Attorney Mark Boegehold has expertise in personal injury cases, including automobile negligence, trucks, bus, motorcycle and pedestrian accidents, slip and fall accidents, dog bites, and police misconduct. Mr. Boegehold is a graduate of Michigan State University and the Detroit College of Law.

From his earliest days of legal practice, Steve Couch’s approach to advocacy has been marked by two consistent qualities: fearlessness and creativity. Within his first six months in private practice, he helped his clients hold a Massachusetts police department accountable in a wrongful death case before a jury that only needed ninety minutes to reach its verdict. While Steve’s litigation practice would evolve over time, this event set the tone for the rest of his career. Born and raised near Detroit, Steve grew up in a family of small business owners, giving him insights into the challenges that entrepreneurs face daily. He internalized these early lessons, which informed his approach to getting to know his clients as well as possible when working with them to address their legal needs. After graduating from the University of Michigan, he attended Boston University School of Law. While at Boston University, he devoted himself to honing his skills in trial and appellate advocacy through the school’s clinical litigation programs and its National First Amendment Moot Court team. Over the years, clients have entrusted Steve with significant matters in that required unconventional strategies and tenacious advocacy to achieve the necessary results. In one case, Steve successfully defended a national insurance carrier against a $45,000,000 claim, guiding the client to a zero-dollar settlement. Steve was also a pioneer of tapping into the wealth of third-party data collections as a litigation tactic for investigating opposing parties’ fraud, perjury and other misconduct. In recent years, Steve worked with a boutique law firm litigating on behalf of clients across the country. He has successfully represented individuals and companies in both trial and appellate courts from coast to coast. He is excited to bring that base of experience to Cronkhite Counsel.

Born into a family with ties to the intelligence community, Greg developed a strong sense of service early in life. This background also shaped Greg’s ability to identify patterns, uncover insights, and notice details that others overlook. Greg pursued his undergraduate studies at Virginia Tech, where he further sharpened his investigatory, analytical, and problem-solving skills through his role as an Associate in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s (ODNI’s) Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence (IC CAE). His work culminated in a formal written and oral briefing presented to a representative of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Greg is also a graduate of The Heritage Foundations Young Leaders Program, where he gained deep insights into the federal government’s inner workings and regulatory landscape, while also contributing to the collection and analysis of data assessing military capabilities of foreign nations. Greg later returned to his home state of Michigan to contribute to the startup phase of a company that leveraged artificial intelligence and autonomous systems initially designed for military and intelligence applications to the highly regulated field of autonomous passenger vehicles. It was during this time that he realized his skills in investigation, analysis, and problem-solving would be best utilized in service to his community through a career in law. While in law school, Greg received the CALI Award in his Business Organizations class, an honor given to the student with the highest grade in the course and was elected as Secretary of the Hellenic Bar Association of Michigan. He refined his investigatory and regulatory skills as a Compliance Extern at the University of Michigan Athletic Department amid a nationally notorious and closely scrutinized NCAA investigation, where he researched and enforced internal compliance with NCAA bylaws and HIPAA regulations, drafted legislative relief waivers, and conducted Title IX audits to ensure internal policies and procedures complied with federal legislation. After law school, Greg began his practice as an attorney serving corporate clients in matters of civil litigation including special investigations and fraud. Today, he channels his commitment to service into effective advocacy for clients in business and employment disputes. His background has shaped his approach as an aggressive, tenacious, and diligent trial attorney who leaves no stone unturned in pursuing his clients’ interests.

