Congratulations to Kimberly Berger, who was named among Michigan Lawyers Weekly's inaugural Go-To Business Lawyers.

Berger is an intellectual property attorney and is part of Miller Canfield's core team that manages a trademark docket of more than 4,000 pending and registered marks in 146 countries.

She represents some of the world's most well-known and respected brands. She has extensive knowledge in her niche practice of trademark enforcement and prosecution, including assisting companies with the selection of relevant trademarks and slogans, obtaining protection from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and taking action against infringers.

While we're not in the practice of law to win awards, we are proud to share several prestigious recognitions which Miller Canfield and its attorneys have recently received:

Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that Kamil Robakiewicz has been named among Michigan Lawyers Weekly's Up & Coming Lawyers Class of 2020.

The program honors 25 Michigan lawyers who have been practicing for 10 years or less and who have established a name for themselves by displaying ambition, drive and accomplishments that differentiate them from their peers.

Robakiewicz is a principal in Miller Canfield's office in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He joined the firm's Employment and Labor Group in 2016 and soon after went to work on complex and highly publicized litigation matters.

Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that it has been named on the State Bar of Michigan 2020 Pro Bono Honor Roll.

One of just six Michigan-based firms to earn a spot on the Honor Roll, Miller Canfield is recognized for its strong support of access-to-justice initiatives and providing legal services to low-income individuals and organizations that would not otherwise be able to afford representation.

Miller Canfield Principal Scott Lesser has been elected a Fellow of the American College of Mortgage Attorneys (ACMA).

Lesser is a leader on Miller Canfield's Commercial Real Estate Workout Team. He prides himself on guiding his clients and fellow practitioners alike to practical solutions to distressed real estate and finance situations. In pursuing this end, he has co-authored the Michigan chapter on receiverships in Strategies For and Against Distressed Businesses, published by Thomson Reuters, and the "Foreclosure of Mortgages and Land Contracts: Receiverships" chapter in the LexisNexis Practice Guide to Michigan Real Estate Litigation, and is a frequent speaker on distressed assets.

Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that it has appointed Michelle Crockett to the position of Chief Diversity Officer.

In the newly created role, Crockett will chair the firm's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council, which will propose to the firm's managing directors changes to firm structures and policies that can move the firm toward a more diverse and welcoming environment. The Council is comprised of the chairs of the following firm committees: Diversity, Summer Associates, Mentoring, Women of Miller Canfield, Pro Bono, and Associates, in addition to the Chief Operating Officer.

Bobby Murkowski has been elected to serve a one-year term as president-elect of the Detroit Bar Association. Murkowski was sworn in on Aug. 13, 2020, by Wayne County Circuit Court Chief Judge Timothy M. Kenny at the association's annual meeting. He will serve as president in the 2021-2022 term.

Bobby is a principal in Miller Canfield’s Detroit office. He is a member of the firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group and co-leader of its Automotive team. He represents clients in various complex commercial, corporate, antitrust, class action, tort, product liability and criminal defense matters in both federal and state courts and arbitrations.

Congratulations to Lana Yaghi, who was named by The National Law Journal among its 2020 D.C. Rising Stars. (See the NLJ's profile of her here.) Lana is one of the youngest of the 40 attorneys aged 40 and younger selected for their outstanding achievements in the practice of law.

Lana shares her time between Miller Canfield's Washington, D.C., and Doha, Qatar, offices. Her practice focuses on corporate and commercial matters and transactions, particularly in the defense, cybersecurity and aerospace industries. She also frequently counsels corporations and high net worth individuals in corporate aviation transactions across the world. 

Miller Canfield is proud to join the business community in taking the #MaskUpMichigan pledge to help keep our businesses open. In taking this pledge, we are enforcing the wearing of face coverings by our employees and visitors in all of our locations in the United States.

In light of ongoing protests against racial injustice, Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that it has joined the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance.

The Alliance was formed in June 2020 to "leverage the resources of the private bar in partnership with legal services organizations to amplify the voices of communities and individuals oppressed by racism, to better use the law as a vehicle for change that benefits communities of color and to promote racial equity in the law," according to its charter.