Alumni Accomplishments
Lee Hornberger, '82, Arbitration and Mediation Office of Lee Hornberger, has been appointed to the Awards Committee of the State Bar of Michigan. The Awards Committee recommends recipients of State Bar of Michigan awards, including the annual Liberty Bell Award made to non-attorneys. Hornberger is the Immediate Past President of the Grand Traverse-Leelanau-Antrim Bar Association.
November 18, 2008Peter M. Kellett, '82, of Dykema, was ranked as a leader in the “Best Lawyers in America” guide. Kellett is director of the Litigation Department. He focuses his practice in the areas of alternative dispute resolution, commercial litigation and product liability litigation.
November 13, 2008Lee Hornberger, '82, of the Arbitration and Mediation Office of Lee Hornberger, was appointed by the Traverse City City Commission to the Traverse City Human Rights Commission. In addition, Hornberger's article "Supreme Court Crawford Retaliation Decision" was recently published in the Grand Traverse-Leelanau-Antrim Bar Association newsletter. He is immediate past president of the Grand Traverse-Leelanau-Antrim Bar Association.
May 12, 2009Samuel Stahl, '82, a partner and chair of the Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP Private Equity and Venture Capital practice group, will be a featured panelist at the Association for Corporate Growth's Third Annual M&A Conference on June 2, 2009 at the Detroit Athletic Club. Stahl will serve on a panel addressing "Completing Transactions in the Hot Sector."
May 19, 2009Samuel Stahl, '82, was a featured panelist at the Association for Corporate Growth's 3rd annual M&A Conference at the Detroit Athletic Club.
June 8, 2009Lee Hornberger, '82, of the Arbitration and Mediation Office of Lee Hornberger, was recently included on the Michigan Employment Relations Commission's panel of grievance arbitrators. He earned an LLM from Wayne Law in 1982.
August 6, 2009Kathleen Wilson-Thompson, '82, was appointed senior vice president and chief human resources officer of Walgreens. Wilson-Thompson also received an LL.M. degree (1996) from Wayne Law.
November 24, 2009Sandra D. Glazier, '82, was named a partner with Lipson, Neilson, Cole, Seltzer & Garin, PC. Glazier is an estate planning, family and probate lawyer working in the Estate Planning Group and Center for Estate Planning with Lipson Neilson.
February 25, 2010
Peter M. Kellett, '82, of Dykema, was ranked by his peers as a leader in alternative dispute resolution, commercial litigation and product liability litigation in the 2010 edition of Best Lawyers in America.
June 25, 2010
Lee Hornberger, LL.M, '82, of the Arbitration and Mediation Office of Lee Hornberger was recently elected to the Representative Assembly of the State Bar of Michigan. The Assembly is the final policy-making body of the State Bar.
July 1, 2010Dennis J. Donohue, '82, a partner with the law firm Warner Norcross and Judd LLP, has been named to The Best Lawyers in America® 2011.
October 14, 2010
Lee Hornberger, '82, LL.M., with the Arbitration and Mediation Office of Lee Hornberger, was the featured speaker at the Oct. 20 Community Mediation Services Annual Dinner and Awards Ceremony in Gaylord, Mich. His presentation focused on ethics in mediation.
While serving in South Vietnam, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Army Commendation Medals. The unit he was in was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation and the Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with Palm.
He is a past president of the Grand Traverse-Leelanau-Antrim Bar Association. Lee is a member of the Traverse City Human Rights Commission, a Michigan Civil Rights Commission hearing referee, a Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians hearing officer; and on the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians hearing officer list.
October 26, 2010
Lee Hornberger, '82, LL.M., recently had two articles published. "Leave Provisions of the Labor Code of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam" was published in the Winter 2011 edition of the State Bar of Michigan's Labor and Employment Lawnotes. "Back in Indochina, Things Are a Bit Different" was published in the Feb. 13, 2011, Traverse City Record-Eagle.
February 18, 2011Kenneth L. Gross, '82, managing shareholder and co-founding shareholder with Thav Gross Steinway and Bennett PC, has been named one of 25 "Leaders in the Law" for 2011 by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.
February 28, 2011
Robert W. Stevenson , '82, a partner with Caesar Rivise Bernstein Cohen and Pokotilow, was a featured speaker at the Sixth International Pharmaceutical R&D Summit in Shanghai, China, in April 2011.
May 19, 2011
Lee Hornberger, '82, LL.M., of the Arbitration and Mediation Office of Lee Hornberger has been admitted to the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service's Roster of Arbitrators.
January 3, 2012
Lee Hornberger, '82, LL.M., of the Arbitration and Mediation Office of Lee Hornberger has been appointed chair of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee of the Grand Traverse-Leelanau-Antrim Bar Association. Lee is a former president of the Grand Traverse-Leelanau-Antrim Bar Association.
