Dickinson Wright PLLC
Dickinson Wright is pleased to announce that Aleanna Siacon (associate, Troy) has been named co-president of the Michigan Asian Pacific American Bar Association (MAPABA). She is also a recipient of the inaugural MAPABA Rising Star Award. Both honors were announced at the MAPABA Lunar New Year Dinner on February 21.
“I’m honored to be named co-president of MAPABA for the upcoming 2026-2027 year,” said Siacon. “I first became a member of MAPABA as a law student and previously served as treasurer and vice president. Over the years, I’ve seen firsthand how MAPABA bridges generations of attorneys, legal professionals, and law students across areas of interest, cultures, identities and different lived experiences. What makes the organization special is its commitment to the pillars of fellowship, mentorship and community.
“I’m excited to lead MAPABA into this next chapter, while remaining firmly grounded in its foundational values of connection, mutual support and collective advancement – which remain the organization’s compass as we take our first steps into a new year of thoughtful innovation, sustainable growth, and increased visibility,” Siacon added.
As co-president of MAPABA, Siacon will spearhead the organization’s events and programming in the coming year to further advance relations between the legal profession and the public. MAPABA is an affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and the primary local bar association connecting and advocating for the interests of Asian-Americans in the legal profession.
Siacon focuses her practice on commercial litigation and works on a variety of complex business disputes. She has a passion for civil litigation and all its intricacies and has experience defending and counseling companies, municipalities, and school districts in an array of legal matters from investigation to matter resolution. She is recognized as a leader in her field by Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch.” In 2025, Siacon was appointed to the State Bar of Michigan’s Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Committee, and, in 2026, she was named to Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s Up and Coming Lawyers.
Siacon is a member of the State Bar of Michigan Young Lawyers Section Executive Council, a Fellow of the Oakland County Bar Foundation, and a member of Federal Bar Association – Eastern District of Michigan Chapter.
Siacon received her B.A. from Wayne State University and her law degree from Wayne State University Law School.
In addition, Dickinson Wright is pleased to announce that three attorneys have been named to Crain Detroit Business 2026 Notable Women in Law.
Dickinson Wright attorneys selected for this year’s Notable Women in Law include:
Jill Ingber, senior director of Attorney Recruitment and Professional Development, Troy
Monica Labe, member, Troy
Elizabeth Luckenbach, member and division director, Regulatory/Administration, Troy
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Plunkett Cooney
Plunkett Cooney partner Glenn C. Ross was recently named a Fellow of the American College of Mortgage Attorneys (ACMA). The newly elected Fellows will be formally inducted into membership at ACMA’s Annual Meeting on Sept. 17-19 at the Ritz-Carlton, Bacara in Santa Barbara, California.
Ross, who serves as Plunkett Cooney’s Business Transactions & Planning Practice Group leader, has 15 years of experience representing clients in numerous aspects of general corporate law, business and commercial matters, and mergers and acquisitions, as well as in transactions related to complex financing. He provides counsel and advice regarding a variety of financing sources for real estate projects and business transactions, including the use of tax credits, conventional construction and permanent financing loans, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans, 221(d)(4) and 221(f) FHA loans, HOME funds, private activity bonds and other federal, state and local financing sources.
A 2011 graduate of Wayne State University Law School, Ross is a member of the State Bar of Michigan. He received his undergraduate degree, with honors, from Michigan State University in 2005.
In addition, Plunkett Cooney partner and Litigation Department leader Courtney L. Nichols was recently named by Crain’s Detroit Business as one of the news publication’s 2026 Notable Women in Law.
Since joining the firm in 2011, Nichols has built an active employment law practice. She serves as outside employment law counsel to numerous Michigan companies, and she defends employers in workplace-related litigation through their insurance providers.
A former co-leader of Plunkett Cooney’s Labor & Employment Law Practice Group, Nichols currently serves as the firm’s Litigation Department leader. She is also a member of the firm’s Strategic Planning, Retirement and Salary and Bonus committees, and she serves as general counsel for employment law issues on behalf of the firm.
Nichols is a member of Plunkett Cooney’s Bloomfield Hills office where she focuses her litigation practice in the area of employment law, including the defense of discrimination, retaliation and civil rights claims. She provides counsel to employers of all sizes regarding complicated employment and labor issues prior to litigation, including compliance with the ADA, FMLA and FLSA. Nichols also assists clients with drafting and enforcing employment policies and contractual agreements.
