Legal People

Bodman PLC

Bodman PLC is pleased to announce that banking and finance attorney Adam B. Norlander has joined the firm as a member of the Banking Practice Group in the Detroit office.

Norlander represents national and regional financial institutions in the structuring, negotiation, and documentation of commercial, agented, and syndicated lending transactions. He also practices commercial real estate law including acquisitions, sales, and commercial leasing, and general corporate law including entity formation, mergers, and acquisitions.

 Norlander has more than 18 years of legal experience. Before joining Bodman, he was a principal in the Detroit office of a large law firm where he served as co-leader of the Banking and Finance Group.

Norlander adds further depth to Bodman’s market-leading Banking Practice Group. Chambers USA has ranked Bodman as Michigan’s top banking law firm for 14 consecutive years, and U.S. News ranks the firm nationally for Banking and Finance Law, at the same level or higher than many significantly larger national law firms.

Norlander has been listed since 2013 in The Best Lawyers in America for Banking & Finance Law. He has also been listed multiple times in Michigan Rising Stars as a leading Banking Law practitioner.

Bodman is also pleased to announce that Jennifer L. Long has joined the firm as an associate attorney in the Detroit office.

Long is a member of the firm’s High Net Worth Practice Group and Tax Practice Group. She represents individual clients on estate planning and on gift and income tax matters. She also advises clients on corporate and transactional matters in connection with their closely-held businesses.

Before joining Bodman, Long worked for two major accounting and consulting firms as a senior associate advising multinational corporations on complex corporate transactions and on domestic and international tax planning issues. She also worked as a director of client services and senior tax attorney for a tax controversy firm where she prepared corporate and individual tax returns, resolved tax debts with federal and state tax authorities, and defended clients in IRS audits.

During law school, she served as a judicial intern to U.S. District Court Judge Paul D. Borman, Eastern District of Michigan and as a teaching assistant to Professor Frank Ravitch of Michigan State University College of Law.

She is a member of the Wolverine Bar Association, the Michigan Women’s Tax Association, and the National Association of Black Accountants. Long is also a member of the Taxation Section of the State Bar of Michigan and serves on the State Bar’s Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee.

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Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss, P.C.

Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer, & Weiss PC’s Detroit and Ann Arbor locations have been ranked in the 2019 U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” list. Jaffe CEO Jeffrey Weiss made the announcement.

In the 2019 list, Jaffe was named nationally in one practice area and regionally in 28 practice areas, including:

National Tier 3

• Corporate Law

Metropolitan Tier 1

Ann Arbor

• Copyright Law

• Litigation – Intellectual Property

• Technology Law

Detroit

• Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law

• Corporate Law

• Information Technology Law

• Insurance Law

• Mergers & Acquisitions Law

• Real Estate Law

• Tax Law

• Trusts & Estates Law

Metropolitan Tier 2

Ann Arbor

• Trademark Law

Detroit

• Closely Held Companies and Family Business Law

• Commercial Litigation

• Criminal Defense: White-Collar

• Immigration Law

• Litigation – Bankruptcy

• Litigation – Construction

• Litigation – Environmental

• Litigation – Real Estate

• Public Finance Law

• Securities / Capital Markets Law

Metropolitan Tier 3

Detroit

• Appellate Practice

• Banking and Finance Law

• Family Law

• Litigation – Banking & Finance

• Litigation – Securities

• Securities Regulation

In addition, Jaffe’s Michelle Rubin was named to the Michigan Lawyers Weekly “Up and Coming Lawyers Class of 2018” in recognition of her dedication to her work and local community. Jaffe CEO Jeffrey Weiss made the announcement.

Rubin, an associate in Jaffe’s Estate Planning Practice Group, focuses on helping her clients successfully manage life’s transitions. In her role, she counsels clients, ranging from young families and professionals to high net worth individuals, helping them plan for their future throughout the personal and economic stages of their lives.

