The Super Lawyers selection process is multi-phased and includes peer nominations and evaluations combined with third-party research. Attorneys are selected from over 70 practice areas and all firm sizes to ensure a credible and relevant annual list. No more than five percent of attorneys in Michigan are selected as Super Lawyers each year, and no more than 2.5 percent are named to the Rising Stars list.

The 2020 list includes:

Kylie E. Bergmann
Rising Stars, 2017-2020 – Real Estate

Alfredo Casab
Super Lawyers, 2019-2020 – Real Estate

Randal R. Cole
Super Lawyers, 2014-2020 – Employment & Labor

Brian J. Considine
Super Lawyers, 2017-2020 – Environmental

Edward C. Dawda
Super Lawyers, 2006-2020 – Business/Corporate
Michigan Super Lawyers Top 100, 2006-2020

Daniel M. Halprin
Super Lawyers, 2020 – Real Estate

Theresa C. Joswick
Super Lawyers, 2007-2020 – Employee Benefits

Jeffrey D. Moss
Super Lawyers, 2017-2020 – Tax

John Mucha III
Super Lawyers, 2010-2020 – Civil Litigation
Michigan Super Lawyers Top 100, 2015-2020

Michael D. Mulcahy
Super Lawyers, 2006-2020 – Real Estate

Glenn G. Ross
Super Lawyers, 2017-2020 – Estate & Probate

Susan J. Sadler
Super Lawyers, 2006-2020 – Environmental

Marc K. Salach
Super Lawyers, 2020 – Business/Corporate

Wayne S. Segal
Super Lawyers, 2007-2020 – Real Estate

Tyler D. Tennent
Super Lawyers, 2014-2020 – Land Use/Zoning

Erin Bowen Welch 
Rising Stars, 2017-2020 – Real Estate

Frances Belzer Wilson
Rising Stars, 2010-2020 – Business Litigation

The post 17 Attorneys at Dawda Honored as 2020 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars appeared first on Dawda PLC.

Paul was raised by his wonderful parents in a house full of love located in Southfield, Michigan. The Apaps were parishioners at St. Bede Parish. Paul and his four siblings attended St. Bede’s elementary school. He went on to Brother Rice High School where he had the privilege of playing on the hockey team with his brother, John. He graduated from Brother Rice in 1983 and joined his siblings at Michigan State University (all five of the Apap children are MSU alum). After completing his undergraduate degree in Accounting at MSU, Paul attended University of Detroit Law School and received his law degree. Finally, he completed his education at Georgetown University, where he got his Masters in Tax Law. He enjoyed practicing law until the final days of his life. Paul loved his job and always wanted to help people, but his true passion was for the game of hockey. He loved playing, watching, discussing and especially coaching hockey. He built an ice rink in his backyard every year and taught his children to skate on it. Many nieces, nephews, neighbors and friends enjoyed hours skating on that rink.

In 2009, he began to notice weakness in his arms and that eventually led to a diagnosis of ALS. He battled the disease for ten years with an unbelievable amount of grace and courage and he never let his illness define him. Paul was loved and cherished by his whole family and was a true friend to so many people. He was a wonderful attorney, friend, brother, son, uncle, and coach. His greatest role, however, and the one he was most proud of, was being a father to Tommy, Teddy and Ellie and a husband to Maureen. He touched the lives of each and every person he met and brought so much joy to the world.

Beloved husband of Maureen C. for 25 years. Loving father of Tommy, Teddy, and Ellie. Dear son of Clara and the late Harry Apap. Brother of Rose Marie Fricke (Bill), Mary Anne Napolitano (Mark), John Apap (Bridget), and Becky Grace (Terry).

Visitation:

Wednesday, December 11
2:00 PM – 8:00 PM / Rosary 7:45 PM
A.J. Desmond & Sons Funeral Home
2600 Crooks Road (between Maple and Big Beaver)
Troy, MI

Service:

Thursday, December 12
10:00 AM / Instate 9:30 AM
Holy Name Catholic Church
630 Harmon Street at Woodland
Birmingham, MI

Burial:

Thursday, December 12
Greenwood Cemetery
Greenwood and Oak
Birmingham, MI

Memorial tributes to ALS Therapy Development Institute, 300 Technology Square, Suite 400, Cambridge, MA 02139.

