Butzel Long Adds Former Raymond & Prokop Attorneys to Law Firm.

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. -- Butzel Long has added six attorneys including R. Peter Prokop, Robert H. Schwartz, W. Patrick Dreisig, Karl W. Schettenhelm, Jr. Sean H. Cook, and Geoffrey S. Gallinger, to the firm, the announcement was made today by Philip J. Kessler, Chairman, Butzel Long. Previously, the attorneys were partners with the law firm of Raymond & Prokop, P.C.

Mr. Prokop, Mr. Schwartz, Mr. Dreisig and Mr. Schettenhelm have been elected shareholders with Butzel Long. Mr. Cook and Mr. Gallinger are senior attorneys with the firm. The attorneys will be based in Butzel Long's Bloomfield Hills office.

"We are very pleased to have these highly skilled and respected lawyers join Butzel Long," stated Mr. Kessler. "The experience and capabilities that they bring are highly synergistic with our strengths. Their standing in the business and legal communities has been well earned.

"Our clients will benefit from access to their expertise," he said. "At the same time, their clients will have access to our numerous specialty practice areas and greatly expanding resources, including our notable international capabilities."

R. Peter Prokop's practice focuses on corporate and commercial law, estate and family business planning and automotive suppliers and dealerships. He has key expertise in corporate and partnership taxation, mergers and acquisitions, loan negotiations, compensation planning and family business succession planning. He has assisted accounting and law firms regarding acquisitions of other practices as well as development of internal policies and agreements. He is a CPA as well.

Mr. Prokop earned his J.D. from the University of Michigan School of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Detroit. He is a resident of Farmington Hills.

Robert H. Schwartz's practice emphasizes corporate and health care activities. He has experience in business planning, mergers and acquisitions as well as assisting health care clients on regulatory matters including reimbursement, fraud and abuse and hospital physician relations.

Mr. Schwartz earned a J.D. from Wayne State University School of Law and a Bachelor's degree from Wayne State University. Mr. Schwartz lives in West Bloomfield.

W. Patrick Dreisig's practice focuses on general business and planning needs for closely-held businesses and their owners, highly compensated executives and professionals. He has extensive experience in representing automotive industry clients, estate and business planning, executive compensation planning, mergers and acquisitions, corporations and partnerships, business transactions, new technology commercialization and protection, and loan restructuring and insolvency matters.

Mr. Dreisig earned a J.D. from Wayne State University Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan. He is a member of the Taxation Section of the American Bar Association and the Business Law, Environmental Law and Real Property Law and Taxation Sections of the State Bar of Michigan. Mr. Dreisig is a resident of Bloomfield Hills.

Karl W. Schettenhelm, Jr.'s practice includes technology licensing and financing, tax exempt corporations, estate planning, qualified and non-qualified employee benefit plan issues, business planning including acquisitions and divestitures, and charitable foundations.

Mr. Schettenhelm graduated from the University of Detroit School of Law (J.D., 1976), Wayne State University (L.L.M., Taxation, 1980), and the University of Michigan (B.A. 1971). He is a member of the Michigan, American, Oakland County and Federal Bar Associations. Mr. Schettenhelm is a resident of Rochester Hills.

Sean H. Cook has a diverse practice area including general corporate law, commercial law, mergers and acquisitions, succession planning, estate administration, non-profit entities and general tax planning and consultation. He is a certified public accountant (CPA) with more than eight years experience with a national firm and a metro Detroit firm.

Mr. Cook earned a law degree from Wayne State University Law School in 1995. He graduated from Walsh College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Taxation in 1990. He majored in Economics and earned a degree from the University of Michigan in 1987. Mr. Cook is a resident of West Bloomfield.

Geoffrey S. Gallinger's practice focuses on counseling clients regarding general business and corporate planning including all forms of real estate transactions and developments, acquisitions, leasing, financing and labor and employment matters. He has extensive experience regarding mergers and acquisitions, partnerships and joint ventures, shareholder matters and general business transactions.

Mr. Gallinger earned a J.D. from Michigan State University-Detroit College of Law (cum laude). He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration, Pre-Law from Michigan State University. Mr. Gallinger lives in 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 215 attorneys and offices in Detroit, Bloomfield Hills, Lansing, Ann Arbor, and Holland, Mich., Washington, D.C. and Boca Raton, 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.