LEGAL PEOPLE

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced the following appointments to the Grand Valley State University Board of Trustees, Western Michigan University Board of Trustees, and Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority.

• Grand Valley State University Board of Trustees

Ronald Hall is the president and chief executive officer of Bridgewater Interiors LLC, an automotive interior manufacturing firm. Before this, he served as a captain in the U.S. Army and then worked as an associate attorney at Dykema and as a corporate attorney at Johnson Controls. Hall serves on several executive boards, including the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago – Detroit Branch, Corewell Health, the Skillman Foundation, the Detroit Regional Chamber. He earned his Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy at West Pointe and his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School.?Hall is appointed for a term commencing February 2, 2023, and expiring December 31, 2030. He succeeds Victor Cardenas whose term has expired.

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

• Western Michigan University Board of Trustees

Kelly Burris is the owner of Burris Law PLLC, an intellectual property law firm in Detroit. Burris previously served as an associate and partner at Brinks, Gilson, & Lione, as well as Harness, Dickney, & Pierce firms. She established the Burris Family Flight Science Scholarship in 2015. Burris has served on several boards, including the Michigan Aeronautics Commission and the Board of Directors of the Yankee Air Museum. She received her Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering from Western Michigan University, Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering from Washington University, and law degree from St. Louis University. Burris is appointed for a term commencing February 3, 2023, and expiring December 31, 2024.

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

• Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority

Andrew Doctoroff is an adjunct professor at the University of Michigan Law School and operates his own consultancy, Andrew S. Doctoroff Consulting. He is a former senior advisor to Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and an equity partner with Honigman, Miller, Schwartz, and Cohn. He previously served on the Detroit-Wayne Port Authority. He earned his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School and his Bachelor of Arts in Government from Harvard College. Doctoroff is appointed to represent Independents, for a term commencing February 2, 2023, and expiring December 12, 2026. He succeeds Michael Nystrom whose term has expired.

Paul F. Novak is the managing attorney of the Detroit office of the national law firm Weitz & Luxenberg PC. He previously worked as a partner at Milberg LLP in Detroit, senior counsel at Clark Hill PLC in Lansing, and chief legal counsel for the City of Lansing. Novak also served as an assistant attorney general for the State of Michigan for 15 years. Novak earned a Bachelor of Arts in Socioeconomic Policy Problems and Master of Arts in Economics, both from Michigan State University, and a law degree degree from Emory University School of Law. Novak is reappointed for a term commencing February 2, 2023, and expiring December 12, 2026.

The Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority (MSCA) oversees the construction and operation of a tunnel in bedrock beneath the waters of the Straits of Mackinac. The tunnel will house a replacement segment for the Line 5 petroleum pipelines that currently sit on the bottom of the Straits and will accommodate other utilities to improve infrastructure connections between the peninsulas. MSCA will own the tunnel after its construction and provide independent oversight throughout its life.

These appointments are subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.

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Foster, Swift, Collins, & Smith PC welcomes senior attorney Jennifer L. Montasir to the firm’s Southfield office. As a member of the litigation group, Montasir focuses on first and third-party automobile accidents, defamation, general business matters including breach of contract and tortious interference, domestic relations, mold issues, assault and battery, medical malpractice, and post-judgment collection matters.

Born and raised in Michigan, Montasir has spent her career in many different areas of law practice ranging from personal injury, family law, general business litigation, and attorney malpractice law.

One of Montasir’s current interests is representing individuals in defamation cases where others have issued false and harmful information on social media and other communication outlets.

Montasir earned her law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law; prior to that, she earned her B.S. in psychology from Wayne State University.

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During Plunkett Cooney’s recent annual meeting, several shareholders were elected by their colleagues to serve as members of the firm’s Board of Directors. Among those selected was Scott K. Lites who was re-elected.

Lites, who is a member of the firm’s Bloomfield Hills office, is one of the firm’s most accomplished business attorneys with nearly 40 years of experience representing clients in all aspects of corporate and real estate law.

