LEGAL PEOPLE

Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Nanci J. Grant recently was honored by the Oakland County Bar Association with the S. Gerald Gorcyca Meritorious Service to Veterans Award at their Annual Meeting & Awards Ceremony. This award is given to an individual who demonstrates an outstanding commitment of service to active-duty military personnel and military veterans in our community who are in need of assistance.

Grant created the Oakland County Combat Veterans Treatment Court in 2013 and it is the state’s only Combat Veterans Treatment Court.  The goal of this specialty court is to reach Oakland County veterans who have been charged with criminal offenses related to traumatic experiences suffered in combat, conflict, search and rescue operations or recovery missions while serving the county.  It focuses on the unique issues faced by veterans and includes extensive mentoring with military veterans who can relate to the participants’ combat experiences.  

To date this court has served 45 veterans, of which 28 have successfully completed the program, and currently has 13 active participants.  The Oakland County Combat Veterans Treatment Court is supported by a multi-disciplinary team, including members of the defense bar, Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, Veteran’s Administration, Oakland Community Health Network, Michigan Department of Corrections, Court Administration, Oakland County Veteran’s Services, and the Oakland County Circuit Court bench.  

Grant is currently the longest serving circuit judge on the Oakland County bench.  She  served four consecutive two-year terms as the chief judge of the Circuit Court. The judge is a past chairperson and member of the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission and past president of the Michigan Judges Association.  She is currently a member of the Advisory Board of the Michigan Judicial Institute and board member of the Women Officials Network.

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Dickinson Wright PLLC is pleased to announce that Elizabeth L. Luckenbach (member, Troy) has been elected president of the Oakland County Bar Association. She was sworn in during a ceremony at the OCBA Annual Meeting on June 2.

“I’m honored to serve as president of the Oakland County Bar Association for the coming year. I look forward to working with our officers, staff and members to continue to build on the great work the OCBA does within the community,” Luckenbach said.

Luckenbach specializes in probate and fiduciary litigation, trust and estate administration, estate planning, and special needs planning. With nearly 25 years of experience representing fiduciaries and individuals in all aspects of litigation, administration, and planning, she works to advocate for her clients, treating each of them with the individual attention they deserve.

Luckenbach is a past president of the Wayne County Probate Bar Association and the Oakland County Bar Foundation. In 2020 and 2021 she was ranked by Michigan Super Lawyers® among the top 50 Women Lawyers in Michigan.

As the largest voluntary bar association in Michigan, the OCBA is committed to public service projects, committee work, and lending a strong and influential voice on current legislative activities and court rules. To learn more, visit www.ocba.org.

Dickinson Wright is also  pleased to announce that Aaron Burrell (member, Detroit and Troy) will receive a Freedom Award from the National Action Network Michigan during their Juneteenth Celebration on June 18 at the Detroit Athletic Club.
National Action Network (NAN) is a civil rights organization with chapters throughout the U.S. Founded in 1991, NAN works to promote a modern civil rights agenda that includes the fight for one standard of justice, decency and equal opportunities for all people regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, citizenship, criminal record, economic status, gender, gender expression, or sexuality.  

“I’m honored to receive one of this year’s Freedom Awards from NAN Michigan and look forward to continue to work together with the organization to advance the cause of justice,” says Burrell.

Burrell is a member of Dickinson Wright and serves as co-chair of the firm’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. He is a commissioner on the American Bar Association’s Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession and the State Bar of Michigan Board of Commissioners.  He also serves on the board of directors of Western Michigan University Cooley Law School and Oakland County Bar Association.

Burrell is recognized by numerous publications as a leader in his field including Diversity MBA Magazine, Profiles in Diversity Journal, Crain’s Detroit Business, Michigan Lawyers Weekly and Michigan Super Lawyers Rising Stars.

In addition, Dickinson Wright announces that three attorneys within the firm’s Troy office are listed as 2022 IP Stars by Managing Intellectual Property. The firm received a “Highly Recommended” rating for its Patent Prosecution practice in Michigan, and “Recommended” ratings for its Patent Contentious and Trademark practices in Michigan.

Below is a list of Troy Dickinson Wright attorneys who are listed as 2022 IP Stars:

William H. Honaker, Patent, Copyright and Trademark Star
Daniel D. Quick, Copyright and Trademark Star
Steven L. Oberholtzer, Patent and Trademark Star

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Butzel attorney Beth S. Gotthelf was a featured speaker recently during a program presented by the International Women’s Forum (IWF) and Suncoast Forums. The event, titled, “The Impact of Local and Global Climate Change,” took place on May 25. A key program topic addressed climate shifts in the country, especially on the east coast of the country.

Gotthelf is Butzel’s director of Innovation and External Relations, co-chair of the Energy & Sustainability Practice, and co-chair of the Aerospace & Defense industry team.

She was recently appointed chair of the Michigan Manufacturers Association (MMA) Environmental Policy Committee. Members actively monitor water, solid waste, remediation and other environmental issue areas to develop environmental policy priorities for MMA.

