10.15.2012

Seventeen Plunkett Cooney attorneys were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America^® 2013 (Copyright 2012 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, SC).

Nominated by colleagues as standouts in their respective fields, Plunkett Cooney partners Michael P. Ashcraft, Jr.; Michael S. Bogren; William D. Booth; Amelia A. Bower; Charles W. Browning; Jerome A. Galante; James R. Geroux; Donald J. Hutchinson; Robert G. Kamenec; Jack S. Levey; Kenneth M. Mattson; Stanley C. Moore, III; Christine D. Oldani; David K. Otis; Mary Massaron; Scott H. Sirich and Thomas P. Vincent and were recently notified about their selection as “Best Lawyers.” As one of the Midwest’s largest full-service law firms, Plunkett Cooney also has the distinction of having one partner named to the best lawyers list for 20 or more years, as well as one new attorney in 2013.

Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Because Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which more than 36,000 leading attorneys cast almost 4.4 million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas, and because lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor.

Ten members of Plunkett Cooney’s Bloomfield Hills office have also received the “Best Lawyer” designation, including Thomas P. Vincent, who is new to the list of best lawyers. Vincent has served as a member of the firm’s Board of Directors since 1999. He has successfully represented numerous Fortune 500 companies, as well as many other clients in the areas of business litigation, complex general litigation, and labor and employment litigation in both state and federal courts.

William D. Booth, who has been included on the list since 1987, was named again to the Best Lawyers^® list in the area of personal injury litigation. One of the firm’s most accomplished litigators, Booth is a past President of the Oakland County Bar Association, a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Society of Barristers. He recently received the Outstanding Achievement Award, which was presented to him by the Council of the Negligence Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan.

Nominated for his expertise in appellate law, Bloomfield Hills partner Robert G. Kamenec currently serves as Plunkett Cooney’s Insurance/Professional Liability/Governmental Law Department Leader. He is a member of the American Academy of Appellate Attorneys and a past “Lawyer of the Year,” as named by Michigan Lawyers Weekly, a leading publication serving the state’s legal industry.

Joining Kamenec from the firm’s Bloomfield Hills office is partner Mary Massaron, who currently serves as the firm’s Appellate Law Practice Group Leader and a member of Plunkett Cooney’s Board of Directors. She has argued numerous appellate cases, which have resulted in more than 50 published decisions. A Fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Attorneys, Massaron has the distinction of serving as president-elect for the DRI – The Voice of the Defense Bar, which is an international organization of attorneys defending the interests of business and individuals in civil litigation.

Michael P. Ashcraft, Jr., who currently serves as the firm’s Professional Liability Practice Group Leader and as a member of Plunkett Cooney’s Board of Directors, was selected for his expertise in legal malpractice law. He concentrates his practice on the defense of attorneys and accountants in malpractice claims both directly and through insurance carriers.

Charles W. Browning, who currently serves as co-chair of the firm’s Insurance Coverage Practice Group, was nominated for his work in the area of insurance law. He is responsible for managing the firm’s relationships as coverage counsel for several major property and casualty insurance companies. For over 29 years, Browning has represented and counseled insurance carriers in countless complex insurance coverage matters throughout the United States.

Jerome A. Galante has been honored as a Best Lawyer once again in the category of personal injury litigation. He is a past member of the Board of Directors of the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) and a past president of the IADC Foundation Board. He focuses his practice in the areas of construction law and product liability and has developed an extensive litigation and trial practice.

Donald J. Hutchinson has been recognized by “Best Lawyers” for his work in bankruptcy litigation. Hutchinson focuses his practice in the areas of bankruptcy and finance, with particular emphasis on loan restructuring, enforcement and insolvency. He represents numerous clients in Chapter 11, Chapter 7, and Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases, as well as in creditors’ assignments, international insolvency proceedings, and out-of-court workouts.

