The Harris family includes (l-r) Roger, Andy, Tiffany, and Russell.
By Tom Kirvan
Legal News
Andrew Harris, who became president of the Oakland County Bar Foundation in July, is the quintessential community servant, firmly dedicated to improving the lives of others and to addressing societal needs.
A shareholder with Maddin Hauser Roth & Heller in Southfield, Harris was recognized in June with the 2025 Distinguished Service Award by the Oakland County Bar Association, an annual honor presented to an OCBA member “who provides exceptional voluntary service and demonstrates superior dedication to improving the legal community, the OCBA, and the general public.”
His record of public service and community involvement has stemmed from a desire to “make a difference,” and has manifested itself in myriad ways, including as a member of the Birmingham City Commission from 2015-19, as the city’s mayor from 2017-18, as a trustee of the Baldwin Library Board, as president of the Parks and Recreation Board, as chairman of the OCBA Real Estate Committee, and now as head of the OCBF.
For good measure, Harris also has served as president of the Birmingham Little League and as legal counsel/board member of the Birmingham Hockey Association.
“I give credit to my parents for instilling in me the importance of giving back to the community,” said Harris, a product of Birmingham Seaholm High School and the University of Michigan, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in 2000. “They were wonderful role models in that regard for both me and my sister.”
A native of Birmingham, Harris grew up in a household of educators, as both of his parents (Marcia and David) were Chicago transplants who graduated from the University of Wisconsin before beginning their respective careers in teaching and educational administration.
His sister, Natalie Harris, is an attorney in Chicago who counsels and defends those who create, publish, and broadcast creative, editorial, and commercial content. A U-M alumna who earned her law degree from the University of Wisconsin, Harris spent several years studying Japanese while living and working in Japan.
“She’s a highly-regarded media law attorney who once deposed (former NBA great) Michael Jordan in a case,” said her brother. “She is brilliant, and also is the resident comedian in the family.”
While fond of a good laugh, Harris has spent the bulk of his legal career in the serious business of complex commercial litigation and risk advisory work, particularly on real estate, landlord-tenant, state tax issues, and insurance matters. A 2003 graduate of Wayne State University Law School, where in 2010 he also obtained an LL.M. in Taxation, Harris has been recognized by Michigan Leading Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and DBusiness Top Lawyer publications.
In addition to his litigation and real estate practices, Harris is a licensed civil mediator, helping parties resolve disputes and avoid protracted court proceedings. Harris spent 16 years with Kitch before joining Maddin Hauser in 2023 as a shareholder.
His involvement with the OCBF began in 2019 when he was encouraged by Birmingham attorney David Plunkett and OCBA Deputy Director Katie Tillinger to consider an opening on the OCBF board.
“It made a lot of sense to join the board, since I believe strongly in its mission to improve access to justice and to promote a greater understanding of our legal system,” Harris said. “I’ve had the pleasure of serving on the board with an outstanding group of people who are dedicated to supporting a number of legal aid clinics and legal education programs in the community.”
In a recent issue of the Oakland Bar’s Laches magazine, Harris paid special tribute to three of his predecessors – Marc Jerabek, Michael Turco, and Jeffrey Raphelson.
“Each one of them displayed a level of commitment to the OCBF’s mission not only as good as advertised but better,” Harris wrote. “Whether it was thinking creatively about how to raise more funds for the foundation, adjusting our governing documents to allow more money to flow to recipients, or serving as stewards over a new memorial fund, these three took their roles very seriously.
“Moreover, in all their dealings on behalf of the foundation, they were prepared, professional, kind, and effective (the same type of emblematic work is found within our multiple subcommittees). Whether they knew it or not, they were great mentors to me and, I am sure, so many others who have had the pleasure of working with them,” noted Harris, who also saluted the OCBF’s Deputy Director Katie Tillinger for her “stellar support.”
As this year’s president, Harris said that the “north star of service, invariably linked to the foundation’s mission, will guide my work.”
That work will include presiding over the annual Signature Event next spring, a fund-raiser that traditionally generates more than $200,000 in revenue to support the charitable giving of the OCBF. The event is the primary component of the foundation’s overall fund-raising efforts, which tallied upward of $300,000 last year, according to Harris.
In turn, the OCBF distributed more than $185,000 to 16 different grant recipients, including the likes of CARE House of Oakland County, Lakeshore Legal Aid, the Michigan Center for Civic Education, The Joseph Project, Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan, and a host of other nonprofits.
“Of course, it is our hope to increase our giving each year,” Harris indicated. “I also would like to have more face-to-face involvement with the organizations we donate to, which will help us understand their needs and to assist in spreading their message.”
Relatedly, Harris and his wife, Tiffany, could well write a book on positive parental involvement, as they have taken active roles in the athletic and academic pursuits of their two sons, Roger and Russell, who are both students at Birmingham Seaholm.
“We get a lot of joy in watching them play sports, whether it be in baseball, tennis, or hockey,” said Harris, who played baseball in high school and dreamed of becoming the “next Alan Trammel,” a Hall of Fame shortstop for the Tigers. “We also enjoy being involved behind the scenes with the booster clubs, helping the various programs get the support they need to succeed.”
A Cranbrook alumna, Tiffany graduated with honors from U-M, where she earned her bachelor and master degrees in nursing. She is a board-certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner for Bloom Pediatrics, which has offices in Birmingham, Bloomfield, Southfield, and Detroit.
“She is deeply committed to her work and has practiced for more than 20 years in her profession,” said Harris. “She also is a wonderful mother and wife, and finds time to serve as co-president of the Hockey Boosters Club with me. She is uber-competent.”
