News

June 2023: Fraser Trebilcock announced Thaddeus Morgan has recently been recognized by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as a ‘Michigan Go To Lawyer’ in 2023 for construction law. Only twenty attorneys in the state received this recognition.

March 2023: Fraser Trebilcock announced Mark E. Kellogg has been elected as President of the firm. Shareholder Aaron L. Davis was re-elected to the Board of Directors, where he will serve as Vice President & Treasurer. Shareholder Ryan K. Kauffman was elected to the Board of Directors, where he will serve as Secretary.

October 2022: Fraser Trebilcock announced attorney Melisa M. W. Mysliwiec has recently been elected as a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). Melisa compassionately and effectively advises clients and implements individualized and creative planning techniques for her clients in the areas of elder law, Medicaid planning, estate planning, and trust and estate administration. ACTEC is an organization of almost 2,400 trust and estate lawyers and law professors who have been elected by their peers in recognition of having made outstanding contributions to the practice of trust and estate law. The firm also announced the hiring of attorneys Jennifer L. Hansen and Sean P. Gallagher who will work primarily in the firm’s Lansing office. Jennifer joins Fraser Trebilcock in the litigation practice group focusing on litigation, general business law, and real estate law. Jennifer’s experience includes handling various litigation matters and transactional work with subpoenas in the real estate practice area. Sean joins Fraser Trebilcock as a regulatory attorney whose experience includes serving as an advisor, advocate, counselor, and strategist, with a focus on highly regulated areas of law, including energy regulation and procurement matters involving industrial and other businesses, cannabis and industrial hemp, and municipal public employee pension funds. Sean has assisted in protecting the interests of public pension participants, retirees, and their beneficiaries in both investment and benefits-side related litigation and advising on governmental transparency and statutory report regulatory compliance matters, serving as legal counsel to the Retirement Systems of the City of Detroit before, during, and after the City of Detroit’s Chapter 9 bankruptcy proceedings.

July 2022: Fraser Trebilcock announced the hiring of attorney Garett Koger who will work primarily in the firm’s Lansing office. Garett joins Fraser Trebilcock as an associate attorney in the litigation practice group focusing on commercial litigation. With nearly five years of litigation experience, which include service as the Chief Assistant Prosecutor for Clinton County and as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Michigan, Garett has the knowledge to litigate clients’ disputes in virtually all arenas, including through appeal. Prior to Garett’s career in the legal field, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2002 to 2007. Garett then went on to receive his undergraduate degree from The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, and his Juris Doctorate from Michigan State College of Law in East Lansing. The firm also announced the hiring of attorney Robert D. Burgee who will work primarily in the firm’s Lansing office. Robert joins Fraser Trebilcock as an attorney with over a decade of experience counseling small business clients and entrepreneurs in matters ranging from startups, acquisitions, and support to more general practice of law, including civil matters, regulatory compliance, employee benefits, and human relations guidance. Prior to joining the firm, Bob operated an independent general counsel practice advising business clients in their day-to-day operation, as well as drafting and negotiating contracts with their customers, suppliers, and employees. He also has legislative and policy experience from working with lawmakers and staff in the Michigan Legislature and trade association members.

May 2022: Fraser Trebilcock hosted fellow SCG Legal member firm Sánchez Devanny (Mexico) for lunch. Attorneys from the Lansing and Detroit offices met with fellow attorneys from Sánchez Devanny to discuss ways to collaborate on future matters between the two member firms.

Fraser Trebilcock also announced the hiring of attorney Elizabeth M. Siefker who will work primarily in the firm’s Lansing office. Elizabeth joins Fraser Trebilcock as an associate attorney in the trusts and estates practice group focusing on business planning, estate planning, and elder law. With experience assisting clients in every aspect of the estate planning process, including handling probate court matters, Elizabeth understands that each plan will be unique to the client’s situation. While at Detroit Mercy School of Law, Elizabeth was an Executive Editor of Law Review, and authored an article on contested wills that would later be published by the University. In her free time, Elizabeth enjoys reading, running, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.

