Dykema Announces New Management Appointments

Press Releases

1.14.14

Dykema, a leading national law firm, is pleased to announce six new management appointments.

Kelly Bagnall, a Dallas, Texas-based member whose practice has focused primarily on serving clients in the hotel & hospitality space, becomes the firm’s first Hospitality & Gaming Industry Group Director. Dykema’s growing work in the hospitality sector has encouraged the firm to create this industry group. The mission of the group will be to develop and execute a business plan to grow the firm's representation of hospitality and gaming clients across practice groups and offices of the firm. 

Brendan Cahill, a Bloomfield Hills-based member, has been named Director of the Firm’s Automotive Industry Group. His practice is focused on business planning, acquisition and financing transactions, with special emphasis on mergers and acquisitions and joint venture transactions involving both public and private companies. Cahill will be succeeding Aleks Miziolek in the position.

Mike Cooney, a Detroit-based member, will become Litigation Department Director—a position formerly held by Dan Stephenson. Cooney is one of the firm’s most highly regarded first-chair trial lawyers and has earned many successes in courtrooms across the country. He is regularly called upon by Fortune 500 companies to try high-exposure cases in difficult venues. Cooney, who has a mechanical engineering degree, has extensive experience handling complex engineering, business, and science-related disputes.

Jin-Kyu Koh, a Detroit-based member and Leader of the Korean Business Team, will take over for Cahill as Corporate Finance Practice Group Leader in the Business Services Department. Koh is one of Dykema’s leading M&A lawyers and has led multi-disciplinary teams on some of the firm’s highest-profile and largest transactions. He also has extensive experience in venture capital transactions.

Kevin Zielke, a Detroit-based attorney and member of the Financial Review Committee, will succeed John Entenman as Chair of the Financial Review Committee. Zielke has been the Leader of the Pharmaceutical Team. As a litigator, his work for pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers combines his thorough understanding of the medical and scientific issues with his exceptional legal judgment to minimize and avoid the potential impact of litigation.

Dan Zollner becomes the next Director of the Insurance Industry Group. He has been an active member and participant in this group since its formation. Zollner, who is based in the Chicago office, brings many years of experience in litigating a wide variety of insurance- and ERISA-related claims and in counseling clients on coverage and claim issues. The role was previously held by Benjamin Jeffers, who has become Lateral Recruiting Partner, a position created for Jeffers earlier this year.

“We are very excited about the direction of our leadership with these new management appointments,” said Peter Kellett, Chairman and CEO of Dykema. “Each person brings unique and dynamic qualities to their new roles. We are confident they will continue to build on the successful foundation already in place. I also want to thank those who served in these positions. They built a strong foundation for the new leaders to build on.”