Brian R. Watkins

Jennifer Oertel provides strategic business advice and practical legal guidance to a broad range of tax-exempt organizations. She has an extensive business law background in securities, private equity, mergers & acquisitions, and corporate governance, which she leverages to further the business interests of her tax-exempt clients and the investors who support them. Jennifer’s clients include impact funds, individual impact investors, social enterprises, family and corporate foundati...

Suzanne Sukkar is a U.S. Business Immigration Attorney whose practice focuses on global workforce mobility, employment-based sponsorship and visa matters, immigration audit and compliance for corporate and individual clients across a vast array of industries. Suzanne renders expert strategic and tactical counsel to a broad clientele base including visa matters for client’s employees at all levels of the corporate organizational structure, from the highest level executives, to the entry-...

Lawrence (Larry) J. Buckfire is the managing partner and lead trial attorney at Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. The Michigan personal injury law firm has six attorneys who specialize in serious injury, accident, and medical malpractice cases. The firm represents clients throughout the State of Michigan, and has offices in both Southfield and Ann Arbor. Lawrence earned his undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Michigan in 1986 and his juris doctor degree from Wayne State Unive...

Timothy R. Damschroder is the co-chair of the Business Practice Group. He specializes in middle market M&A transactions (typically ranging from $30 million to $1 billion) and corporate finance. He has substantial experience serving as outside general counsel to automotive, industrial and technology companies. He manages many major client accounts with responsibility for quality control, staffing, workflow, and overall client satisfaction. His middle market activities involve companies in ...

John Shea is an attorney in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he has been in private practice since 1988. He was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1983 and to Michigan's bar in 1985, and is also admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and United States District Courts in the Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan, Northern District of Illinois, and Southern District of Indiana. He has a trial practice in...

Michael (Mike) Hammer was elected Dickinson Wright’s Chief Executive Officer, effective January 1, 2019. As CEO, Mike oversees all aspects of the Firm’s professional service and business operations, and develops and implements the Firm’s strategic direction, working closely with his management group, elected governing board, practice leaders and administrative officers. Mike is a 30-year veteran of the Firm, and previously served as Deputy CEO for ten years. As Deputy CEO, M...

Throughout his career, spanning more than 30 years, Mr. Simon has tried hundreds of criminal cases throughout the state of Michigan. He has established a reputation for providing vigorous and successful defenses to individuals throughout Washtenaw, Wayne, Jackson, Lenawee and Livingston counties in a wide range of criminal defense cases, including those involving OWI and DUI charges, domestic assault, assault & battery, theft offenses, traffic offenses, homicide allegations and alleged dr...

Robert Lantzy is a graduate of the Central Michigan University and graduated cum laude from the Detroit College of Law at Michigan State University in 1997. Robert is an experienced trial attorney and concentrates his practice in many areas of civil litigation, including truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, motor vehicle accidents, dog attacks, lead paint exposure and child lead poisoning, mold exposure and cases involving other general environmental contamination. He is a member of the Ame...

Kristen M. Veresh is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Banking and Finance Law. Kristen M., who practices law in Novi, Michigan, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Kristen M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Doron provides a broad range of business advisory, bankruptcy, litigation, and collection services to automotive suppliers, banks and other secured lenders, mortgage servicers, and a variety of other businesses, big and small. In the automotive arena, Doron’s experience covers day-to-day legal counseling, contract review, contract disputes, troubled suppliers, workouts, stop-ship threats, tooling recovery, and supply-chain litigation and bankruptcies. He works with other attorneys at th...