Michael J. Lavoie is co-recipient of OCBA Frances R. Avadenka Memorial Award
7.31.2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DETROIT, Mich. – Butzel Long attorney and shareholder Michael J. Lavoie is the co-recipient of the Frances R. Avadenka Memorial Award. The award was established by the board of directors of the Oakland County Bar Association (OCBA), in memory of Frances R. Avadenka, a former president of the OCBA. The award is presented annually to an OCBA member who has made significant contributions to the community outside the legal profession. The other recipient of the award is Joan P. Vestrand, a professor and assistant dean at Cooley Law School's Oakland University campus.
For the past two years, Mr. Lavoie has been responsible for developing the Gettysburg Mentoring Program, which has trained hundreds of lawyers and law students to serve as adult mentors to more than 400 middle and high school students in the Pontiac, Michigan school system. Each of the mentors commits to meeting one hour a week with a student to help him/her develop the character and academic skills to succeed.
Mr. Lavoie is the head of Butzel Long's business litigation practice group. He practices in the areas of criminal white collar defense products liability defense and commercial, environmental and construction litigation. He has extensive experience representing companies in the automobile manufacturing and supply industries, construction, waste management, and many small to medium size businesses.
Prior to joining the firm in 1986, Mr. Lavoie was Assistant Chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney's office. During his tenure as an Assistant United States Attorney, Mr. Lavoie had more than 20 federal criminal felony trials. Since that time, he has also represented and successfully defended numerous individuals and businesses in criminal investigations on the state and federal level. Mr. Lavoie has also conducted numerous internal corporate investigations and designed and implemented a wide variety of compliance programs. He has significant expertise in compliance matters involving the federal Clery Act regarding safety and security on campus at higher education institutions, including internal investigations, auditing/reviewing compliance, and U.S. Education Department program reviews.
Mr. Lavoie currently serves as President of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan Historical Society. He is a board member and officer of the Pontiac Alumni Foundation engaged in youth mentoring and related activities. Mr. Lavoie is a former Peace Corps volunteer engaged in various Africa development projects.
Mr. Lavoie is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame (B.A., cum laude, 1975) and the University of Detroit (J.D., cum laude, 1980). Mr. Lavoie is a resident of Birmingham.
Butzel Long was established in 1854 and is headquartered in Detroit. Butzel Long is one of Michigan's oldest and largest law firms, with 225 attorneys and offices in Detroit, Bloomfield Hills, Lansing, Ann Arbor, and Holland, Mich., New York City, Washington, D.C., Boca Raton and Palm Beach, Fla., as well as Alliance offices in Beijing and Shanghai, China. The firm represents clients from diverse industries on a regional, national and multi-national level and is the sole Michigan member of Lex Mundi, a global association of 161 independent law firms. Visit the Butzel Long website at www.butzel.com.
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Media Contact: Maribeth Farkas at Caponigro Public Relations Inc., (248) 355-3200.
DETROIT, Mich. – Butzel Long attorney and shareholder Michael J. Lavoie is the co-recipient of the Frances R. Avadenka Memorial Award. The award was established by the board of directors of the Oakland County Bar Association (OCBA), in memory of Frances R. Avadenka, a former president of the OCBA. The award is presented annually to an OCBA member who has made significant contributions to the community outside the legal profession. The other recipient of the award is Joan P. Vestrand, a professor and assistant dean at Cooley Law School's Oakland University campus.
For the past two years, Mr. Lavoie has been responsible for developing the Gettysburg Mentoring Program, which has trained hundreds of lawyers and law students to serve as adult mentors to more than 400 middle and high school students in the Pontiac, Michigan school system. Each of the mentors commits to meeting one hour a week with a student to help him/her develop the character and academic skills to succeed.
Mr. Lavoie is the head of Butzel Long's business litigation practice group. He practices in the areas of criminal white collar defense products liability defense and commercial, environmental and construction litigation. He has extensive experience representing companies in the automobile manufacturing and supply industries, construction, waste management, and many small to medium size businesses.
Prior to joining the firm in 1986, Mr. Lavoie was Assistant Chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney's office. During his tenure as an Assistant United States Attorney, Mr. Lavoie had more than 20 federal criminal felony trials. Since that time, he has also represented and successfully defended numerous individuals and businesses in criminal investigations on the state and federal level. Mr. Lavoie has also conducted numerous internal corporate investigations and designed and implemented a wide variety of compliance programs. He has significant expertise in compliance matters involving the federal Clery Act regarding safety and security on campus at higher education institutions, including internal investigations, auditing/reviewing compliance, and U.S. Education Department program reviews.
Mr. Lavoie currently serves as President of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan Historical Society. He is a board member and officer of the Pontiac Alumni Foundation engaged in youth mentoring and related activities. Mr. Lavoie is a former Peace Corps volunteer engaged in various Africa development projects.
Mr. Lavoie is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame (B.A., cum laude, 1975) and the University of Detroit (J.D., cum laude, 1980). Mr. Lavoie is a resident of Birmingham.
Butzel Long was established in 1854 and is headquartered in Detroit. Butzel Long is one of Michigan's oldest and largest law firms, with 225 attorneys and offices in Detroit, Bloomfield Hills, Lansing, Ann Arbor, and Holland, Mich., New York City, Washington, D.C., Boca Raton and Palm Beach, Fla., as well as Alliance offices in Beijing and Shanghai, China. The firm represents clients from diverse industries on a regional, national and multi-national level and is the sole Michigan member of Lex Mundi, a global association of 161 independent law firms. Visit the Butzel Long website at www.butzel.com.
* * * * *
Media Contact: Maribeth Farkas at Caponigro Public Relations Inc., (248) 355-3200.
