Crain’s Detroit Business has reported that Philip J. Kessler has stepped down as Butzel Long PC’s chairman and as member of the firm’s board of directors. Richard Rassel, a previous chairman, will be acting chairman.
Kessler will continue as a shareholder at the firm and plans to focus more exclusively on his commercial litigation and intellectual property practice, he said in a statement.
Justin Klimko, a board member appointed president in May to handle day-to-day operations at the firm and share leadership duties with Kessler, will continue in that role.
As of Jan. 1, 2010, the 156-year-old Detroit firm had 171 attorneys.
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