Media Center Archive

Miller Canfield attorneys named to Illinois, Ohio Super Lawyers Lists

Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that four attorneys have joined the firm’s litigation, real estate, and energy and environmental groups.

Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that the firm has been awarded a 2022 Thought Leadership Award by the National Law Review for coverage of ongoing changes to the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that nine of the law firm’s attorneys have been named in Grand Rapids Magazine’s Top Lawyers edition.

Haley Wadel has joined Miller Canfield as an associate attorney in the Corporate and Transactions Group.

The list is published annually in the magazine’s November/December issue. It is based on a peer-review survey of more than 19,000 attorneys in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw and Livingston counties.

The Middle East Policy Council has named Miller Canfield attorney Lana Yaghi among its 40 Under 40 Award winners for 2023.

The Michigan State Bar Foundation has welcomed eight Miller Canfield attorneys to its Fellows Program.

Miller Canfield has earned national rankings in 13 areas, as well as 101 metropolitan rankings, in U.S. News & World Report's 2023 edition of “Best Law Firms in America.”

Miller Canfield is pleased to announce Nashara Peart as the winner of the 2022 Richard J. Seryak Award in recognition of outstanding pro bono service.

Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that it has earned Mansfield Plus Certification for 2022. Law firms earn certification by demonstrating that they consider at least 30% historically underrepresented lawyers—women lawyers, underrepresented racial and/or ethnic lawyers, LGBTQ+ lawyers, and/or lawyers with disabilities—when hiring and making promotion decisions to leadership roles such as equity partnership, and more.

Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that Kimberly Coschino has joined the law firm’s Employment and Labor Group.

Joseph Vernon has been named in the Michigan Lawyers Weekly Leaders in the Law Class of 2022.

Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that Cherya Jenkins has joined Miller Canfield as the Director of Business Development and Marketing.

The U.S.-based law firm of Miller Canfield and Kyiv-based Dictio Law Firm have formally affiliated in order better to assist clients in the present humanitarian efforts and in Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction.

Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that Danielle Mason Anderson has been elected to serve as the new Chair of the Managing Directors.

U.S. News & World Report has named 93 Miller Canfield attorneys in Michigan, Illinois and Ohio in “Best Lawyers 2023.” Recognized in 57 service areas, lawyers earning Best Lawyers honors are rated by their peers as among the best in the practice of law. Sixteen Miller Canfield attorneys were named in Best Lawyers Ones to Watch for 2023.

Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that 44 of its lawyers have been recognized in the Michigan, Illinois and Ohio editions of Super Lawyers 2022.

Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that Sherri Wellman is among the 2022 Michigan Lawyers Weekly Notable Women in Law.

Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that associate attorneys Morgan Esters and Nashara Peart were selected as Detroit Bar Association 2022 Outstanding Young Lawyer Pro Bono Award winners.

Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that Jeffrey Aronoff and Pawel Chudzicki have been elected to serve on the law firm’s Board of Managing Directors.

Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that Carrick Craig has joined the law firm’s Employment and Labor Group in its office in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Craig comes to the firm from Western Michigan University, where he served as General Counsel and had spent more than two decades providing legal advice and assistance to the university.

Miller Canfield Chief Diversity Officer and Deputy Executive Officer Michelle Crockett has been appointed by the Michigan Supreme Court to serve on its Commission on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Judiciary, which launched this year.

Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that Chambers USA 2022 has ranked 12 of the firm’s attorneys and seven of its practice areas among the best in the U.S.

Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that five attorneys have joined the international law firm’s offices in Detroit and Chicago.

Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that real estate attorney Anthony McCloud has joined the firm’s office in Chicago.

Miller Canfield’s Shusheng Wang was named in Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s Go-To Lawyers for Business Law.

Miller Canfield’s A. Michael Palizzi was named in Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s “Go-To Lawyers for Intellectual Property Law.”

Gallagher’s legal practice focuses on advising employers on matters involving ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974) and the Tax Code.

Miller Canfield, a full-service law firm headquartered in Detroit, completed 105 long-term new bond issues in 2021, totaling $2.38 billion.

