w-\\
CHANGING
TEE GUARD
Alan S. Schwartz
will succeed
Joel Adelman
as CEO
at Honigman.
family. "
Adelman will continue at Honigman as vice chairman and assisting the new
CEO. He will practice real estate law, but not full time. Adelman called his
successor "an outstanding and widely recognized lawyer and leader. He wilt be
a terrific chairman and CEO."
Joel Adelman and Alan S. Schwartz
F
ALAN ABRAMS
Special to the Jewish News
or years, Alan S. Schwartz has been dispensing legal advice on busi-
ness transition and succession planning. Now he's applying his spe-
cialty to his own career.
After nine years as vice chairman of Detroit-based Honigman,
Miller, Schwartz and Cohn LLP, Schwartz will be succeeding Joel S. Adelman
as chairman and CEO of the law firm on Jan. 1, 2003. (Alan S. Schwartz and
Alan E. Schwartz, a founding partner at Honigman, are not related.)
"At a time when there is really significant instability in many businesses,
including the professions, we're rock solid. It's an evolution, not a revolution,"
said Alan S. Schwartz, referring to the change in command. Honigman is the
third largest. Detroit-based law firm. As CEO, Schwartz will supervise 191
other attorneys and 334 staff members working in three locations: downtown
Detroit, Lansing and its Oakland County office in Bingham Farms.
"Late last year," said Adelman, "I began to think about a couple of things ...
After much soul searching, I concluded that I did not want to continue as
CEO and that Alan would be absolutely the best person to succeed me.
"Being CEO of our firm is a very demanding job," said Adelman. "It is a
heavy responsibility and it leaves little time for personal matters. I'll be 63 in
October and I concluded that I needed to begin to devote more time to my
Lettuce To Law
Schwartz was born in Denver, where his father was stationed during World
War II. But both sides of his family were in wholesale produce in Detroit.
"My mother's family business was Simon & Leeman,at the Eastern Market,
and my father's company was Ben B. Schwartz and Sons."
Schwartz grew up in northwest Detroit, attending Bagley, Hampton and
Mumford. At Congregation Shaarey Zedek, he was president of junior congre-
gation. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 1965 and Harvard
Law" Schoolin 1968.
"I have had only one job in my entire career, having joined Honigman
Miller that year," said Schwartz, who is 58. "My practice is as a business
lawyer. I do general corporate and transitional work, such as if a client wants
to sell his business. I work as a business and succession planner, family adviser
and as a counselor," said Schwartz.
Schwartz's clients are lavish in their praise. Murray Pitt, co-founder and for-
mer owner of Murray's Discount Auto Stores, said Schwartz is "absolutely the
greatest. I've been a client of his for maybe 10 years. He's smart, hardworking
and most important, always available.
"I think he understands accounting as well as any accountant. He under-
stands insurance as well as any insurance agent. And he understands taxes.
"Most important, his value system is the same as mine. He understands the
dynamics of the family. I do not make any important decision without Alan
Stuart Schwartz sitting there in the room — even down to what food to serve
at a meeting. I admire him and respect him. I am awfully glad he is on my
2002
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