MWPLEGAL.COM - Key Persons
Born and raised in Haslett, Michigan, Alex Mallory was destined to be a Spartan early on. In 2015, Alex graduated from Michigan State University at the top of his class with a major in Communication and a minor in Public Relations. In 2018, Alex obtained his J.D. degree from Michigan State University College of Law. During his time at MSU College of Law, Alex was selected to work at MSU's Family Law and Civil Mediation clinic. While studying law, Alex also served as a Guardian ad Litem at the Ingham County Probate Court and a Civil Mediator in Ingham and Eaton County.
Alex started working at McCurdy, Wotila and Porteous as an intern in 2018 and became an associate with the firm in 2019. In 2023, Alex became the newest partner and shareholder of the firm. He focuses his practice primarily on estate administration, trust administration, and estate planning.
Regardless of the season, Alex enjoys spending his free time outdoors. In the spring, summer, and fall, he enjoys hiking, biking, canoeing, and playing tennis. In the winter, you can find Alex skiing on the slopes of Caberfae.
In addition to her work as an attorney, Cynthia has served on several community boards, including The Family Resource Center of Cadillac and The Wexford County Historical Society. She also enjoys mentoring children in the Girls on the Run program and previously coached the Cadillac High School Equestrian Team. These activities allow her to truly appreciate and contribute to the Northern Michigan community which she cherishes as her home.
David Porteous graduated from Michigan State University Cum Laude in 1974 and went on to receive his Juris Doctorate with distinction from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. He was raised in Reed City and has practiced law in Western Michigan since 1978.
Well-known and respected in the banking community, David serves on numerous boards of directors. He is currently lead director of the Board of Directors of Huntington Bancshares Inc. of Columbus, Ohio. He is a past director of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis and Chemical Bank Central.
Dave is a recognized authority on economic development and has served on the Board of Directors of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), the Michigan Economic Growth Authority (MEGA), the Michigan Strategic Fund, the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, the State Correction Commission, and the Alliance for Health in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
In 1998, Dave was elected to the Board of Trustees of Michigan State University, serving as board chairman from 2003 to 2006. He has also served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Michigan State College of Law. Dave is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Jackson National Life Insurance Company of New York, and the Michigan 4-H Foundation. He is a Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of Michigan, and was appointed to the Attorney Grievance Commission by the Michigan Supreme Court in 2007.
After graduating from the University of Illinois Law School in 1974, Dave McCurdy came to Cadillac and went into practice with Don Samardich, now Of Counsel with McCurdy, Wotila & Porteous. With over 40 years of law experience in the community, Dave is very well-known for his work in Estate Planning and Trust and Probate Administration. He also works with businesses and farms as they transition ownership. In these capacities, he has been a trusted confidential advisor for generations of families in the Cadillac area. Dave also specializes in Real Estate Law and is the managing owner of Lakeside Title. Dave was awarded the highest rating given by an independent attorney rating service and has held that rating for over 40 years.
Outside the law firm, David participates in numerous local organizations. He is currently the President of the Mercy Hospital Cadillac Board of Directors. An outdoor enthusiast, he enjoys skiing, bicycling, tennis, golf, hiking, and traveling. He has been married to Kathy McCurdy for over 40 years and they consider themselves very fortunate to have raised three children in the Cadillac community.
David has received an AV Preeminent Rating, which is the highest rating in legal ability and ethical standards by Martindale-Hubbell.
Born in Northern Ontario, Canada, Michael Figliomeni earned his B.A. degree from the University of Toledo in 1979 and his J.D. degree from Villanova University in 1982. Mike began practicing law in the state of Maine, later moving to Michigan where he has practiced since 1984. Seasoned as a public interest attorney with Legal Services of Northern Michigan and serving for three years as its Executive Director, Mike joined the law firm in 1990, and is now a partner. Mike is also a Fellow of the Michigan State Bar Foundation, which inducts a small number of attorneys each year on the basis of their outstanding contributions to the legal profession, service to the public, and efforts to assist in the promotion and improvement of Michigan's justice system.
Mike and his family live in the Cadillac area where he is very active with a number of community organizations, such as the Cadillac Symphony Orchestra, United Way, and the Cadillac Area Hockey Association. When he is not in his office using his creativity and work ethic for his clients, Mike is using those same traits to fool the region's bountiful trout population. Still an avid hockey player, Mike will admit that creativity and work ethic will never be a substitute for his lack of speed on the ice.
Nathan Piwowarski has been practicing law since 2007 (B.A., Albion College, J.D. Michigan State University College of Law), following a short stint as a legislative aide in the Michigan Senate. He has been a shareholder of our firm since 2009.
