Miller Johnson today announced the launch of its Government Solutions practice, designed to help Michigan businesses navigate state and local government matters affecting their operations, investments and growth. The practice will be led by longtime Michigan public service veteran Melanie Brown, who joins Miller Johnson as Managing Director of Government Solutions, after most recently serving as the State’s Executive Ombudsman helmed at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, helping businesses resolve matters involving state government. She will be based in the firm’s Detroit office.
From incentives and permitting to licensing and procurement, government decisions increasingly shape the business environment in which Michigan companies compete and grow. Large corporations manage that reality with in-house government affairs teams; most middle-market companies navigate it alone.
Brown’s career in Michigan public affairs spans more than 30 years, giving her decades of firsthand knowledge of how to cut through red tape and solve problems across multiple levels of government. With a network extending from the Michigan State Capitol, where she served in three administrations, to state agencies, mayors, and county leaders, Brown is the person to call when businesses need to get things done.
Government Solutions will combine Brown’s deep government experience and relationships with Miller Johnson’s practical, outcomes-focused approach to help businesses navigate a shifting economic and policy landscape—and address matters that affect how they operate, invest and compete.
“Our Government Solutions team offers Michigan businesses Fortune 500-level strategy that pairs legal counsel with a deep understanding of how state government operates,” said Jeffrey G. Muth, Managing Member of Miller Johnson. “Mel is the ideal partner to lead this essential offering. Michigan moves forward when business leaders and state leaders solve problems together. Mel knows how to build that bridge—aligning client goals with state priorities and turning complex public-policy issues into solutions.”
Practical guidance at the intersection of business and government
Brown will work closely with lawyers across Miller Johnson to help clients navigate matters involving state and local agencies, move stalled matters forward, secure regulatory approvals and licensing, respond to investigations and enforcement actions, and pursue economic development incentives, grants, tax credits, and public financing. The practice will also help clients monitor proposed legislation and rulemaking, address government procurement matters, and coordinate complex projects involving multiple agencies or public stakeholders.
The practice consolidates Miller Johnson’s government-facing capabilities, bringing together some two dozen attorneys across the firm’s government affairs, government investigations, compliance and corporate practices, including Jeff Muth, Fadwa Hammoud, Dick Hillary, Andrew Goetz, Robert Wolford, and Jennifer McManus.
“Miller Johnson’s practical, relationship-based approach to serving clients aligns closely with how I’ve worked throughout my career,” Brown said. “Administrations change every two to four years—relationships honed over decades don’t. This is an opportunity to build something new by combining the firm’s trusted business counsel with the government experience and practical know-how needed to help clients solve difficult problems and move important matters forward.”
“Mel is a trusted veteran of state government and is one of the finest public servants I have worked with,” said Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “I’m excited to see her expand her talents in this new role. I know she will continue to move our state forward.”
More than 30 years in Michigan government and public service
Before her most recent role as the State’s Executive Ombudsman, Brown served as deputy chief of staff in the Whitmer administration, deputy director of the Department of Talent and Economic Development during the Snyder administration, and deputy director for Southeast Michigan in the Granholm administration. Brown began her career working for U.S. Congressman Sander Levin and later working at Wayne County and in the Michigan Legislature for then-state Senator Gary Peters, now Michigan’s senior U.S. senator. She has also held leadership positions in multiple state departments and currently serves on the Oakland University Board of Trustees after her appointment in 2024.
Brown’s experience across multiple administrations and levels of government provides critical guidance to help clients understand how government processes and decisions affect their businesses.
“Michigan businesses need practical, bipartisan guidance as they navigate an evolving regulatory and economic-development landscape,” said Fadwa Hammoud, Managing Member of Miller Johnson’s Detroit office, who previously served as Michigan’s Solicitor General and Chief Deputy Attorney General. “With Mel Brown leading Government Solutions, Miller Johnson is bringing together deep legal experience and government expertise to create a powerful resource for businesses navigating complex challenges and pursuing new opportunities.”