February 16, 2012
David Rogers, '82, was named a 2013 DBusiness Top Lawyer in the Health Care Law category. A shareholder with Rogers Mantese & Associates PC, Rogers focuses his practice primarily on representing Michigan health care organizations, professionals and businesses in matters including contracts, third party payer audits and reimbursement, and legislative issues. He is the former chair of the State Bar of Michigan Health Care Law Section, of which he was named a Fellow in 2011. In addition, Rogers is a former faculty member in the Department of Internal Medicine Residency Program at the Wayne State University School of Medicine, chair of the University's Irvin D. Reid Honors College Board of Visitors, and member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association, American Health Lawyers Association, and Federal, Detroit Metropolitan and Oakland County Bar Associations.
November 27, 2012
Lee Hornberger, '82, of the Arbitration and Mediation Office of Lee Hornberger, moderated the Conflict Resolution Services' in-service on "How Judges Treat Mediated Settlement Agreements" in Traverse City on Oct. 25, 2012. Hornberger, an arbitrator and mediator in Traverse City, is a member of the Representative Assembly of the State Bar of Michigan, Chair of the ADR Committee of the Grand Traverse-Leelanau-Antrim Bar Association, and a former President of the Grand Traverse-Leelanau-Antrim Bar Association. He is an arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Michigan Employment Relations Commission, National Arbitration Forum, and National Futures Association.
December 7, 2012
Jay Welford, '82, was named the practice group coordinator for the insolvency and reorganization group at Southfield-based Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss PC, where he is a partner. Welford has more than 30 years of experience in corporate representation and restructuring. His practice encompasses multiple industry sectors, including banking, construction, manufacturing, logistics, servicing and leasing. In addition to this new role, Welford is also co-practice group coordinator for the franchise law practice group with a specific expertise in developing franchise systems. Throughout the years, Welford has received multiple legal honors and awards from Michigan Super Lawyer, Best Lawyers and DBusiness magazine. He is an active member in multiple business and legal associations, including the American Bar Association, American Bankruptcy Institute, Commercial Law League of America Bankruptcy and Insolvency Section and the International Franchise Association. He also serves as president of the nonprofit organization ALS of Michigan.
March 22, 2013
Michael Khoury, '82, was named co-practice group coordinator for Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss PC's Emerging and Growth Business Practice Group. He is a partner with the firm. Khoury is also a member of the Corporate and Intellectual Property and Information Technology Practice Groups, specializing his practice in commercial, business and technology matters including start-ups and emerging businesses. He is a former chair of the State Bar of Michigan's Business Law Section and Information Technology Law Section, as well as a member of advisory boards for several entrepreneurial organizations.
May 17, 2013Joseph E. Kozely, '81, has become a shareholder of Foster, Swift, Collins & Smith PC. His practice includes medical malpractice defense, general liability litigation, and third party audits, health care, mental health, and child advocacy law.
February 9, 2009Connie Marie Kelley, '81, formerly Connie Marie Skinner, was elected to the Wayne County Circuit Court in November 2008.
November 3, 2008Gregory J. DeMars, '81, chair of Honigman, Miller, Schwartz and Cohn, LLP's Workout, Foreclosure and Distressed Property Practice Group in the Real Estate Department, spoke at the "Commercial Real Estate Workout Strategies for Lenders and Servicers" forum sponsored by Grubb & Ellis. The event was held on June 23, 2009 at the Townsend Hotel.
June 26, 2009Gregory DeMars, '81, spoke at a forum titled "Commercial Real Estate Workout Strategies for Lenders and Servicers" on June 23, 2009.
July 7, 2009Gerald Acker, '81, shareholder and senior partner with Goodman Acker, PC, in Southfield, Mich., was elected as treasurer of the Michigan Association for Justice. Acker specializes in personal injury litigation, including catastrophic automobile negligence claims, no-fault claims, medical malpractice, premises liability and nursing home negligence.
August 18, 2009Gregory DeMars, '81, of Honigman, Miller, Schwartz and Cohn, LLP, led a "discussion of experts on issues surrounding troubled affordable housing properties" at the recent Michigan Housing Council's 2009 Fall Conference in Brighton, Mich.
November 17, 2009Stanley Pitts, '81, a partner with Honigman, Miller, Schwartz and Cohn, LLP, has been appointed to the State Bar of Michigan Professional Ethics Committee for a term that continues through Sept. 30, 2012.
November 17, 2009Pamela Enslen, '81, a principal with Miller Canfield, will serve another three-year term in the American Bar Association's House of Delegates, the policy-making body of the ABA. She has served the ABA for 10 years.
November 24, 2009Steven Chester, '81, was featured in the Traverse City Record Eagle in an article titled "Chester: DEQ accomplished much." More information here.
January 11, 2010
Stanley Pitts, '81, a partner in Honigman, Miller, Schwartz and Cohn, LLP's Labor and Employment Department, has been appointed to the State Bar of Michigan's District H (Wayne, Monroe and Lenawee Counties) Character and Fitness Committee for a two-year renewable term. The Committee is charged with investigating and determining whether applicants for admission to the Bar meet its character and fitness qualifications.
