Paul J. Dillon is the managing partner of the firm. Since 1992, Mr. Dillon maintains specialties in the fields of business law, real estate law, personal injury, employment, and criminal matters. Mr. Dillon combines his outstanding academic and legal credentials with the business and accounting experience he obtained while working for a national accounting and consulting firm, to identify and explain to clients, adversaries, and juries the financial impact of various legal issues and disputes. After spending nearly five years with the consulting practice of Arthur Anderson & Co., Mr. Dillon earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Detroit School of Law in 1992. During law school, Mr. Dillon was awarded clerkship at the Wayne County Circuit Court, the United States Attorney General's Office, and Pepper Hamilton LLP, a nationally recognized law firm. Mr. Dillon received his bachelor of arts in 1984 from Kalamazoo College, where he captained the Division III football team for two years, while also being active in intercollegiate baseball and wrestling. Mr. Dillon also studied in Hannover, Germany for a semester of his undergraduate experience. He has been honored to have been designated as a Michigan Super Lawyer and continues to strive to the highest of standards for the practice of law. Paul is married to JoDee, his wife of twenty-nine years. The Dillon’s have five children and live in Plymouth where both Paul and JoDee attended Salem High School. Paul enjoys watching his children participate in a variety of sports.

Thomas Piotrowski is an experienced and aggressive litigator who handles cases in and around the Detroit metro area. Since graduating cum laude from the Detroit College of Law in 1987, Mr. Piotrowski has been actively litigating inside of Michigan courtrooms. Mr. Piotrowski is a former Wayne County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney. His responsibilities included the prosecution of felony and misdemeanor offenses in both bench and jury trials. After 10 years at the Prosecutor’s office, Mr. Piotrowski moved on to the Attorney General’s office as an Assistant Attorney General. While there, he worked in the Criminal Division.. Mr. Piotrowski is now putting his decades of experience prosecuting individuals to work by defending clients and their constitutional rights both in and out of the courtroom. He is able to use the unique skill set of building cases against individuals to see the weaknesses of a given lawsuit or prosecution and can use these to his advantage when arguing a client’s defense. Mr. Piotrowski’s professional memberships include the State Bar of Michigan and the Federal Eastern district.

Michael S. Melfi is an attorney at Mavacy, representing innovative and entrepreneurial businesses across the dynamic landscapes of legal areas. With a wealth of experience, Michael seamlessly guides companies through various business inflexion points, including the intricacies of financing and fundraising, tax planning, and acquisitions and dispositions. Beyond traditional legal roles, he serves as a trusted advisor, offering mentorship, and counsel. Fueled by an entrepreneurial spirit, Michael collaborates with visionaries throughout their journey, from inception to commercialization. His strategic guidance encompasses assessment, strategic planning, business development, execution, and fundraising, ensuring a comprehensive approach to success. His multifaceted background includes experience as the founder, chief operating officer, and general counsel of a multimedia company, where he crafted cutting-edge experiential and digital marketing campaigns for Fortune 500 clients. An esteemed authority in the legal field, Michael frequently writes and speaks on various issues impacting entrepreneurs, startups, leadership, business, social media, crowdfunding, and IP. As the author of four books, he seeks to demystify complex business areas for aspiring entrepreneurs. In his commitment to nurturing the entrepreneurial community, Michael founded Investable Mastermind. This community served as a hub for professionals and business owners, offering a platform to address challenges and obstacles in their business growth journey. Members of the Mastermind gain access to invaluable tools, resources, and connections, fostering collaboration and empowerment within the like-minded entrepreneurial community. Together, they pursue visions in a fulfilling and abundant manner, achieving collectively what may have seemed insurmountable individually. An avid golfer, Michael finds joy in the precision and skill of the game. Outside the professional arena, he relishes long runs, embracing the meditative rhythm that running provides. Beyond his professional and athletic pursuits, Michael cherishes moments with his beautiful wife and adorable children. These personal interests and connections underscore his commitment to a well-rounded and fulfilling life.

Daniel Hilker is a seasoned attorney specializing in trusts, estates, guardianships, and conservatorships, with extensive experience in estate planning and litigation. He has represented clients in numerous probate courts across Michigan, as well as the Michigan Court of Appeals. Actively involved in the legal community, Dan serves on several committees for the State Bar’s Probate and Estate Planning Section and is a member of the Ingham County Bar and Greater Lansing Estate Planning Council. Recognized for his expertise, he has been named a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers Magazine from 2019 to 2024.

