Three Experienced Attorneys Join the Detroit Office of McDonald Hopkins Law Firm John E. Benko, Michael G. Latiff and Timothy J. Lowe

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Apr 20, 2010, 04:37 ET

DETROIT, April 20 /PRNewswire/ -- McDonald Hopkins welcomes three experienced attorneys to the Litigation Department in the firm's Detroit office. John E. Benko and Michael G. Latiff were elected to McDonald Hopkins as Members. Timothy J. Lowe joins as an Associate. All three attorneys were previously with the law firm Butzel Long.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100420/CL90099)

"We are delighted to have such outstanding litigators join McDonald Hopkins," said William J. O'Neill, chair of the firm's Litigation Department. "They have substantial expertise in the automotive and construction industries, which is an excellent fit for our clients in Detroit and nationally."

The Litigation Department at McDonald Hopkins provides a wide range of litigation services in specialties such as commercial and financial services, construction law and real estate, labor and employment, intellectual property, products liability and mass tort, securities, white collar crime, and trade secret, non-compete and unfair competition.

John E. Benko, Member

Benko has extensive experience in complex commercial litigation and contract litigation in which he specializes in the automotive and construction industries. Benko, who has acted as outside general counsel to automotive suppliers, has also represented Tier I and Tier II automotive suppliers in a wide range of legal matters, including tooling disputes, recall litigation, and supplier disputes regarding commodity pricing and other commercial terms. In the construction industry, Benko has represented numerous contractors in disputes with owners and governmental entities. He has tried cases in state and federal courts in Michigan, and represents clients in other jurisdictions around the country.

A member of the State Bar of Michigan, Benko received his J.D. in 1998 from the University of Michigan Law School and a Bachelor of Science degree in 1993 from Central Michigan University.

Michael G. Latiff, Member

Latiff, who was the Litigation Practice Group leader at his former firm, has extensive experience as lead counsel in the litigation of significant commercial, business, construction, real property, OSHA, and automotive indirect supply chain disputes. He has tried several jury and non-jury trials in state and federal courts. In addition, Latiff has represented clients in many arbitration and administrative law disputes.

In 2006, Latiff served as lead trial counsel in an E-discovery abuse case in which he obtained a Default, Sanction and Summary Judgment Opinion in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan. This was one of the first opinions and orders of its kind in the U.S. since the modification of discovery rules. Latiff's expertise also includes significant specialized knowledge defending construction clients who have been cited for multiple penalties and large fines by the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA). He is a frequent author on the legal issues related to workplace safety practices.

Latiff is a member of the Arab American Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Michigan, and the Macomb County Bar Association.

He received a J.D. in 1994 (cum laude) from the University of Detroit School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1991 from the University of Michigan.

Timothy J. Lowe, Associate

Lowe has wide-ranging experience in the areas of business and commercial litigation including business, construction, automotive supply chain, sales representative, and real property disputes. He is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, Federal Bar Association and Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association.

Lowe received a J.D. in 2005 (magna cum laude, Order of the Coif) from Wayne State University Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2002 (magna cum laude) from Aquinas College.

About McDonald Hopkins

McDonald Hopkins is a business advisory and advocacy law firm with offices in Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, and West Palm Beach. The firm offers comprehensive legal services in the areas of business law, litigation, business restructuring, healthcare, labor and employment, and estate planning. The president of McDonald Hopkins is Carl J. Grassi. For more information about McDonald Hopkins, visit www.mcdonaldhopkins.com.