A ransomware attack beginning on Friday evening has locked up Windows computers around the globe, and while experts are saying that the initial fire has been put out, victims are still digging out from under the damage and concerns remain that a second attack could be launched at any moment.

The attack utilized tools allegedly taken from the NSA and was made possible by the exploitation of known vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows, vulnerabilities for which Microsoft released patches months ago. 

Spring is finally here, and with the warmer weather come the sights and sounds of newness everywhere you look, including downtown. It seems only fitting that this time of year we’re also celebrating and contributing to the success of Detroit’s newest businesses, businesses that are bringing energy and vitality to the city as fresh as spring itself.

We are excited that our client, Detroit Blows, one of the city’s first blow-dry bars, and its owners Katy Cockrel and Nia Batts, are receiving a $20,000 grant from Motor City Match, which connects new and growing businesses with funding, real estate and the tools entrepreneurs need to succeed.

When it comes to the post-recession commercial real estate recovery, it’s clear that not all markets are equal. While some are experiencing red-hot growth, some of the hottest have begun to cool a bit, some markets are lukewarm at best, and there is widening disparity among them.

Attendees at the recent Commercial Real Estate Finance Council and Mortgage Bankers Association-Commercial Real Estate Finance conferences had varying opinions. While there are clearly differences of opinion on whether the fundamental bellwethers of commercial real estate will grow, plateau or decline in 2017, the majority of real estate professionals are optimistic in their predictions of what the coming year will hold.

A short while ago, China finally granted the Trump Organization  a trademark registration after a 10-year struggle. The timing of the announcement has fueled concern because just days before, President Trump had a phone call with Mr. Xi Jinping, China’s president.  During the call the President reportedly told Mr. Xi that he would honor the U.S.’s “One China” policy, and also wished Mr. Xi a happy Chinese New Year.

Despite speculation that the approval was a favor by the Chinese government, offered in light of President Trump’s friendliness - after some unflattering comments about China during the Presidential campaign – the timing of the trademark approval was almost certainly a coincidence. The truth is that this particular trademark was provisionally approved on Nov. 14, 2016, and the registration granted after, like any trademark approved for registration in China, it had been published for a three-month opposition period.

Employers often find themselves in the unenviable position of deciding whether to continue the employment of an individual who has been charged with – but not yet convicted of – criminal conduct.  How should an employer handle an employee who has been arrested and charged with assault and battery, who claims complete innocence, and whose trial is months away? 

It might be hard to believe, but one of my favorite times of the year is February. It’s not because of Michigan’s winter weather. Nor is it because I’m a hopeless romantic who just loves Valentine’s Day. It’s because February is the time of year my colleagues from all over the world come to Michigan to gather for the firm’s annual meeting.

Miller Canfield is proud to announce that Bill Danhof, the resident director of the firm's Lansing office, has been named by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as a Leader in the Law. Recognized for his outstanding legal skills and impact on the profession, Bill joined the firm in 1974 after he graduated from the University of Michigan Law School. He has since then been instrumental in making the firm's Public Finance Group, the largest in Michigan and one of the largest in the Midwest, a premier provider of municipal and public finance legal services.

He established Miller Canfield's presence in Lansing when he agreed to open the firm's office near the Capitol in 1980, and has become the attorney that lawmakers call to accomplish the "undoable."

Bill started building political connections when he was just a teenager whose first job was cutting Gov. George Romney's lawn. He earned $1.10 an hour, and he started honing his diplomatic skills when he had to negotiate his own pay raises. Since then, he's built a network of colleagues,  contacts and friends that reads like a "Who's Who" of state and national politics.

Throughout his career,  he has been a pioneer in drafting legislation that has changed the way the state and its municipalities finance large capital projects. Each of the projects he has worked on have required Bill to not only craft solutions that will work, but to also make sure those solutions can achieve consensus among diverse groups of stakeholders who often have competing motivations, and philosophical and political approaches. His greatest strength as a leader is the ability to get people to believe that what he suggests is not only possible, but is also the reasonable approach.

Leaders in the Law honorees will be recognized at a luncheon on March 23 and will be profiled in an upcoming special section in Michigan Lawyers Weekly.

Congratulations on your inclusion in Leaders in the Law Class of 2017, Bill!

Miller Canfield, a global law firm headquartered in Detroit, is pleased to  announce that Thomas Linn is the winner of the second annual Richard J. Seryak Award in recognition of his commitment to pro bono service. The announcement was made by CEO Michael McGee.

Linn joined Miller Canfield in 1976, and served as one of the firm’s managing directors for more than 20 years, and as CEO for nearly eight years.

“Throughout his career, Thom has shown a profound commitment to providing representation to those without financial means,” McGee said. “His work has been instrumental in growing the pro bono program at Miller Canfield.”

Miller Canfield, a global law firm based in Detroit, with offices in Chicago and throughout Michigan, announced today that six of its Chicago-based attorneys have been named in 2017 Illinois Super Lawyers and 2017 Illinois Rising Stars.

Miller Canfield’s Chicago attorneys named in 2017 Illinois Super Lawyers are:

• Raymond A. Fylstra, who was newly designated a Super Lawyer in the practice area of construction litigation
• Samuel H. Levine, construction litigation
• Steven J. Rotunno, business litigation
• Amy J. Zdravecky, employment and labor
• Robert T. Zielinski, employment and labor

Additionally, Jeffrey M. Drake was named a 2017 Illinois Rising Star in the practice of intellectual property law.

The Diversity Lab in collaboration with Stanford Law School and Bloomberg Law, brought together 54 high-level partners from leading AmLaw 200 law firms across the country—including Miller Canfield, a global law firm headquartered in Detroit —to develop innovative solutions aimed at advancing and retaining experienced women lawyers in law firms, and increasing gender parity in the top ranks of the legal profession. The group met over a period of six months and worked extensively with industry experts and Stanford Law students. 

Due to overwhelming interest in the innovative ideas presented at the conclusion of the Hackathon, Diversity Lab has now organized an ongoing “Hackathon Alliance” to work with 36 of those law firms to develop, pilot and implement specific plans in 2017.