Butzel Long attorneys named to Crain’s Detroit Business’ ‘Notable Women in IT/Tech in Michigan’
DETROIT, Mich. – Butzel Long attorneys Jennifer Dukarski and Angela Emmerling Shapiro have been named to Crain’s Detroit Business’ “Notable Women in IT/Tech in Michigan. They are among about 25 women to receive this prestigious recognition.
Jennifer Dukarski
Dukarski focuses her practice at the intersection of technology and communications with an emphasis on emerging and disruptive issues: digital media, cybersecurity, infotainment, vehicle safety and connected and autonomous cars.
In her practice, she has negotiated contracts for autonomous vehicle components, reviewed contracts involving wireless updates to in-vehicle technology, assisted companies in achieving successful Petitions for Inconsequential Noncompliance with NHTSA and has addressed multiple vehicle component recalls. Dukarski has become a national leader in legal issues facing emerging automotive technology and is the leader of Butzel Long’s connected car working group. She also has spearheaded the reporting efforts for national data breaches and focuses on the threat vectors facing automotive component design.
A self-titled “recovering engineer,” Dukarski serves as Counsel to the OESA’s Product Development Council and has spoken on First Amendment issues ranging from newsgathering in the digital age to the impact of the FBI iPhone strategy. She has been a panelist at the North American International Auto Show for the last two years, covering a broad variety of legal concerns focused on the autonomous and connected car and most recently addressed the emerging regulatory scheme as a speaker and panelist at the Center for Automotive Research’s prestigious Management Briefing Seminar in Traverse City.
Prior to joining Butzel, she gained automotive manufacturing and design experience as a result of high-level quality management and engineering positions. She has worked extensively on successful automotive product launches, managing vendors and Tier One manufacturing facilities. A Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Dukarski applies her experience to create innovative approaches to the protection of IP assets and disruptive technology.
Notably, Dukarski has attained the distinction of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Senior member status, the highest grade for which IEEE members can apply.
Further, she was named a “2016 Honoree for Michigan Women in the Law” by Michigan Lawyers Weekly. She also is among Michigan Super Lawyers “Rising Stars” and DBusiness “Top Lawyers.” She is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). She is the IEEE Southeastern Michigan Vehicle Technology Society Treasurer and serves as a Working Group member with IEEE PAR 1912 (Privacy and Security Architecture for Consumer Wireless Devices) which is focused on setting standards for privacy and security protocols and IEEE P7011 which is focused on the trustworthiness of news sources. She also coaches and mentors’ women engineers.
At the same time, she is a co-Chair of the Women in Communication Law committee of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Forum on Communications Law and serves on the Forum’s Governing Committee. Dukarski is an adjunct professor at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law teaching “The Law of Emerging Mobility Technology.”
Angela Emmerling Shapiro
Shapiro is a litigation attorney with a focus on electronic discovery. She helps clients overcome the technological and legal challenges presented during civil litigation and governmental investigations where large volumes of potential evidence have been electronically created and stored.
Electronic discovery is a constantly-evolving field and companies face serious legal consequences when evidence is not adequately preserved or when preserved data is not defensibly collected and reviewed during the litigation discovery process. Shapiro works with clients to meet these challenges efficiently and cost effectively. She also works with multi-national clients to navigate complex data privacy laws that impact the preservation, collection and use of electronic evidence during U.S. litigation.
Shapiro was one of the first attorneys in the state to develop a deep practice in the area of electronic discovery. She is an advocate for using technology, including predictive analytics and artificial intelligence where appropriate, to efficiently and effectively assess Terabytes of data and to find the key records necessary for successful legal advocacy.
Notably, Shapiro has achieved the Certified Electronic Discovery Specialist certification. CEDS certification is earned by individuals who pass a comprehensive four-hour examination that provides a tough and objective measure of an individual’s mastery of all aspects of electronic discovery.
In addition to achieving her CEDS certification, Shapiro has been named a DBusiness Magazine "Top Lawyer" in the Information Management and eDiscovery category repeatedly since the category was first introduced in 2014. In 2018 she was also named a “Top Lawyer” in the Information Technology Law category.
Shapiro is actively involved with local politics in her community and has served on the boards of two community theaters. She serves as the chair of Butzel Long’s Women’s Leadership Committee and in that role has organized multiple fundraisers for Gleaners Community Food Bank, including a “PBJ & Wine” event that benefited Gleaners’ Hunger Free Summer Program.
Shapiro was a proud recipient of the 2015 Michigan Defense Trial Counsel (MDTC) “Volunteer of the Year Award” and just completed her final term as an MDTC board member. She is a member of the national and Detroit chapters of the Academy of Certified E-Discovery Specialists (ACEDS) and serves on the Technology Committee for the Federal Bar Association in the Eastern District of Michigan. She is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the American Bar Association, the Oakland County Bar Association, and the Federal Bar Association and is admitted to practice in all Michigan state and federal courts, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States of America.
