Dickinson Wright is pleased to announce the election of several new member attorneys in the firm's Michigan offices, effective January 1.
Dickinson Wright's new local member attorneys for 2023 are:
Juliet Boyd is a member in the firm's Troy office. She focuses her practice in the area of probate litigation. She is recognized as a leader in her field by Best Lawyers in America "Ones to Watch." Boyd received her B.A. from Wayne State University and her law degree from Michigan State University College of Law.
Deborah Germany is a member in the firm's Detroit office. She maintains a multidisciplinary practice consisting of banking and finance, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate restructuring. Germany is experienced in a variety of financing transactions and represents both borrower and banks, middle-market lenders, and non-bank lenders. She specializes in asset based lending and cash flow lending. She advises clients from the earliest stages of financial covenant structuring, due diligence, and documenting credit facilities to work outs and collecting on asset-based loans. Her clients and deals span all platforms, industries and asset types. Germany regularly advises companies concerning mergers and acquisitions transactions, joint ventures and strategic alliances. She manages the structuring, negotiations and deal flow of M&A deals across a variety of industries. In addition, she counsels private and not-for-profit corporations on the full range of governance issues, including governance structure and culture, fiduciary duties, risk oversight, conflicts of interest, board and committee structure, board leadership and governance "best practices." She is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the Wolverine Bar Association, the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association, the Macomb County Bar Association, the Detroit Young Professionals, and the Detroit Economic Club Young Leaders Section. Germany received her B.A. from the University of Michigan and her law degree from Wayne State University Law School.
Adam Grant is a member in the firm's Detroit office. His practice is devoted entirely to litigation, with emphasis in the areas of commercial litigation and real estate/landlord-tenant litigation. He also has experience in the areas of financial services litigation and products liability litigation. He is admitted to practice in Michigan and Illinois and has previously been recognized as a leader in his field as a "Rising Star" by Michigan Super Lawyers. Grant received his B.A. from the University of Michigan and his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School.
James Purrington is a member in the firm's Troy office. He is an intellectual property attorney who assists clients with patent application preparation and prosecution worldwide, including experience in the following technologies: power electronics, automotive systems and equipment including safety systems, lighting, brakes, suspension, motors and motor control techniques, electric and hybrid vehicle powertrain systems, optics and optoelectronic devices, display technologies, sensing and sensor data processing. He is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and the Michigan Intellectual Property Law Association. Purrington received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Michigan Technological University and his law degree from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School.
Alma Sobo is a member in the firm's Troy office. Sobo focuses her practice in the areas of commercial and business litigation, consumer protection, municipal law, and class actions. Sobo has represented clients through all phases of litigation, including pre-litigation dispute resolution, complex civil discovery practice, mediation, trials, appeals, and enforcement of judgment. She was selected as a Michigan Super Lawyers "Rising Star" in business litigation in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. She also received the Best Lawyers in America's 2023 "Ones to Watch" award in commercial litigation and municipal law. Sobo received her B.A. from the University of Michigan and her law degree from Wayne State University Law School. Sobo is fluent in Bosnian, Croatian, and Spanish.
Dickinson Wright is also pleased to announce that Damian Aquino and Corey Neil have both joined the firm's Troy office as Of Counsel.
Aquino's practice focuses on the preparation and prosecution of patent applications in the electrical, software, and mechanical arts. He also assists in the preparation of legal opinions, including in the areas of patent infringement as well as freedom-to-practice. Prior to attending law school, Aquino was employed in the defense industry as an electrical engineer working in vehicle electronics, software, and diagnostics. Aquino received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Wayne State University and his law degree from Wayne State University Law School.
Neil focuses his practice on the preparation and prosecution of domestic patent applications in the mechanical arts, providing freedom-to-operate opinions as well as aspects of licensing and contract negotiation. He has experience providing data to clients that strengthens their position in determining whether a patent is an inventive concept. He also helps clients determine whether they have freedom-to-operate and the state of the art in a specific market. Neil is recognized as a leader in his field by Best Lawyers in America "Ones to Watch." He is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the Michigan Intellectual Property Inn of Court, and Young Leader Captain for the Detroit Economic Club. Neil received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Kettering University and his law degree from Wayne State University Law School.
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Collins Einhorn Farrell PC is pleased to announce that attorney Colby Boman has joined the firm. She is a member of the firm's professional liability practice group. Boman focuses her practice on the defense of professionals in the legal, medical/dental, insurance, accounting, architectural, engineering, and real estate fields.
