Four highly experienced attorneys join Honigman as partners

Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP is pleased to announce that Philip J. Kessler with 40 years of experience, Peter J. Livingston and Jeffrey D. Smith both with 30 years, and Scot A. Hinshaw with 15 years have all joined Honigman as partners. The firm previously added two partners in January, making a total of six so far in 2014. Kessler and Smith are distinguished litigators, Livingston joined the firm’s Corporate Department and Hinshaw the Labor and Employment Department. Honigman now has 255 attorneys.

Philip J. Kessler, who is located in the firm’s Detroit office, focuses his practice on the prosecution and defense of public and private companies, as well as individuals and partnerships, in a broad range of business and intellectual property issues. He is a prominent trial lawyer with extensive experience in a wide variety of matters, including antitrust, audit malpractice, contracts, securities fraud, corporate control contests, and intra-corporate and partnership disputes. Kessler also litigates intellectual property issues arising from copyright, trademark, trade secret, unfair competition and patent infringement claims. He represents clients in numerous industries, including automotive, advertising, health care, pharmaceutical, financial services, real estate and manufacturing. In addition, Kessler has recently been involved in high-profile, high-risk international arbitrations, working with a prominent barrister at 12 Gray’s Inn Square in London. He is a Fellow and has served as a member of the Board of Regents and on the Executive Committee of the distinguished American College of Trial Lawyers. He also is a Fellow of The International Society of Barristers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. In addition, Kessler is a Trustee, Secretary and Executive Committee member of the U.S. Supreme Court Historical Society and is also a member of the Appeal Board of the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law in London, England. He has been consistently recognized as a leading lawyer by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, The Best Lawyers in America and Michigan Super Lawyers.

He earned his J.D. from the University of California at Berkeley School of Law and an A.B., with distinction, from the University of Michigan. He is admitted to practice in Michigan and New York. Kessler joined Honigman from Thompson & Knight LLP’s offices in Detroit and in New York City.

Peter J. Livingston, who is located in the firm’s Kalamazoo office, is a corporate attorney with a focus on advising family businesses in a wide variety of industries. His practice includes general corporate, business reorganizations, mergers, acquisitions, business succession and estate planning matters. Livingston was formerly chair of the corporate practice and managing partner of the Kalamazoo office while at Varnum. Livingston has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America since 2012 and was named one of its “Lawyers of the Year” in corporate law in 2014. He earned his J.D. from the University of Notre Dame Law School and a B.B.A. from the University of Notre Dame. Livingston is admitted to practice in Michigan.

Jeffrey D. Smith, who is located in the firm’s Kalamazoo office, is a litigator who focuses on defending product liability, warranty, and admiralty claims and on handling complex litigation matters. Many of his clients are national and international manufacturers, including marine, automotive, furniture and consumer products manufacturers. Smith is a member and past vice chair of the Business and Industry Risk Management Council of the National Marine Manufacturers Association and has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America since 2010. He earned a J.D., with high distinction, from The John Marshall Law School and a B.S. from Michigan State University. Smith is admitted to practice in Michigan, Indiana and Florida.

Both Livingston and Smith joined Honigman from Varnum LLP.

Scot A. Hinshaw, who is located in the firm’s Detroit office, has joined Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP as a partner in its Labor and Employment Department’s Wage and Hour Matters Practice Group. He is located in the firm’s Detroit office. Hinshaw brings to Honigman 15 years of experience practicing labor and employment law. He has an extensive background in advising and counseling clients in a wide range of industries on matters involving legal compliance, employment policies, wages and hours, and best practices. His extensive experience also includes litigating labor and employment cases under the Fair Labor Standards Act, the National Labor Relations Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and ERISA. Hinshaw earned his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and a B.A. from the University of Maryland. He is admitted to practice in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Illinois, and his admittance to the State Bar of Michigan is pending. He joined Honigman from Vedder Price, PC in Chicago, Illinois.