Miller Canfield is proud to be recognized by OutFront Kalamazoo for the firm's support of the LGBTQ community.

OutFront Kalamazoo serves the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community of greater Kalamazoo and its friends and allies. Every year, OutFront honors local community members and businesses that support the LGBTQ community, and has chosen Miller Canfield to receive the 2019 Business/Retail Award.

Congratulations to Miller Canfield Principal Stan Stek, who has been elected to serve as Vice Chairman of the Kent County Board of Commissioners.

Stan was first elected to serve on the Commission in a hotly contested four-way race in 2014. He was re-elected in 2016 and again in 2018. At its first meeting of 2019, the Board of Commissioners selected him to assume the vice chair position.

The State Bar of Michigan's Labor and Employment Law Council has selected Megan Norris, Miller Canfield Managing Directors Chairwoman, as the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award.

Norris is nationally recognized as a leading labor and employment litigator who has served as lead counsel in many high-profile lawsuits. She has particular expertise in legal issues related to the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family Medical Leave Act, speaking on these topics for national organizations, including the National Association of College and University Attorneys, National Employment Law Institute, and the Michigan Institute of Continuing Legal Education.

Nancy Valentine, who leads our Cleveland office, has been named by Super Lawyers Magazine among the Top 100: 2019 Ohio Super Lawyers, the Top 50: 2019 Women Ohio Super Lawyers, and the Top 25: 2019 Women Cleveland Super Lawyers.

Nancy is a nationally recognized attorney with extensive litigation and transactional experience representing financial institutions, privately held companies, receivers and individuals. She has focused her practice on representing middle-market buyers and sellers in complex transactions and has particular experience in distressed real estate matters.

We are proud to report that Miller Canfield has been named to the Client Service A-Team 2019 list by law firm research and ranking firm BTI Consulting. The designation is given only to those firms that are considered by clients to deliver the highest levels of service.

We were honored to serve as bond counsel to Wayne County in connection with its deal to fund a $533 million criminal justice complex in partnership with the Michigan Finance Authority. The deal has now been named the Midwest Region Deal of the Year in The Bond Buyer, and is a finalist in the national 17^th Annual Deal of the Year awards.

Congratulations to Tom Turner, who has been named on Michigan Lawyers Weekly's list of Up & Coming Lawyers. The annual recognition celebrates the accomplishments and potential of attorneys who have been licensed fewer than 10 years.

Tom is a banking and finance lawyer, focusing on transactional lending and review, and has developed niche skills in counseling foreign and domestic banks.

We're excited to share that our team is growing! Ed Rice and Marina Saito have joined our intellectual property team in Chicago, while Chris Gartman, Brittni King and Tom Soehl have been added to our Grand Rapids office.

Here's a quick introduction to our newest colleagues.

Miller Canfield has announced that it will be the first Detroit law firm to sponsor the Detroit Regional LGBT Chamber of Commerce, which partners with allied corporate and nonprofit members to promote workplace and corporate diversity and inclusion of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender business community.

Miller Canfield has announced that Matthew Steele has rejoined the firm to open an office in Cincinnati. The new office will complement the Firm's presence in Cleveland and continue its strategy of expansion in Ohio and the broader Great Lakes region.

Steele had previously worked in Miller Canfield's Real Estate Group from 2012 to 2015. His work focused on commercial finance matters for national and regional banks, as well as complex real estate transactions and commercial workouts and foreclosures.