Before joining Collins Einhorn, Boman served as an assistant prosecuting attorney for Oakland County. During her time as an assistant prosecutor, she conducted bench and jury trials, in addition to countless preliminary examinations. She also gained research and writing experience as a judicial law clerk for The Minnesota Court of Appeals
Boman obtained her law degree from University of St. Thomas School of Law. She also earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
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FisherBroyles LLP has announced that William Kraus has joined the firm as a partner in Detroit and Chicago. He previously worked at Butzel Long where he was a shareholder and chair of its Digital Asset and Blockchain group.
Kraus joins the firm's FinTech and Blockchain Practice, having focused on legal and regulatory issues surrounding digital assets and blockchain since 2017. His clients have included retail and institutional investors, developers, and digital asset exchanges and token issuers, in addition to traditional businesses.
Kraus, who earned his bachelor and law degrees from the University of Michigan, frequently advises clients on business disputes and on compliance requirements facing the digital asset industry and commercial use of blockchain technology. He also has developed experience tracing and judicially recovering stolen cryptocurrency. Additionally, Kraus has represented clients within regulatory disputes and investigations, state and federal litigation, and alternative dispute resolutions related to financial services. He is a frequent author and presenter on legal and regulatory topics related to digital assets.
"I am very excited to join this team of world-class attorneys and for my clients to benefit from the tremendous capabilities that the firm can provide," said Krause. "FisherBroyles' distributed model is also a perfect fit for my practice, and I look forward to contributing to the firm's continued growth and success."
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Wolfson Bolton Kochis PLLC is pleased to announce that Kenton Bednarz has joined the firm as a member and practice lead for the firm's M&A, Corporate, and Emerging Growth practices. Bednarz provides counsel on mergers and acquisitions, finance transactions, emerging company formation, development and growth, and commercial transaction structuring, negotiation and guidance. He also provides clients external general counsel advisory services.
Bednarz said that he is "beyond excited to provide the firm's clients with exceptional and responsive legal services to enable them to accomplish all of their objectives and to be a key player in the firm's targeted growth mission."
Bednarz earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School, his Master of Engineering, Construction Engineering and Management from the University of Michigan, and his Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan.
Bednarz's career path has taken him from being a partner at an Am Law 200 full-service law firm, to the vice president, Legal and Government Affairs, and secretary, of a publicly traded Tier 1 automotive supplier with operations in the United States, Europe, and China, to running a business advisory company, to being the president of Hercules Electric Mobility Inc. His experience includes providing legal, M&A, corporate governance, policy and process building, negotiation advisory, business leadership, strategic, and operational counsel to various businesses across industries, including automotive, marine, manufacturing, construction, residential home services, health-tech, professional sports, amateur athletics, and health/lifestyle products.
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Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently announced the appointment of Steven Bieda to the Macomb County 37th District Court Warren and Center Line.
Bieda currently serves as the chairperson of the Michigan Tax Tribunal. He has been with the Tax Tribunal since 2019 as an administrative court judge, where he has conducted hearings in both the Small Claims and Entire Tribunal divisions. In his role as chairperson, he oversees a team of 25 employees, eight of whom are attorneys, and has also been instrumental in developing policies for the Tribunal.
Bieda has been a member of the State Bar of Michigan since 1993 and has previously served as attorney in local and private practice. He was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives from 2003-2009 and served in the Michigan Senate from 2011-2019. Prior to his current role, he worked at the Michigan Department of Treasury as Director of Legislative Affairs.
Bieda earned his undergraduate degree in Public Policy and Master of Public Administration from Wayne State University, and his law degrees from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and Wayne State University Law School. He has been admitted to the U.S. Tax Court and federal bar.
"I am honored to receive this appointment to the bench, and I look forward to returning to service in my hometown," said Bieda. "The pursuit of justice has always been a motivating factor in my varied public service career, whether in private practice, as an administrative court judge, or as a legislator. I look forward to continuing this service and joining my new colleagues in the 37th District Court."
This appointment was made to fill a partial term following the resignation of Judge Matthew Sabaugh effective April 13, 2022. Bieda's term will commence on February 1 and expire at twelve o'clock noon on January 1, 2025.
Judicial appointments are not subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.