Dudek's practice focuses on commercial real estate litigation, including foreclosure, receiverships and construction claims.

Duffy comes to Miller Canfield from Ford Motor Credit Company in Dearborn, Michigan, where she has worked on matters involving corporate governance, licensing, compliance, litigation, and statutory and regulatory activity.

Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that three attorneys—Conor Fitzpatrick, Christie Galinski and Eric Stein—have been elevated to the position of Principal.

The annual Up & Coming Lawyers recognition honors attorneys who are distinguished from their peers by their accomplishments, drive and determination.

Basile’s notable work includes representation of companies of all sizes in matters involving trademark procurement, trademark infringement litigation and the management of worldwide trademark portfolios.

Acomb defends and prosecutes transnational litigation and international arbitration matters for clients located throughout the world. He has appeared before arbitration tribunals in Asia, Europe and North America.

Sharp is a principal attorney and leads Miller Canfield's Immigration practice. Her areas of expertise include but are not limited to immigrant petitions, nonimmigrant petitions, foreign labor certification, adjustment of status applications, waivers, naturalization, consular processing, and advising companies on corporate compliance audits and risk assessment.

Stek is a commercial litigator in Miller Canfield's office in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He has served as an elected member of the Commission since 2014.

The Litigation Counsel of America is a trial lawyer honorary society composed of less than one-half of one percent of American lawyers. Fellowship in the LCA is highly selective and by invitation only. Fellows are selected based upon excellence and accomplishment in litigation, both at the trial and appellate levels, and superior ethical reputation.

Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that Kiffi Ford has joined the firm’s Employment and Labor Group in the Lansing office.

Lawrence García comes to Miller Canfield from the City of Detroit, where he served as Corporation Counsel from January 2018 to November 2021. As the head of the City of Detroit's legal department, García oversaw the delivery of legal services to all branches and agencies of government.

Andrew Blum, Robert DeJong, Joseph Infante, Michael Moore, Amanda Rauh-Bieri and Trent Taylor are recognized on the list, which is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the Grand Rapids area.

The Chicago office's new address is: 227 West Monroe Street, Suite 3600, Chicago IL 60606. The firm's Chicago phone numbers will remain unchanged. The office may be reached by phone at +1.312.460.4200.

Miller Canfield congratulates the City of Detroit, whose issuance of its 2021 Neighborhood Improvement Bonds was recognized as the Midwest Deal of the Year in The Bond Buyer.

The Detroit Bar Association has recognized Miller Canfield attorneys Timothy D. Kroninger, Nashara Peart, Wendy Richards and Marc Swanson for their contributions to pro bono in 2021.

The DBusiness Top Lawyers list is published annually in the magazine’s November/December issue. The list is based on a peer-review survey of more than 19,000 lawyers in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw and Livingston counties.

The list includes leaders in state and federal government, nonprofits and some of Michigan's largest and most impactful businesses, who are selected based on the significance of their contributions and level of impact in their communities and businesses.

Miller Canfield is pleased to announce the arrival of associate attorneys Kirstie Magyari and Zachary Hicks. Magyari joined the Employment and Labor Group in the firm's Detroit office, and Hicks is in the Real Estate Group in Miller Canfield's office in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that it has earned U.S. News & World Report "Best Law Firms in America" national rankings in 13 practice areas, as well as 95 metropolitan rankings in 51 practice areas.

Caldwell's practice focuses on employee benefits, executive compensation and employment law. She provides clients with operational and administrative support related to health and welfare benefits, including the design of welfare benefit offerings and the drafting of cafeteria plan and wrap plan documents, summary plan descriptions and enrollment materials and notices.

Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that Amy Johnston has been named in the Michigan Lawyers Weekly Leaders in the Law Class of 2021. Johnston serves as the chair of Miller Canfield's five-member board of managing directors and the co-leader of the firm's Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group.

The honor is in recognition of companies that demonstrate a visible, tangible and measurable impact on creating a respectful and inclusive environment.

Sims is a graduate of Howard University School of Law and earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan. She serves on the boards of the Ann Arbor YMCA and the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority and is a member of the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation’s Network of Professional Advisors.

