Class Notes

1960’s

THOMAS A. HOLTON, ’67, a partner in the Dayton office of Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP, was among those recently selected by peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2008 in the area of Corporate Law.  Mr. Holton has been named a “Best Lawyer” for the past ten consecutive years.  His practice focuses on Business & Securities, Labor & Employment, and Mergers & Acquisitions.

RICHARD J. MADDIN, ’67, a shareholder and attorney at Southfield-based Maddin, Hauser, Wartell, Roth & Heller P.C., has been named in Law & Politics Michigan Super Lawyers® 2007 issue.  Maddin graduated in 1964 from Michigan State University and was a 1967 University of Detroit Law School graduate.  A resident of West Bloomfield, he was listed as a top practitioner in Real Estate, General Litigation and Land Use/Zoning. 

1970’s

HON. JAMES M. ALEXANDER, ’73, was elected to a one-year term as vice president of the Michigan Judges Association, beginning January 1, 2008.  Judge Alexander was appointed to the bench in 2001 and has since become the Oakland County Circuit Court Chief Judge Pro Tempore, as well as serving as presiding judge of the Family Division.

HON. FREDERICK L. BORCHARD, ’72, was elected to a one-year term as president of the Michigan Judges Association beginning January 1, 2008.  Judge Borchard became a Saginaw County Circuit Court Chief Judge in 1999 after serving on the Saginaw County Probate Court and as chief assistant prosecutor for Saginaw County.

DOUGLAS L. CALLANDER, ’74, of Kreis, Enderle, Callander & Hudgins, P.C., was named a "Super Lawyer" by Michigan Super Lawyers magazine.  Mr. Callander’s practice focuses on employment and labor relations law, and he is head of the firm's litigation section.

LISA S. GRETCHKO, ’79, was recently named to “Michigan Super Lawyers” by a survey of Law & Politics.  Her practice area is Bankruptcy & Creditors/Debtor Rights. 

MICHAEL J. HAGERTY, ’78, is a recent addition to the Title Insurance Practice Group in the firm of Plunkett Cooney in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.  Prior to joining the firm, Hagerty worked for over 18 years as general counsel for Metropolitan Title Company. Hagerty, who focuses his practice exclusively in the areas of title insurance and real estate law, is a past president of the Michigan Land Title Association (MLTA). He currently serves as a member of the MLTA’s Legislative Steering Committee and served as a member of its board of directors and Legislative Committee (past chair).

HON. STEVEN J. MORELLO, ’77, was named director for the newly formed Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).  The DOE recently made available $2 million for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects on tribal lands.  Judge Morello will implement and manage energy planning, education and efficiency for American Indian tribes, as well as continuing to serve as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental and External Affairs.   

1980’s

MURIEL DIANE HUGHES, ’83, was appointed by Governor Jennifer M. Granholm as judge of the 3rd Circuit Court, serving Wayne County.  Judge Hughes has practiced law for more than 22 years with the firm of Hughes & Hughes PC, a general practice.  In addition, Judge Hughes awarded an intern position at the 3rd Circuit Court to a 2nd year UDM School of Law student.

ROBERT G. KAMENEC, ’82, was recently named one of the Fellows of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers.  Kamenec will be formally inducted into the Academy during its 2007 Spring Meeting on March 30-31 in Coronado, California. The American Academy of Appellate Lawyers was founded in 1990 to advance the highest standards and practices of appellate advocacy and to recognize outstanding appellate lawyers.  A shareholder in the Bloomfield Hills office of Plunkett Cooney, Kamenec was recently named by a leading Michigan legal industry publication as one of its “Lawyers of the Year” in 2006 for his involvement in 11 high-profile appellate cases.  He is also a member of the Oakland County and Michigan Bar Associations, as well as the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel and the Defense Research Institute.

MICHAEL J. LAVOIE, ’81, is the co-recipient of the Frances R. Avadenka Memorial Award.  The award was established by the board of directors of the Oakland County Bar Association (OCBA) in memory of Frances R. Avadenka, a former president of the OCBA.  The award is presented annually to an OCBA member who has made significant contributions to the community outside the legal profession.  For the past two years, Lavoie has been responsible for developing the Gettysburg Mentoring Program, which has trained hundreds of lawyers and law students to serve as adult mentors to more than 400 middle and high school students in the Pontiac, Michigan school system.  Lavoie is a shareholder and attorney with Butzel Long.

ROCHELLE E. LENTO, ’87, was appointed to serve a one-year term as chair of the Forum on Affordable Housing & Community Development Law of the American Bar Association.  She served on the Governing Committee of the Forum for the past six years, as well as spending time as associate editor and editor-in-chief of the Forum Journal on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law, and conference chair of the Forum’s Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.  Lento is Of Counsel in Dykema’s Real Estate Practice Group.

DAVID POWERS, ’86, was recently appointed by the International Joint Commission to its Public Interest Advisory Group (PIAG) to the International Upper Great Lakes Study.  The role of the PIAG is to provide advice and engage public involvement in the study.  Powers is vice president of Save Our Shoreline and a partner in the law firm of Smith, Martin, Powers & Knier, P.C.  He has practiced law in Bay City, Michigan for over 20 years.  In 2006 he was named a “Super Lawyer” by Law and Politics Magazine, and will be included in the 2008 edition of Marquis “Who’s Who in America.”

1990’s

LAWRENCE G. ALMEDA, ’97, a shareholder in the Ann Arbor, Michigan office of Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, has recently been appointed to the State Advisory Committee for the United States Commission on Civil Rights.  He has a two-year term and can be reappointed.  The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights has 51 State Advisory Committees (SAC), one for each state and the District of Columbia.  The members of the State Advisory Committees assist the Commission with fact-finding, investigative and information disseminating functions.  Almeda focuses his practice on patent opinions and prosecution in the medical, chemical, mechanical and nanotechnology fields. 