February 19, 2010
Stanley H. Pitts, '81, a partner in Honigman's labor and employment department, has been appointed chair of the State Bar of Michigan's Professional Ethics Committee beginning on Oct. 1, 2010, through Sept. 30, 2011. The Committee prepares written opinions regarding professional ethical conduct by request, recommends amendments to the Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct and other standards of professional conduct, as well as reviews proposed amendments. Pitts has served as a member of the Professional Ethics Committee since 2009.
July 16, 2010
Pamela C. Enslen, '81, Miller Canfield principal in the Kalamazoo, Mich. office, has been appointed by American Bar Association (ABA) president Stephen N. Zack to serve on the ABA's Center for Human Rights Advisory Council.
October 15, 2010
Martin D. Sommerness, '81, is senior professor of journalism in Northern Arizona University's School of Communication. His collection, Communication Writing: Some Beginnings, has just been published by Kendall-Hunt of Dubuque, Iowa.
November 2, 2010
Scott L. Mandel, '81, has been named "Lansing Best Lawyers Insurance Lawyer of the Year" for 2011 by Best Lawyers. Mandel, a shareholder at Foster Swift Collins and Smith PC, is the co-leader of the General Litigation Practice Group. Mandel has experience in a number of areas, including: business litigation, civil rights defense, personal injury litigation, insurance company insolvency proceedings; and licensing and regulation of health care professionals. Much of Mandel's practice concerns complex litigation, including representation of governmental entities as large corporations.
November 8, 2010William McCandless , '81, joined the law firm of Smith Haughey Rice and Roegge in its Ann Arbor office as an of counsel attorney practicing in the areas of medical malpractice defense and product liability defense.
March 17, 2011Francyne B. Stacey, '81, joined Butzel Long as a shareholder to the firm in the Ann Arbor office. Stacey counsels clients in the areas of employment and immigration law.
April 6, 2011
Michael A. Robbins, '81, a sole practitioner in Bloomfield Hills who practices exclusively in divorce and family law, was recently included in the 2012 edition of "The Best Lawyers in America" in the area of family law. Robbins was also named in 2011 by the New York Times and Super Lawyers as one of the top 100 attorney's in Michigan. He is also past president of the Michigan Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and past chairperson of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan.
September 27, 2011Pamela C. Enslen, '81, a principal in the Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids, Mich. offices of the law firm of Miller Canfield, has been elected to a three-year term on the board of trustees of the Michigan Women's Foundation (MWF).
February 14, 2012
Gerald Acker, '81, was voted president-elect of the Michigan Association of Justice's 2012-13 leadership team. He is senior partner at Southfield-based Goodman Acker PC, and specializes in personal injury litigation. The Michigan Association of Justice is a nonprofit organization dedicated to furthering civil justice and access to the courts for the people of Michigan. He also serves on the National Finance Committee for President Barack Obama.
August 20, 2012
G. Frank Glabach, '81, joined Freedman Weisz in Los Angeles as a partner. He focuses his practice on taxation law and estate planning.
August 27, 2012
Pamela Enslen, '81, has been named resident director of the Kalamazoo office of Miller Canfield, overseeing the overall operations of the 34 lawyer and 25 staff member-office. Enslen is a principal at Miller Canfield and a member of the firm's Litigation and Trial Group. She originally joined the firm in 1985. In 2001, she left to be a public defender in federal courts before returning to Miller Canfield in 2003. She now represents companies and executives in various commercial disputes, including employment cases and white collar criminal defense.
May 7, 2013Robert E.L. Wright, '80, an attorney-mediator in Miller Canfield’s Grand Rapid’s office, was elected to a one-year term as secretary of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Section of the State Bar of Michigan. Wright is a facilitative mediator and neutral arbitrator, resolving commercial, construction, divorce and employment disputes. He is a volunteer mediator for the Western Michigan Dispute Resolution Center in Grand Rapids and received its Trail Blazer Award for his leadership role in making peaceful resolution of disputes a possibility for citizens of West Michigan. He was recently appointed to the ADR Oversight Committee of the Kent County Circuit Court and to the Mediation Advisory Board of the Institute of Continuing Legal Education.
November 13, 2008Daniel R. Kubiak, '80, of Mika, Meyers, Beckett and Jones, PLC, was included in the 2010 edition of the Best Lawyers in America. Lawyers are selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers solely on the basis of a nationally-conducted peer-review survey in which more than 25,000 leading lawyers vote on the legal abilities and professional achievements of other lawyers in their specialties.
August 4, 2009Alan M. Greene, '80, of Dykema, has been ranked in the newly published Best Lawyers In America guide. Greene is a member of the real estate practice group and is the firm's director of professional personnel. Greene's practice focuses on real estate development and construction projects, including zoning and land use matters, regulatory proceedings and litigation involving real estate and construction matters.
August 31, 2009Noreen Slank, '80, was selected for inclusion in the 16th edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Slank has practiced in the state and federal appellate courts since 1980 with an emphasis on the defense of medical and legal malpractice actions, insurance coverage disputes, and the defense of catastrophic personal injury cases. The Huntington Woods resident practices both in appellate and trial courts (particularly during post-verdict proceedings). She is a past chair of the Appellate Practice Section of the State Bar of Michigan and is a frequent author, editor, and lecturer on a variety of procedural and substantive legal issues. Michigan Lawyers Weekly regularly seeks Slank's commentary on topics ranging from new cases released by appellate courts to judicial appointments, frequently quoting her in front page stories.
