Miller Canfield was just recognized for excellence in the BTI Client Service A-Team 2020 Report, published by law firm research and ranking firm BTI Consulting Group Inc. We were recognized as a standout in two categories: investing in client relationships and client-facing communication.

Congratulations to Soni Mithani, who has been recognized in Crain's Detroit Business' 2019 Notable Women Lawyers in Michigan! A principal attorney in our Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group and as the resident director of our Ann Arbor office, Soni was chosen for the honor "because she has a reputation among her peers for having the absolute highest ethical standards and impeccable ethical judgment, and for demonstrating the leadership and mentoring skills required to lead a diverse group of attorneys," said Miller Canfield CEO Michael McGee. 

We're not in this business for awards, but we always appreciate when respected, independent groups recognize us for our commitment to doing outstanding work. The last few weeks have been full of such positive recognition, and we're happy to share a quick roundup of some of these honors. 

We are proud to announce that we have expanded our parental leave policies to allow additional time for mothers to recover from childbirth, and to include paid time off for new fathers and adoptive parents.

Under the new policy, which applies to all attorneys and paralegals, mothers and fathers are entitled to 10 weeks of paid leave following the birth of a child or the placement of a newly adopted child, in addition to any birth-related disability period. The policy will result in a minimum of 16 weeks of paid time off for birthing mothers.

We are pleased to announce the addition of four talented attorneys to our growing team.

Pantelis "Peter" Danos has joined our Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group in Chicago. Peter recently clerked for Judge Charles P. Kocoras in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. He graduated from The John Marshall Law School in the top 10 percent of his class, and earned his Bachelor of Science in biology from St. Xavier University. 

Congratulations to Marc Swanson on being named to the American Bankruptcy Institute's 40 Under 40 Class of 2019! This honor recognizes top industry professionals for their leadership and professional accomplishments. Marc was selected from more than 350 nominees nationwide in areas including law, finance, consulting, academia and government.

We're pleased to announce that we're opening our newest office in Doha, Qatar. This location will provide a platform for clients, including U.S. defense contractors and mid-market companies in the defense, cybersecurity and aerospace industries, to engage in business in both Qatar and the United States.

We are pleased to announce that Alex Jerome has joined Miller Canfield's Export Controls Practice. Alex joins the firm from Wayne State University, where he was the senior director of administration and finance for the Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development/National Institute of Health. 

We are proud to share that for the second year in a row, Miller Canfield is named among major law firms nationwide that have earned Mansfield Plus Certification recognizing a commitment to improving diversity in hiring and promotion practices. Fifty-one U.S. firms met the high standards to achieve certification from Diversity Lab, the leading incubator for innovative solutions to foster diversity and inclusion in law firms.

Named for Arabella Mansfield, the first woman admitted to practice law in the United States the Mansfield Rule firms affirmatively consider women and minority attorneys—at least 30 percent of the candidate pool—for leadership positions and senior-level recruiting. Mansfield Plus Certification indicates that the firm also has achieved representation of at least 30 percent women and minorities in a large number of key leadership roles and lateral hiring.

We're pleased to welcome three new associate attorneys in our Chicago, Detroit and Lansing offices.

Sam Charara has joined Miller Canfield's growing Intellectual Property Group in the firm's Detroit office. Charara has experience preparing and prosecuting domestic and international patent applications in the biotechnology, biomechanical assist devices, mechanical, autonomous driving and computer science fields. He also has experience in prosecution strategies, records of invention, and patentability reports for both domestic and international clients.