Nichols was recently selected as a Best Lawyer in America® for Employment Law – Management and Labor and Employment Litigation and as Rising Star by Michigan Super Lawyer magazine for Employment & Labor. In 2024, DBusiness Magazine named Nichols among its 30 in Their Thirties business leaders, and in 2023 Crain’s Detroit Business named her a Notable Leader in Employment & Labor Law. Nichols was also honored by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as a 2025 Influential Woman of Law and as a 2021 Go To Employment Lawyer and 2015 Up & Coming Lawyer.
Admitted to practice in the state and federal courts in Michigan, Nichols is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, and she serves as vice chair of the Labor & Employment Law Practice Group of ALFA International, a global consortium of law firms.
Nichols received her law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2011 and her undergraduate degree from the James Madison College at Michigan State University in 2008.
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Foster, Swift, Collins, & Smith, PC
Crain’s Detroit Business has named Foster Swift shareholder Dora A. Brantley to the 2026 Notable Women in Law list.
Practicing in the firm’s Southfield office, Brantley defends professional liability claims and claims brought against restaurants, hospitality companies, manufacturers, transportation carriers, landlords, small business owners and governmental entities. She is often retained by insurance carriers for coverage disputes involving auto negligence, fire losses, and construction and toxic torts.
Brantley is the only attorney selected by two Fortune 500 fast food corporations to defend claims and litigation in Michigan, including tort liability and alleged civil rights violations. She previously served on the boards of Ronald McDonald House Charities
Detroit and LIFT Women’s Resource Center in Detroit, an organization established to assist women struggling with various social issues, including domestic violence and substance abuse.
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Miller Johnson
Miller Johnson is pleased to welcome Jacqueline Zablocki to the Education practice group.
Prior to joining Miller Johnson, Zablocki served as the Civil Rights/Title IX coordinator for an intermediate school district in southeast Michigan. In that role, she oversaw organizational compliance with Title IX, Title VI, Section 504, and the Title II of the ADA. She led investigations into allegations of discrimination and harassment, coordinated responses to state and federal agency complaints, and provided supportive and remedial measures to students and staff. She also delivered ongoing professional development to administrators, educators, and students on legal obligations related to civil rights, accessibility, and nondiscrimination, while serving as a consultant to local school districts on navigating complex compliance issues related to Title IX and other civil rights laws.
Zablocki graduated from Chicago-Kent College of Law and Albion College (B.A.). She is licensed to practice in Michigan and Illinois.
Miller Johnson is also pleased to announce that Fadwa Hammoud has been appointed to a two-year term on the Board of Directors for Leaders Advancing & Helping Communities (LAHC).
“I’m truly honored to join a board doing such transformative work and helping ensure our communities have the resources, support, and opportunities they deserve,” Hammoud said.
Hammoud is the managing member of Miller Johnson’s Detroit office and part of the firm’s senior leadership team. She leads investigations, litigation, and crisis response across industries, representing clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies and government officials to closely held businesses and nonprofits.
Before joining Miller Johnson, Hammoud served as Michigan’s solicitor general—the youngest and first Arab-American Muslim in the role—representing the state in critical appellate matters. In 2022, she made history as the first Arab-American Muslim woman to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court, winning Brown v. Davenport and influencing national precedent in criminal, civil rights, and constitutional law.
Hammoud serves on the Executive Committee of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer to support Michigan’s long-term economic strategy and investment. She has also contributed to the Michigan Middle Eastern American Affairs Commission and advisory committees focused on historically underrepresented communities.
Hammoud earned her law degree from Wayne State University Law School and her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan – Dearborn.
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Zausmer, P.C.
Zausmer is proud to announce that Executive Shareholder Cinnamon Plonka has been honored in Crain’s Detroit Notable Women in Law.
Plonka is a litigator who specializes in civil litigation, including no-fault and third-party automobile negligence, employment litigation, and insurance fraud. She practices at both the trial and appellate levels. She is an experienced trial attorney and often serves as the go-to counsel for insurance carriers due to her ability to maintain long-term, high-value client relationships.
In addition to her litigation success, Plonka serves as co-chair of the Law & Civil Rights Committee of Mayor Mary Sheffield’s transition team, Rise Higher Detroit. Her group will advise on legal matters affecting the city, analyze the effectiveness of the City’s Civil Rights, Inclusion, and Opportunity capacity, and advise on protecting residents’ civil rights and access to justice. Plonka also serves on the Board of Directors for Oakland THRIVE and Forgotten Harvest.