Firms earn Mansfield certification by demonstrating that at least 30 percent of people affirmatively considered for firm governance positions, promotions and lateral-hire opportunities are women and attorneys from underrepresented groups, such as people of color, LGBTQ+ and attorneys with disabilities. To earn Mansfield Certified Plus, firms must not only consider women and people who are from underrepresented groups, but they must meet the goal of at least 30% representation in leadership roles.

For nearly 30 years, McGow has advised governmental clients on a broad range of infrastructure financing and related legal matters, such as special assessments, elections, state and federal tax issues, and millage and ballot proposals. He is recognized as a leader in his field and has written legislation on a variety of municipal finance and tax increment financing issues.

Sambare's practice is focused on commercial and industrial real estate development, public-private partnership (P3) projects, and India-U.S. cross-border transactions.

Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that 106 of its lawyers in Michigan, Illinois, Ohio and Washington, D.C., have been named in Best Lawyers in America© 2022 and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch 2022.

Super Lawyers magazine annually names lawyers in each state who received the highest point totals, as chosen by their peers and through independent research. Rising Stars combines peer nominations and evaluations with third-party research. 

Holton helps clients with the purchase, sale, lease, and development of real estate in a wide range of commercial and industrial matters. His experience includes drafting and negotiating real estate sale, lease, private financing, construction, and easement documents, as well as helping clients work with municipalities on zoning and land use permitting issues.

Schwaderer's practice focuses on representing financial institutions in connection with commercial loan transactions, asset-based lending and all aspects of secured and unsecured lending, and all aspects of aircraft financing.

Galinski's practice has focused on transactional tax issues, such as investment funds (including RICs and REITs), international tax issues, state tax issues, FATCA, tax-exempt organizations, formation of entities, 1202 stock, mergers and acquisitions, the CARES Act and other COVID relief.

Kasturi Bagchi and Alan Aboona have joined Miller Canfield’s nationally recognized Financial Institutions Group.

Shamra VanWagoner is an attorney whose practice focuses on trust administration services, and Mary Marshall is the firm's Manager of Trustee Services, responsible for overseeing the provisions of trustee services provided by Miller Canfield attorneys.

Barbara Moore has been selected to participate in Leadership Kalamazoo, an intensive nine-month community leadership development resource that brings together a diverse group of current and emerging leaders.

The independent research group ranked 13 of the firm’s attorneys among the best in the U.S., as well as six of its practice groups: Banking & Finance, Corporate/M&A, Intellectual Property, Labor & Employment, Litigation: General Commercial, and Real Estate.

Leaders in DEI were selected based on their career accomplishments, track record of success in the field and the effectiveness of their efforts.

The firm's CEO emeritus expanded the firm's program to include active committee members in each U.S. office, created a program for summer associates to provide meaningful pro bono work, established relationships with various community resource organizations to engage in partnerships for providing legal services, instituted consistent internal messaging to encourage pro bono service and chaired the firm's bimonthly committee meetings.

Megan Norris, Wendy Richards and Amanda Van Dusen are featured in the April 19, 2021, edition of Crain's Detroit Business.

Johnston is a principal attorney and the co-leader of Miller Canfield's Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group. She has served on the firm's five-member Board of Managing Directors since her election in 2016.

Eldridge is a principal attorney in the firm's Employment and Labor Group. He is also a member of the firm's Board of Managing Directors and serves as the Resident Director of Miller Canfield's office in Lansing, Michigan.

His experience as an attorney has been invaluable in his role as a board member and Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Friendship Circle of Michigan. The Friendship Circle of Michigan is a nonprofit located in West Bloomfield that was started 25 years ago and provides help and support to people with special needs and their families.

Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that Ahmad Chehab and Schuyler Ferguson have joined the firm's Employment and Labor Group.

Chester is one of the most highly respected environmental attorneys in Michigan. In addition to his work at Miller Canfield, Chester has spent the majority of his career in public service at every level of government, including serving as a Wayne County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, as Michigan Assistant Attorney General, the director of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, and the Deputy Assistant Administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance in Washington, D.C. 

