LEGAL PEOPLE

Brooks Kushman is pleased to welcome Erica Klazmer to its growing trademark team.  

Klazmer focuses her practice on trademark clearance, prosecution, enforcement, counseling, and portfolio management. She has experience counseling clients in a wide variety of industries including technology, finance, food and beverage, fashion, consumer products, entertainment, and gaming.

In addition to managing and growing trademark portfolios both domestically and internationally, Klazmer litigates trademark oppositions and cancellations before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) and counsels clients on copyright matters. Her transactional intellectual property (IP) experience includes trademark coexistence and consent agreements along with trademark and copyright assignment and licensing agreements.

Brooks Kushman is also proud to announce that CEO Sangeeta Shah has been named as one of the Top 50 Women in PTAB Trials. This recognition is released by the PTAB Bar Association’s Women’s Committee. This organization looked at women practicing before the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office’s Patent Trial & Appeal Board (PTAB) and recognized the fifty female practitioners who have appeared in the highest number of PTAB trial proceedings in 2021.

Since the inception of the AIA, Shah has been at the forefront of leading teams to challenge and defend patents using post-grant challenges and further instrumental in building the firm’s nationally recognized Post-Grant Proceedings practice group. She works closely with clients to take proactive steps to obtain a competitive advantage from an adversarial and patent procurement standpoint. To date, on behalf of both petitioners and patent owners, her teams have achieved an over 90% success rate.

Shah is recognized in the list due to her counsel and leadership role in the following matters:

• Ford Motor Company v. Paice, LLC & Abell Foundation Inc. – Led one set of teams that served as counsel for Ford Motor Company in 25 inter partes review (IPR) proceedings related to hybrid technology. In total, the Brooks Kushman teams challenged 325 claims across five patents; 274 of those claims were instituted. In decisions spanning from 2015-2017, the PTAB found 273 of the 274 instituted claims unpatentable.

• JTEKT Corp. v. GKN Automotive Ltd – Lead counsel for patent owner GKN Automotive Ltd. in an inter partes review proceeding filed by JTEKT, challenging claims in a patent related to automotive drivelines switchable between a four-wheel mode and a two-wheel mode. The PTAB found JTEKT failed to prove the obviousness of the claims and ruled the claims patentable. The federal circuit agreed and dismissed the appeal in a precedential opinion on standing.

• Apple v. IXI – Led a team to secure over 50 claims through a reexamination, to revive IXI’s enforcement strategy and then successfully thwarted Apple’s attempt to circumvent the validity of the newly issued claims through 6 IPR institution denials.

Shah represents several Fortune 500 clients and has over 20 years of experience, providing strategic counseling and guidance on their global intellectual property portfolios. She is frequently called upon to counsel clients in developing best practices and strategic planning of their patent portfolios. She works closely with clients from the earliest stages of their technical development, offering valuable advice about how to protect their inventions and new ideas in view of their business strategies. She advises clients on multi-faceted patent clearance, and adversarial matters and works with technical and legal teams to develop invalidity arguments and design around solutions to bolster her clients’ positions.

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Butzel attorney and shareholder John C. Valenti was recently appointed to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Detroit & Eastern Michigan Board of Directors.

Based in Butzel’s Detroit office, Valenti is a member of the firm’s litigation practice group, focusing his practice primarily on toxic tort litigation, products liability defense litigation, personal injury defense litigation, premises liability defense litigation, commercial litigation and general litigation. His experience also includes medical malpractice defense litigation, construction litigation, corporate risk management, and insurance defense litigation.

As a trial lawyer, Valenti has dedicated a substantial portion of his practice to the handling of complex, toxic tort litigation on a nationwide scale, working with clients to craft and implement comprehensive, cost-effective approaches to achieve their individual objectives when dealing with litigation risks.

He has experience representing clients at all levels of State and Federal trial courts, as well as in complex multi-jurisdiction settlement negotiations. As lead counsel, he has supervised complex investigations, detailed document imaging and cataloging projects, and coordinated discovery strategy across multiple jurisdictions. As lead counsel, he has coordinated complex medical and scientific defenses resulting in many pre-trial dismissals of actions for his clients.

