Legal People

For the third consecutive year, Honigman, Miller, Schwartz, and Cohn LLP has earned a place on the State Bar of Michigan’s list of firms at the leadership level in its annual Pro Bono Circle of Excellence. The leadership level recognizes that Honigman has achieved 100 percent participation at the highest level of the voluntary pro bono standard set by the Bar. Qualifying activities include volunteer legal services for low-income individuals and organizations, and financial contributions to support legal services for those clients.

“Honigman has been dedicated to providing free legal services to the underserved in our community since its founding more than 65 years ago,” said Khalilah V. Spencer, chair of the firm’s Pro Bono Committee. 

“Honigman attorneys are devoted to serving our communities and are proud of our pro bono work.  We thank the State Bar for the Circle of Excellence recognition of our commitment at the leadership level.”

Honigman is also pleased to announce that its partner William O. Hochkammer received the Gertrude Breithaupt Jupp Outstanding Service Award from Lawrence University. Hochkammer, a 1966 Lawrence graduate, has served on the university’s board of trustees for 22 years, as chair from 2005 to 2007, and is the only member in its history to complete the term limit and be invited to rejoin the board. He was instrumental in the success of the university’s $160 million fundraising campaign that ended in 2011 and currently serves on the leadership team of the university’s $75 million endowed scholarship campaign.

Hochkammer is a health care attorney and is the senior attorney involved in the firm’s practice relating to alternative risk financing vehicles, including the formation and representation of captive insurance companies. He has been involved in alternative risk financing since 1974. Hochkammer formerly served as Honigman’s chairman and CEO.

The Best Lawyers in America, Michigan Super Lawyers and DBusiness’ Top Lawyers have recognized Hochkammer as an outstanding attorney. In 2004, he was honored by Northwestern University with an Alumni Merit Award.

Hochkammer earned a law degree from Northwestern University School of Law and a B.A. in economics from Lawrence University.

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Bodman PLC is pleased to announce that two new attorneys, formerly summer associates, have joined the firm: Alexandra E. Dieck and Kenneth R. Powell.

Powell is an associate in the Business Practice Group. He represents business clients involved in a variety of general corporate matters, including business entity formation, mergers and acquisitions, and commercial transactions. Before graduating from the University of Michgan Law School, Powell worked as a research analyst involved in tracking legal, business, and financial trends in the health care and automotive industries.

Dieck is an associate in the Real Estate Practice Group. She represents a variety of clients in connection with commercial real estate transactions, including land acquisition, land development and leasing, and general real property management. Prior to graduating from the University of Michigan Law School, she worked as a law clerk in the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, Civil Division.

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Brooks Kushman is pleased to welcome four new associates—Karen Feldman, Corey Neil, Isheeta Patel, and Brett Smith—to the firm’s growing patent prosecution and litigation practice.

Feldman’s practice focuses on the preparation and prosecution of domestic and foreign patent applications in the mechanical and electromechanical arts. Her expertise extends to all facets of intellectual property law including patentability searches and opinions, drafting agreements involving the transfer, licensing, and protection of intellectual property, trademark procurement and protection, and litigation support.

Prior to joining Brooks Kushman, Feldman spent the last five years practicing at a local general practice firm. She also served as a process engineer for Intel prior to entering the field of law.

She has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of New Mexico and a law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.

Neil focuses his practice on patent prosecution in the mechanical arts. Prior to becoming an associate he was a patent searcher at Brooks Kushman, providing instrumental research for clients to determine whether to patent an inventive concept, whether they have freedom to operate, the state of the art of a specific technology market and if there is any white space within that technology market.

Neil earned a law degree from Wayne State University Law School and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Kettering University. Prior to joining Brooks Kushman he was an engineer for a large automotive supplier.

Patel’s practice will focus on the preparation and prosecution of domestic patent applications in the chemical engineering and material arts. Prior to becoming an associate, she was a patent searcher at Brooks Kushman, where she gained invaluable knowledge supporting intellectual property negotiations, settlements and litigation.

Patel earned a law degree from the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan. Prior to joining Brooks Kushman, she gained
patent experience as an in-house clerk at a prominent auto company and technical experience at Owens Corning developing wind turbine blade technology.

Her hands-on engineering experience and deep knowledge of patent searching positions Patel to better understand clients’ needs and provide exceptional, comprehensive counsel.

Smith focuses his practice on all aspects of domestic and foreign patent prosecution and litigation in the mechanical and electrical arts. His practice extends beyond these two areas and includes freedom-to-operate opinions, as well as preparing and reviewing contracts including licensing agreements and joint development agreements. He has knowledge of medical device, acoustic device, automotive, electronic products, industrial systems and information technologies.

Smith previously practiced at a mid-sized intellectual property boutique in Chicago, IL. He earned a law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan State University.

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Dickinson Wright PLLC is pleased to announce that Chambers High Net Worth Guide (HNW) 2016 has named Dickinson Wright’s Private Wealth Law practice in Arizona as a “Top Ranked” practice. A local Dickinson Wright estate planning attorney was named among “Leaders in their Fields.”

 Dickinson Wright’s Private Wealth Law practice in Arizona received a Band 1 ranking from Chambers while Henry Grix was ranked among “Leaders in their Fields” by the guide.

Grix, member, received a Band 1 ranking from Chambers HNW. He is a member in the firm’s Troy office. His practice focuses on the areas of estate planning and administration, nonprofit organizations and taxation.

He assists clients with the development and implementation of enforceable estate plans for the management and transfer of assets during life and at death in ways that avoid unnecessary taxation, preserve privacy and protect loved ones.  Grix received his B.A. and his law degree from the University of Michigan.

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Berry Moorman PC welcomes Sandro D. DiMercurio as an associate to the Firm.  DiMercurio passed the February 2016 Michigan Bar Examination and is concentrating his practice on real estate law, business law, civil litigation, and labor & employment law.  His credentials include a law degree and M.B.A. degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, and B.A. from Michigan State University.

Berry Moorman PC is a full service law firm with offices in Detroit, Birmingham, and Ann Arbor. Visit their website at http://berrymoorman.com.