Kira Damusis grew up in Southeastern Michigan as the oldest of three children and maintains a close relationship with her parents and two younger brothers. Kira attended Washtenaw Community College and later transferred to Central Michigan University, where she graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in 2008. Kira then earned her Juris Doctorate from Detroit College of Law at Michigan State University. While awaiting the Michigan Bar results, Kira began working as a law clerk for a personal injury firm in Southfield. In 2019, Kira switched from personal injury to family law and never looked back. Since 2019, Kira has practiced exclusively divorce and family law in Wayne, Oakland, Washtenaw, Livingston, Lenawee, Macomb and Monroe counties. Having experienced her own parents’ several years’ long divorce when she was just 12 years old, Kira is dedicated to helping clients navigate the complexities of divorce and child custody cases to reach a place of peace and resolution during difficult times. She was very fortunate that both of her parents found wonderful partners and is grateful to her “parents” collectively as she calls them, her father and stepmother and mother and stepfather, for always being supportive and for instilling in her the belief that she could accomplish anything she put her mind to, and for showing her that, indeed, 'Through darkness comes light, through fear comes love, and through pain comes triumph.' -Lilly Atlas As a family law attorney and mother of two wonderful boys herself, Kira provides personalized, compassionate and effective legal guidance, and works tirelessly to advocate for the well-being and best interests of her clients and their families and children, and to find practical solutions that suit each client’s unique circumstances. Above all, Kira prefers spending quality time with her family and exploring the great outdoors. When she is not in the courtroom, Kira enjoys hiking, disc golfing, camping, and sharing the beauty of Michigan's natural landscapes with her boys. Kira loves to cook and explore new foods, is an avid gardener, and even raises chickens to share fresh eggs with family and friends. She believes in the power of nature to rejuvenate and inspire and brings that same passion and creative energy to her work. Family is at the heart of everything Kira does, and she would be honored to be your guide through the complexities of your Michigan family law case.

I have been in private practice as an attorney for 22 years. I can assist with all legal needs from criminal, family, bankruptcy, social security and more. With nearly three decades of practicing law in Michigan, our team of expert attorneys has distinguished itself as a top firm in the state. We are guided by three fundamental principles: a commitment to personalized legal advocacy, a dedication to truth, and an unyielding pursuit of our clients’ desired outcomes. At the Whitaker-Payton Justice Center, we believe that your future matters, and we are here to ensure that you get the justice you deserve.

Ben plays a pivotal role in guiding the development of patent portfolios, leveraging his deep knowledge and enthusiasm for cutting-edge technologies. With two decades of experience and having prepared over 1,000 patent applications, he frequently addresses complex patent issues and provides insights on infringement, patentability, and validity, honing his expertise across a broad spectrum of technological domains. Currently a Ph.D. candidate in electrical and computer engineering, Ben’s academic interests and patent experience span a range of fields including artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, microelectronics, optics and photonics, power transmission, secure communications, and signal processing. One of his current research projects focuses on the development of deep learning models for the recognition and analysis of disordered speech. In the realm of intellectual property law, Ben has developed a proficiency in using analytical tools to extract competitive data and trends. He leverages this expertise to advise clients on strategic patent decisions. Before attending law school, Ben spent several years designing and developing engineered automotive components. This hands-on experience instilled in him a philosophy of continuous improvement, which he now applies to managing client dockets. His approach aims to enhance outcomes, reduce case pendency, and control costs, reflecting a comprehensive and client-focused patent management strategy.

Ardiana Culaj joined Thurswell Law in 2009. She specializes in medical malpractice and birth injury litigation. Ms. Culaj is a second-generation attorney, following her parents, who served as a prosecutor and a judge in their native Kosovo. She earned a bachelor’s degree with honors in political science from Oakland University in 2003 and a law degree from Wayne State University in 2007. While in law school, she interned for Justice Marilyn Kelly of the Michigan Supreme Court and served as a student attorney in the Wayne State Disability Law Clinic. In 2015, Ms. Culaj was recognized as one of the top 30 women lawyers in Michigan, following her victory in the Court of Appeals on a wrongful death case involving a non-viable fetus (< 24 weeks gestation). Her determination and zealous representation resulted, for the first time in Michigan history, in the legal recognition of a wrongful death action on behalf of a non-viable fetus. Her major success in Simpson v. Pickens, et al, 311 Mich. App. 127 (2015) has helped pave the way for parents who seek justice and accountability for the loss of their non-viable fetus resulting from negligence. As a result of her efforts, families can seek damages such as the loss of love, affection, society, and companionship for the death of their loved one. Fewer than 10 other states recognize such claims.