January 2022: Fraser Trebilcock announced the firm’s shareholders have re-elected Michael H. Perry for a fifth consecutive year as President. Shareholder Mark E. Kellogg was re-elected to the Board of Directors, where he will serve as Vice President & Treasurer, and Shareholder Brian T. Gallagher was elected to the Board of Directors, where he will serve as Secretary. The firm also announced Shareholder Marlaine C. Teahan has been recognized by Super Lawyers as one of this year’s “Top 100: 2021 Michigan Super Lawyers” and “Top 50: 2021 Women Michigan Super Lawyers.”

November 2021: Fraser Trebilcock announced that attorney Paula J. Manderfield has been selected as one of this year’s Top 30 “Women in the Law” by Michigan Lawyers Weekly. The firm also launched its eDiscovery practice group, with attorney Jean E. Kordenbrock serving as Chair of the practice group. “Given the increasingly digital nature of our interconnected world and economy, the need to manage eDiscovery has become commonplace in lawsuits and investigations.” Fourteen attorneys from Fraser Trebilcock have been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America^© 2022 in Lansing. Thaddeus E. Morgan has been named the Best Lawyers in America^© 2022 Construction Litigation “Lawyer of the Year” in Lansing.

June 2021: Fraser Trebilcock announced the addition of Randy Tahvonen, former Chief Judge of the 29th Circuit Court serving Clinton and Gratiot Counties, to the firm. He will be focusing on alternative dispute resolution. Fraser Trebilcock attorney Peter D. Houk has been selected as a member of Michigan Lawyers Weekly “Hall of Fame Class of 2021.” This special award recognizes esteemed members of the legal profession who have been in practice for at least 30 years. Mr. Houk has practiced law for 50 years, he was the City Attorney for Lansing, the Prosecuting Attorney for Ingham County, and Assistant Attorney General for the state of Michigan before being appointed to the bench in 1986. Since retiring from the bench, he has mediated hundreds of cases. Also, Fraser Consulting LLC, an affiliate of Fraser Trebilcock, and IPv4.Global, a division of Hilco Streambank, co-brokered the sale of a block of Pennsylvania State University’s IPv4 addresses to a U.S. cloud communication platform. At the inception of the Internet, a significant number of IP addresses were assigned to research and higher education institutions. With a finite number of possible addresses and the global exhaustion of freely available space, this asset quickly became valuable to entities that require these resources. Higher education institutions can now take any unused, potentially hidden space, in their possession to bring in dollars for scholarship funds, growth plans or other projects, helping fund the future of the institution and future generations.

March 2021: Fraser Trebilcock announced Elvin L. Caldwell, Jr. as a new legislative consultant. “We are thrilled to have Elvin join Fraser Consulting; he brings knowledge and experience that will be a great contribution to our ongoing efforts for our clients,” said Scott Everett, Director of Legislative Affairs. The shareholders of Fraser Trebilcock have also re-elected Michael H. Perry as President of the firm. This is Mr. Perry’s fourth consecutive year as President. Shareholder Mark E. Kellogg was re-elected to the Board of Directors and will serve as Vice President and Treasurer. Shareholder Brian T. Gallagher was elected as well and will serve as Secretary. Fraser Trebilcock also announced the addition of Michael C. and Mary P. Levine. Michael practices in the areas of administrative law, government regulation, transportation law, affordable housing, health care law, and condemnation and eminent domain. He has served as counsel to several statewide professional and trade organizations and was a former Assistant Attorney General. Mary joins with over four decades of professional experience in state government and the real estate industry. During her career in state government, Mary worked at the Michigan Department of Transportation, the Michigan Department of Management and Budget, the Michigan State Police, and the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, serving as general counsel before entering private law practice.

December 2020: Fraser Trebilcock announced that Shareholder Brian T. Gallagher was recently elected Secretary of the Taxation Section Council of the State Bar of Michigan. Matthew J. Meyerhuber joined the firm’s litigation department. Before graduating from the University of Michigan Law School in 2020, Matt externed at the Michigan Department of Attorney General, where he assisted the Flint Water Crisis prosecution team.

October 2020: Fraser Trebilcock is proud to announce that attorney? Elizabeth H. Latchana has been selected as a 2021 “Lawyer of the Year” in Lansing by Best Lawyers. In total, 20 attorneys from Fraser Trebilcock have been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2021. Also, Fraser Trebilcock is excited to welcome attorney Klint Kesto to the firm, where he will work primarily in the Lansing office focusing on litigation and general business law. Immediately prior to joining the firm, Klint worked for his own law firm, where he handled general civil and criminal matters and had a government consulting practice.

