Rob Buchanan has been sworn in as the 86th president of the State Bar of Michigan. Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack presided at the virtual ceremony on September 17.
McCormack also swore in other officers for the 2020-2021 bar year, including President-Elect Dana M. Warnez of Center Line, Vice President James W. Heath of Detroit, Secretary Daniel D. Quick of Troy, and Treasurer Joseph P. McGill of Livonia.
Buchanan is cofounder and managing member of Buchanan & Buchanan PLC in Grand Rapids and concentrates his practice on plaintiff medical malpractice, auto and truck accidents, and commercial litigation. In addition to his service with the State Bar of Michigan, he has also served in various roles with the Michigan State Bar Foundation, Federal Bar Association, Grand Rapids Bar Association, Michigan Association for Justice, and International Society of Primerus Law Firms.
Buchanan has been involved in State Bar work for more than a decade and has served on many of its committees and groups. He has served on the SBM Board of Commissioners and as treasurer, secretary, vice president, and president-elect.
Buchanan received his bachelor’s degree from Kalamazoo College and earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School.
In addition, Chelsea Rebeck has been sworn in as the chair of the State Bar of Michigan Representative Assembly for 2020-2021.
The 150-member Representative Assembly is the final policy-making body of the State Bar. The Michigan Supreme Court created it in 1971 at the request of the SBM Board of Commissioners in order to increase geographical representation and member participation in State Bar policy. Rebeck represents the Sixth Judicial Circuit in the Assembly.
Rebeck is a partner with Rebeck & Allen in Southfield. She is also a certified public accountant and focuses her practice on tax law for individuals and businesses, including criminal tax defense and expert witness service, civil penalties, preparer penalties, audit defense, tax court litigation, and complex strategy for asset protection.
In addition to her service on the Representative Assembly, Rebeck is also a member of the SBM Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee and the Tax Section. She received her bachelor’s degree from Baker College and earned her law degree from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School.
The Representative Assembly also elected Gerry Mason as the clerk for 2020-2021.
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Butzel Long attorney and shareholder Paul M. Mersino has been named to DBusiness magazine’s “30 in Their Thirties,” which profiles metro Detroit business professionals who have achieved notable success in their respective fields. Mersino is profiled in the September/October 2020 edition.
Mersino was elected to Butzel Long’s Board of Directors in March, 2020. He also serves as practice department chair of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group. As a board member, he is responsible for the operations and management of the 150+ attorney firm, including budgeting, setting strategic goals, and more. As Litigation Practice Department chair, he is responsible for the management and oversight of the firm’s Commercial Litigation attorneys who report to him as well as for the strategic goals, budgeting, forecasting, and direction of the practice group.
In his practice, he represents public and private companies, both as plaintiff’s attorney and defendant’s attorney, in a number of areas including complex commercial litigation, contract disputes, non-competition and trade secret disputes, automotive supplier disputes, construction litigation, and First Amendment litigation. He has seen a number of successes in trials
and cases across the country.
Mersino represents and advises a number of startup companies, assisting them with their legal needs and matching them with potential venture capital funding. He also handles appeals in the Michigan Court of Appeals, the Michigan Supreme Court, and in federal courts across the country.
Further, Mersino has been recognized as a Michigan Super Lawyer, as a Top Lawyer by DBusiness Magazine, as one of Oakland County’s Elite 40 under 40, and as an “Up and Coming Lawyer” by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.
Mersino also has served on the Board of Directors of the Detroit Bar Association, has served as an advisor to the Michigan Institute of Continuing Legal Education’s Litigation Advisory Board, and is a Trustee of the Butzel Long Charitable Trust.
Mersino is a 2008 graduate of Ave Maria School of Law. He earned his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Northwood University (B.A., 2005).
In addition, Butzel Long attorney and shareholder Ashley Glime recently passed two online examinations earning her certifications just weeks apart from the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). Glime now is a Certified Information Privacy Professional concentrated on both U.S. Private Sector and European privacy and data protection law (CIPP/US and CIPP/EU). As the global gold standard for privacy professionals, the certification is a key industry benchmark.