Link to obituary

The post Paul C. Apap Obituary appeared first on Dawda PLC.

The following Dawda attorneys were included on the 2020 Top Lawyers list:

• Alfredo Casab: Litigation – Real Estate
• Randal R. Cole: Labor and Employment Law, Litigation – Labor Employment Benefits
• Brian J. Considine: Environmental Law, Intellectual Property and Patent Law
• Edward C. Dawda: Corporate Law, Real Estate Law
• Theresa C. Joswick: Employee Benefits Law
• Joseph M. Judge: Real Estate Law
• David A. Mollicone: Litigation – Commercial
• Jeffrey D. Moss: Nonprofit/Charities Law, Tax Law, Trusts and Estates
• John Mucha III: Commercial Law, Litigation – Construction
• Michael Mulcahy: Real Estate Law
• Glenn G. Ross: Tax Law, Trusts and Estates
• Susan J. Sadler: Environmental Law
• Marc K. Salach: Corporate Law, Mergers & Acquisitions Law
• Todd A. Schafer: Real Estate Law
• Wayne S. Segal: Banking & Financial Service Law, Real Estate Law
• Tyler D. Tennent: Environmental Law
• Frances B. Wilson: Litigation – Banking and Finance, Litigation – Commercial
• Robert A. Wright III: Banking & Financial Service Law

For more information on the awards, visit: www.dbusiness.com/top-lawyers/

The post Eighteen Dawda Attorneys Named 2020 Top Lawyers by DBusiness Magazine appeared first on Dawda PLC.

Kathryn Kaleth has joined Dawda’s growing team of attorneys. She will serve as an associate, focusing her practice primarily in the areas of real estate, business transactions and environmental law.

Kaleth received her J.D. from Wayne State University Law School in 2019 and her B.A. from Michigan State University in 2016, majoring in Environmental Studies and Sustainability with a minor in Conservation, Recreation, and Environmental Law Enforcement. While in law school, she served on the board of the Journal of Law in Society as a Senior Note Editor along with competing in two outside competitions as a senior member of the Moot Court team.

Additionally, during her time at Wayne Law she worked as a Student Attorney with the Transnational Environmental Law Clinic. Her responsibilities included tracking statewide compliance with requirements set by the federal coal combustion residue rules, contributing to an Amicus Brief submitted to the Michigan Supreme Court, and conducting complex legal research into a variety of environmental law and property related issues.

See the original article in Automation Alley

The post Dawda Welcomes Kathryn Kaleth appeared first on Dawda PLC.

See the original press release HERE

Alliance Benefit Group of Michigan To Join Focus Partner Firm Sentinel Benefits & Financial Group

NEW YORK, Nov. 04, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Focus Financial Partners Inc. (FOCS) (“Focus”), a leading partnership of independent, fiduciary wealth management firms, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement under which Alliance Benefit Group of Michigan, Inc. (“ABG of Michigan”), a premier retirement and benefits plan consulting and administration firm, will join Focus partner firm Sentinel Benefits & Financial Group (“Sentinel”), based in Wakefield, Massachusetts. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2020, subject to customary closing conditions.

Founded in 1969 and located in Bingham Farms, Michigan, ABG of Michigan works with almost 400 benefits and retirement plans representing over 30,000 participants, and provides best-in-class administration and record-keeping services. ABG of Michigan’s wholly-owned subsidiary, ABG Portfolio Strategies, Inc., provides investment advisory services primarily for retirement plan assets. ABG of Michigan, will expand Sentinel’s geographical reach, creating a premier “super-regional” retirement and benefits-focused financial services firm, and will position Sentinel’s business for further growth in the Midwest.

“We are thrilled to have such a well-respected firm join our team,” said Sam Mitchell, CEO of Sentinel. “ABG of Michigan has created an offering that will further enhance the ability of the combined firm to service clients, as well as increasing our bench strength and scale in the Midwest.”

“Having known the group at Sentinel for many years through the Alliance Benefits Group national network, we have seen first-hand Sentinel’s exceptional client commitment and ability to continuously improve the quality of their offerings,” said Lawrence Raymond, President of ABG of Michigan. “Sentinel’s approach to creating successful client outcomes mirrors the core principles of ABG of Michigan and will strengthen the combined firms’ business,” said Carol Tracey, ABG of Michigan’s Executive Vice President.

