigan on February 5. McKeen spoke on the subject of "Attorney Conducted Voire Dire."
In addition, Euel W. Kinsey Jr., an associate attorney at McKeen & Associates, has joined the faculty of his alma mater, University of Detroit Mercy Law School, as an adjunct professor.
Kinsey began teaching a course on medical malpractice to upper level students this term.
For the past 28 years, Kinsey's practice has focused on medical malpractice litigation representing injured patients. A significant portion of his practice has involved birth trauma litigation. He has been with McKeen & Associates 13 years. Kinsey has also worked as an assistant prosecuting attorney for Wayne County, and as an associate at a large law firm where he litigated Workers Compensation cases and labor law issues.
Kinsey earned his law degree from University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and his bachelor's degree in business administration from University of Michigan.
Kinsey is licensed in six states besides Michigan and currently practices in five. He holds an AV Preeminent rating with Martinale Hubble. He has been named a Michigan Super Lawyer; a Top Attorney in Michigan by New York Times, a DBusiness Leading Lawyer; American Registry of the Finest Lawyers in the World; and Sutton Who's Who in American Law.
An accomplished pilot, Kinsey is a past chair and currently serves as council member of the Aviation Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan. Kinsey periodically sits as a case evaluator in Macomb and Wayne Counties reviewing other personal injury cases and he is a member of the Michigan and American Associations for Justice.
- - -
The Best Lawyers in America has named several Bodman PLC attorneys "Lawyers of the Year" for 2016. This list includes David P. Larsen, Marguerite Munson Lentz, Dennis J. Levasseur, Larry R. Shulman, and Thomas Van Dusen.
Larsen has been named 2016 Detroit Lawyer of the Year for Litigation-Trusts and Estates. He represents individual clients and financial institutions in the areas of estate planning, estate and trust administration, trust litigation, estate and gift tax, real estate transactions, the purchase, sale and lease of aircraft and watercraft, and closely-held business transactions and succession. He is chair of Bodman's Individual Clients Practice Group and vice chair of Bodman's Executive Committee. Larsen serves on the Board of the Detroit Crime Commission.
Lentz has been named 2016 Detroit Lawyer of the Year for Trusts and Estates. She concentrates her practice in representing high net worth individuals in estate planning, probate, and trusts. She regularly advises nonprofit and tax exempt organizations regarding obtaining and maintaining exempt status, corporate governance, and general operational issues. She is a member of Inforum and a Fellow of the American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel.
Levasseur has been named 2016 Detroit Lawyer of the Year for Litigation-Banking and Finance. He practices intellectual property litigation, franchise/dealer litigation, complex commercial litigation, and securities litigation and arbitration, primarily for securities broker-dealers, in proceedings throughout the United States. He is a founder of the Historical Society of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. He serves as the Legal/Government Committee chair and on the executive board as the vice president for legal affairs of the Detroit Historical Society. Levasseur is city attorney for the City of Grosse Pointe Park.
Shulman has been named 2016 Detroit Lawyer of the Year for Banking and Finance Law. He represents lenders in commercial loan originations. His practice also encompasses loan workouts, contract and other general business matters, as well as counseling lenders on lender liability issues. He has experience representing lenders providing credit enhancements for commercial paper back-up facilities and municipal bonds and representing lenders purchasing tax exempt bonds. In addition, he represents lenders acting in non-lending capacities such as trustee or escrow agent. Shulman served for ten years as chairman of Bodman's executive committee. Currently, he serves on the boards of directors for the JARC Foundation, Starfish Family Services, and Forgotten Harvest.
Van Dusen has been named 2016 Troy Lawyer of the Year for Litigation-Trusts and Estates. He advises clients in litigation and alternative dispute resolution matters, primarily in the areas of commercial, insurance, and personal injury defense including arbitration hearings, bench trials, jury trials and appeals. He is a member of the National Diocesan Attorneys Association, the Defense Research Institute, the American Arbitration Association panel of arbitrators, and the Michigan Committee on Model Civil Jury Instructions.
- - -
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder recently announced the appointment of Hassan Beydoun to the Human Trafficking Commission.
Housed in the Attorney General's office, the 14-member commission is charged with making recommendations to the Legislature to improve laws addressing human trafficking violations.