September 4, 2009George W. Gregory, '80, of the Birmingham offices of George W. Gregory PLLC, was recently included in the 2010 edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the specialty of Trusts and Estates for the 10th year in a row. Mr. Gregory also practices in the areas of tax, tax controversy, and business succession planning and acts as an expert witness in these areas as well. He is a frequently-invited lecturer and moderator for the Insitute of Continuing Legal Education, the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants, and other continuing education groups throughout Michigan. He holds an AV rating with Martindale Hubbell.
September 15, 2009Leslie Stein, '80, a banking law attorney in private and corporate in-house practice for over 29 years, recently joined Plunkett Cooney, one of the Midwest's oldest and largest law firms, as a partner in the firm's Bloomfield Hills office.
December 16, 2009
Deborah Brouwer, '80, has been named a partner at Nemeth Burwell, P.C. Brouwer joined Nemeth Burwell in 2005. Prior to joining the firm, she served as in-house counsel for the UAW Legal Services Plans, an employee benefit plan funded by the automobile companies in order to provide prepaid legal services to eligible auto workers.
February 11, 2010Deborah Brouwer, '80, was named a partner in the firm Nemeth Burwell, P.C. Brouwer joined Nemeth Burwell in 2005 and has extensive experience in employment litigation and arbitration as well as ERISA compliance and litigation.
February 21, 2010
Aleksandra A. Miziolek, '80, of Dykema, was ranked by his peers as a leader in corporate governance and compliance law and corporate law in the 2010 edition of Best Lawyers in America.
June 25, 2010
Robert E. L. Wright, '80, of Miller Canfield, has been appointed to the State Court Administrative Office's (SCAO) Case Evaluation and Meditation Study Advisory Committee. The committee will deliberate on proposed amendments and oversee the design and methodology of a study that will provide important conclusions for Michigan's legal policies and practices.
June 25, 2010
Craig S. Schoenherr , '80, served on the planning committee for the American Bankruptcy Institute's 2010 Detroit Consumer Bankruptcy Conference. Topics of the conference include Supreme Court and lower court case law updates, good faith in bankruptcy, exemptions, tax laws, means testing, debtor remedies, claims, legal writing and oral argument and mortgage loan modification. Schoenherr specializes in creditors' rights, bankruptcy law, collections and commercial litigation.
July 20, 2010
Noreen L. Slank, '80, of Collins, Einhorn, Farrell and Ulanoff PC in Southfield, Mich., was among 20 attorneys recognized by Michigan Lawyers Weekly for its inaugural Women in the Law honors. Slank has practiced in the state and federal appellate courts since 1980 with an emphasis on the defense of medical and legal malpractice actions, insurance coverage disputes and the defense of catastrophic personal injury cases. She practices both in appellate and trial courts (particularly during post-verdict proceedings).
August 5, 2010Daniel R. Kubiak, '80, of Mika Meyers Beckett and Jones PLC, was included in the 2011 edition of the Best Lawyers in America.
August 5, 2010Kevin S. Macaddino, '80, a partner with Williams, Williams, Rattner and Plunkett, PC, participated in the 2010 Summer Conference of the Real Property Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan. He was the discussion leader on the topic of "Michigan Law and Boundary Disputes."
August 9, 2010Alan M. Greene, '80, a member of Dykema's real estate practice group and the firm’s director of professional personnel, was included in the 2011 edition of Best Lawyers in America.
September 2, 2010Robert E. L. Wright, '80, an attorney with Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone, PLC, was profiled in the "On the Stand" section of the July 26, 2010, issue of Michigan Lawyers Weekly.
July 26, 2010David Liner, '80, vice president, general counsel and secretary of Roper Industries, Inc., in Sarasota, Fla., was profiled in the In-House Counsel section of the National Law Journal on November 22. http://www.law.wayne.edu/liner_in_natl_law_journal.pdf
December 6, 2010Teresa Stanek Rea, '80, a longtime intellectual property law professional, was named deputy director of the U.S. Patent Office. Rea is currently a partner at Crowell and Moring and was president of the AIPLA from 2008-2009 and previously with Burns Doane. Rea has been practicing patent law for more than 25 years. Before that, she practiced as a pharmacist. Her technology focus has primarily been biotechnology. According to the release, her leadership in that area will be a welcome addition to the USPTO management team. In her role as AIPLA director, Rea has been involved in many of the recent major patent cases, including Tafas v. Kappos, Ariad v. Eli Lilly, Prometheus v. Mayo, and Cardiac v. St. Jude.
February 18, 2011
Lawrence C. Mann, '80, managing partner with Bowman and Brooke LLP, has been named one of 25 "Leaders in the Law" for 2011 by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.
February 28, 2011Tom R. Pabst, '80, of Tom R. Pabst PC, has been named one of 25 "Leaders in the Law" for 2011 by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.