July 2020: Fraser Trebilcock’s professional and occupational license group scored another victory yesterday when attorney Jared A. Roberts obtained the dismissal of a complaint filed against a real estate brokerage and property management company, an associate broker and a salesperson. The state administrative complaint was filed with the Michigan Bureau of Professional Licensing and was dismissed in the licensees’ favor.

May 2020: During the stay at home orders, many Fraser Trebilcock employees have missed the day to day interactions with one another. In a fun way to get everyone at the firm together, we have a weekly Happy Hour via Zoom on Friday afternoon, to help relax the transition from the workweek to the weekend. As another way for individuals to receive updates and view content, Fraser Trebilcock has created an Instagram account (@frasertrebilcock). Also, along with other recent changes, including the delay of COBRA deadlines and premium payments, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) released new model notices that employers may use to comply with the notice obligations under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA). Click here to read the full article.

March 2020: The Honorable Peter Houk of Michigan member firm Fraser Trebilcock has been inducted into the Michigan chapter of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals. Mr. Houk has practiced law for 50 years. He was city attorney for Lansing, prosecuting attorney for Ingham County, and assistant attorney general for the state of Michigan before being appointed to the bench in 1986. He also taught criminal law at Thomas M. Cooley Law School for twenty years. Mr. Houk is a Fellow of the State Bar of Michigan, is on the American Arbitration Association list of approved mediators and arbitrators for construction and commercial matters and is a Western District of Michigan court-approved mediator. 

February 2020: Jean Kordenbrock has joined Michigan member firm Fraser Trebilcock in its Lansing office. Ms. Kordenbrock’s practice focuses on government affairs, nonprofits and campaign finance. She has consulted with federal and state government officials on such matters as ballot initiatives, millage campaigns, and grassroots advocacy campaigns in Michigan. Previously, Ms. Kordenbrock served as legal counsel to the Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives and was appointed by former Michigan Governor John Engler to head the Michigan Women’s Commission’s department of civil rights, where she was responsible for all commission activities and program initiatives.

January 2020: Michigan member firm Fraser Trebilcock has re-elected Michael Perry to his third consecutive term as president of the firm. In addition, Mark Kellogg was re-elected to the board of directors, where he will serve as vice president, and Marlaine Teahan was elected to the board of directors, where she will serve as secretary-treasurer. Also at Fraser Trebilcock, Shaina Reed has been elected an equity shareholder. Ms. Reed is a litigator with experience in insurance defense, commercial litigation, probate litigation, and employment disputes. She twice received jury verdicts of “no cause” in favor of her clients on multimillion dollar claims, secured early dismissals through successful motion practice, and regularly negotiates favorable settlements after thorough and effective discovery. She is also active in the Michigan legal community, chairing the general liability section of the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel, serving on the court rules committee for the probate and estate planning section of the State Bar of Michigan, and participating as a committee member in the Women Lawyers’ Association, as well as the Greater Lansing Arts Council. Selected a Michigan “rising star” by Super Lawyers in the area of civil litigation every year since 2014, Ms. Reed is a graduate of the John Marshall School of Law.

December 2019: U.S. News – Best Lawyers® has named Michigan member firm Fraser Trebilcock a tier 1 law firm in Lansing in eight practice areas for 2020, including administrative/regulatory law, bankruptcy and creditor-debtor rights/insolvency and reorganization law, commercial litigation, corporate law, litigation – insurance, litigation – regulatory enforcement (SEC, telecom, energy), real estate law, and utilities law. Also at Fraser Trebilcock, Amy Wolanin and Emily Vanderlaan have joined the firm. Ms. Wolanin previously served as an intern in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. Her practice will focus on business and tax law, bankruptcy, family law, estate planning, litigation, and real estate law. Before joining the firm, Ms. Vanderlaan was a legal extern for the Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office, where she litigated initial depositional hearings, review hearings, and preliminary motions for juvenile court cases. Her practice will focus on appellate law, insurance law, intellectual property, litigation, and real estate law.