The Certified Information Privacy Professional/Europe (CIPP/E) exam assesses knowledge of European privacy laws and regulations and understanding of the legal requirements for the responsible transfer of sensitive personal data to and from the U.S., the EU and other jurisdictions. Achieving a CIPP/E credential demonstrates the comprehensive GDPR knowledge, perspective and understanding to ensure compliance and data protection success in Europe.
Glime advises clients in the areas of data protection, intellectual property, media, and technology law.
A former IT help desk analyst, Glime’s experience with technology and coding sparked a passion in the area of data protection and security. She brings a deep understanding of the most complex and critical data privacy and security challenges faced by corporations and business entities. She counsels businesses on both domestic and international privacy compliance matters including the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and other U.S. and international privacy and data protection law.
She has advised on a range of contracts, licensing agreements, and terms and conditions for transactions involving mobile app development, autonomous and electric vehicles, websites, and cloud services. She advises a wide range of clients in a variety of sectors including retail, financial services, technology, marketing, advertising, and automotive. She also addresses emerging issues in virtual currencies, and artificial intelligence and thus advises clients on the regulatory landscape for bitcoin and the application of blockchain to various industries including healthcare and automotive.
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Dykema, recently announced that 149 of its attorneys, in multiple practice areas and markets, have been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021 guide and the Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” list. Additionally, 18 of the firm’s practitioners have been named Best Lawyers 2021 “Lawyer of the Year,” a special distinction conferred upon a single lawyer within a practice area and metropolitan market.
Local Dykema lawyers listed include:
LAWYERS OF THE YEAR:
Stephen R. Estey - Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law
James P. Feeney - Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
Alan M. Greene - Litigation - Land Use and Zoning Law
Dennis M. Haffey - Litigation - Securities
Jin-Kyu Koh - Mergers and Acquisitions Law
D. Richard McDonald - Mergers and Acquisitions Law
Cameron H. Piggott - Litigation - Real Estate
Thomas S. Vaughn - Securities / Capital Markets Law
BEST LAWYERS:
Bloomfield Hills
James G. Aldrich Jr. – Immigration Law
Brian R. Balow – Corporate Law
Laura Baucus – Commercial Litigation
Michael Blalock – Commercial Litigation
Brendan J. Cahill – Corporate Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law
Amy M. Christen – Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
Michael G. Cumming – Trusts and Estates
Stephen R. Estey – Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law; Land Use and Zoning Law; Litigation - Real Estate; Real Estate Law
James P. Feeney – Arbitration; Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Corporate Law; Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants; Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
Adam M. Fishkind – Real Estate Law
Fred J. Fresard – Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
Alan M. Greene – Land Use and Zoning Law; Litigation - Land Use and Zoning; Litigation - Real Estate
Clay Guise – Commercial Litigation; Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
Dennis M. Haffey – Commercial Litigation; Litigation - Banking and Finance; Litigation - Mergers and Acquisitions; Litigation - Securities; Litigation - Trusts and Estates
Kyle R. Hauberg – Project Finance Law; Real Estate Law
Joseph H. Hickey – Commercial Litigation; Litigation - Banking and Finance; Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law
Margaret Adams Hunter – Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
Howard B. Iwrey – Antitrust Law; Litigation - Antitrust
Gerald T. Lievois – Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Securities / Capital Markets Law
Bonnie Mayfield – Litigation - Labor and Employment
Richard McDonald (retired) – Corporate Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Securities / Capital Markets Law; Securities Regulation
Thomas T. Moga – Litigation - Patent; Patent Law; Technology Law
Brian M. Moore – Commercial Litigation
Paul Nystrom – Commercial Litigation; Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
James D. Obermanns – Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
John W. Rees – Patent Law
Kenneth J. Sachs – Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
Todd C. Schebor – Environmental Law
Brian Smith – Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
Sheryl L. Toby – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Litigation - Bankruptcy
Michael R. Vogt – Litigation - Real Estate
Detroit
J. Michael Bernard – Corporate Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law
Robert A. Boonin – Education Law; Employment Law - Management; Labor Law - Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment
Lisa A. Brown – Commercial Litigation
James R. Case – Construction Law
Michael P. Cooney – Commercial Litigation; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants; Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
Sherrie L. Farrell – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Commercial Litigation; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants
