Butzel Long grows with addition of four attorneys specializing in several key practice areas
DETROIT, Mich. – Butzel Long, one of the leading law firms in Michigan and the United States, is growing with the addition of associate attorneys Ashley Aldea, Steven R. Eatherly, Paul Howarah and Sarah Nirenberg. Aldea, Howarah and Nirenberg are based in Butzel Long’s Bloomfield Hills office. Eatherly is based in the firm’s Detroit office.
Ashley Aldea
Ashley Aldea focuses her practice on real estate and corporate transactions with a focus on real property acquisition and disposition, real estate financing, commercial leasing, general corporate representation, entity formation, and entity structure.
Prior to joining Butzel Long, Aldea worked for Ford Motor Credit Company where she was responsible for advising Ford Credit executives, management and business teams on various dealer matters, marketing matters, vehicle liquidations, and bankruptcy matters, day-to-day corporate and commercial matters and secured transactions for Ford Credit Canada Company. In addition, she assisted in negotiating and drafting commercial and consumer contracts and supported the implementation of changes in laws and regulations relating to privacy, consumer protection, cost of credit and general corporate law in Canada.
Aldea is a graduate of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law where she earned a Juris Doctor and Wayne State University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences and a Master’s of Science in Biomedical Engineering. After law school, Aldea received a Certificate of Qualification with the Federation of Law Societies of Canada and became a licensed Barrister and Solicitor with the Law Society of Ontario.
Aldea is admitted to practice in Michigan and in Ontario, Canada. She is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, American Bar Association, Canadian Bar Association and the Law Society of Ontario.
Steve Eatherly
Steve Eatherly focuses his practice in the firm’s Business & Commercial Litigation Group, serving businesses, municipalities, and individuals.
He earned a B.A. in history, summa cum laude, from the University of Detroit Mercy. He then went on to obtain a Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 2016. While in law school, Eatherly served as an Executive Editor for the University of Detroit Mercy Law Review, a member of the Moot Court Board of Advocates, and president of the Federalist Society – Detroit Mercy Student Chapter. He also played for the UDM Law Hockey Team.
Prior to joining Butzel Long, Eatherly was a law clerk to Justice Brian K. Zahra of the Michigan Supreme Court. During law school, he worked as a judicial intern to Chief Judge Gerald E. Rosen of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, the Michigan Court of Appeals – Prehearing Research Division, and Judge Jennifer M. Faunce of the Macomb County Circuit Court.
Paul Howarah
Paul Howarah focuses his practice in the areas of corporate law, taxation law, and commercial real estate. He advises clients on corporate and tax issues related to the sale or acquisition of businesses and on matters involving general corporate and business law.
Prior to joining Butzel Long, Howarah was a Senior Associate at an international (Big 4) accounting firm. There, he represented companies on tax controversy matters, structured transactions in a tax-efficient manner, and advised corporations and private equity firms on merger and acquisition tax issues. His prior experience includes working at one of the “Big Three” automotive companies, where he focused on international tax matters.
Howarah is a graduate of Wayne State University Law School. During law school, he served as an Executive Article Editor for The Journal of Law in Society and was a student attorney for the Business and Community Law Clinic (Law Clinic) of Wayne State Law School. As a student attorney for the Law Clinic, Howarah advised local businesses on entity selection and business expansion methods, including franchise law, and drafted corporate governance and related documents. Howarah completed his undergraduate education at Oakland University, where he earned a bachelor of science in business administration with a major in finance.
He is an active member of the State Bar of Michigan, the Oakland County Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the Association for Corporate Growth.
Sarah Nirenberg
Sarah Nirenberg specializes in representing employers for litigation in all areas of employment law, including statutory claims under federal and state law for discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and payment of wages. She has experience representing large and small business across different industries, as well as public institutions. She advises employers on various matters where the law is constantly evolving, such as employment applications, arbitration agreements, and workplace drug policies. She also helps guide employers through complex wage and hour law as well as investigations conducted by the Department of Labor.
She brings a wealth of trial advocacy and investigatory skills to her practice from having served as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office. Outside the courtroom, she uses these skills to conduct sensitive workplace investigations for her clients. Her use of technology and ingenuity has led to obtaining information critical to successfully disposing cases.
Nirenberg graduated cum laude from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, where she was a member of the National Moot Court Team and an Executive Articles Editor of the Jurisprudence Review. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University, where she was a student-athlete on the Varsity Women’s Golf Team.