Plonka has served on the State Bar of Michigan’s Attorney Discipline Board, as past president of the Black Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, and as a trustee of Eastern Michigan University’s Foundation Board of Trustees. She also serves on Zausmer’s Executive Committee and Diversity Committee.
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Varnum LLP
Varnum partner Mallory Field has been recognized as Notable Women in Law by Crain’s Detroit.
Field is a member of the Business and Corporate Practice Team advising emerging and middle market companies across industries on general corporate transactions, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and capital fundraising. Field supports startups and entrepreneurs through venture financings from pre-seed to Series B, advising on SAFEs, convertible notes, equity plans, investor relations, and a wide range of brand, sponsorship, and licensing agreements. She practices from the Novi office.
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Bodman PLC
Bodman PLC is pleased to announce that Hebba Aref and Melissa A. Lewis have been selected as Notable Women in Law by Crain’s Detroit Business.
Aref is the co-chair of Bodman’s Banking and Finance Practice Group and is based in the firm’s Detroit office. She represents financial institutions in commercial lending transactions, including the structuring, negotiating and documenting of loan transactions, including syndicated loans, bilateral loans, subordinated loans, and participations.
Aref has been recognized as a banking attorney in The Best Lawyers in America since 2023 and DBusiness Magazine “Top Lawyers” since 2024. She was also recognized in Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s Class of 2024 Influential Women in Law.
Lewis is a member of Bodman’s Banking and Finance Practice Group and a member of Bodman’s Syndications team. Based in the firm’s Detroit office, she represents national and regional financial institutions on commercial loan origination matters, including the structuring, negotiation and documentation of agented and syndicated loan transactions.
Lewis is recognized in The Best Lawyers in America under Banking and Finance Law, in DBusiness Magazine “Top Lawyers” under Banking & Financial Service Law, and most recently, in IFLR1000 as a “Notable Practitioner” on the U.S. National list under Banking and Finance.
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Dykema
Dykema is proud to announce that Sherrie Farrell and Rochelle Lento have been recognized by Crain’s Detroit Business as 2026 “Notable Women in Law.”
Farrell serves as Dykema’s chief diversity and inclusion officer and advises corporations on complex commercial litigation and bankruptcy matters. She represents auto manufacturers, financial institutions, nonprofits, and government entities in high-stakes disputes across industries. Over the course of her career, Farrell has served as national coordinating and discovery counsel in large-scale litigation, counseled clients on cybersecurity and data breach response, and represented creditors and other stakeholders in significant restructuring matters.
Farrell became the firm’s first chief diversity and inclusion officer and served for many years as managing member of the firm’s Detroit office. Her commitment to inclusion builds on decades of leadership within bar associations and community organizations. She has also served on the boards of Gift of Life Michigan, the Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program, Develop Detroit, and the Wolverine Bar Foundation.
Lento is a member in Dykema’s Real Estate Practice Group and is widely regarded as a leading authority on affordable housing and community development law. She structures and closes complex public and private financing transactions, guiding developers, investors, and lenders through regulatory and funding frameworks that include Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, historic tax credits, HUD financing tools, and other federal and state programs. Her recent projects include the Residences at St. Matthew, Higginbotham Arts Residences, and the Henry Street Redevelopment, each contributing to the expansion of affordable housing opportunities in Detroit.
Lento has played a role in the American Bar Association’s Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law, serving in multiple leadership capacities and co-editing “The Legal Guide to Affordable Housing & Community Development Law,” now in its third edition. Within the firm, she was instrumental in launching Dykema’s Women’s Business Initiative, a program dedicated to advancing women’s professional growth. Lento also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Detroit Mercy and is active with organizations including Alternatives for Girls and the Detroit Parks Coalition.
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Clark Hill PLC
Clark Hill’s Maria Dwyer and Anne-Marie Welch were both selected as Crain’s Detroit Business “Notable Women in Law” for 2026.
Dwyer, a member in the Firm’s Detroit office, litigates employment and business cases and advises senior management in employment and business considerations. She also conducts workplace investigations, investigates and serves as a certified Hearing Officer in Title IX claims, and counsels educational organizations in Title IX issues. She is the member-in-charge of Clark Hill’s Detroit office and the co-leader of the Retail, Hospitality, Food & Beverage Team.
Dwyer was previously recognized by Crain’s as a “Notable Leader in Labor & Employment Law (2023), among her other distinctions.