DAVID C. ANDERSON, ’98, was elected to a three-year term on the Board of Directors of the Oakland County Bar Association. He was also honored to receive the Golden Gavel Award from the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel's Young Lawyers Section. Anderson practices with the firm of Collins, Einhorn, Farrell & Ulanoff, P.C., principally defending professional malpractice claims.

HON. MICHAEL J. BEALE, ’90, was named 42nd Circuit Court judge by Governor Jennifer Granholm.  Judge Beale will replace Judge Paul Clulo who retired in August.  Beale is expected to take the bench on December 3.  His late father, Judge Thomas Beale, once presided over the same courtroom.

MICHAEL R. DORFMAN, ’99, has joined the litigation practice in the Birmingham, Michigan office of the Demorest Law Firm, PLLC.  Dorfman is admitted to practice in Michigan, Minnesota and the District of Columbia.  He has experience working with clients in a wide-variety of industries including utilities, hospitals, hospitality and department stores.

THOMAS DORWIN, ’93, has been selected by the Navy for promotion from Lieutenant Commander to Commander.  He has also been honored with both a Meritorious Service Medal and a Defense Meritorious Service Medal as well as the prestigious "Navy Outstanding Career Armed Services Attorney - Active Duty" award by the Judge Advocate Association in Washington D.C.  After his tour in Iraq, Commander Dorwin was assigned to the Executive Office of the Region Legal Service Office in Yokosuka, Japan.  His office is responsible for handling the prosecution of Navy and Marine Corps legal issues in the western Pacific.  
The Commander expects to retire from the Navy in the next two years.  He and his family hope to return home to Michigan.

CHRISTIAN FABIAN, ’94, was promoted to partner of Mayer Brown LLP, a leading international law firm.  Mr. Fabian specializes in mergers, acquisitions and securities law matters.  He works with clients in several industries, including telecommunications, automotive, healthcare and technology.  His new appointment takes effect on January 1, 2008.

DIANA GERTSMARK BROWN, ’94, recently joined the Bloomfield Hills-based firm of Hertz Schram PC.  Brown spent the last 13 years working with several of the area’s prestigious divorce lawyers.  She is experienced in child custody matters, complex property division, claims for spousal support, prenuptial agreements and adoption.  She will work with the firm’s Family Law Practice Group, particularly in the areas of divorce and family law.

LORNE B. GOLD, ’94, was published by the American Bar Association (ABA) in the most recent edition of The Family Advocate.  The two articles, “Anti-Spoliation Letters to Opposing Counsel” and “Motions to Compel Electronic Discovery,” were featured in the publication, which is subscribed to by attorneys and judges nationwide.  Gold is an elected Council Member to the State Bar of Michigan’s Family Law Section. He is a frequent commentator and presenter on a wide range of Family Law issues, and practices Family Law in the Bloomfield Hills law firm of Adkison Need & Allen, PLLC.

AMY M. JOHNSTON, ’94, was named in Michigan Super Lawyers and Marquis Who’s Who of Emerging Lawyers 2007.  She is a Fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America, Master of the Bench of the American Inns of Court, and president of the Board of Directors of the Catholic Lawyers Society.

MARK KLEINLEIN, ’95, has accepted a position with Marsh USA, Inc. as a vice president in the Dallas, Texas office. He will be focusing on new business development.

JAMI E. LEACH, ’95, was appointed for a three-year term as Barrister of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law’s chapter of American Inns of Court.  Leach is an attorney and shareholder with the firm of Garan Lucow Miller P.C.

PAUL J. RAINE, ’96, was recently appointed chair of the newly formed Standing Committee on Technology by the President of the State Bar of Michigan.  Raine is an associate attorney with Fabrizio & Brook, PC in Troy, Michigan. He has an extensive background in technology and representing creditor’s rights. He also serves on the State Bar Representative Assembly and the Standing Committee on Professional and Judicial Ethics, and he is the past chair of the Computer Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan (2005-2006).  Raine is an adjunct professor of Computer and Internet Law at the School of Law.

MICHELLE RICK, ’91, was named circuit court judge for Clinton and Gratiot counties by Governor Jennifer Granholm.  Rick began her new duties as 29th Circuit Court judge on September 10, 2007. The term runs through January 1, 2009.  She has served as deputy legal counsel for Granholm since June 2006.

RONALD M. STERN, ’91, recently joined Simon, Galasso, & Frantz P.L.C. as the leader of the firm’s Commercial Lending Practice Group and Real Estate Group within the Financial Institutions Team.  Stern was previously the co-leader of the financial institutions team for one of the state’s largest law firms and brings more than 15 years of experience.

JAY G. YASSO, ’91, recently joined the Bloomfield Hills-based firm of Hertz Schram PC.  A former Sommers Schwartz shareholder, Yasso specializes in professional negligence, product liability, general civil litigation, corporate/business transactions and sports and entertainment.  He also has experience representing record companies, recording artists, producers and songwriters.  He is a member of the American Bar Association and American Trial Lawyers of America.

2000’s

COLLEEN M. MAMELKA, ’01, has accepted a position as an administrative law judge in the State Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules in Detroit, Michigan.

CHRISTOPHER A. SOBOTA, ’01, was named Information Technology Consultant in the Enterprise Risk Management team of The Rehmann Group, a Troy-based CPA and consulting firm.  He specializes in electronic discovery, electronically stored information, and technology risk management.