February 28, 2011Deborah Brouwer , '80, of Nemeth Burwell PC, spoke on the topic of "Privacy, Social Media and Employment Law" at a January 25th presentation for Sterling Educational Services (SES) in Detroit.
March 23, 2011
Ronald Baylor, '80, a principal in the Kalamazoo office of Miller Canfield, has been elected to the board of directors of the Kalamazoo Regional Chamber of Commerce. At Miller Canfield, Baylor counsels individuals, businesses and local governments on a broad range of environmental issues, including compliance and permitting, waste and wastewater disposal, clean-ups and environmental issues arising in the purchase, sale and redevelopment of real property. In addition he handles injury, commercial and environmental litigation, disputes about cost recovery and insurance coverage, and defends against regulatory enforcement actions before state and federal courts and administrative agencies.
June 13, 2011Deborah Brouwer, '80, made a presentation titled Strategies for Dealing with the Problem Employee at Nemeth Burwell PC's Raising the Bar seminar in May 2011.
August 2, 2011
Noreen L. Slank, '80, has been selected for inclusion in the 18th edition of The Best Lawyers in America (2012) for her work in the area of Appellate Practice.
September 21, 2011Daniel R. Kubiak, '80, an attorney with Mika Meyers Beckett and Jones PLC, was included in the 2012 edition of Best Lawyers in America.
December 22, 2011George W. Gregory, '80, of George W. Gregory PLLC, was named one of the top 100 lawyers in the specialty of trusts and estates by Super Lawyers of America for the sixth year in a row.
January 18, 2012George W. Gregory, '80, of George W. Gregory PLLC, was elected chairperson of the State Bar of Michigan Probate and Estate Planning Committee.
January 18, 2012
Carol Rosati, '80, of Johnson Rosati Schultz & Joppich PC was named one of 20 awardees of Michigan Lawyer Weekly's Women in the Law 2012.
July 30, 2012
Robert Wright, '80, spoke to the business law classes at Northern Michigan University, Marquette, on alternate dispute resolution, arbitration and mediation. He is the incoming chairman of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Section of the State Bar of Michigan, and has presented numerous seminars on mediation and related topics. He is founder of The Peace Talks Mediation Services PLC.
September 24, 2012
Laurel McGiffert, '80, was chosen by the Michigan Association of Justice as winner of its 2012 Respected Advocate Award. She is a partner at Plunkett Cooney, concentrating in medical malpractice, employment law and municipal law. She serves on the firm's Board of Directors and is involved in many charitable activities.
October 1, 2012
Candace Crowley, '80, received the Michigan State Bar Foundation's Access to Justice Award, honoring individuals who have significantly advanced access to justice for the poor in Michigan. Crowley is director of external development at the State Bar, and served as liaison to the Access to Justice Committee of the State Bar's Judicial Crossroads Task Force. Her long history of legal advocacy includes serving as executive director of Lakeshore Legal Aid. She also served as a volunteer on the State Bar's Access to Justice Task Force and as chair of the Michigan Integration and Merger Committee, which helped produce the seminal 1995 Michigan Plan to guide statewide delivery of legal services to the poor. She also is a member of the Michigan Poverty Law Program Advisory Board.
October 1, 2012
Noreen Slank, '80, was selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America 2013 for the seventh consecutive year. An attorney with Southfield-based Collins Einhorn Farrell & Ulanoff, she was honored for her work in appellate practice and insurance law.
October 23, 2012
Ulysses Hammond, '80, received the 2012 William Crawford Distinguished Service award, which is given annually by the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut. Hammond is vice president for administration at Connecticut College, president of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Trust Fund and chairman of the Lawrence & Memorial Hospital Board of Directors. He also tutors at a middle school and mentors young men at his church. In the past, he served as associate state court administrator for the Michigan Supreme Court and as court executive for the Third Judicial Circuit Court in Detroit.
November 5, 2012
Noreen Slank, '80, was selected as the 2013 Best Lawyers in America Detroit Appellate Practice "Lawyer of the Year." Slank has practiced in the state and federal appellate courts since 1980 with an emphasis on the defense of medical and legal malpractice actions, insurance coverage disputes, and the defense of catastrophic personal injury cases. She practices both in appellate courts and in the trial courts (particularly during post-verdict proceedings). Slank is a past chair of the Appellate Practice Section of the State Bar of Michigan and frequent author, editor and lecturer on a variety of procedural and substantive legal issues.
November 7, 2012Judge Jessica Cooper, '79, takes oath of office as Oakland County prosecutor during public swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday, Jan. 21.
February 9, 2009I. W. (Bill) Winsten, '79, was recently named chair of the Wayne State University Law School Board of Visitors. A partner in the litigation department of Honigman Miller, Schwartz, and Cohn LLP, Winsten has served the community with his leadership and expertise for more than 30 years.
February 9, 2009Steven Grob, '79, a leader of Dykema’s Taxation and Estate Practice Group, was recently ranked the “Best Lawyers in America” guide. Grob focuses on federal and state tax planning for corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, and individuals, and federal and state tax litigation.