Welch, member and Labor & Employment attorney based in the firm’s Birmingham office, defends employers in lawsuits and administrative proceedings against wrongful discharge, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and related statutory and tort claims. She also prosecutes and defends against breaches of non-competition, non-solicitation, and confidentiality agreements.
Welch serves as the Labor & Employment leader of the firm’s Automotive and Manufacturing industry team and has earned multiple business and legal honors over the course of her career.
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Butzel Long
Butzel attorney and shareholder Javon R. David has been named to Crain’s Notable Women in Law.
David is a member of Butzel’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice Group, one of the firm’s largest practice areas. She concentrates her practice in the areas of commercial litigation, media and entertainment law, and products liability. She has litigation experience, successfully handling matters from the onset of suit through trial.
As part of her commercial litigation practice, David represents business entities in an array of legal issues, including contract disputes, shareholder oppression claims, non-competition and trade secret disputes, real estate, and automotive supplier disputes.
In addition, David defends media clients in defamation actions and First Amendment cases. She serves as deputy general counsel for the Michigan Press Association (MPA), providing clients with prepublication review and newsgathering advice on sunshine and open-government issues. She advises on clearance projects and performs advertising reviews as well.
She also defends clients in product liability actions and quality disputes, including toxic tort class actions and automotive liability disputes. She previously served on the Board of Governors of MEMA, The Vehicle Suppliers Association’s Emerging Leadership Council.
David is a member of the Board of Directors for the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel Association (MDTC) after serving as its Trial Practice co-chairperson.
David serves on the Business Court and Counsel Committee for the Oakland County Bar Association (OCBA). She also serves on the litigation, insurance, and advertising/commercial speech committees for the Media Law Resource Center (MLRC). David is a member of Leadership Oakland as well.
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Taft
Taft partner Rick Kruger was a recent preliminary round judge at the Annual Shapero Cup, a regional competition in connection with the 34th Annual Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition.
Kruger is a member of Taft’s Bankruptcy and Restructuring and Real Estate Finance practice groups, as well as a member of the Automotive industry group. He has a national practice focusing on both transactional and litigation aspects of bankruptcy law, debtor and creditor rights, workouts, corporate, and financing transactions.
His client representations include original equipment manufacturers, borrowers, debtors, secured parties, landlords, purchasers, sellers, receivers, avoidance defendants, and unsecured creditors’ committees.
In addition, Taft Detroit Partner Sara Kruse has been named a Notable Women in Law by Crain’s Detroit Business.
Kruse is a corporate attorney who has dedicated her legal career to helping clients achieve their goals and position them for success.
She has knowledge and experience guiding clients through the entire business evolution, from formation through exit. Kruse counsels clients on complex business transactions, mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, private debt and equity financings, venture capital, strategic partnerships, corporate governance, and other general corporate matters across diverse industries.
Taft Law is also pleased to announce that Mark Rubenfire, Detroit partner and co-chair of the Real Estate Practice Group, has been selected as a member of the 16th class of the Midwest Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame by Mid1west Real Estate News Magazine.
Rubenfire specializes in acquisitions, sales, financing, and leasing of all types of real estate, including industrial, commercial, multifamily, and residential. He has a range of transactional experience and has worked on behalf of borrowers with lenders of all types, including insurance companies, banks, and commercial mortgage-backed security (CMBS) lenders.
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Honigman LLP
Chair of Honigman’s Corporate Department and Member of the firm’s Executive Committee, Kim Dudek was recently honored by Crain’s Detroit Business among this year’s Notable Women in Law.
Dudek advises clients on corporate and financing transactions, counseling private equity sponsors and private borrowers on acquisition financings, working capital facilities, senior and subordinated financing transactions and recapitalizations.
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Wayne County 23rd District Court
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently announced the appointment of Brittany Johnson to the Wayne County 23rd District Court for the City of Taylor.
Johnson is an assistant prosecuting attorney at the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, where she has served since 2019. Johnson previously served as a law clerk at the City of Dearborn and as a legislative extern for the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan. Johnson serves as a board member at the Government Bar Association.
Johnson earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology and criminal justice from Grand Valley State University, a Master of Social Work from Michigan State University, and a law degree from the Michigan State University College of Law.
“I am deeply honored by Governor Whitmer’s appointment to serve on the 23rd District Court. I am thankful for everyone who has supported me throughout my career,” said Johnson. “I am excited to serve the people of Taylor with the fairness and respect they deserve.”
This appointment will be made to fill a partial term following the resignation of Judge Joseph Slaven. Johnson’s term will expire at twelve o’clock noon on January 1, 2027.