November 2019: Michigan member firm Fraser Trebilcock has entered into a strategic alliance with Zelmanski, Danner & Fioritto to leverage its knowledge and expertise in the areas of legislative and governmental affairs, complex commercial and real estate litigation, cottage law, estate planning, and intellectual property in the metropolitan Detroit market. Headquartered in Plymouth, Michigan, Zelmanski, Danner & Fioritto specializes in condominium and homeowner association governance and association development, Fair Housing Act counseling and litigation, ADA compliance, FHA and VA certifications, and cannabis law. “The mission of Fraser Trebilcock throughout its history has been providing high quality legal services to our clients and this agreement bolsters that mission,” says firm president Michael Perry. Also at Fraser Trebilcock, former Michigan state senator David Robertson has joined the firm as director of governmental affairs. Mr. Robertson previously represented southeastern Genesee County and northwest Oakland County in the Michigan Senate, where he served as caucus chairman. He was named legislator of the year in 2003 by the Michigan State Medical Society and in 2018 by the Michigan Dental Association. He previously served as a member of the Genesee Board of Commissioners.

September 2019: Best Lawyers® has named three attorneys from Michigan member firm Fraser Trebilcock 2020 Lawyers of the Year in Lansing, Michigan. They include Michael Ashton, for utilities law; Peter Houk, for arbitration; and Michael Perry, for environmental law. In total, 20 attorneys from Fraser Trebilcock were selected for inclusion on the 2020 Best Lawyers® list.

February 2019: Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has appointed Michigan member firm Fraser Trebilcock attorney Anita Fox as director of the state’s Department of Insurance and Financial Services. Ms. Fox will oversee the  administration of several public acts and the regulation of a variety of individual licensees including Blue Cross Blue Shield, HMOs, banks, domestic insurance companies, credit unions, foreign insurance companies, individual insurance agents, insurance agencies, and other consumer finance-related entities. A recognized insurance expert, she has managed complex litigation in federal and state courts in Michigan and nationwide for more than three decades. Ms. Fox began her legal career with the Washington, D.C., law firm of Steptoe & Johnson, before relocating to Michigan in 1992 and ultimately joining Fraser Trebilcock in 2003. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School. Also at Fraser Trebilcock, twenty-four of its attorneys have been selected for inclusion in the list of Michigan’s Leading Lawyers for 2019, a distinction earned by fewer than 5% of all lawyers licensed to practice law in Michigan. The selection process for Leading Lawyers is multi-phased and includes peer evaluations that are later approved by an advisory board. 

January 2019: SCG Legal vice chairman Thad Morgan of Michigan member firm Fraser Trebilcock has been appointed to the advisory council of the Gerald Ford Institute for Leadership in Public Policy and Service at Albion College, which offers Albion students opportunities to learn and grow from working in a wide range of industries. Mr. Morgan formerly served as the firm’s president and currently chairs its litigation department. He has over 20 years of litigation experience in both state and federal courts in a wide variety of areas, including commercial and business disputes, employment and shareholder litigation, construction, health care, real estate, insurance and intellectual property. Best Lawyers® named him “Lawyer of the Year” in Lansing for construction litigation in 2015. Also at Fraser Trebilcock, Michael Perry has been elected president of the firm’s board of directors; Mark Kellogg, its vice president; and Thomas Waters, its secretary-treasurer.

November 2018: Best Lawyers® has awarded Michigan member firm Fraser Trebilcock first tier rankings in seven practice areas including administrative/regulatory law, arbitration, bankruptcy and creditor debtor rights/insolvency and reorganization law, commercial litigation, litigation – regulatory enforcement (SEC, telecommunications, energy), real estate law and utilities law. In addition, the firm has earned tier two rankings in Lansing in four practice areas (closely held companies and family businesses law, corporate law, employee benefits (ERISA) law, and litigation – labor and employment) and tier three rankings  in Lansing in six practice areas (appellate practice, DUI/DWI defense, environmental law, litigation – construction, mediation, and trusts and estates law). Also at Fraser Trebilcock, Mike Senyko has joined the firm as its new executive director. Previously, Mr. Senyko was chief of staff for Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson. He succeeds Tom Smith, who held the position for more than 32 years. Mr. Senyko received his baccalaureate degree in political science from Michigan State University and his M.P.A. from Oakland University.

