LEGAL PEOPLE

Attorney Ryan P. Bourjaily is the newest member of the Trusts & Estates Practice Group of Plunkett Cooney.

Bourjaily, who recently joined the firm as an associate in the firm’s Bloomfield Hills office, focuses his practice on litigating probate, trust and estate matters. He represents a range of clients in claims involving alleged breach of fiduciary duty, undue influence, lack of mental capacity, fiduciary removal and surcharge, as well as will/trust contests. He also advises clients regarding trust and estate administrations, protective proceedings and estate planning.

Selected as a “Rising Star” in estate and trust litigation by Michigan Super Lawyers magazine in 2019, Bourjaily received his law degree from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School in 2014. He is also a member of the Probate & Estate Planning Section of the State Bar of Michigan. Bourjaily received his undergraduate degree from Albion College in 2011.

The members of Plunkett Cooney’s Trusts & Estates Practice Group focus their practice exclusively in the area of estate planning. They have particular expertise in drafting trusts and wills, managing estates, administering trusts, preserving assets, addressing tax sensitive distribution of assets to beneficiaries, planning for retirement and planning for effective asset protection. They assist with the selection process for guardians, and they utilize sophisticated techniques for tax and succession planning to the benefit of their clients.

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Dickinson Wright PLLC is pleased to announce that attorney Lynn Capp Sirich has been selected as a “2019 Women in the Law” Honoree by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.

The “2019 Women in the Law” will be honored at an annual luncheon and awards celebration on Sept. 5 at the Detroit Marriott in Troy.

With more than 27 years of experience in all areas of family and domestic relations law, Sirich guides her clients through this legal process, always mindful of the fact that she is assisting clients through an emotional and traumatic period of their lives with more than just their immediate divorce and child custody issues, as the business of divorce incorporates many different legal specialties.

Sirich is a member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Michigan (Family Law Section), the Oakland County Bar Association, the Wayne County Bar Family Law Bar Association (past-president), the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, and the Michigan Inter-Professional Association. She is president and a Life Fellow of the Oakland County Bar Foundation and is a Board Member of Humble Design.

She is recognized as a leader in her field by DBusiness Top Lawyers and was recognized by Crain’s Detroit Business as a “2017 Notable Women Lawyers in Michigan.”

Sirich received her B.A. from Michigan State University, James Madison College and her law degree from the Detroit College of Law. She was admitted as a Fellow to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) in 2019.

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Steven Gursten, Michigan Auto Law president and attorney, was recently named president of the Distracted Driving Litigation Group for the American Association for Justice (AAJ).

The announcement was made at the AAJ 2019 Annual Convention at the San Diego Convention Center where Gursten both moderated and presented during the Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation track.

The American Association for Justice is the nation’s largest association of advocates serving the needs of personal injury victims including those injured in distracted driving car accidents, with more than 50,000 lawyer members.

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Bodman PLC is pleased to announce that Sarah L. Cylkowski, Nathan D. Dupes, and Thomas J. Rheaume Jr., all members of the firm’s Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Practice Group, have been named to Benchmark Litigation’s “40 & Under Hot List.”

Cylkowski, of Bodman’s Detroit office, litigates complex matters in state and federal courts, with a particular focus on commercial health care disputes, class actions, e-discovery, and antitrust cases. Her clients include insurance companies, banks, automotive manufacturers and various other corporate commercial litigants. 

She is a member of the Detroit Bar Association, the Oakland County Bar Association, and Inforum. She has been listed since 2016 in Michigan Rising Stars for business litigation and is a past recipient of the Detroit Bar Association Barristers Pro Bono Award.

Dupes, of Bodman’s Detroit office, represents clients in complex commercial and environmental litigation and counsels clients on a wide variety of environmental matters, including permitting, regulatory compliance, and environmental risk in real estate transactions.

He is a former assistant city attorney for the City of Grosse Pointe Park. Dupes serves as an executive board member of the Federal Bar Association, Eastern District of Michigan Chapter, and as vice president and treasurer of the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center.

Rheaume, of Bodman’s Detroit office, practices complex commercial and insurance litigation. Rheaume represents clients in all stages of litigation and focuses on antitrust cases, class actions, and constitutional litigation.  He also is a leader in the firm’s appellate practice. 

He serves as local counsel for national and international law firms. He is president of the Michigan Chapter of the Federalist Society and is a member of the Detroit Economic Club’s Young Leader Board. He has been listed since 2013 in Michigan Rising Stars for business litigation.

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For the eighth consecutive year, Warner, Norcross, & Judd LLP has been recognized as a Crain’s Detroit Business “Cool Places to Work.”

Warner was selected for its commitment to work-life balance, its workplace flexibility and its excellent compensation and benefits package. Additional factors included its wellness programs and mindfulness coaching, its focus on fundraisers and engaging contests, its employee recognition and appreciation programs, on-site professional coaching, free education and fitness programs, veggie Wednesdays and corporate-sponsored events for employees and their families.

