McDonald Hopkins, a business advisory and advocacy law firm, elected four attorneys to the firm’s membership. Christal Contini and Christopher Dean will become members in Cleveland, and Don Orlandoni and Jayson Ruff in Detroit.

“This year we are privileged to recognize and promote four attorneys for their expertise and consistently high-level of client service,” said Shawn M. Riley, president of McDonald Hopkins.

Contini, based in Cleveland, has experience providing general corporate counseling to a variety of businesses, business owners, boards of directors, management teams and investors on matters relating to corporate governance, commercial contracts, compliance and operational issues. Her practice also is focused on representing private equity funds, search funds and both strategic buyers and sellers in various types of transactions, including complex mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, leveraged buyouts, distressed acquisitions and dispositions, financings and investments.

Dean, based in Cleveland and Chicago, has commercial litigation experience in a broad array of industries and involving a wide variety of issues, including contract, partnership, fiduciary duty, professional negligence, white collar, bankruptcy, antitrust, unfair competition, intellectual property and energy-related disputes. He is well-versed in all aspects of trial and appellate preparation, as well as managing complex discovery processes. Before joining McDonald Hopkins in 2014, he worked as an IT consultant in New York City, for a large law firm in Washington, D.C. and with a well-respected commercial litigation boutique in Chicago.

Orlandoni, based in Detroit, represents companies and individuals in complex business and commercial matters. He has a record of achieving positive outcomes for his clients in pre-lawsuit negotiations, state and federal court litigation, arbitration, and other forums of alternative dispute resolution. Orlandoni worked in the automotive and pharmaceutical industries before becoming an attorney. Earlier, he served as an infantryman in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Ruff, based in Detroit, is an accomplished business restructuring attorney with extensive experience in a wide variety of industries from automotive to healthcare. His practice is focused on the restructuring of privately held businesses, in and out of bankruptcy, assisting secured and unsecured creditors in creditors’ rights issues and selling assets in distressed M & A deals. Ruff also has worked for clients in general business matters such as the formation of a new corporation and the sale of existing entities. Prior to becoming an attorney, Ruff spent seven years in the IT industry supporting the automotive and finance industries in Detroit.

Founded in 1930, McDonald Hopkins is a business advisory and advocacy law firm with locations in Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, Miami and West Palm Beach.