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Howard & Howard has named new local shareholders: Richard Cantor, Dane Lepola, and Marcus Smetka.
Cantor is a member of the firm's Intellectual Property group, practicing out of the Royal Oak office. His practice focuses on assisting clients to protect, develop, and capitalize on their technology and other intellectual property assets. Cantor has experience preparing and prosecuting U.S. and international patent applications in the electrical, computer, and software arts. He has an understanding of technologies in an array of industries including medical devices, automotive, and telecommunications. Cantor also frequently drafts legal opinions relating to patentability, non-infringement, and invalidity.
Lepola practices with the firm's Litigation group out of the Royal Oak Office. He represents clients on state and federal cases in a variety of business disputes and insurance coverage matters. Lepola's client base primarily focuses in the automotive, travel, and construction and development industries.
Smetka is a member of the firm's Intellectual Property Group, practicing out of the Royal Oak office. His practice focuses on advising individuals and/or businesses in intellectual property matters primarily in the mechanical and electromechanical technology spaces. He has experience preparing and prosecuting U.S. and International patent applications in the technology areas of automotive, agriculture implements, home appliances, and medical devices. Smetka also has experience drafting written opinions relating to patentability, non-infringement, and invalidity of existing patents.
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Hewson and Van Hellemont PC is proud to announce that David Elmore and Grant Jaskulski have been promoted to equity shareholders with the firm.
Elmore has litigation experience defending insurers against first-party Michigan no-fault claims, third-party bodily injury claims, and uninsured and underinsured motorist claims. He advises clients in these areas and provides opinions addressing general insurance coverage, rescission and subrogation rights available through insurance policies or under Michigan's No-Fault Act. Elmore joined Hewson & Van Hellemont in 2015 and is admitted to the State Bar of Michigan and the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan.
Jaskulski focuses his practice on various appeals stemming from the insurance defense industry in Michigan. In addition to appeals, Jaskulski regularly provides insight to clients and peers on complex litigation issues and drafts complicated motions and other filings at all court levels. As co-chair of Hewson & Van Hellemont's Appellate Advocacy department, he prides himself on simplifying and diffusing the legal questions that arise in the often-complicated appellate arena, resulting in a stellar record at the Appellate level. Jaskulski has managed dozens of different cases before the Michigan Court of Appeals, as well as a handful before the Michigan Supreme Court and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
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Varnum partner Matt Bower has been named to the Board of Directors for TechTown Detroit, an urban research and technology business park.
Bower leads the firm's Venture Capital and Emerging Companies Team. He advises emerging companies on capital fundraising, including SAFE financing, convertible debt, preferred equity financing and securities law compliance. He works closely with companies from formation and organization to liquidity through sale or merger and all stages of development in between. His experience in the early-stage capital markets includes fund representation, fund formation, and investments.
Bower, who serves as the lead partner in Varnum's Ann Arbor office, also has experience in a broad range of intellectual property matters particularly protection and commercialization, including development, licensing, and SaaS agreements.
TechTown is Detroit's entrepreneurship hub with a mission of helping tech startups and small businesses develop, launch, and grow. Founded in 2000 by Wayne State University, Henry Ford Health System, and General Motors, TechTown was incorporated as a nonprofit in 2004. TechTown offers a full suite of entrepreneurial services for tech and neighborhood businesses, with satellite offices across the city.
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Cummings, McClorey, Davis, & Acho PLC is pleased to welcome attorney Kenneth Gonko as an Of Counsel attorney in the firm's Livonia office where he focuses his practice on labor law and employment relations in the public and private sector.
As a labor and employment law attorney, Gonko regularly appears as an advocate and litigator in disputes before the state and federal courts, the National Labor Relations Board, the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights, the Michigan and United States Wage-Hour Bureaus, the Michigan Unemployment Agency, the Michigan Employment Relations Commission, and the Michigan Department of Civil Rights.
Gonko also represents clients in unionization matters, collective bargaining negotiations, and grievance arbitrations. A substantial portion of his practice is spent defending employers in litigation involving claims of wrongful discharge and employment discrimination. He maintains an AV Preeminent Rating from Martindale-Hubbel.
Gonko is a member of the State Bar of Michigan (Master Lawyers' Section and Labor Law and Employment Relations Section). He is also a member of the Macomb County Bar Association (Labor and Employment Law Section and Master Lawyers' Section). He is licensed to practice before all of Michigan's trial and appellate Courts, the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
Gonko received a law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and a Bachelor of Art's degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Detroit Mercy.
