The State Bar of Michigan's Labor and Employment Law Council has selected Megan Norris, Miller Canfield Managing Directors Chairwoman, as the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award.

Norris is nationally recognized as a leading labor and employment litigator who has served as lead counsel in many high-profile lawsuits. She has particular expertise in legal issues related to the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family Medical Leave Act, speaking on these topics for national organizations, including the National Association of College and University Attorneys, National Employment Law Institute, and the Michigan Institute of Continuing Legal Education.

We are proud to report that Miller Canfield has been named to the Client Service A-Team 2019 list by law firm research and ranking firm BTI Consulting. The designation is given only to those firms that are considered by clients to deliver the highest levels of service.

We were honored to serve as bond counsel to Wayne County in connection with its deal to fund a $533 million criminal justice complex in partnership with the Michigan Finance Authority. The deal has now been named the Midwest Region Deal of the Year in The Bond Buyer, and is a finalist in the national 17^th Annual Deal of the Year awards.

64 Miller Canfield lawyers have been recognized for exceptional performance in the Michigan, Illinois and Ohio editions of Super Lawyers for 2018, and an additional 16 have been named as "Rising Stars" in the magazine's annual listing of the state's top up-and-coming lawyers.

Four Miller Canfield lawyers also received special recognition as Top 100 Lawyers in Michigan. They are:

• Amy M. Johnston, Business Litigation
• Megan P. Norris, Employment and Labor
• Thomas W. Cranmer, Criminal Defense: White Collar Defense
• Gerald J. Gleeson, II, General Litigation

Super Lawyers magazine annually names lawyers in each state who received the highest point totals, as chosen by their peers and through independent research. Rising Stars combines peer nominations and evaluations with third-party research. Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement.

View the full list of Miller Canfield attorneys recognized in 2018 Super Lawyers here!

U.S. News & World Report has named 111 Miller Canfield attorneys in Michigan, Illinois and Florida in "Best Lawyers 2019." Recognized for excellence in 58 practice specialties across the firm, lawyers earning Best Lawyers distinction are rated by their peers as the best in their profession.

Joe Infante has been named on Grand Rapids Business Journal’s annual “40 Under 40” list for the second time. Infante, a principal attorney in Miller Canfield’s Grand Rapids office, was selected as a business leader in Grand Rapids for his excellence in the practice of law, his outstanding reputation as one of the top craft beverage lawyers nationwide, and for the significant volunteer work he does for Hospice of Michigan, for which he serves on the Foundation Board. He is also the co-chair and founder of the Hospice of Michigan’s Barley, BBQ & Beats annual fundraiser.

"Chambers USA 2018" has ranked 13 of Miller Canfield's attorneys and five practice groups among the best in the U.S.

The firm earned rankings in five of its core practice areas: Banking and Finance, Corporate/M&A, Labor & Employment, Litigation: General Commercial, and Real Estate.

Announcing the winners of the prestigious 2017 Richard J. Seryak Award in recognition of pro bono service: Cara Houck and Kimberly Scott. 

The annual award was first given in 2015, in memory of Richard Seryak, who during his 40-year legal career at Miller Canfield exemplified the standard of pro bono service. Seryak’s widow Dr. Helene Dombrowski and children Elizabeth Seryak and Dr. Kaitlin Seryak established the award to recognize attorneys who continue Richard Seryak’s legacy. The Seryak family provides a stipend for the award winner to donate to the legal service organization of his or her choice.

The legendary football coach Vince Lombardi once said, “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.”

His quote came to mind during the past few weeks as I have been taking stock of the past year and looking forward to 2018. In particular, I have been thinking about my colleagues who have been recognized for doing the kind of excellent work they always do. They don’t expect any fanfare or special recognition, but the kudos started coming in the form of awards and rankings for individual lawyers, teams and the firm.