Lites routinely acts as general counsel for many of his clients an adds a unique perspective to their business. He is currently listed among the Best Lawyers in America in corporate law. He has previously been listed in DBusiness magazine as a Top Lawyer in real estate law, and he was an appointed member of the state of Michigan’s Receivership Transition Advisory Board for the City of Allen Park.

Lites received his law degree in 1985 from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and his undergraduate degree in 1982 from the University of Michigan.

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Garan Lucow Miller is pleased to announce that Ebony L. Duff has been appointed firm counsel for GLM.

Duff is a shareholder in the firm’s Detroit office and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. Duff concentrates her practice in Municipal Law, Employment Law, Civil Rights and Premises Liability.

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Bodman PLC is pleased to announce that Michelle L. Kolkmeyer, Alexandra C. Markel, Christopher J. Rambus, Rebecca C. Seguin-Skrabucha, and Kyle W. Traver have been admitted as members of the firm.

All were previously senior associates with Bodman.

Kolkmeyer practices in Bodman’s Troy office and is a member of the Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution and Workplace Law practice groups. She counsels corporate clients in connection with employment law matters and represents them in commercial litigation matters. Before joining Bodman she was in-house litigation and employment counsel to a large health insurance company where she counseled the human resources, compensation, and benefits departments on various legal issues. She also served as defense counsel in matters involving complex healthcare, pharmacy benefit management, and employment issues and litigated a complex class action involving wage/hour and other employment-related claims.

Kolkmeyer is listed in The Best Lawyers in America-Ones to Watch under Labor and Employment Law – Management. She is a graduate of Wayne State University Law School and earned her undergraduate degree from Michigan State University.

Markel is based in Bodman’s Detroit office and is a member of the Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Practice Group. She represents a variety of business clients in complex commercial litigation matters, including antitrust matters, insurance and ERISA disputes, contract matters, and a broad range of other commercial and business disputes. She is also a significant contributor to Bodman’s pro bono program. Markel frequently represents pro bono clients in connection with expungement screenings under Michigan’s “Clean Slate” statute and in matters involving constitutional and prisoner rights issues.

Markel is listed in The Best Lawyers in America-Ones to Watch under Commercial Litigation and in Michigan Rising Stars under General Litigation. She earned her law degree and her undergraduate degree from The University of Michigan.

Rambus practices in Bodman’s Detroit office and is a member of the High Net Worth Practice Group. He represents individual clients in connection with estate planning and related tax matters and the administration of complex trusts and estates. Before becoming an attorney, he worked as a client services executive with a global business consulting firm, as a sales and marketing Intern with an international software company, and as a development intern and small banking liaison for the Urban Affairs Coalition, a Philadelphia-based community development organization.

Rambus is listed in The Best Lawyers in America – Ones to Watch under Trusts and Estates and Tax Law. He is a graduate of Wayne State University Law School and earned his undergraduate degree from Amherst College.

Seguin-Skrabucha is based in Bodman’s Troy office and is a member of the Workplace Law Practice Group. She advises employers on compliance with state and federal employment and labor laws. She also defends employers on a variety of employment claims before state and federal courts and before administrative agencies including the EEOC and the Michigan Department of Civil Rights. She has represented employers in disputes involving claims of discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, and alleged violations of the FLMA, ADA, ADEA, and FLSA.

Seguin-Skrabucha is listed in The Best Lawyers in America-Ones to Watch under Labor and Employment Law-Management and in DBusiness Magazine “Top Lawyers” under Labor and Employment Law. She earned her law degree and her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan.

Traver is based in Bodman’s Troy office and is a member of the Enterprise Procurement Group. He represents business clients in connection with the drafting and negotiation of a broad range of commercial contracts, including vendor contracts for goods and services.

Traver is active in Love Runs, organized by NorthRidge Church. Love Runs is a ministry that raises money and awareness through participation in the annual Detroit Free Press Marathon to help fight against human trafficking. He is a graduate of Western Michigan University Cooley Law School and earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Detroit Mercy.

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Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that it ranks first among Michigan bond counsel firms, first in the Mideast region and 17th nationwide in the 2022 Bond Counsel Rankings by Refinitiv.