November 13, 2008Thaddeus J. Kedzierski, '79, was elected councilmen for the newly formed Village of Grosse Pointe Shores.
June 9, 2009
Steven E. Grob, '79, of Dykema, was ranked by his peers as a leader in tax law in the 2010 edition of Best Lawyers in America.
June 25, 2010Terrence Miglio, '79, of Keller Thoma, PC, was elected a Fellow by the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.
June 30, 2010
Michael Lieb, '79, shareholder with Southfield-based Maddin Hauser Wartell Roth and Heller PC, has been selected for inclusion in the first annual Top Lawyers, published by Corporate Counsel.
February 21, 2012Nicholas Wittner, '79, has joined Hewitt Wolensky, a Califonia boutique law firm specializing in product liability and commercial litigation, regulatory compliance and product recall counseling, mass tort litigation and risk management, and media and government relations. He served as assistant general counsel at Nissan North America Inc. for more than 20 years. He teaches as a law professor at the Michigan State University College of Law, as well.
July 11, 2012
Wayne Miller, '79, was featured in a Legal News article titled "Difference Maker: WSU adjunct professor knows 'No-Fault Auto' world."
January 3, 2013Maureen Aughton, '78, was recently honored as Legal Aid Attorney of the Month for her work as a steering committee member of the Collier County Foreclosure Task Force. Aughton is in solo practice in Naples, Florida and practices in the areas of real estate transactional law, estate administration and planning, guardianship and corporate law.
February 9, 2009Nancy J. Diehl, '78, retires this month after serving 25 years as a prosecutor. Diehl serves on the executive committee of the Governor's Task Force on Children's Justice, is a member of the Judicial Tenure Commission, chairs the Wayne County Council Against Family Violence, and is past president of the State Bar of Michigan.
April 21, 2009James Lanzetta, '78, joined Stewart Title Company Agency Services Group as the Michigan agency services manager.
August 4, 2009Adrienne Southgate, '78, was appointed by Providence, Rhode Island Mayor David N. Cicilline to lead the City's Law Department. Southgate spent the last seven years as deputy city solicitor.
November 17, 2009Nancy J. Diehl, '78, is the recipient of a Distinguished Alumni Award from the Alumni Association of Western Michigan University, where she received her bachelor's degree. She began her career as a staff attorney for the Michigan Misdemeanor Defender's Office and then went to serve a year as assistant corporation counsel for the city of Detroit. Diehl went on to join the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office as a trial prosecutor in Recorder Court. She has also been the deputy chief of the Child and Family Abuse Bureau and Chief of the Projects and Training Division. After serving in that capacity until 2004, she was appointed head of the Felony Trial Division. During her career in the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, Diehl also headed the first Child Abuse Unit and co-authored several books to help children deal with abuse and the legal system. She retired in April after serving as a prosecutor for 28 years.
October 22, 2009
Maureen Aughton, '78, was recently honored by the Collier County Women's Bar Association as a Co-Attorney of the Year along with other founding and working group members of the Collier County Foreclosure Task Force. Aughton was a founding member of the Task Force organized in February of 2008 to assist with the large number of foreclosures facing members of the southwest Florida area. Aughton has a solo practice in Naples, Florida where she practices in the areas of real estate transactional law and litigation, estate administration and planning, guardianship and corporate law.
December 18, 2009
Maureen Aughton, '78, was recently certified as a circuit mediator by the Supreme Court of the State of Florida. Additionally, she recently received a certificate in residential mortgage foreclosure mediation from the University of South Florida. Aughton is a founding member of the Collier County Foreclosure Task Force that was organized in February 2008 to assist with the large number of foreclosures facing members of the southwest Florida area. Aughton has a solo practice in Naples, Fla., where she practices in the areas of mediation, real estate transactional law and litigation, estate administration and planning, guardianship and corporate law.
April 14, 2010Mark R. Granzotto, '78, is a recipient of the 2010 Respected Advocate Award. He practices in the area of civil appellate work. He is a member of the committee on Model Civil Jury Instructions. Granzotto is also a member of the Appellate Practice and Negligence Law sections of the State Bar of Michigan. He is a frequent speaker on civil appellate issues, particularly those related to personal injury. He is a former Wayne Law adjunct professor and is a fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers.
July 16, 2010
Charles E. Turnbull, '78, who also earned his LL.M. from Wayne Law in 1986, was recently sworn in as president of the Macomb County Bar Association (MCBA). Turnbull will serve as the 82nd president of MCBA.
July 20, 2010Stanley H. Pitts, '78, a partner in Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn's Labor and Employment Department, has been appointed chair of the State Bar of Michigan's Professional Ethics Committee beginning Oct. 1 through September 30, 2011.
July 21, 2010Judith Greenstone Miller, '78, has been appointed to the Board of Directors of the Heidelberg Project, a Detroit-based community organization designed to improve lives and neighborhoods through the use of art.
August 9, 2010Andrew B. Wachler, '78, of Wachler and Associates, PC, presented a special closing session to the 2010 Physician Advisor Congress in Boston titled "How to Defend, Repay, or Self Disclose Issues that may be Identified in the Expanding Recovery Audit Contractor Program."
