Cowan named to Legal Publication's 'Hall of Fame' Class of 2022

Plunkett Cooney partner Dennis G. Cowan was recently named to the Michigan Lawyers Weekly (MiLW) “Hall of Fame” Class of 2022.

Cowan is one of 20 attorneys selected by MiLW as a top legal leader in Michigan who is over the age of 60 and who has built an exemplary career with numerous accomplishments and valuable contributions made to the community.
On April 8, MiLW will host its annual Hall of Fame awards ceremony at the Detroit Marriott Troy hotel. This year’s honorees will also be profiled in a special supplement that will be inserted into the April 18 issue of MiLW.

Cowan has the distinction of having previously served as President & CEO of Plunkett Cooney, one of the Midwest’s oldest and largest full-service law firms. He focuses his legal practice on real estate project development with a particular focus on obtaining governmental licensing and real estate development approvals at the local, county and state levels.

As part of his land use and corporate law practice, Cowan also represents clients in regulatory hearings before state administrative boards and in matters involving the Michigan Attorney General’s office. Additional areas of his expertise include banking law, business transactions and all aspects of corporate law.

A 1984 magna cum laude graduate of the Detroit College of Law, now known as the Michigan State University College of Law, Cowan has been involved in some of the state’s largest and most significant business deals, including a bid to build a Detroit casino, securing approvals for multi-million-dollar developments in suburban communities, and assisting with the financing package that helped make the city of Detroit’s “Grand Bargain” bankruptcy possible in 2014.

Cowan, who received his undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Massachusetts/Boston in 1978, is a member of the Oakland County Bar Association; the Real Property Law, Corporation and Business Law, and Public Corporations Law sections of the State Bar of Michigan; and the State and Local Government Section of the American Bar Association.

In addition to his nearly 40 years in practice, Cowan served 14 years as a member of the Royal Oak City Commission. After six years as a City Commissioner, he was elected and served four consecutive two-year terms as Royal Oak Mayor. His extensive experience as a public official allows Cowan to provide clients with a unique perspective on legal issues related to all levels of government.