John F. Schaefer

Richard Jones is Chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property Licensing Practice Group and handles a wide range of intellectual property matters. Over the last few years, he has led on the following issues: representation of OEM in connection with divestiture of Military related IP assets; representation of OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) in connection with Global Vehicle Design and Assembly Agreement; representation of a Tier 1 Automotive Supplier in Divestiture of IP Assets; prepar...

Mr. Asmar is a member of the Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Practice Group. He represents clients involved in complex commercial litigation matters. Before joining Bodman, Mr. Asmar clerked for Justice Mary Beth Kelly of the Michigan Supreme Court. He has also worked for a Detroit-area litigation defense firm where he participated in a variety of cases involving civil rights, employment issues, commercial disputes, municipal liability, contractual claims, and constitutional cla...

Marc is the Co-Chair of Brooks Kushman's intellectual property litigation practice. He has been instrumental in building, developing, and growing the team. Throughout his career, Marc has successfully tried patent, trademark, trade secret and copyright cases in Federal Courts nationwide. Marc has successfully argued appeals before the Federal Circuit including a leading decision on 101 jurisprudence, Ancora Techs., Inc. v. HTC Americas, Inc. , 908 F.3d 1343 (Fed. Cir. 2018). Marc, as lead cou...

Mr. Stearns is a Member in Dickinson Wright’s Troy and Saginaw offices and Chair of the Patent Prosecution Practice Group. He has over 25 years of experience in the legal industry, particularly in the area of patents. Mr. Stearns maintains a very active patent practice with clients in the automotive industry as well as medical device, pharmaceutical and light rail. He handles all aspects of patent law, including preparing and filing original applications, responses, appeals, reexaminati...

Gabriel Edelson is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Corporate Law. Gabriel practices law in Birmingham, Michigan Best Lawyers has recognized Gabriel Edelson since 2024. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Gabriel Edelson is held by other lawyers.

Daniel L. Buckfire earned his undergraduate degree in accounting from the University of Michigan Business School in 1989.Mr. Buckfire was Phi Beta Kappa and graduated in the top 10% of his class. He graduated cum laude from the prestigious University of Michigan Law School in 1991 and has been engaged in the private practice of law since his successful completion of the bar exam. Daniel L. Buckfire specializes in Michigan car accident cases, no-fault insurance claims, dram shop liability, and...

Ms. Zelenock represents national and regional lenders, mortgage bankers and loan servicers, with emphasis on capital markets, conduit and bank financing, including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac multifamily and manufactured housing lending. Ms. Zelenock has served as closing or supervising counsel for several billion dollars in commercial mortgage loans destined for securitization, including a variety of loan sizes and property types (multifamily, office, manufactured housing communities, nursing...

Kara Ferrara is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Trusts and Estates. Kara practices law in Troy, Michigan Best Lawyers has recognized Kara Ferrara since 2024. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Kara Ferrara is held by other lawyers.

James B. Cunningham is a resident in our Nashville, Tennessee and Troy, Michigan offices and focuses his national practice in four primary areas: 1. Commercial real estate acquisition, divestiture and development matters, 2. Real estate finance and capital markets transactions, 3. Commercial loan workouts, resolutions and enforcement actions, specifically in the CMBS industry and 4. Corporate matters, with an emphasis on corporate mergers and acquisitions. James' commercial real estate practi...

Michael C. Lewis is recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Commercial Litigation and Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants. Based in Troy, Michigan, Mike represents businesses, insurers, and individuals in a broad range of civil litigation matters through his work with August Law PLLC. Licensed to practice law since 1998, Mike has built a litigation career that includes representing both plaintiffs and defendants in complex and high-stakes disputes. Early in his career, he was ...