Damien W. Sanchez
Mr. Sanchez is a litigator for clients on family law, criminal defense, first- and third-party insurance, contracts, and landlord-tenant cases. Mr. Sanchez also represents clients who are Spanish-speaking in all of these practice areas. El Abogado Damien Sanchez también representa clientes que hablan español en estas ramas de la ley.
Born and raised in a small town in Michigan, Mr. Sanchez attended the University of Michigan for his undergraduate studies, and he earned his Juris Doctorate from Syracuse University College of Law, where he served as an executive editor on the Law Review.
Mr. Sanchez’s passions for helping people and fighting for justice have always been a driving force in his life. Before coming to Wheeler Upham, Mr. Sanchez spent his law career in several different areas of law practice ranging from employment law, unemployment benefits law, family law, criminal law, bankruptcy law, and immigration law. Mr. Sanchez prides himself on his ability to offer empathy and sharp instincts while developing strong working relationships with clients. He is dedicated to tirelessly advocating for his clients and understands the importance of getting into the trenches and tenaciously fighting for them.
When not in the courtroom, Mr. Sanchez enjoys traveling with his wife and golfing. He is also a volunteer for the First Tee of West Michigan, and he is a lifetime Michigan sports fan.
Benjamin M. Nichele
Mr. Nichele primarily represents clients relating to first- and third-party auto insurance, premises liability, contracts, and civil litigation. He prides himself on his ability to identify critical issues and formulate organized strategies and is dedicated to efficiently obtaining favorable resolutions for his clients.
Before engaging in the private practice of law, Mr. Nichele worked for a Michigan-based insurance company, where he gained significant experience in the intricacies of the Michigan No-Fault Act and claims arising out of it.
Mr. Nichele attended Butler University in Indianapolis for his undergraduate studies, where he was a member of the men’s golf team. He earned his Juris Doctorate from the John Marshall Law School (now the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law) in Chicago. While in law school, Mr. Nichele was a law clerk at two prominent personal injury firms and also clerked for a distinguished trial judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County.
Outside of his practice of law, Mr. Nichele enjoys golfing with family and friends, comedy, and sports. Following their time in Chicago, he and his wife are thrilled to be putting down their roots and raising their children in Grand Rapids and enjoying all that West Michigan has to offer.
Sophia Sunderhaus
Ms. Sunderhaus devotes much of her practice to criminal defense and litigation. She believes everyone is entitled to a competent legal defense at all stages of the criminal process.
Before coming to Wheeler Upham, Ms. Sunderhaus was a Public Defender in Charleston, South Carolina. There she represented indigent clients on a variety of misdemeanor and felony charges.
Ms. Sunderhaus earned a bachelors degree in Criminology from Penn State University. She then attended law school in South Carolina at Charleston School of Law, graduating in 2018. Ms. Sunderhaus has been admitted to the State Bar of South Carolina since November 2018 and was admitted to the State Bar of Michigan in October of 2022.
Ms. Sunderhaus moved to Michigan in August of 2022 to be closer to her husband’s family. In her free time, Ms. Sunderhaus enjoys spending time with her husband, Sean, and their dog, Penny.
Shane A. Henry
Mr. Henry devotes much of his practice to estate planning and probate administration and litigation. He believes in the importance of custom-tailoring an estate plan that is designed to meet each client’s needs to avoid unnecessary stress and hassle later and to make sure the client’s wishes are carried out as far as how the estate should be distributed. When working on probate litigation and administration, Mr. Henry’s goal is to make sure his clients have a full understanding of the process, and he tries to put his clients at ease during what is often an incredibly stressful time in their lives. Mr. Henry also serves business clients in various capacities.
Before coming to Wheeler Upham, Mr. Henry was a partner in a small law firm in his hometown of Hastings, Michigan. He practiced in many different areas of law, including estate planning and probate law, criminal defense, family law, landlord/tenant disputes, business formation, abuse/neglect, and juvenile delinquency. This afforded him many opportunities to satisfy clients’ transactional needs along with their litigation needs inside of the courtroom.
Mr. Henry earned a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from the University of Michigan. After his time at U of M, he worked in the insurance industry before attending law school at Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School, graduating Magna Cum Laude. He was admitted to the State Bar of Michigan in November of 2017.
In his free time, Mr. Henry enjoys spending time with his wife Kendra, daughter Kennedy, and son Chase, as well as their two dogs, Rosie and Catalina. He is also an avid sports fan and enjoys following U of M and Detroit sports and the Grand Rapids Griffins. He enjoys indulging in music and loves playing his drums whenever he has the opportunity.