Taking an active role within the firm, Rubin was one of three associates that developed Jaffe’s Associates Committee, which facilities open communication between associates and firm management, as well as plans social and community events geared toward associates and their interests. In addition, she is a member of the firm’s Women’s Caucus Group, established to help women at the firm manage work-life balance, participate in community outreach and gain valuable self-marketing and business skills. She also serves as co-chair of the Personal and Professional Development Sub-committee, helping to inspire and foster her colleagues’ bond and professional growth.

Rubin is also invested in giving back to her local community through her active participation in a number of charity organizations, including serving as a: board member of Yad Ezra, a kosher food pantry that provides groceries to families in need; board member and member of the educational loan committee of Hebrew Free Loan; and member of the Jewish Federation’s NEXTGen Connect Committee, where Rubin helps young adults within the Jewish community through mentorship, résumé support and job assistance.

Rubin earned a law degree from Wayne State University Law School in Detroit and a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

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Butzel Long

Mark Lezotte, a health care attorney with Butzel Long, moderated a panel program during Automation Alley’s Integr8™: The Industry 4.0 Conference on Nov. 14 at the Renaissance Center in Detroit. The focus of the panel discussion was “Big Data and Artificial Intelligence’s Impact on Health Care.” The panel discussed technology and medical innovation, and the effect on improved health outcomes, quality, and cost containment.

Lezotte has experience in corporate, health care, tax, and exempt organization matters, including healthcare ventures, business transactions, regulatory investigations, corporate and nonprofit governance, and tax-exempt issues. He also has served in leadership roles on many other civic and nonprofit boards.

He has been active in numerous bar and professional organizations. He has been recognized in “The Best Lawyers in America” (health care law), published by Woodward/White Inc. since 2013; and has been selected to Michigan Super Lawyers, published by Thomson Reuters, since 2008.

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Maddin, Hauser, Roth, & Heller PC

Maddin, Hauser, Roth, & Heller PC is pleased to announce that seven of its attorneys have been recognized in DBusiness Magazine’s list of 2019 Top Lawyers.

The recipients and respective categories in which they were honored include:

• Earle I. Erman, shareholder: Bankruptcy and Creditor/Debtor Rights Law, Commercial Law, and Mediation

• Harvey R. Heller, shareholder, Executive Committee member and chairman of Defense and Insurance Coverage Practice Group: Insurance Law, Legal Malpractice Law and Professional Malpractice Law

• Charles M. Lax, shareholder: Employee Benefits Law

• Steven D. Sallen, president, CEO, and co-chairman of Real Estate Practice Group: Real Estate Law

• David M. Saperstein, shareholder: Appellate Law and Legal Malpractice Law

• Julie Beth Teicher, shareholder: Bankruptcy and Creditor/Debtor Rights Law

• Steven M. Wolock, shareholder: Legal Malpractice Law and Professional Malpractice Law

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Dykema

Dykema recently announced the addition of Rasul M. Raheem to its Financial Services Litigation Practice Group as a senior counsel in the firm’s Detroit office. Raheem joins Dykema with nearly 30 years of experience as in-house counsel to banking entities, including serving as senior vice president and assistant general counsel with Bank of America, as well as time with LaSalle Bank Corp. and Michigan National Bank.

Raheem’s practice focuses on business transactions, bank regulatory and compliance, and banking law. He provides legal counsel and advice to senior management regarding finance and lending relationships, credit issues, restructuring and recovery strategies, reputational risk, treasury services, bank policy and regulatory issues, and cyber currency issues, as well as litigation related to financial services disputes.

Raheem serves as a member of the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity & Inclusion and was an adjunct professor at Western Michigan University Cooley Law School, where he taught a course on banking and financial institutions law.

Raheem earned law degrees from Wayne State University Law School. He also earned a BGS from the University of Michigan.