Martin Shepherd serves as the Managing Partner at Mavacy, where he oversees firm strategy, innovation, and client service. With over 20 years of experience in litigation and cybersecurity, Martin offers a unique cross-disciplinary perspective to the legal industry. His track record includes a 90% success rate in high-stakes litigation, executive advocacy, and regulatory compliance. Martin has developed and led cybersecurity legal practices at multiple firms, advised critical infrastructure clients on SOC 2 and CISA standards, and acted as a trusted advisor in executive compensation and data breach response. He is also the CEO and Chairman of CYDEF, a global cybersecurity company, and the founder of Arch Access Control. A recognized thought leader by the Pittsburgh Technology Council, Martin actively promotes cybersecurity education through collaborations with Carnegie Mellon University and serves on various nonprofit and advisory boards. He is licensed in Michigan and Pennsylvania and holds degrees from Miami University, The Ohio State University College of Law, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Emily Wisniewski is an intellectual property and business lawyer. Emily focuses her practice on helping businesses and individuals protect and build value with their brands. Emily’s practice encompasses a wide range of intellectual property services, including trademarks, copyrights, trade dress, and trade secrets. She advises clients on brand development, handles trademark and copyright registration applications, intellectual property licensing, and the sale and transfer of intellectual property. In addition, Emily advises clients on business formation, startup matters, contracts, regulatory matters, and everyday operations. Emily has extensive experience forming and advising tax-exempt and 501(c)(3) organizations. Emily works with clients to buy and sell businesses, including transaction structuring, negotiating, due diligence, and document drafting.

Data & Privacy Strategist | Legal & Tech Advisor | AI & Digital Innovation

Richard Hoeg graduated from the University of Michigan Law School in 2005, finishing in the top five of his class. He began his career at some of Michigan’s largest law firms, becoming an equity partner at Honigman in 2014. While at Honigman, he co-authored updates to Michigan Corporation Law and Practice, one of the leading treatises on corporate law in Michigan, with his colleague Cyril Moscow. In 2016, Richard founded his own practice with the goal of delivering high-quality legal services to small businesses. Beyond his legal practice, he has developed a strong presence in digital media. Since 2018, he has contributed to outlets such as MGoBlog and various streaming platforms, including his YouTube channel and the show “Virtual Legality,” which explores business and legal issues in popular culture. He also co-hosts the weekly talk show Bitcast for Seasoned Gaming and serves as a legal contributor to Last Stand Media. Richard is regularly quoted in both the gaming industry and mainstream outlets on legal and business topics.

Kurt Heise has more than 30 years’ experience as a municipal, labor, and environmental attorney. He previously served as Assistant City Attorney in Dearborn Heights, Garden City, and Woodhaven, and as the Mayor’s Deputy in Dearborn Heights. Heise also served as Director of the Wayne County Department of Environment and County Drain Commissioner for six years, where he managed Michigan’s second-largest environmental protection agency with 145 employes and a $150 million annual budget. From 2010 to 2016, Heise served as State Representative for the 20th House District, covering Plymouth, Northville, and eastern Canton. As State Rep, Heise chaired the House Criminal Justice Committee where he sponsored 39 public acts, including the creation of the Michigan Human Trafficking Commission. From 2016 to 2024, Kurt served as Plymouth Township Supervisor, a full-time municipal CEO position responsible for a $24 million annual general fund budget and roughly 100 employees including full-time police, fire, public works, and clerical staff. During his tenure, Heise rebuilt the township’s first responder services and negotiated 12 public sector labor union contracts. Heise’s relentless economic development efforts generated more than half a billion dollars in private-sector investment in the township. From 2017 to 2021, Heise was appointed by Governor Rick Snyder to serve as Commissioner to the Huron-Clinton Metropark Authority, representing Michigan residents.

Mike Cicero, now in his 35th year of private practice, continues to learn and add to his diverse array of intellectual property law experience. Although Mike primarily focuses on the preparation and prosecution of patent applications, as well as opinions, his practice also encompasses trademark prosecution, copyright matters, and intellectual property litigation. Examples of patent applications that Mike drafted over the past decade include a system for remotely monitoring feed environment; a friction reduction pile jacket; a wearable interactive notification device and interactive monitoring system; broadcast messaging and methods of communicating hail messages in utility networks; and an elevator monitoring system, protected by a utility patent for the system and two design patents for graphical user interfaces. Mike’s patent litigation experience includes Markman (patent claim interpretation) proceedings, trials, motion practice, and expert-related discovery. A significant portion of his experience further extends to trademark and copyright infringement litigation, which enabled him to author the trademark and copyright infringement portions of a chapter titled “IP Litigation,” appearing in the 2015, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2024, and 2026 Editions of the book Georgia Business Litigation.