Beydoun is the majority legal counsel for the Michigan House of Representatives and previously served as an attorney in the special investigations unit of the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office. He earned a bachelor's degree from Wayne State University and a law degree from the University of Iowa. He represents individuals recommended by the Speaker of the House and fills the vacancy created by the resignation of former state Rep. Kenneth Kurtz.
Beydoun will serve the remainder of a two-year term expiring March 1, 2017. His appointment is not subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.
- - -
Honigman, Miller, Schwartz, and Cohn LLP partner Kathryn A. Katz was named to the Oakland County Executive's Elite 40 under 40 class of 2016. The class was chosen by a panel of independent judges who reviewed nearly 450 nominations and applications. The program, which began in 2012, honors young professionals and thought leaders who have excelled in their field, have demonstrated dynamic leadership and have made significant contributions to the quality of life in the region.
Katz is a member of Honigman's Trust and Estates Practice Group and is located in the Bloomfield Hills office. She counsels individuals on various aspects of estate and wealth transfer planning, including the preparation of wills and trusts, and the formation and operation of private foundations and public charities.
Katz is an active community leader and serves as a member of the Program Advisory Committee of Michigan Community Resources and on the board of directors for both JARC and the Detroit Institute of Arts, Founders Junior Council. The Legal Aid and Defenders Association recognized her pro bono service to them in 2012 and 2014.
She earned a law degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and a B.A. in history and political science from the University of Wisconsin.
Honigman alsorecently announced that the firm was counsel on more than 204 corporate transactions that closed in 2015, once again topping the previous year's total as the firm's national reputation and client base continues to grow steadily. The total value of transactions came in at $13.92 billion, with the number of transactions growing an impressive 12 percent over 2014. Honigman is nationally recognized as a leader in middle-market legal work.
Honigman's corporate Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) Practice recorded growth with 107 transactions totaling nearly $8 billion. Honigman counted 39 Venture Capital (VC) transactions at a value of $345 million. Pitchbook, which provides comprehensive data regarding M&A, Private Equity and VC transactions, ranked Honigman sixth in the country for middle-market private equity deals in the fourth quarter of 2015, its PE practice ninth and its M&A practice 16th. Mergermarket, which also collects and reports on deal data, ranked Honigman's M&A practice 11th in the Midwest for 2015.
"Our reputation as national leaders in the middle-market continues to grow," said Donald J. Kunz, Honigman's Corporate Department chair. "The depth of experience that the Corporate Department offers continues to make it the choice of companies across the U.S., and has helped it achieve a decade of year-on-year revenue increases."
One of the most notable deals for Honigman in 2015 was its representation of Troy-based software company New World Systems Corp. in its sale to Texas-based Tyler Technologies Inc. for $670 million in cash and stock.
- - -
Brooks Kushman attorney Christopher C. Smith has been chosen to serve as secretary on the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO) IP Licensing Committee for the 2016 term.
The committee which includes approximately 50 members from across the country, focuses on intellectual property licensing and related matters and issues providing members the opportunity for discussion, review and analysis of topics or issues associated with patent, technology/trade secret, software/copyright and trademark licensing; cross and joint licensing; licensing for income or other business value; industry and market trends; best practices; agreements and agreement provisions; impact or relevance of bankruptcy, anti-trust, standards, and compulsory licensing.
As secretary, Smith will prepare an agenda for each month's meeting and plan monthly programs and assist with preparation for the Annual Meeting.
Smith concentrates his practice on intellectual property litigation, with a primary emphasis on patent litigation. In addition to litigation, Smith is involved with the preparation of invalidity and infringement opinions and licensing disputes.
The IPO Association is a trade association for owners of patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets.
- - -
Dickinson Wright PLLC is pleased to announce that attorney W. Anthony Jenkins has been named a "2016 Leader in the Law" by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.
Jenkins is a member and chief diversity officer in the firm's Detroit office. He has a diverse corporate/transactional practice, which includes representing a wide variety of entrepreneurs and governmental entities in the structure and financing of some of Detroit's most high profile developments, including Comerica Park and Ford Field. He is a nationally recognized expert in the certification of minority-owned business enterprises, and has served on the Executive/Finance Committee of the Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council. Jenkins also represents the boards of charter schools in school-law and other-related matters.