Miller Canfield opined on more than 200 transactions in 2022 totaling over $6 billion, including the 70 issues counted in the rankings. Highlights of Miller Canfield’s work in 2022 include:

• Represented two public universities in one green bond and two century bonds—the first of their kind for both schools—totaling $2.5 billion

• Represented the newly merged Beaumont Health and Spectrum Health systems in its first deal, $1.87 billion of tax-exempt refunding bonds through the Michigan Finance Authority, and another $300 million of taxable bonds to fund capital projects

• Served as bond counsel to 34 different cities, villages, townships, counties, drainage districts and utilities authorities on 45 different financings totaling over $321 million through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to finance water and sewer system infrastructure improvements

• Represented Detroit Public Schools in a $235.9 million refunding of bonds issued prior to its 2016 split into two entities

• Served as bond counsel to Kalamazoo County for a $55 million capital improvement bond to finance new facilities for the road commission

In addition to its Michigan work, Miller Canfield’s Chicago office, which ranked 18th among Illinois bond counsel, participated in several significant transactions, including serving as bond counsel to the Illinois Housing Development Authority on a $31 million multifamily housing transaction, and as disclosure counsel to the City of Chicago on a $1.768 billion refunding of bonds issued for projects at O’Hare International Airport.

Miller Canfield has the largest dedicated municipal finance group in Michigan, with a focus on capital projects and infrastructure, public-private partnerships and economic development, government and regulatory affairs, and state and federal tax. Miller Canfield is the only Michigan-headquartered firm to be ranked in Tier 1 for public finance nationwide in the 2023 edition of Best Law Firms in America.

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Giarmarco, Mullins, & Horton is pleased to welcome Katie Stearns as an associate to the firm’s Troy office where she will practice in our Business Litigation group.

Stearns has experience handling a variety of commercial matters, including breaches of contract, conversion, shareholder oppression, business torts, non-compete, and non-solicitation. She represents small to mid-size companies as well as large corporations.

Stearns earned her law degree from Wayne State University Law School. She serves as the president for the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan for Wayne County and has participated in the Detroit Bar Association Inn of Court Program.

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Brooks Kushman is pleased to welcome Bryce Whitworth as the newest addition to its growing patent prosecution team.

Whitworth is a registered patent attorney and focuses his practice on domestic and foreign patent prosecution in the material, mechanical, and electromechanical arts. With nearly 10 years of experience in a variety of technical fields and industries, Whitworth is experienced in all phases of patent prosecution. He has experience representing clients and protecting intellectual property rights in the consumer products, automotive systems, and industrial manufacturing industries.

Whitworth graduated from Southern Illinois University, where he received a masters and bachelors degree in civil engineering. He attended law school at Stetson University College of Law. During law school, Bryce also received his MBA.

Prior to entering the legal profession, Whitworth was a municipal engineer, a structural engineer for a global solar power generation design firm, as well as an aerospace stress analysis engineer for a custom jetliner interior component designer and supplier.

In addition, Brooks Kushman attorney Isheeta Patel Laxmanan has been chosen to represent the firm as a member of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity’s (LCLD) 2023 Class of Fellows. This program focuses on the development of the industry’s next generation of professional leaders. It offers participants virtual and in-person training, peer-group projects, and networking opportunities with LCLD’s top leadership and industry professionals alike.

Laxmanan is a registered patent attorney who has experience working with a range of clients that vary in size, from Fortune 100 companies to small start-ups. She focuses her practice on preparing and prosecuting domestic patent applications in the chemical engineering and materials arts.

Laxmanan also advises her clients on various IP-related strategies, such as whether they have freedom to operate and by assessing the validity of patents. She has experience working in various industries, ranging from technologies related to chemical engineering and advanced materials to consumer products.

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Harness IP is pleased to announce that two of the firm’s offices and six of its attorneys have been included in the 2023 listing of the WTR 1000. The WTR 1000, published annually by the World Trademark Review, identifies individual and firm expertise in all major areas of trademark law and practice.

The firm’s Clayton, Missouri (Metro St. Louis) and Troy, Michigan (Metro Detroit) offices were included in the final ranking as were local attorneys Beth Coakley, Lisa DuRoss, and George Moustakas.