Todd G. Gattoni – Commercial Litigation; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants; Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
Grant P. Gilezan – Environmental Law; Litigation - Environmental
James F. Hermon – Employment Law - Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment
Kathryn J. Humphrey – Arbitration; Aviation Law; Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
Mark D. Jacobs – Environmental Law
Peter M. Kellett – Commercial Litigation; Litigation - Antitrust; Litigation - Securities; Mediation; Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
Joel D. Kellman – Litigation - Real Estate; Real Estate Law
Jin-Kyu Koh – Corporate Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Securities / Capital Markets Law
Rochelle Lento – Real Estate Law
Cameron H. Piggott – Litigation - Real Estate; Real Estate Law
Harold D. Pope – Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
Rasul M. Raheem – Banking and Finance Law; Financial Services Regulation Law
Carl Rashid Jr. – Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law; Land Use and Zoning Law; Litigation - Real Estate; Litigation and Controversy – Tax; Real Estate Law; Tax Law
Daniel J. Schairbaum – Real Estate Law
Thomas M. Schehr – Commercial Litigation
Thomas S. Vaughn – Corporate Law; Mergers & Acquisitions Law; Securities / Capital Markets Law
ONES TO WATCH:
Lauren Evers – Litigation - Real Estate
Nazneen S. Hasan – Tax Law; Trusts and Estates
Kelly R. Houk – Commercial Litigation; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants; Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
Scott R. Kocienski – Tax Law
John F. Rhoades – Commercial Litigation
Bryce Rucker – Commercial Litigation; Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
Boyd White III – Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
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Michael Leo Pomeranz has joined the Southfield office of Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer, & Weiss PC as an associate in the firm’s litigation & dispute resolution practice group. Jaffe CEO Jeffrey M. Weiss made the announcement.
Pomeranz will primarily focus his practice in the areas of complex commercial disputes in state and federal courts throughout the country. He has represented plaintiffs and defendants in cases involving antitrust claims, business transactions, constitutional law, allegedly fraudulent transfers and securities matters.
Prior to joining Jaffe, Pomeranz worked in the New York office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher, & Flom LLP, the international law firm, as an associate in the firm’s complex litigation and trials practice group. In addition to representing major financial institutions and other sophisticated commercial clients,
Pomeranz devoted a portion of his practice to pro bono work, advising business improvement districts and other not-for-profit organizations on governance matters and tax exemptions. He has also successfully represented a number of naturalization applicants in their pursuit of U.S. citizenship.
Pomeranz earned his law degree from Yale Law School and a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies also from Yale.
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Warner Norcross + Judd LLP has welcomed Paul Boehms as the firm’s new executive director.
Boehms brings two decades of operations, finance and leadership experience to Warner, which is a member of the AmLaw 200. In his new role, he will provide strategic direction and oversight of the day-to-day operations of Warner, which has 230-plus attorneys practicing in 14 industry groups and 27 specialized practice areas in eight offices across the state.
Specific responsibilities include: finance, information technology, human resources, business development/marketing, recruiting, pricing and process improvement. Boehms will also be responsible for cultural cultivation, strategic planning, facilities management, contract negotiations and other related areas. He will be co-located in Grand Rapids and Southfield.
Boehms will work alongside and succeed Bruce Clearing Sky Christensen, who will end his career with Warner in February 2021 after nearly 34 years as executive director.
In his most recent position, Boehms served as business director for two business units at Clark Hill, where he also founded and led a subsidiary for human resources consulting. Prior to that, he held several roles for Deloitte’s largest global business unit, where he was responsible for financial control and analysis and led global strategic initiatives on behalf of the group, including data analytics, innovation and Fortune Global 500 audit pursuit teams.
Boehms brings additional experience as a consultant to multiple Fortune Global 500 manufacturing and health care companies in more than 30 countries, working in roles that focused on operational excellence, post-merger integration, program leadership and data analytics. He is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, which enabled him to increase profitability, reduce or eliminate waste and improve key performance indicators for multiple clients.
Boehms earned degrees in business economics and theology from Wheaton College and a double-major MBA in finance and entrepreneurial management from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
A native of Troy, Boehms resides there today with his wife and their four sons. He has served as a high school football referee for the Michigan High School Athletic Association for the past 15 years.