Jenkins is a past president of the State Bar of Michigan and the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association as well as a past member of both the American Bar Association's Board of Governors and a past member of its Federal Judiciary Committee. He is currently a member of the Real Property Law Section of both the American Bar Association and the State Bar of Michigan. Jenkins also is a past member of the Board of Directors of Western Michigan University Cooley Law School. Outside of the legal profession, Jenkins is a committee member of the NCAA Division I Infractions Appeals Committee.
Jenkins is recognized as a leader in his field by Best Lawyers in America, Michigan Super Lawyers, Crain's Detroit Business "Best Lawyers", and is rated as an AV Peer Review Lawyer by Martindale Hubbell. Jenkins received his B.A. from Harvard College, his M.P.A. from Princeton University, and his law degree from New York University Law School.
- - -
Elise Bean, co-director of the Levin Center at Wayne State University Law School in Detroit, was named to Global Tax 50, a list of 50 people and organizations who most influenced tax policy in 2015.
Each year since 2011, International Tax Review, a publication for tax professionals, has compiled this list of "who's who of the tax world."
In addition to her duties with the Levin Center, in 2015, Bean served as head rapporteur for the Independent Commission for Reform of International Corporate Taxation, a group of leaders from around the world seeking reform of multinational corporate taxation.
In 1985, Bean became counsel to then U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., on the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. She worked for him on three subcommittees, and, in 2003, Levin appointed her as staff director and chief counsel of the committee's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which he chaired. Today, Levin, who retired from the Senate at the beginning of 2015, is chair of the Levin Center at Wayne Law and distinguished legislator in residence for the law school.
Before her retirement from the Senate in 2014, Bean handled a variety of investigations, hearings and legislation, including matters involving offshore tax abuse, money laundering, foreign corruption, unfair credit card practices, abuses involving derivatives and structured finance, and shell companies with hidden owners. Investigations headed by her included inquiries into the 2008 financial crisis and offshore tax avoidance by Apple, Microsoft and Caterpillar.
Bean graduated from Wesleyan University and earned her law degree from the University of Michigan Law School.
- - -
Attorney Laura Mazor has joined Butzel Long law firm. Mazor, an associate who specializes in White Collar Criminal Defense, is based in the firm's Detroit office.
Prior to joining Butzel Long, Mazor spent three years as a law clerk to United States District Court Judge Patrick J. Duggan, Eastern District of Michigan.
She attended the George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C., and completed her undergraduate coursework at the University of Michigan.
Mazor is admitted to practice in the courts of the State of Michigan, as well as the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
- - -
Roshunda Price has joined Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer, & Weiss PC as a partner in the firm's corporate and real estate practice groups. Jaffe CEO William Sider made the announcement.
As a partner in Jaffe's corporate and real estate practice groups, Price will focus on advising clients on a variety of corporate and real estate matters. This includes selection and structure of business entities, financing transactions, mergers and acquisitions, joint venture and strategic alliances, real estate development, the acquisition and disposition of commercial and residential property, construction transactions and landlord/tenant leasing arrangements. In addition to her real estate practice, she also has experience in healthcare law and is a certified public accountant.
Prior to joining Jaffe, Price served as vice president and assistant general counsel of the Detroit Medical Center and clinical assistant professor and director of the urban communities clinical law program at the University of Michigan Law School.
Price earned her Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business and her law degree from the University of Michigan Law School.
- - -
Lipson, Neilson, Cole, Seltzer, Garin PC is proud to announce that C. Thomas Ludden, a partner at the firm, has been appointed by the Michigan Supreme Court to serve on the state's Committee on Model Jury Instructions. The appointment is for a three year term ending December 31, 2018.
This committee is composed of attorneys and judges whose duty is to ensure that the Model Civil Jury Instructions are concise, understandable, conversational, unslanted, and not argumentative. The committee has authority to amend or repeal existing instructions and, when appropriate, adopt new instructions, although the instructions do not have the force and effect of a court rule.
Ludden specializes in commercial litigation, professional liability, and appellate practice. He also brings to his practice insurance coverage and appellate experience.
Ludden has defended more than 100 law firms and lawyers during his career, while also handling a broad range of commercial disputes, including representing both landlords and tenants in commercial lease and other contractual disputes, software developers in intellectual property matters and both private and public corporations in environmental litigation.
Published: Mon, Feb 15, 2016