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Howard & Howard

Howard & Howard has been named to the 2019 U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” list in the following areas:

Metropolitan Tier 1

Ann Arbor

• Litigation – Intellectual Property

Troy

• Commercial Litigation

• Energy Law

• Litigation – Intellectual Property

• Litigation – Patent

• Patent Law

• Trademark Law

Metropolitan Tier 2

Ann Arbor

• Commercial Litigation

Troy

• Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law

• Labor Law - Management

• Trusts & Estates Law

Metropolitan Tier 3

Troy

• Corporate Law

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Warner, Norcross, & Judd LLP

 Warner, Norcross, & Judd LLP recently welcomed several new attorneys.

The local attorneys, who have all be admitted to the State Bar of Michigan, include:

Nina E. Lucido received her law degree from the Michigan State University College of Law. She earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Michigan. Lucido served as a judicial intern for Michigan Supreme Court Justice David Viviano and as a clerk at the MSU Office of the General Counsel. She practices in the firm’s Macomb office.

Ewelina M. Sawicka received her law degree from Wayne State University Law School. She earned a bachelor’s degree from MSU in comparative cultures and politics. She served as a legal intern for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Michigan and a judicial intern for the Detroit Immigration Court. She is fluent in Polish. Sawicka practices in the firm’s Southfield office.

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Plunkett Cooney

Josephine A. DeLorenzo, a partner at Plunkett Cooney, has been appointed commissioner-at-large of the State Bar of Michigan (SBM) Board of Commissioners.

A co-leader of the firm’s Appellate Law Practice Group, DeLorenzo was recently appointed to the post by the Michigan Supreme Court. Commissioners serve three-year terms commencing each year upon adjournment of the SBM annual meeting.

The SBM Board of Commissioners provides oversight to the State Bar on finance, public policy, professional standards and member services and communications.

DeLorenzo, who graduated from University of Notre Dame in 1991 and from University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 2008, joined the firm in 2011 and became a partner in 2017.

A former law clerk to Judge Kurtis T. Wilder when he served on the Michigan Court of Appeals, DeLorenzo focuses her practice in the areas of appellate law, insurance coverage and governmental law.

Named a “Michigan Rising Star” in appellate law by Michigan Super Lawyers magazine, DeLorenzo is admitted to practice in the state and federal courts in Michigan, as well as in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court.

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Hewson & Van Hellemont PC

Hewson & Van Hellemont PC has been awarded a 2018 Top Workplaces honor by The Detroit Free Press.

Theªam at Hewson & Van Hellemont PC is pleased with this award and acknowledges the hard work the law firm’s team accomplishes on a daily basis. “We commend our staff for always being diligent in meeting our clients’ needs. We work as a team and this award is a recognition of the nature of the Hewson & Van Hellemont PC work environment.”

Founded in 1991 when James F. Hewson and Jerald Van Hellemont combined their practices, files, and employees, Hewson & Van Hellemont PC (HVH) remains committed to providing high quality and efficient legal services to its core insurance client base. In order to better serve its growing client base, HVH has expanded to provide commercial and personal litigation, estate planning, probate, and criminal legal services.

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Fraser Trebilcock

Fraser Trebilcock is pleased to announce that attorney Paul C. Mallon Jr. has been selected as one of this year’s “Up & Coming Lawyers” by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.

Mallon’s legal experience allows him to craft creative solutions to challenging problems. He has handled myriad litigation matters including administrative licensing disputes, copyright infringement claims, franchising disputes, and breach of contract claims with amounts at stake in excess of $100MM. Mallon also assists his commercial clients by handling real estate transactions and mergers and acquisitions deals and has handled commercial transactions ranging in size from $250,000 to well over $10MM.

Before coming to Fraser Trebilcock, Mallon practiced law for more than seven years in Chicago where he represented commercial property owners and business owners in litigation matters in venues throughout the country.

Here in Michigan, Mallon primarily spends his time working out of the firm’s Detroit office. Mallon has been selected by Super Lawyers Magazine as a Rising Star in Michigan, Business Litigation in 2016 and 2017.