Lewis & Munday PC, one of the oldest and largest law firms in the U.S. founded by African Americans, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Lewis & Munday has played a pivotal role in nearly every major Detroit real estate transaction in the past 45 years. It was also the first African-American law firm listed in The Municipal Directory of Bond Buyers (the "Red Book"). The firm has expanded to serve clients nationwide with offices in Washington, D.C., Connecticut, and New York, and attracts motivated and independent thinking lawyers from diverse backgrounds around the country.
The firm's impact began with the alliance of legal professionals David Baker Lewis, Richard T. White, and Judge Eric Lee Clay. Together, the team built a firm rooted in activism, possessing a resolve to step out on faith. Together Lewis, White, and Clay changed the face of the "mainstream" practice of law. Reginald G. Dozier, the firm's current president and CEO, was recently elected as vice chair of New Detroit Inc., a coalition of leaders working to achieve racial understanding and racial equity in MetropolitanDetroit.
"We are proud that after fifty years, Lewis & Munday continues to be a standard-bearer in the legal field and a powerhouse in the courtroom," said Dozier. "Together, our team continues to break barriers and change perceptions of what it means to be a black attorney in the United States of America. We are proud of the impact we have had on our hometown of Detroit and on behalf of clients around the country over the past fifty years."
David Baker Lewis has served on corporate boards across the country, including H&R Block, Sears Corp., and Comerica Bank. He was inducted into the National Association of Securities Professionals of Wall Street Hall of Fame in 2016.
Richard T. White helped develop the first HMO in the state and was recognized in 2012 by Crain's Detroit for his contribution to the Auto Club of Detroit where he later served as general counsel.
Judge Eric Lee Clay currently serves on the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, nominated by President Bill Clinton in 1996. While at the firm, he oversaw amicus briefing filed by the NAACP in a case where an ordinance designed to keep African Americans out of a city park was ruled unconstitutional. Under Reuben Munday's leadership, the firm has played a role in major Detroit real estate transactions, including the Chrysler Jefferson Assembly Plant and Little Caesars Arena.
Today, Lewis & Munday is an award-winning law firm with an established reputation of excellence throughout the legal field in disciplines from Municipal Finance to Litigation. Several well-esteemed city, state, and federal judges and officials have matriculated through its ranks.
Lewis & Munday will celebrate its 50th anniversary with events planned throughout 2022. In February, the firm was honored for its legacy of service at the 34th Annual Damon J. Keith Virtual Soul Food Luncheon. For more than three decades, the Soul Food Luncheon has been a unique celebration of leadership and achievement recognizing outstanding African-American leaders with the Soul and Spirit Humanitarian Award. It was founded by the late U.S. Court of Appealsjudge who served as a mentor to Baker Lewis and played an instrumental role in the firm's founding. Lewis & Munday was also honored at the Wolverine Bar Association's Barristers' Ball on April 30.