One of the largest and full-service law firms in Michigan, with more than 230 attorneys practicing in eight offices, Warner attorneys work in 14 industry groups and 26 practice areas that cover virtually every aspect of law.

“We are gratified to again be included on the Crain’s list of cool places to work,” said Managing Partner Douglas A. Dozeman. “As a law firm, we strive to provide our attorneys and staff with the opportunity to engage in meaningful work for clients in an environment that is supportive, caring and fun. We recognize the whole person comes to work each day, and we work to ensure there’s balance between work and family obligations.”

Some factors that go into making Warner a cool place to work include:

• Sponsored fundraisers and contests to spark creativity and competitiveness
• Free or discounted tickets for local family entertainment or sporting events
• Free food in break rooms, including bagels, fruit, granola and healthy snacks
• On-site health coach, nutritionist and mindfulness sessions
• On-site fitness classes such as cardio kickboxing and yoga
• On-site biofeedback sessions to help teach employees how to better self-regulate stress
• Paid time off for community service and volunteer work
• Family-friendly benefits, such as adoption assistance, lactation facilities and eldercare assistance

Warner is a corporate law firm with 230 attorneys practicing in eight offices throughout Michigan: Grand Rapids, Southfield, Midland, Macomb County, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Lansing, and Holland.

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Butzel Long attorney and shareholder Rebecca S. Davies will be a featured speaker during the 2019 National Association of African Americans in Human Resources (NAAAHR) State of Michigan Conference August 26 and 27 in Novi. Her presentation is titled, “Wage and Hour Update.”

Davies concentrates her practice primarily in the areas of employment law and commercial litigation. She represents employers in federal and state court litigation and before state and federal administrative agencies.

She has represented both the private and public sectors for nearly 20 years including companies with two to 20,000 employees. In the public sector, she has represented numerous municipalities, libraries, counties and government authorities.

Davies has had repeated success both in and out of the courtroom.

In federal court, she has received no cause verdicts in the defense of employment and commercial jury trials. In state court, she has obtained numerous dismissals and favorable settlements in a wide range of employment disputes, including harassment, wrongful termination, employment discrimination and wage claims.

She has regularly counseled employers regarding compliance under federal and state employment laws (including FLSA, FMLA, ADA and Title VII), drafted employment policies, and advised on preventative strategies.

In 2018, Davies was named a 2018 “Best of MichBusiness Awards” recipient. She also facilitates two monthly affinity groups of human resource professionals for MichiBusiness. She also was named a “2017 Honoree for Michigan Women in the Law” by Michigan Lawyers Weekly. In addition, she is a frequent author and lecturer, not only for client in-house trainings and publications, but also outside organizations including Walsh College, the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, Automation Alley and the American Society of Employers.  

Davies is an adjunct faculty member at Walsh College, where she teaches the SHRM-CP/SCP certification courses as well as general business law courses. Davies is active in national and local legal associations and regularly volunteers in her community.

Davies is a regular contributor to the annual supplement for the American Bar Association’s The Fair Labor Standards published by BNA. She also serves on the Board and was the past chair of the North American Transportation Employee Relations Association (NATERA). She is a member and previously served as the chair for the Labor and Employment Section for the Oakland County Bar Association. She serves on the Workforce and Education Committee for Oakland County.

Davies earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan at Dearborn.  She earned her law degrees from the Detroit College of Law and Wayne State University Law School.

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Royal Oak-based law firm Howard & Howard is pleased to announce that Adrianna Agosta Nichol has joined the firm. She will practice out of the Royal Oak office. She joins Howard & Howard’s growing Trust and Estate Planning Practice Group.

“Every client of mine is my most important, and I approach my practice with this key premise in mind,” Nichol said.

Nichol has a strong focus on planning wealth transfer, asset protection, and business succession strategies. Her practice also includes estate, probate, succession, and tax planning, helping her clients protect and transfer their wealth efficiently.

She has a business and litigation background. Nichol has represented and advised clients in connection with business and commercial litigation matters, such as shareholder oppression disputes, contract disputes, non-compete disputes, professional malpractice, franchise disputes, and other civil and business tort actions.

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The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan recently announced that Dan Korobkin will serve as its next legal director and Bonsitu Kitaba will be deputy legal director. Michael J. Steinberg, who has been legal director for 22 years, announced earlier this year that he will be leaving the organization to teach full-time at the University of Michigan Law School starting this fall.

Korobkin is a nationally recognized civil rights litigator and has served as the ACLU of Michigan’s deputy legal director for the past five years. His civil rights advocacy spans issues from criminal law reform to LGBT rights, to freedom of speech, and religion.