He has been named to DBusiness magazine’s Top Lawyers in Metro Detroit, Personal Injury Product Liability, 2012, 2020-2022.

Valenti is a graduate of Wayne State University Law School and James Madison College at Michigan State University.

In addition, Jennifer Dukarski, Butzel attorney, shareholder and leader of the firm’s Connected Car and Autonomous Vehicle Specialty team, has been named as one of 24 attorneys named to Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s “Go-To Intellectual Property Lawyers” list.

Dukarski focuses her practice at the intersection of technology and communications with an emphasis on emerging and disruptive issues: digital media and content, cybersecurity and privacy, infotainment and shared mobility, and connected and autonomous cars. She has become a national leader in legal issues facing emerging automotive technology including challenging intellectual property issues surrounding data, artificial intelligence and automated systems.

A self-titled “recovering engineer,” Dukarski was named one of the 30 Women Defining the Future of Technology in January 2020 by Warner Communications for her innovative thoughts and contributions to the tech industry.

Dukarski is a graduate of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. She’s also a graduate of the University of Detroit Mercy College of Engineering and Science.

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Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently announced the following appointments to the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards, Governor’s Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect, and the Michigan Interagency Council on Homelessness:

Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards

Arthur J. Weiss is an attorney and the president of Arthur Jay Weiss & Associates PC. He earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School and Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Michigan. Weiss is reappointed to represent the Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan for a term commencing March 18, 2022 and expiring December 31, 2025.

The Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) executes its statutory responsibility to promote public safety in Michigan by setting standards for selection, employment, licensing, license revocation, and funding in law enforcement and criminal justice, in both the public and private sectors.      

This appointment is subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.  

Governor’s Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect

Tonya C. Goetz is an assistant prosecutor with the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office. She earned her law degree from Boston University and a Bachelor of Arts in History and French from Vassar College. Goetz is appointed to represent prosecuting attorneys for a term commencing March 18, 2022 and expiring December 31, 2023. She succeeds Jennifer Pintar whose term expired December 31, 2020.  

Yasmine I. Poles is a judge with the Oakland County Circuit Court. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Michigan and earned her law degree from Wayne State University Law School. Poles is reappointed to represent civil court judges for a term commencing March 18, 2022 and expiring December 31, 2023.

Suzanna Shkreli is the current director of the Office of Children’s Ombudsman (OCO) for the State of Michigan. The OCO helps improve Michigan’s child welfare system through awareness, advocacy, public education, review, and recommendation for the benefit of current and future generations of Michigan’s children.  She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Oakland University and earned her law degree from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School. Shkreli is appointed to represent child advocates,
including both attorneys for children and, where such programs are in operation, court appointed special advocates, for a term commencing March 18, 2022 and expiring December 31, 2024. She succeeds Bethany Mohr whose term has expired December 31, 2021.  

The Governor’s Task Force is a multidisciplinary task force from across the State of Michigan driven to improve the handling of Child Abuse and Neglect cases. The Task Force is charged with the review and evaluation of state investigative, administrative, and both civil and criminal judicial handling of cases of child abuse and neglect, and the making of policy and training recommendations.  

These appointments are not subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.  

Michigan Interagency Council on Homelessness

Cylenthia LaToye Miller is a judge with the Wayne County Circuit Court. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Wayne State University and a law degree from the Michigan State University College of Law. Miller is reappointed to represent the courts for a term commencing March 18, 2022 and expiring January 31, 2026.

The Michigan Interagency Council on Homelessness was designed to develop, adopt and update a 10-year plan to end homelessness. The 10-year plan shall include evidence-based improvements to programs and policies that will ensure services and housing are provided in an efficient, cost-effective, and productive manner. The plan shall be coordinated and tailored with the Federal Strategic Plan, “Opening Doors,” to meet the needs of this state’s homeless population.   

This appointment is not subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.    

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Gordon, Rees, Scully, Mansukhani welcomes three partners who join the firm’s Employment Law practice group in the Detroit office. The group includes Gregory M. Meihn, Melinda A. Balian, and Matthew T. Wise, formerly of the Detroit office of Foley Mansfield.