Kenneth M. Mattson was honored for his expertise in medical malpractice law. He has handled cases in state and federal court pertaining to a range of medical services, including industrial medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics-gynecology, podiatry, chiropractic, neurology, plastic surgery, orthopedic surgery, family practice, internal medicine, ophthalmology, physical medicine, pathology, radiology, psychology, psychiatry and dentistry.

Stanley C. Moore III, included as a leader in the areas of labor and employment law, exclusively represents management in union and non-union settings in both the private and public sectors. He is a member of the National Labor Relations Board Region 7 Practice and Procedure Committee, is a former chair of the Oakland County Bar Association Employment Law Committee and is a former council member of the Labor and Employment Law Section Council of the State Bar of Michigan.

Scott H. Sirich, who serves as the firm’s Construction Law Practice Group Leader, was selected for his expertise in construction litigation. Sirich represents architectural and engineering design firms, construction managers, general contractors, subcontractors, owners, and developers in all construction matters both directly and through insurance carriers. He focuses his practice in the areas of construction law, architects and engineers’ liability, insurance law, mold/toxin liability, occupational health and safety law and general litigation.

James R. Geroux, who is a partner in the firm’s Detroit office, has been named among the “Best Lawyers” for workers’ compensation law, the area of practice in which he exclusively represents employers directly and through their insurance providers. He is a member of the State Bar of Michigan Workers’ Compensation Section Council, and he is a past National Chairman of ALFA International’s Workers’ Compensation Practice Group National Steering Committee.

Also a partner in the firm’s Detroit office, Christine D. Oldani, has been recognized once again by “Best Lawyers” for her expertise in the area of appellate law practice. She is one of Michigan’s most accomplished appellate attorneys with over 100 published decisions to her credit. During her more than 30 years in practice, Oldani, who is a Fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Attorneys, has drafted numerous amicus curiae briefs on behalf of municipal clients. She has also drafted legislation and consulted extensively on legislative issues.

David K. Otis, a member of the firm’s East Lansing office, was honored by “Best Lawyers” for his practice in the areas of municipal law and litigation. With nearly 30 years of experience, he represents cities, townships and counties in actions involving alleged violations of civil rights, employment disputes, zoning matters and litigation arising from the state and federal Whistleblowers Act, Open Meetings Act and Freedom of Information Act and other statutes.

Kalamazoo partner Michael S. Bogren, who serves as chair of Plunkett Cooney’s Board of Directors and Governmental Law Practice Group Leader, has been recognized by “Best Lawyers” as a leading Michigan municipal law and litigation attorney. He has successfully represented municipalities in both state and federal court in police liability claims, first amendment law, due process claims, Open Meetings Act and FOIA claims, zoning matters, civil rights cases and employment litigation.

Amelia A. Bower, the managing partner of the firm’s Columbus, Ohio office, has been honored as a Best Lawyer once again in the category of real estate litigation. Bower focuses her practice in the areas of title insurance litigation, underwriting and claims analysis, bank-related litigation, bankruptcy litigation, construction related litigation and appeals. A member of the firm’s Title Insurance Law Practice Group, many of her appellate cases have resulted in published decisions.

Also a member of the firm’s Columbus office, senior attorney Jack S. Levey was nominated in “Best Lawyers” for his expertise in real estate law. With nearly 30 years of experience, he focuses his practice in the areas of real estate, commercial leasing and contracts, business law, construction contracts and finance, and corporate aircraft transactions.

Established in 1913, Plunkett Cooney employs over 160 attorneys in nine Michigan cities, Columbus, Ohio and Indianapolis, Indiana. The firm has achieved the highest rating (AV) awarded by Martindale-Hubbell, a leading, international directory of law firms and is listed among the U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” in 2012. Plunkett Cooney has also received several awards naming the firm as a top place to work within the legal industry.

For more information about Plunkett Cooney’s 2013 “Best Lawyers in America,” contact the firm’s Practice Development Manager John Cornwell at (248) 901-4008; jcornwell@plunkettcooney.com.

– End –