“We are very pleased that ABG of Michigan will be joining Sentinel,” said Rudy Adolf, Founder, CEO and Chairman of Focus. “This is Sentinel’s fifth merger since joining Focus, further enhancing the depth and scale of its employee benefits and retirement plan outsourcing business. Building on Sentinel’s long-standing presence in these areas demonstrates the value that we offer our firms in helping them scale their businesses within their specific areas of expertise. The diversity of our partner firms’ capabilities across a range of wealth management and retirement planning services provides significant benefits to our partnership.”

About Focus Financial Partners Inc.

Focus Financial Partners Inc. (FOCS) (“Focus”) is a leading partnership of independent, fiduciary wealth management firms. Focus provides access to best practices, resources, and continuity planning for its partner firms who serve individuals, families, employers and institutions with comprehensive wealth management services. Focus partner firms maintain their operational independence, while they benefit from the synergies, scale, economics and best practices offered by Focus to achieve their business objectives. For more information about Focus, please visit www.focusfinancialpartners.com.

About Sentinel Benefits & Financial Group

Sentinel Benefits & Financial Group (“Sentinel”) is an independent provider of employee benefits and financial services located in Wakefield, Massachusetts. Sentinel serves both individuals and institutions, providing offerings including employee benefits and retirement plan administration, open architecture retirement plan recordkeeping, investment advisory services, defined benefit and cash balance plan services, actuarial consulting, employee stock ownership plans, and group benefits brokerage. For more information about Sentinel, please visit https://www.sentinelgroup.com.

The post Dawda Attorneys Represent Alliance Benefit Group of Michigan in Merger with Sentinel Benefits & Financial Group appeared first on Dawda PLC.

Firms included on the “Best Law Firms” list are recognized for professional excellence with persistently impressive ratings from clients and peers. To be eligible for a ranking, a firm must have a lawyer listed in The Best Lawyers in America, which recognizes the top 5 percent of practicing attorneys in the U.S.

The 2020 rankings are based on the highest number of participating firms and client votes received on record. Almost 16,000 lawyers provided more than 1,229,000 law firm assessments, and more than 12,000 clients participated providing 107,000 evaluations.

Ranked firms, presented in three tiers, are listed on a national and/or metropolitan scale. Receiving a tier designation reflects the high level of respect a firm has earned among other leading lawyers and clients in the same communities and the same practice areas for their abilities, their professionalism and their integrity.

Dawda is ranked Tier 1 in eight practice areas in our region. Those practice areas include:

Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law
Corporate Law
Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
Environmental Law
Litigation – Environmental
Litigation – Real Estate
Real Estate Law
Trusts & Estates Law

The 2020 “Best Law Firms” rankings can be seen in their entirety by visiting bestlawfirms.usnews.com

The post Dawda included in U.S. News & World Report, 2020 “Best Law Firms” list appeared first on Dawda PLC.

Hirsch has spent the majority of her legal career working in the state judicial system, first as a prehearing attorney for the Michigan Court of Appeals and then as a Judicial Staff Attorney at Oakland County Probate and Circuit Court.  She has extensive experience in the areas of probate, juvenile, family, civil, criminal and appellate law.

Hirsch graduated cum laude from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 1996, where she was the winner of the Chmielnicki Business Law Scholarship.  She graduated from the University of Michigan in 1993 with her Bachelor of Arts in History.  She is also a former representative of the State Bar of Michigan Young Lawyers Section.

Hirsch is a current member of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society-Michigan Chapter Board of Trustees and a member of the Community Connections committee. She is a founding member and Vice-President of Families Fighting Against MS (FAMS), a Michigan 501(c)(3) corporation.

See the original article in Automation Alley

The post Dawda Welcomes Julie M. Hirsch as Newest Attorney appeared first on Dawda PLC.

The Super Lawyers selection process is multi-phased, and includes peer nominations and evaluations combined with third-party research. Attorneys are selected from over 70 practice areas and all firm sizes to ensure a credible and relevant annual list. No more than five percent of attorneys in Michigan are selected as Super Lawyers each year, and no more than 2.5 percent are named to the Rising Stars list.