Legal News
Andrew Harris, who became president of the Oakland County Bar Foundation in July, is the quintessential community servant, firmly dedicated to improving the lives of others and to addressing societal needs.
A shareholder with Maddin Hauser Roth & Heller in Southfield, Harris was recognized in June with the 2025 Distinguished Service Award by the Oakland County Bar Association, an annual honor presented to an OCBA member “who provides exceptional voluntary service and demonstrates superior dedication to improving the legal community, the OCBA, and the general public.”
His record of public service and community involvement has stemmed from a desire to “make a difference,” and has manifested itself in myriad ways, including as a member of the Birmingham City Commission from 2015-19, as the city’s mayor from 2017-18, as a trustee of the Baldwin Library Board, as president of the Parks and Recreation Board, as chairman of the OCBA Real Estate Committee, and now as head of the OCBF.
For good measure, Harris also has served as president of the Birmingham Little League and as legal counsel/board member of the Birmingham Hockey Association.
“I give credit to my parents for instilling in me the importance of giving back to the community,” said Harris, a product of Birmingham Seaholm High School and the University of Michigan, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in 2000. “They were wonderful role models in that regard for both me and my sister.”
A native of Birmingham, Harris grew up in a household of educators, as both of his parents (Marcia and David) were Chicago transplants who graduated from the University of Wisconsin before beginning their respective careers in teaching and educational administration.
His sister, Natalie Harris, is an attorney in Chicago who counsels and defends those who create, publish, and broadcast creative, editorial, and commercial content. A U-M alumna who earned her law degree from the University of Wisconsin, Harris spent several years studying Japanese while living and working in Japan.
“She’s a highly-regarded media law attorney who once deposed (former NBA great) Michael Jordan in a case,” said her brother. “She is brilliant, and also is the resident comedian in the family.”
While fond of a good laugh, Harris has spent the bulk of his legal career in the serious business of complex commercial litigation and risk advisory work, particularly on real estate, landlord-tenant, state tax issues, and insurance matters. A 2003 graduate of Wayne State University Law School, where in 2010 he also obtained an LL.M. in Taxation, Harris has been recognized by Michigan Leading Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and DBusiness Top Lawyer publications.
In addition to his litigation and real estate practices, Harris is a licensed civil mediator, helping parties resolve disputes and avoid protracted court proceedings. Harris spent 16 years with Kitch before joining Maddin Hauser in 2023 as a shareholder.
His involvement with the OCBF began in 2019 when he was encouraged by Birmingham attorney David Plunkett and OCBA Deputy Director Katie Tillinger to consider an opening on the OCBF board.
“It made a lot of sense to join the board, since I believe strongly in its mission to improve access to justice and to promote a greater understanding of our legal system,” Harris said. “I’ve had the pleasure of serving on the board with an outstanding group of people who are dedicated to supporting a number of legal aid clinics and legal education programs in the community.”
In a recent issue of the Oakland Bar’s Laches magazine, Harris paid special tribute to three of his predecessors – Marc Jerabek, Michael Turco, and Jeffrey Raphelson.
“Each one of them displayed a level of commitment to the OCBF’s mission not only as good as advertised but better,” Harris wrote. “Whether it was thinking creatively about how to raise more funds for the foundation, adjusting our governing documents to allow more money to flow to recipients, or serving as stewards over a new memorial fund, these three took their roles very seriously.
“Moreover, in all their dealings on behalf of the foundation, they were prepared, professional, kind, and effective (the same type of emblematic work is found within our multiple subcommittees). Whether they knew it or not, they were great mentors to me and, I am sure, so many others who have had the pleasure of working with them,” noted Harris, who also saluted the OCBF’s Deputy Director Katie Tillinger for her “stellar support.”
As this year’s president, Harris said that the “north star of service, invariably linked to the foundation’s mission, will guide my work.”
That work will include presiding over the annual Signature Event next spring, a fund-raiser that traditionally generates more than $200,000 in revenue to support the charitable giving of the OCBF. The event is the primary component of the foundation’s overall fund-raising efforts, which tallied upward of $300,000 last year, according to Harris.
In turn, the OCBF distributed more than $185,000 to 16 different grant recipients, including the likes of CARE House of Oakland County, Lakeshore Legal Aid, the Michigan Center for Civic Education, The Joseph Project, Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan, and a host of other nonprofits.
“Of course, it is our hope to increase our giving each year,” Harris indicated. “I also would like to have more face-to-face involvement with the organizations we donate to, which will help us understand their needs and to assist in spreading their message.”
Relatedly, Harris and his wife, Tiffany, could well write a book on positive parental involvement, as they have taken active roles in the athletic and academic pursuits of their two sons, Roger and Russell, who are both students at Birmingham Seaholm.
“We get a lot of joy in watching them play sports, whether it be in baseball, tennis, or hockey,” said Harris, who played baseball in high school and dreamed of becoming the “next Alan Trammel,” a Hall of Fame shortstop for the Tigers. “We also enjoy being involved behind the scenes with the booster clubs, helping the various programs get the support they need to succeed.”
A Cranbrook alumna, Tiffany graduated with honors from U-M, where she earned her bachelor and master degrees in nursing. She is a board-certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner for Bloom Pediatrics, which has offices in Birmingham, Bloomfield, Southfield, and Detroit.
“She is deeply committed to her work and has practiced for more than 20 years in her profession,” said Harris. “She also is a wonderful mother and wife, and finds time to serve as co-president of the Hockey Boosters Club with me. She is uber-competent.”
––––––––––––––––––––
Subscribe to the Legal News!
https://legalnews.com/Home/Subscription
Full access to public notices, articles, columns, archives, statistics, calendar and more
Day Pass Only $4.95!
One-County $80/year
Three-County & Full Pass also available