Gotthelf started her career in the environmental law arena and remains a leader to this date. She has served in a range of roles including general counsel to the Michigan Chapter of the National Association of Surface Finishers (1990-present). In 2021, Gotthelf received the National Association’s Award of Merit. She created the first wetland bank in Michigan and has been active in a variety of enforcement cases both on behalf of government and industry, most involving multi-million dollar corrective actions. Her counseling includes compliance, emergency response, remediation, redevelopment, tax incentives, enforcement, occupational safety and health, and insurance coverage.

Gotthelf has counselled the association and its members on a wide variety of issues throughout the years providing solid, practical and timely insight on ever changing regulations and of late, COVID issues. She also has guided members through the many challenging PFAS impacts in the facility, air, wastewater, stormwater, and soil, not to mention the financial challenges.

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Plunkett Cooney associate attorney Stephanie M. Brochert was recently elected president of the Women’s Bar Association, Oakland County region of the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan.

Brochert, who was sworn in during the WBA annual dinner on May 26 at the Birmingham Athletic Club, will serve a one-year term as president.

A 2019 WLAM Regional Leadership Award recipient, Brochert has been an active member of the WBA for several years. She has progressed through the organization’s leadership track, having previously served as president-elect, vice president and treasurer.

Brochert, who is a member of Plunkett Cooney’s Bloomfield Hills office, practices primarily in the area of insurance coverage. She represents major property and casualty insurance companies in coverage cases throughout the United States. Her work includes the defense of a variety of claims, including environmental contamination, construction defect and high-exposure product liability coverage disputes.

Admitted to practice law in Michigan, New York, and New Jersey, Brochert has experience representing insurers in complex coverage disputes involving multi-million-dollar construction projects, severe personal injuries, exposures to toxic materials, and matters involving state and local government entities, including the city of New York.

Brochert received her law degree from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law in Washington, D.C. in 2013 and her undergraduate degree from Marist College in 2008.

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On June 1, attorney Stuart A. Sklar began his tenure as the 70th president of the Michigan Association for Justice (MAJ). Sklar’s one-year term runs from June 1, 2022 to May 31, 2023. Steve Pontoni, MAJ executive director, made the announcement.

“It is my distinct pleasure to lead MAJ and its members and serve as the 70th president of our organization,” Sklar said. “MAJ has been a constant in my legal career for over 30 years, and I’m honored to serve in this elevated capacity and to offer my experience as a resource to move this great organization forward.”

Sklar, a managing shareholder at Fabian, Sklar, King, & Liss PC in Farmington Hills, represents homeowners, business owners and other policyholders in property insurance claims against their insurance companies. Sklar’s firm also represents victims and the families of victims who have been injured or killed in fires and explosions.

Sklar joined MAJ in 1991 and has served as an officer in the association for the past four years. Sklar also has been an active Justice PAC contributor since 1996.

“Trial lawyers are dedicated to their profession,” Sklar said. “MAJ members not only bring extremely important issues to light, but also provide a confident voice to those who would otherwise be overlooked. It’s a great pleasure to work with these talented professionals on a daily basis.”

Sklar earned a B.A. from Michigan State University in 1982 and a law degree from the Michigan State University College of Law in 1985. He is a member of the Oakland County Bar Association, American Bar Association (Tort and Insurance Practice Section and Property Insurance Committee), State Bar of Michigan, and American Association for Justice (Fire and Property Insurance Litigation Group).

Additionally, Sklar is a Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator (CFEI) through the National Association of Fire Investigators (NAFI) and serves as a principal member of the NFPA Technical Committee on Fire Investigator Professional Qualifications responsible for NFPA 1033: Standard for Professional Qualifications for Fire Investigator.

Along with Sklar, new MAJ officers for 2022-23 are:

• President-Elect Jennifer L. McManus, Fagan, McManus PC.
• Vice President Eric Steinberg, Law Offices of Lee Steinberg PC.
• Secretary Nicholas Andrews, Liss, Seder & Andrews PC.
• Treasurer Barry R. Conybeare, Conybeare Law Office PC.
• Immediate Past President Ronald K. Weiner, Lipton Law Center PC.

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Howard & Howard is pleased to announce its recent recognition as one of the top law firms in the Chambers USA 2022 Guide, earning a spot for Intellectual Property.

“Our Intellectual Property group takes great pride in providing a business-oriented, pragmatic approach to understanding, cultivating and managing our client’s intellectual property,” said Dan Chojnowski, chair of Howard & Howard’s Intellectual Property group.

“Howard & Howard’s distinction this year evidences our client focused approach and our commitment to our client’s business objectives,” Howard & Howard President and CEO Jon Kreucher said. “Our recognition also validates our talent pipeline, which includes a unique apprenticeship program and strategic lateral hires to ensure our intellectual property practice is well suited to handle a diverse array of technologies and industries.”