The 2019 list includes:

Kylie E. Bergmann
Rising Stars, 2017-2019 – Real Estate

Alfredo Casab
Super Lawyers, 2019 – Real Estate

Randal R. Cole
Super Lawyers, 2014-2019 – Employment & Labor

Brian J. Considine
Super Lawyers, 2017-2019 – Environmental

Edward C. Dawda
Super Lawyers, 2006-2019 – Business/Corporate
Michigan Super Lawyers Top 100, 2006-2019

Theresa C. Joswick
Super Lawyers, 2007-2019 – Employee Benefits

Jeffrey D. Moss
Super Lawyers, 2017-2019 – Tax

John Mucha III
Super Lawyers, 2010-2019 – Civil Litigation
Michigan Super Lawyers Top 100, 2015-2019

Michael D. Mulcahy
Super Lawyers, 2006-2019 – Real Estate

Glenn G. Ross
Super Lawyers, 2017-2019 – Estate & Probate

Susan J. Sadler
Super Lawyers, 2006-2019 – Environmental

Wayne S. Segal
Super Lawyers, 2007-2019 – Real Estate

Tyler D. Tennent
Super Lawyers, 2014-2019 – Land Use/Zoning

Erin Bowen Welch 
Rising Stars, 2017-2019 – Real Estate

Frances Belzer Wilson
Rising Stars, 2010-2019 – Business Litigation

The post 15 Attorneys at Dawda Honored as 2019 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars appeared first on Dawda PLC.

Randal will work with the other members of the committee, Edward C. Dawda, Curtis J. Mann, Wayne S. Segal, and Marc K. Salach, to direct the leadership of the firm.

Randal joined Dawda as an Associate in 2001 and was made a Member in 2003. His practice is concentrated in the area of employment defense litigation, and he also provides advice to management on employment related matters and traditional labor law.

Randal has extensive experience in both state and federal courts and has handled appellate cases in both the Michigan Court of Appeals and the Federal Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Randal’s experience in administrative forums includes representing clients before the National Labor Relations Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, and Michigan Employment Security Agency. He has also arbitrated private claims with the American Arbitration Association and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

Randal earned his J.D. from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 1996, and his B.A. from Kalamazoo College in 1991, where he was a Chamberlain Fellow. He received a Germany University Fellowship for graduate work in the Federal Republic of Germany.

Randal is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, Labor and Employment Law Section, and was Vice-Chairman of the Oakland County Bar Association Employment and Labor Law Committee from 2001 to 2002 and Chairman from 2002 to 2003. Randal has also lectured for various civic groups in the Detroit Metropolitan Area.

The post Randal R. Cole Appointed to Firm Management Committee appeared first on Dawda PLC.

Best Lawyers is one of the oldest and most respected peer review guide to the legal profession worldwide. To ensure credibility of results, Best Lawyers conducts exhaustive peer-review surveys, in which thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. For the 2020 edition of The Best Lawyers in America, 8.3 million votes were analyzed, which resulted in the inclusion of more than 62,000 lawyers, or approximately 5% of lawyers in private practice in the United States.

The following Dawda attorneys were included on the list:

Edward C. Dawda
“Lawyer of the Year” – Corporate Law
Corporate Law, Real Estate Law
Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2006

Paul A. Bringer
Real Estate Law

Dana Kreis Glencer
Real Estate Law
Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2018

Daniel Halprin
Real Estate Law
Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2019

Theresa C. Joswick
Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
Recognized in Best Lawyers since 1997

Curtis J. Mann
Closely Held Companies and Family Business, Trusts and Estates
Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2013

Christopher M. Mann
Corporate Law, Trusts and Estates
Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2019

John Mucha III
Commercial Litigation

Michael D. Mulcahy
Corporate Law
Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2006

Glenn G. Ross
Trusts and Estates

Susan J. Sadler
Environmental, Litigation – Environmental, Litigation – Real Estate
Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2010

Todd A. Schafer
Real Estate Law
Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2019

Leon M. Schurgin
Litigation – Real Estate
Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2007

Tyler D. Tennent
Environmental Law
Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2013

The post Fourteen Dawda Attorneys Recognized in the 2020 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America appeared first on Dawda PLC.