Nathan has extensive estate planning, estate administration, and elder law practice. He particularly focuses on contested estates (including will contests, trust contests, and breach of fiduciary duty claims), contested guardianships and conservatorships, special needs planning, and elder law. Additionally, Nathan contributes to the firm's litigation practice and has written briefs submitted to the Michigan Court of Appeals and Michigan Supreme Court.
Nathan has presented for Michigan's Institute for Continuing Legal Education and is a chapter author for the most recent edition of ICLE's treatise, Michigan Probate Litigation. He is a council member of the Michigan Bar's Probate and Estate Planning Section, where he serves as the Chair of the Legislation Development and Drafting Committee. Nathan and the committee contributed to the proposal that later became Public Act 143 of 2018 (exempt property allowance remedial legislation), as well as Public Acts 491 and 492 of 2018 (certificate of trust modernization). In recognition of his contributions in continuing legal education and improvement of Michigan's probate laws, Nathan has been accepted as a fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel.
Nathan actively volunteers for his community. He is the President of the Cadillac Area Community Foundation and serves as a trustee for Munson Cadillac Hospital. Nathan is married to Dr. Jennifer Piwowarski, a family practitioner at Munson Cadillac Primary Care.
A native Michigander and veteran of the United States Air Force, Patrick Cherry received his B.A. degree with high honors from the University of Michigan in 2012. He then worked as a judicial intern and law clerk while attending Wayne State University Law School, graduating in 2015. By the time Patrick became an attorney he had already been practicing as a prosecutor for two years. After graduation, Patrick moved, with his family, to Interlochen to enable his oldest son to attend the prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy and moved to the Cadillac area the following year.
Patrick joined McCurdy, Wotila & Porteous in April 2016. As a trial attorney, Patrick does not specialize in any one practice area. Instead, Patrick focuses on the art of advocacy in front of Courts, arbitrators, and administrative agencies. Patrick represents our clients in all types of litigation including criminal, civil, probate, and family law. In both 2020 and 2021, Patrick was named a Rising Star by Super Lawyers. Only the top 2.5% of attorneys in Michigan receive this honor due to a demonstrated excellence in their practice of law.
Patrick currently serves as the Secretary on the Board of Directors for the Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan and as Chair of the Litigation Section of the State Bar of Michigan. Additionally, Patrick is a past President of the Wexford-Missaukee Bar Association.
In his private time, Patrick stays busy keeping up with his three children and volunteers as legal counsel to the board of directors of Up North Arts, Inc.
Job Titles:
- President of the Wexford - Missaukee Bar Association
Patti O'Dell was raised in Manton, Michigan. Patti graduated from Manton Consolidated Schools and went on to receive her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree from Central Michigan University in 1995. She then received her Master of Science in Taxation while working full-time from Walsh College in 2002. Patti obtained her Juris Doctorate degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 2006, while working full time, including several tax seasons.
Patti worked part-time as an attorney in Oakland County while simultaneously working at a CPA firm in Troy, Michigan. She moved back to the Cadillac area in 2014 and worked for a CPA firm in Grand Rapids and Cadillac until she joined the firm in February 2023. She currently practices in the fields of Estate Planning, Estate and Trust Administration, Business Law, Taxation issues, and Real Estate.
Patti is currently the president of the Wexford-Missaukee Bar Association. She has been on several local boards of non-profits, including Club Cadillac, Wexford County Historical Society and Museum, and Michigan Cerebral Palsy non-profit housing corporation. She was also the President and Secretary of the Shetland Sheepdog Club of Greater Detroit and committee chair of the Legislative Liaison of the American Shetland Sheepdog Club.
In her spare time, Patti runs her farm which includes dairy cows, alpacas, sheep, and chickens. She also breeds and shows Shetland Sheepdogs. She is an avid knitter and loves to research her family tree.
A graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, Roger Wotila has received several national and state awards as well as special recognition for outstanding legal work from the Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan. Roger has practiced before the United States Supreme Court, State of Michigan Supreme Court and all levels of federal and state trial courts. Before moving to Cadillac, Michigan, Roger taught law at the University of Michigan Law School and the University of the Andes in South America. He continues to provide legal seminars for his colleagues across Michigan.
As a successful trial attorney, Roger has earned the respect of both the bench and the bar. Roger has recovered millions of dollars in compensation for his clients' injuries and gained acquittals for many of his clients facing criminal charges. His reputation as a talented trial attorney is well recognized throughout Michigan. In 2008 he was also recognized nationally in Super Lawyers magazine for personal injury litigation. He has also received an AV Preeminent Rating, which is the highest rating in legal ability and ethical standards by Martindale-Hubbell
Roger's commitment to justice includes his experience as a founding organizer of the Michigan Migrant Legal Assistance Program, which has served the legal needs of the poor for over 30 years.