Meihn focuses his transactional and litigation practice in the core areas of Employment and Education Law. He also has an active Construction Law practice.  Meihn represents and consults with insurance companies, cities, townships, municipalities, schools, and employers on employment and labor issues including but not limited to discipline, harassment, terminations, unions, discrimination, retaliation, unemployment, employment hiring practices, non-competition agreements, and issues involving Michigan Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, Title VII, ADEA, ADA, and related statutes.  

In addition to his employment and labor practice, Meihn represents insurance companies, residential and commercial construction companies, rock crushing operators, and construction supply companies with regard to public jobs, bonded jobs, federal and state compliance issues, mold defense, construction defect, defective products, third party claims, Michigan Builders Trust Fund Act claims, and related matters. He has litigated through trial and/or arbitration in excess of 66 matters (bench and jury) relating to employment and labor and construction defect claims. He was recently accorded the status of “Master Litigator” by the American Inns of Court.

Balian focuses her practice in employment law and litigation. She has assisted numerous organizations in taking a proactive approach in managing the workforce to protect against employment-based claims by establishing policies and procedures to provide employers the maximum legal protections afforded under applicable federal and state laws. She has also litigated numerous matters defending both private and municipal entities against claims involving wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, Michigan Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, Title VII, ADEA, ADA, Michigan Persons With Disabilities Civil Rights Act, civil rights claims brought pursuant 42 U.S.C. 1983, prisoner claims and other related matters.

In addition, Balian regularly counsels clients pertaining to employee issues involving discipline, terminations, unemployment, employment hiring practices, non-competition agreements, employment manuals and other related issues. Balian also has experience in handling administrative claims with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Michigan Department of Civil Rights.

Balian represents clients directly or through appointment as defense counsel by their insurance carriers. She practices in both state and federal courts and her appellate experience includes matters before the Michigan Court of Appeals, the U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, and the Michigan Supreme Court. In addition to private practice, Balian sits as a magistrate at the 52/3 District Court, a position to which she was appointed in 1998.

Wise focuses his primarily litigation-centric practice in the defense of labor and employment disputes and municipal matters.  His practice includes experiemce with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, and the National Labor Relations Board.  His employment litigation practice also involves appearance in all phases of litigation regarding claims of discrimination, wrongful termination, retaliation, employment hiring practices, non-compete and non-solicit agreements, and issues
involving Michigan Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, Title VII, ADEA, ADA, and related state and federal statutes, as well as general consulting, training, and consulting for employers.  

Wise also has experience in the areas of class action litigation, estate planning, business consulting, premises liability and product liability litigation, dram shop, automobile/no-fault defense and general civil litigation.

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Fisher Phillips is pleased to announce that its Metro Detroit office has moved from Bingham Farms to Birmingham located along the Woodward Corridor.

“We are excited to welcome our attorneys, staff and clients to our new location in Birmingham’s vibrant downtown business community,” said Susan Hartmus Hiser, regional managing partner of Fisher Phillips’ Detroit office. “Our new space has been completely renovated – not only does it have a modern look and feel, but it has been updated with all of the technologies needed to accommodate a 21st century law practice.”

At roughly 6,500 square feet, the new space offers natural lighting in each office and brand new, state-of-the-art technology to optimize virtual meetings and depositions. The open, collaborative layout is equipped with multiple-sized conference rooms, as well as a reception area and kitchen that doubles as an event space for gatherings or networking opportunities.

“Not only has the pandemic changed the way that we work, but so has our being a part of a national firm,” said Hiser. “Since joining Fisher Phillips two years ago, we have had a greater need to communicate with clients and colleagues remotely, so it was important for us to create an environment that would enhance those virtual conversations, as well as our in-person meetings.”

Fisher Phillips’ Detroit office opened in January 2020. It currently has nine attorneys and nine staff members, who are known for labor/employment and immigration law. With five lawyers ranked in Best Lawyers in America 2021, the Detroit office serves clients in several industries, including automotive, manufacturing, and education.

The space is located within 300 Park Business Plaza in walking distance of the many restaurants, shops, entertainment venues, and businesses Birmingham has to offer.

The firm’s new address is 300 Park St., Suite 370, Birmingham, 48009. The phone number remains the same: 248-540-8019.