August 16, 2010Barbara Kraft, '78, has been appointed regional director of the Office of General Counsel (OGC) of the Federal Labor Relations Authority's (FLRA) Washington Region. Kraft has practiced labor, employment and employee benefits law as a principal in a private law firm, as in-house union counsel and as a government attorney. Since September 2005, she has been a member of Kraft Alden PLLC (previously Kraft Eisenmann Alden PLLC) in Washington, D.C., representing federal and private sector unions, employees and benefit funds. Prior to September 2005, she was a shareholder in Beins Axelrod Kraft Gleason and Gibson PC. After graduating from Wayne Law, she worked first for the Michigan Employment Relations Commission, and then relocated to Washington to begin work as an attorney in the Division of Enforcement Litigation, Appellate Court Branch, at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). She left the NLRB to work for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFL- CIO, and thereafter entered private practice.
October 15, 2010Ashley S. Lipson, '78, LL.M., will release a second first-of-its-kind casebook in February 2011 via Carolina Academic Press. Computer & Video Game Law was released in 2010. Mathematics, Physics and Finance For The Legal Profession will be released in February 2011. Lipson, a professor, has published eight books and more than 70 articles and earned an M.A. in mathematics from Wayne State University.
November 12, 2010
Brad A. Rayle, '78, of Howard and Howard Attorneys PLLC, was named to DBusiness Top Lawyers 2011. Attorneys were selected through a process that included a peer review survey that polled more than 15,000 private attorneys in Oakland, Wayne, Macomb, Washtenaw and Livingston counties.
November 16, 2010
Monika Holzer Sacks, '78, a family law attorney/shareholder with Nichols Sacks Slank Sendelbach and Buiteweg PC, of Ann Arbor and Brighton, was elected president of the Collaborative Practice Institute of Michigan for 2011. Sacks has been an attorney for more than 31 years and focuses her practice on family law, collaborative practice, mediation and arbitration.
January 25, 2011
Steven G. Howell, '78, an attorney with Dickinson Wright, was named a "Leader in his Field" by Chambers USA. Howell, Practice Department manager for Banking and Finance, Bankruptcy and Insolvency, and Municipal Finance Groups, is recognized for his work with the country's leading financial institutions.
August 3, 2011
Adrianne C. Mazura, '78, of the national law firm of Quarles and Brady LLP was selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2012 in the practice areas of Employment Law-Management, Labor Law-Management, Litigation-Labor and Employment.
October 31, 2011
Adrianne C. Mazura, '78, partner in the Chicago office of Quarles and Brady LLP, was selected for inclusion in the 2012 Illinois Super Lawyers magazine. She was recognized as one of the Top 50 Women Illinois Super Lawyers.
February 16, 2012
Robert Kaplow, '78, received a 40-year Honoree Award at the Oakland County Bar Association's 78th annual meeting. He is a shareholder with Maddin Hauser Wartell Roth & Heller P.C., and concentrates his practice in estate planning and personal and corporate income tax planning. He also is a frequent lecturer before professional groups pertaining to tax and corporate matters.
July 3, 2012
Adrianne Mazura, '78, was selected for inclusion in "The Best Lawyers in America 2013" in the fields of employment law - management and labor Law - management. She is an attorney in the Chicago office of Quarles & Brady LLP.
October 3, 2012
Steven Howell, '78, was listed in Chambers USA, Best Lawyers in America and Michigan Super Lawyers for 2012. He also was selected by Best Lawyers in America as "Lawyer of the Year" for Litigation-Bankruptcy. He is a member and practice department manager for Banking & Finance, Bankruptcy & Insolvency, and Municipal Finance in Dickinson Wright PLLC's Detroit office.
October 22, 2012
Thomas Hammerschmidt Jr., '78, was listed in Best Lawyers in America for Tax Law. Hammmerschmidt is a member in Dickinson Wright PLLC's office in Detroit. He focuses his practice in the areas of corporate, corporate governance, estate planning and administration, international, and taxation.
October 22, 2012
Gary Rogers, '78, was named 2013 Lawyer of the Year by "Best Lawyers" in the areas of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights /Insolvency and Reorganization Law. Only one lawyer, in each practice area, in each community is honored as the Lawyer of the Year by "Best Lawyers." Rogers' statewide bankruptcy practice consists primarily of assisting creditors faced with attempting to recover monies owed by debtors in bankruptcy or defending actions brought by debtors. He has been handling bankruptcy matters for Fraser Trebilcock clients for nearly 30 years. Rogers also has an extensive experience as a personal injury trial lawyer. In 2011, Rogers was also named Top Lawyer by American Registry's Corporate Counsel.
October 31, 2012
Gregory Reed, '78, is the author of 16 books, including "Obama Talks Back: Global Lessons - A Dialogue with America's Young Leaders," which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award in the category of Best Literary Work - Youth/Teens for 2012. Reed earned his JD from Wayne Law in 1974 and an LL.M. degree from Wayne Law in 1978.