A. Michael Palizzi was elected by the principals of the firm to serve as one of its five Managing Directors. The firm also announced that it has promoted six attorneys to principalship: Eric Bergeron, Manuel Placencia, Justyna Regan, Lauren Verbiscus Rowe, Yuri Shidenko, and James Woolard.

Chudzicki is the Resident Director of Miller Canfield's office in Washington, D.C. He leads the firm's aerospace and defense industry team, which serves numerous U.S. and foreign companies engaged in business in Qatar.

Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that Megan Norris will become the firm’s Chief Executive Officer. Norris, the firm’s first woman CEO, will assume her new duties on Feb. 26, 2021.

Fazio is one of the most highly regarded real estate attorneys in the Midwest. His areas of expertise include complex commercial real estate acquisitions and developments, with extensive experience in ground leasing, entity formation, and public/private development agreements, as well as conventional, securitized and tax-increment financing.

Miller Canfield attorneys provide significant support to Legal Aid of Western Michigan, the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, Hospice of Michigan and numerous other local nonprofits.

They join the firm in six key practice groups: Corporate and Transactions, Employment and Labor, Energy and Environmental, Financial Institutions, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, and Real Estate.

Weissman has decades of experience advising clients on laws and regulations impacting international business operations, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other anti­corruption laws, antiboycott laws, and offset transactions.

Platt is a Fellow in the prestigious American College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. He is a recipient of the 2019 Martindale-Hubbell Client Champion Gold Award and is an ABA Lawyer of Distinction.

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.

The list is based on a peer-review survey of more than 19,000 attorneys in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw and Livingston counties, who are asked to nominate highly qualified lawyers in more than 50 legal specialties.

The firm earned national rankings in 14 practice areas, as well as 114 metropolitan rankings in 54 practice areas.

The Innovation Park, in the heart of Grand Rapids’ Medical Mile, was developed under a public-private partnership (P3), and is expected to catalyze innovation through research, education, clinical health care and private companies.

The award is given to members of the association who have distinguished themselves by manifesting civility in their relations with colleagues, clients, judges and the public, while adhering to and advancing the highest principles and traditions of the legal profession.

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.

With great sadness, Miller Canfield announces that James Williams died on Oct. 2, 2020, following an extended illness. He was 77 years old.

Miller Canfield is one of just six Michigan-based firms to earn a spot on the State Bar of Michigan 2020 Pro Bono Honor Roll.

Wallace was a beloved principal in Miller Canfield's Lansing office.

The firm's private equity client The CIH Group ('CIH') has purchased from British Telecommunications (BT) selected Latin American telecommunication operations and information technology infrastructure.

Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that 57 of its lawyers have been recognized in the Michigan, Illinois and Ohio editions of Super Lawyers for 2020 and the magazine's annual listing of up-and-coming “Rising Stars.”

To earn Mansfield Certification from Diversity Lab, the leading incubator for innovative solutions to foster diversity and inclusion in law firms, firms must ensure that 30 percent of the candidates affirmatively considered in lateral hiring and promotions are women, attorneys of color, LGBTQ attorneys and attorneys with disabilities.

ACMA is the leading organization of mortgage attorneys in North America who are recognized by their peers as distinguished practitioners in the field of mortgage law and real estate finance.

Recognized for excellence in 60 practice specialties, lawyers earning Best Lawyers honors are rated entirely by their peers. Sixteen Miller Canfield attorneys were also named on Best Lawyers' list of Rising Stars.

In the newly created role, Michelle 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.

Murkowski is a principal in Miller Canfield’s Detroit office, a member of the firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group and co-leader of its Automotive team. He will serve as DMBA president in the 2021-2022 term.

The annual Women in the Law award celebrates the significant contributions made by women to the legal profession and the community, emphasizing excellence in the practice of law, community service, mentorship and leadership.

Yaghi is the resident co-director of the firm's office in Doha, Qatar. Her practice focuses on corporate and commercial matters and transactions, particularly in the aviation, cybersecurity and defense industries.

The award is given for the best scholarly articles submitted for publication in The Bond Lawyer, a publication of the National Association of Bond Lawyers (NABL).