September 2018: Marlaine Teahan of Michigan member firm Fraser Trebilcock has been named one of the Top 30 Women in the Law by Michigan Lawyers Weekly. The award is given annually to inspiring and accomplished female lawyers who also serve as mentors to others and contribute significant time giving back to their communities. Ms. Teahan chairs the probate and estate planning section of the State Bar of Michigan and is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. Super Lawyers® also recently named her one of the Top 100 Attorneys in Michigan, one of the Top 50 Female Attorneys in Michigan, one of the Top 50 Consumer Law Attorneys in Michigan, and one of the Top 25 Female Consumer Law Attorneys in Michigan, and Best Lawyers® named her a Lawyer of the Year. Elizabeth Latchana was also named a Lawyer of the Year, for employee benefits (ERISA) law, and the following 18 other attorneys from the firm were listed for inclusion in the 2019 edition of Best Lawyers® in America: Michael Ashton, for administrative/regulatory law, litigation – regulatory enforcement (SEC, telecom, energy), and utilities law); Douglas Austin, for real estate law; Stephen Burlingame, for corporate law); Mark Bush, for commercial litigation; Michael Cavanaugh, for administrative/regulatory law, bet-the-company litigation, commercial litigation, litigation (labor and employment); Graham Crabtree, for appellate practice; Anita Fox, for commercial litigation; Jennifer Utter Heston, for administrative/regulatory law; Max Hoffman, Jr., for administrative/regulatory law; Peter Houk, for arbitration, mediation; Mark Kellogg, for closely held companies and family businesses law; Darrell Lindman, for employee benefits (ERISA) law; David Marvin, for administrative/regulatory law, corporate law, and utilities law; Thad Morgan, for commercial litigation and litigation (construction); Brian Morley, for DUI/DWI defense; Michael Perry, for environmental law; Gary Rogers, for bankruptcy and creditor debtor rights/insolvency and reorganization law, and litigation (insurance); and Thomas Sparks, for administrative/regulatory law. Finally, the Fraser Trebilcock Supreme Court team scored a major victory before the Michigan high court on behalf of its client Voters Not Politicians, placing on the November ballot VNP’s proposal to create a citizens’ redistricting commission to draw nonpartisan congressional and legislative boundaries by means of an amendment to Michigan’s constitution. The court held that the proposal sought an amendment to – and not a general revision of – the constitution, and thus was properly subject to voter approval rather than a full-blown constitutional convention. The firm’s team members included Graham Crabtree, who argued the case in the Supreme Court, Peter Houk, and Jonathan Raven.

August 2018: Jared Roberts has joined Michigan member firm Fraser Trebilcock in the firm’s Lansing office. An experienced civil litigation attorney with nearly two decades of experience litigating and resolving disputes in the areas of commercial transactions, real estate transactions, contracts, real property, and intellectual property, Mr. Roberts also defends professional and trade licensees and breach of duty disputes, handles real estate transactions, counsels clients on intellectual property, branding and mark registration, and provides general legal counseling to a variety of firms and individuals. He received his J.D. from Michigan State University College of Law. Also at Fraser Trebilcock, attorney Shaina Reed was recently appointed to chair the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel’s general liability section. MDTC is an association of top lawyers in the state dedicated to the representation of individuals and corporations in civil litigation. For the past four years, Ms. Reed has been named a “Rising Star” in Michigan by Super Lawyers®, recognizing her for her talents in civil litigation, employment, and labor law.

December 2017: Marlaine Teahan of Michigan member firm Fraser Trebilcock has been named chair of the State Bar of Michigan’s Council for the Probate and Estate Planning Section. The section works to enhance and improve the practice and administration of law pertaining to probate, trust and estate planning and administration, guardianships and conservatorships, and tax planning. As chair of the council, Ms. Teahan will lead the probate and estate planning section’s 3,400 attorneys. She currently chairs the firm’s trusts and estates department and is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Council. In each of the last four years, Ms. Teahan has been named to the top 50 women Michigan Super Lawyers List, top 50 consumer law attorneys in Michigan, and the top 25 female consumer law attorneys in Michigan.