Gerald Acker ’81 was nominated by President Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be a commissioner and U.S. section chair of the Joint International Commission.

Rasul Raheem ’84 is now chief general counsel and head of compliance at the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD). In this role, he oversees regulatory compliance, litigation, and government affairs, while also managing a team of professionals. Previously, Raheem worked as a senior counsel at Dykema law firm in Detroit, bringing more than 30 years of experience in legal roles for major financial institutions such as Bank of America, LaSalle Bank Corporation and Michigan National Bank. He holds a juris doctorate and master’s in corporate and finance law from Wayne State University Law School.

Matthew Abel ’85 has recently completed his second term on the State Bar of Michigan’s Cannabis Law Section Council and has served several terms on the State Bar of Michigan’s Representative Assembly. He currently serves on the State Bar of Michigan’s Public Outreach & Education Committee and is a life member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the NORML Legal Committee and the International Cannabis Bar Association, where he was a founding board member. Abel worked to help pass the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act in 2008 and was a member of the drafting committee and board of MILEGALIZE, which created and passed the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act (MRTMA) in 2016. Abel founded the now five-partner Cannabis Counsel law firm which has become a wholly owned subsidiary of the Rivertown Law Firm.

Stacey Washington ’87 was promoted to director of compliance (in-house counsel) at the Archdiocese of Detroit in February 2023. Washington also served as its interim HR director from March 2023 to August 2023.

Roberts Kengis ’92 retired from the Allegan County Circuit Court bench in June 2023. In November, he joined Lennon Miller PLC in Kalamazoo in a counsel role. Kengis will be focusing on mediation and arbitration of civil and domestic cases.

Carla Testani ’98 received the Mary S. Coleman Award at the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan Annual Meeting in May 2023.

Andrew Harris ’03 has joined the firm of Maddin Hauser as a shareholder. Harris focuses his advocacy on real estate, landlord-tenant and commercial litigation matters. He also handles cases involving state tax issues and insurance. Harris enjoys a vibrant history of public service and active community involvement, serving as an elected member of the Birmingham City Commission 2015–2019 and as the city’s Mayor 2017–2018. Harris is an Oakland County Bar Foundation Trustee and former Chairman of the Oakland County Bar Association’s Real Estate Committee. He is also the President of the Birmingham Little League and serves as legal counsel for the Birmingham Hockey Association.

Kameshia Grant ’04, a distinguished Oakland County Circuit Court Judge, has been chosen as the recipient of the prestigious Michael K. Lee Memorial Award. This honor was bestowed upon her during the biennial Oakland County Court Bar Association’s Taste of Diversity reception. The award, presented by the Oakland County Bar Association’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to fostering and promoting diversity within the legal profession. Judge Grant stands out as a true champion of diversity in her contributions to the legal community.

Zach Fallstich ‘06 joined Teleperformance as Senior Corporate Counsel in 2023 and Michigan Indian Legal Services as a volunteer board member in 2019.

Anisa Allen ’11 was appointed a member of Milford Village Council Oct. 2, 2023.

Mark Steiner ’14 is one of the seven attorneys elected to McDonald Hopkins LLC membership as of Oct. 1, 2023. Steiner is a Member of the Litigation Department and focuses his practice on business litigation, trade secrets, non-compete and unfair competition, and warranty and recall in the automotive industry.

Annemarie Linares ’14 has co-founded AMOS, a Latvian nonprofit organization, to create efficiencies in the Latvian health care sector and ensure that every Latvian who has a chronic or terminal illness with a limited prognosis can access high-quality professional hospice services. AMOS provides value-based, holistic, and multidisciplinary hospice services and is led by an executive team with experience in hospice services both in Latvia and the U.S.

Joseph Peterson ’15 recently joined Plunkett Cooney to enhance its business law department as a senior tax attorney. Based in the firm’s Bloomfield Hills office, Peterson assumes the role of tax law practice group leader at Plunkett Cooney. His primary focus lies in resolving individual and business tax controversies, spanning audit defense, collections and litigation involving both the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and state of Michigan governmental entities.

Tiffany Holland ’16 joined Rivian as senior counsel, supply chain & manufacturing.

Nicole Haelterman ’18 has become an associate attorney at Bush Seyferth PLLC following the successful completion of two federal clerkships. She served as a clerk for the Honorable Paul L. Maloney in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan and the Honorable Richard A. Griffin in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Her valuable experience in these federal clerkships positions her well in her new role at BSP.

Danielle Chidiac ’20 was recently named to the Lawyers of Color magazine 2023 annual diversity and inclusion Hot List. The List annually recognizes junior- and mid-level attorneys across the country who show promise in their careers and demonstrate a strong commitment to advancing diversity in the legal profession.

Nadine Hessi ‘21 is the newest member of Plunkett Clooney’s trusts and estates practice group. Hessi, who recently joined the firm as an associate in the firm’s Bloomfield Hills office, focuses her practice on trust and estate planning matters, as well as probate and trust litigation. She advises clients on trust agreements, tax law, prenuptial agreements, powers of attorney, wealth strategy planning, retirement planning and charitable trusts. Her litigation practice includes representation in claims involving alleged breaches of fiduciary duty and will/trust contests.

Danielle Romano ’22 has recently joined the litigation practice group at Foster Swift Law Firm, based in Southfield.

In her role, Romano concentrates her practice on a diverse range of civil litigation areas, including insurance defense litigation, addressing general liability matters and handling cases related to first-party No-Fault and third-party auto negligence. Additionally, Romano brings expertise in navigating Michigan’s Assigned Claims Plan and specializes in servicing insurer defense within this framework. Her addition further strengthens the firm’s capabilities in providing comprehensive legal counsel in various litigation matters.