December 17, 2012
Adrianne Mazura, '78, has been invited to join the board of directors of Changing Worlds. Mazura is a partner with national law firm Quarles & Brady LLP, and a member of the firm's Labor & Employment Practice Group. She has represented employers in every area of employment law, including union organizing campaigns, collective bargaining negotiations and defense of numerous individual and multiparty cases throughout the country. She is consistently listed in Illinois Super Lawyers, Chambers USA, and The Best Lawyers in America for her labor and employment work and was named one of the Top 50 and Top 100 Women Lawyers in Illinois by Super Lawyers in 2013. For 16 years, Changing Worlds has partnered with more than 50 public schools, community-based and civic organizations in Chicago and beyond to foster inclusive communities through oral history, writing and art programs that improve student learning, affirm identity and enhance cross-cultural understanding.
April 6, 2013
Gregory Reed, '78, (LL.M.) is the author of 16 books, including "Obama Talks Back: Global Lessons - A Dialogue with America's Young Leaders," which was awarded the 2013 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literature. Reed earned his J.D. from Wayne Law in 1974 and an LL.M. degree from Wayne Law in 1978. President Obama and Michelle Obama personally honored Reed with a private inscribed commendation for sharing their commitment in supporting our youth as they "engage in a meaningful dialogue." Reed's specialties in the legal profession include intellectual property, entertainment law, corporate and tax laws. His clients are preeminent in their fields; his professional and civic contributions carry national and global significance. Reed has worked with Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela, Malcolm X's and Alex Haley's Legacy, Dr. Betty Shabazz, Coretta Scott King, Aretha Franklin and six world boxing champions. Reed chairs and founded the proposal to establish the Detroit Entertainment Commission, established by Detroit City Council in 2009, to employ how arts and entertainment can be used as tools for economic, social and cultural development. Reed has received numerous awards including the International Humanitarian Award from Canada. He is a preservationist of American culture who has launched the first major exhibit between America and South Africa's history entitled, "Dear Mr. Mandela...Dear Mrs. Parks- Children's Letters: Global Lessons". Reed was Nelson Mandela's personal escort at the exhibit premier for Mandela's 90th birthday.
April 19, 2013The Hon. Linda Hallmark, '77, Oakland County Probate Judge, was the recipient of the 25th Wonder Woman of 2009 award presented by the Women Officials' Network Foundation on April 30 at The Reserve in Birmingham. The award is given to those women who significantly contribute civically or professionally to their communities. The focus of the event is to support and acknowledge these women for their accomplishments and to recognize them as role models for other women.
May 4, 2009William J. Perrone, '77, of Dykema, has been listed in the Best Lawyers in America guide. He is the managing member of the firm's Lansing Office. His practice is focused in the area of state regulations, real estate and mortgage financing for clients in the manufactured housing, energy and insurance sectors. He also provides counsel to clients in all sectors on commercial transactions, commercial lending, consumer credit, consumer protection, professional licensing and regulatory issues, administrative law, corporate law and civil litigation matters. A former assistant attorney general with the state of Michigan, he has a broad range of legal experience related to state government and Michigan administrative law, including government policy, election law and campaign finance.
August 31, 2009
Bennet S. Koren, '77, of McGlinchey Stafford PLLC, was named in the recently published Best Lawyers in America.
September 2, 2009Ed Zelenak, '77, received the "Excellence in Municipal Law and Governance Award" from the Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys on Sept. 28, 2009.
November 16, 2009The Hon. Linda S. Hallmark, '77, served as chairperson of the Governor's Task Force for Children's Justice 14th annual Summit Conference. The summit focused on the impact of child abuse and neglect on brain development in infants and children.
November 17, 2009Nelson B. Stieper, '77, has joined Strobl & Sharp P.C. as a shareholder in the firm's family law, estate planning, and litigation practice areas.
February 17, 2010
Bennet S. Koren, '77, of McGlinchey Stafford PLLC, was named as a 2010 leading lawyer by Chambers USA. Koren was recognized for excellence in "National Financial Services Regulation: Consumer Finance Compliance."
May 18, 2010
Edward M. Zelenak, '77, was selected by the State Bar of Michigan Board of Commissioners as the recipient of the 2010 State Bar Frank J. Kelley Distinguished Public Servant Award. The award will be presented to Zelenak on Sept. 29, 2010, at the State Bar of Michigan Annual Meeting Awards Banquet.
June 28, 2010Lisa DeMoss, '77, attorney and health-care consultant, has been hired by Cooley Law School to lead its new Master of Laws in Insurance Law program at the school's Lansing, Mich., campus. The program, which begins in January 2011, is part of a partnership program with Olivet College. DeMoss will serve as director of the Graduate Insurance Program and as a visiting professor. She is looking forward to getting the new program in motion.
August 6, 2010
Lawrence D. McLaughlin, '77, chair of Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP's (Honigman) Real Estate Department, has been elected to the Board of Governors of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL). McLaughlin has been a member of ACREL for 10 years. He also is a member of its Program Planning Committee and most recently served the organization as Chair of its Member Selection Committee.
October 27, 2010