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Dawda Mann is pleased to announce that, effective January 1, Samuel Kokoszka and Eric A. Ladasz have been elected to the membership of the firm.
Kokoszka has been with Dawda Mann since he began his legal career in 2016 and concentrates his practice on real estate and commercial law. As part of his practice, Kokoszka routinely advises clients and businesses of all sizes on various transactional and legal issues. In addition, Kokoszka's real estate practice focuses on all facets of a commercial real estate transaction, including acquisitions, sales, and real estate-related finance transactions. He has experience representing landlords and tenants and has drafted and negotiated commercial leases for retail space.
Ladasz's concentration and expertise are in civil litigation in federal and state courts, commercial real estate, and business transactions. He joined Dawda Mann in June of 2021. Ladasz's commercial litigation practice includes representing companies in federal and state courts regarding business disputes, real estate issues, and financial transactions. For clients, Ladasz has appeared in the Michigan Court of Appeals and the Federal Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. In addition, Ladasz's corporate and business practice includes the acquisition and disposition of assets, mergers, corporate governance, shareholder disputes, employment issues, and day-to-day advice.
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Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that Derek Raymond has joined as an associate in the firm's Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group in Detroit. The announcement was made by Miller Canfield CEO Megan Norris.
Most recently, Raymond was at Lewis Wagner in Indianapolis, where he represented businesses and individuals in state and federal court in all aspects of real estate and business litigation. He has represented plaintiffs and defendants in actions involving easement disputes, construction disputes, commercial leases, contract disputes, sales, product liability, and breach of fiduciary duty, and represented the Indiana Gaming Commission as outside counsel.
Raymond is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the Indiana University Maurer School of Law.
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Brooks Kushman is pleased to welcome Reid A. Baldwin as the newest addition to its growing patent prosecution team.
Baldwin focuses his practice on the preparation and prosecution of patent applications in the electrical and mechanical arts. He brings more than 20 years of patent experience to the team and is experienced in all phases of patent prosecution, from formulating an invention disclosure to appealing claims with the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Reid has experience working with clients of various sizes, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to small start-ups.
Baldwin earned his law degree from Michigan State University College of Law, a Ph.D. in computer science and a B.S. in mechanical engineering from MSU. Prior to entering the field of law, Baldwin spent nearly 20 years in engineering for an automotive OEM specializing in drive train technology.
Baldwin rejoins the firm after spending two years working as in-house counsel for a tier-1 automotive supplier managing a portfolio of U.S. and international patents.
In addition, Brooks Kushman Shareholder Christopher Smith was recently re-appointed as the vice chair of Licensing and Related Issues for theIntellectual Property Owner Association (IPO)Patent Licensing Committee for 2023 by the IPO Board.
The Patent Licensing Committee includes several members from across the country who focus on intellectual property licensing and related matters and issues.
As vice chair, Smith will help prepare and promote programming offered by the committee. During previous terms, he participated on panels that examined licensing issues such as: best practices for supplier agreements; issues pertaining to standard essential patents for 5G; and unintended consequences of certain IP licensing provisions/language. Smith has been a member of the IP Licensing Committee for six years and has also held the role of Secretary in the committee.
Smith concentrates his practice on intellectual property litigation, with a primary emphasis on patent litigation. In addition to litigation, Smith is involved with the preparation of invalidity and infringement opinions and licensing disputes. Smith has represented clients from Fortune 500 companies to startups and individual inventors in a wide variety of industries and technologies including: automotive, including infotainment; medical devices; internet, including content delivery networks; and telecommunications, including fiber optics.
The IPO is a trade association for owners of patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. IPO is the only association in the U.S. that serves all intellectual property owners in all industries and all fields of technology. Established in 1972, the organization is composed of about 200 companies and more than 12,000 individuals.
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The Law Offices of Barton Morris and Cannabis Legal Group in Troy announce the addition of attorney Selena Mansour to the firm.
Mansour joined The Law Offices of Barton Morris at the beginning of the month, and specializes in liquor and lottery licensing as well as Business, Commercial, and Real Estate Law.
Mansour received her B.A. in Criminal Justice from the University of Detroit Mercy and went on to receive her law degree from University of Detroit Mercy School of Law as well.
Mansour has represented clients with business entity formations, and liquor licensing and real estate matters.