As a leader in criminal law reform, Korobkin has spearheaded the ACLU of Michigan’s fight to end the state’s practice of sentencing children to life in prison without the possibility of parole, challenged the unconstitutional “pay or stay” sentencing practices of local courts that created virtual debtor’s prisons, and earlier this year launched a class action lawsuit against Wayne County 36th District Court for its unconstitutional bail practices. He is also recognized as a pioneer in protecting the rights of medical marijuana patients. He represents a class of schoolchildren seeking special education services in the wake of the Flint water crisis, and is part of the legal team representing Aimee Stephens, a transgender woman whose employment discrimination case will be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court this October.

Korobkin has a law degree from Yale Law School and a bachelor’s degree from Swarthmore College. Prior to working at the ACLU, Korobkin served as a law clerk to U.S. District Court Judge Myron H. Thompson in Montgomery, Alabama, and to U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Robert D. Sack, Second Circuit in New York. He has also worked for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia.

“I am truly humbled by the tremendous opportunity to lead a team of all-star attorneys at this critical time,” said Korobkin. “We are going to be fighting for civil rights and civil liberties day in and day out.”

Her passion for social justice and determination to make, in her words, “the biggest impact for the most number of people” is what drew Kitaba to the ACLU of Michigan, where she has been a staff attorney for the past three years.

Kitaba’s work at the ACLU includes fighting for clean water in Flint, ending illegal tax foreclosures in Detroit, and stopping the deportations of Iraqi nationals who face persecution, torture, or death if they are forcibly returned to Iraq. Kitaba has also long been active in Ethiopia’s Oromo community, serving non-profits committed to ensuring an independent media and promoting employment and education opportunities for teens and immigrants in the region. Kitaba’s favorite word best captures what she strives to achieve for the people she represents: “Billisumma.” It is from the Oromo language of East Africa and means “freedom from oppression.”

Kitaba obtained her law degree from Wayne State University Law School and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto. Immediately after law school, Kitaba joined the law firm of Dykema Gossett PLLC as a commercial litigator where she pursued opportunities to represent clients pro bono. She successfully secured a visa for a survivor of human trafficking and represented prisoners in civil rights cases. Previously, she interned for U.S. District Court Judge Nancy Edmunds, Eastern District of Michigan, and the Maurice & Jane Sugar Law Center.

“I couldn’t be more honored to take on this leadership role and continue to elevate the tenacious work of the ACLU of Michigan,” said Kitaba. “Michael Steinberg’s mentorship helped shape my legal career, and together with Dan Korobkin and our legal department, we will be steadfast in our advocacy and will continue to fight for the communities we serve.”

Korobkin and Kitaba will assume their new positions on Tuesday, Sept. 3.

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Brian McKeen, founding and managing partner of McKeen & Associates in Detroit, recently presented at the 48th Annual Inner Circle Meeting in Dublin, Ireland,  and the 2019 American Association of Justice (AAJ) Annual Convention at the San Diego Convention Center.

McKeen spoke at the annual Inner Circle meeting on a $130.5 million verdict he won last year against Beaumont Hospital on behalf of a victim of cerebral palsy. It is one of the largest jury verdicts ever awarded in Michigan history.

McKeen was inducted into the Inner Circle of Advocates 10 years ago. The Inner Circle is an exclusive, invitation-only, assembly of the top 100 plaintiff attorneys across nearly 40 practice areas. These lawyers represent clients throughout the United States and to qualify, members must have tried at least 50 personal injury trials during their careers and won at least three verdicts in excess of $1 million, or one verdict in excess of $10 million.

At the AAJ convention, McKeen presented to the Birth Trauma Litigation Group, on “Neurological Injury in the Preterm Newborn.”

McKeen serves as chair of the AAJ Professional Negligence Section, Medical Negligence Exchange Group and Birth Trauma Litigation Group. The AAJ provides trial attorneys with information, professional support and a national network that enables them to most effectively and expertly represent clients.

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Dawda, Mann, Mulcahy, & Sadler PLC is pleased to announce that Randal R. Cole has been appointed to the firm’s Management Committee.

Cole will work with the other members of the committee, Edward C. Dawda, Curtis J. Mann, Wayne S. Segal, and Marc K. Salach, to direct the leadership of the firm.

Cole joined Dawda Mann as an associate in 2001 and was made a member in 2003. His practice is concentrated in the area of employment defense litigation, and he also provides advice to management on employment related matters and traditional labor law.

Cole has experience in both state and federal courts and has handled appellate cases in both the Michigan Court of Appeals and the Federal Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. His experience in administrative forums includes representing clients before the National Labor Relations Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, and Michigan Employment Security Agency. He has also arbitrated private claims with the American Arbitration Association and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

Cole earned his law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 1996, and his B.A. from Kalamazoo College in 1991. He received a Germany University Fellowship for graduate work in the Federal Republic of Germany.

Cole is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, Labor and Employment Law Section, and was vice-chairman of the Oakland County Bar Association Employment and Labor Law Committee from 2001 to 2002 and chairman from 2002 to 2003. Cole has also lectured for various civic groups in the Detroit metropolitan area.