“I’ve worked with Mel in both state government and on the Oakland University board, and she’s the first to take on any challenge that will help solve problems,” said Brian Calley, President and CEO of the Small Business Association of Michigan and former Michigan Lieutenant Governor. “She’s the one you want in the trenches with you.”
Learn more about the Government Solutions practice at millerjohnson.com/practices/government-solutions/
About Miller Johnson - Miller Johnson is a full-service law firm delivering strategic legal counsel to businesses and individuals through corporate law, employment and labor, litigation, mergers & acquisitions, education law, and private client services. The firm’s nearly 200 attorneys serve clients across regional, national, and global markets from offices in Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Kalamazoo. For more than six decades, Miller Johnson has helped clients navigate complex legal matters through a collaborative, practical, and results-driven approach. The firm is recognized in Chambers USA; Best Lawyers; Best Law Firms; and additional leading rankings and recognition publications reflecting its commitment to excellence and client service. For more information, visit millerjohnson.com.
From incentives and permitting to licensing and procurement, government decisions increasingly shape the business environment in which Michigan companies compete and grow. Large corporations manage that reality with in-house government affairs teams; most middle-market companies navigate it alone.
Brown’s career in Michigan public affairs spans more than 30 years, giving her decades of firsthand knowledge of how to cut through red tape and solve problems across multiple levels of government. With a network extending from the Michigan State Capitol, where she served in three administrations, to state agencies, mayors, and county leaders, Brown is the person to call when businesses need to get things done.
Government Solutions will combine Brown’s deep government experience and relationships with Miller Johnson’s practical, outcomes-focused approach to help businesses navigate a shifting economic and policy landscape—and address matters that affect how they operate, invest and compete.
“Our Government Solutions team offers Michigan businesses Fortune 500-level strategy that pairs legal counsel with a deep understanding of how state government operates,” said Jeffrey G. Muth, Managing Member of Miller Johnson. “Mel is the ideal partner to lead this essential offering. Michigan moves forward when business leaders and state leaders solve problems together. Mel knows how to build that bridge—aligning client goals with state priorities and turning complex public-policy issues into solutions.”
Practical guidance at the intersection of business and government
Brown will work closely with lawyers across Miller Johnson to help clients navigate matters involving state and local agencies, move stalled matters forward, secure regulatory approvals and licensing, respond to investigations and enforcement actions, and pursue economic development incentives, grants, tax credits, and public financing. The practice will also help clients monitor proposed legislation and rulemaking, address government procurement matters, and coordinate complex projects involving multiple agencies or public stakeholders.
The practice consolidates Miller Johnson’s government-facing capabilities, bringing together some two dozen attorneys across the firm’s government affairs, government investigations, compliance and corporate practices, including Jeff Muth, Fadwa Hammoud, Dick Hillary, Andrew Goetz, Robert Wolford, and Jennifer McManus.
“Miller Johnson’s practical, relationship-based approach to serving clients aligns closely with how I’ve worked throughout my career,” Brown said. “Administrations change every two to four years—relationships honed over decades don’t. This is an opportunity to build something new by combining the firm’s trusted business counsel with the government experience and practical know-how needed to help clients solve difficult problems and move important matters forward.”
“Mel is a trusted veteran of state government and is one of the finest public servants I have worked with,” said Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “I’m excited to see her expand her talents in this new role. I know she will continue to move our state forward.”
More than 30 years in Michigan government and public service
Before her most recent role as the State’s Executive Ombudsman, Brown served as deputy chief of staff in the Whitmer administration, deputy director of the Department of Talent and Economic Development during the Snyder administration, and deputy director for Southeast Michigan in the Granholm administration. Brown began her career working for U.S. Congressman Sander Levin and later working at Wayne County and in the Michigan Legislature for then-state Senator Gary Peters, now Michigan’s senior U.S. senator. She has also held leadership positions in multiple state departments and currently serves on the Oakland University Board of Trustees after her appointment in 2024.
Brown’s experience across multiple administrations and levels of government provides critical guidance to help clients understand how government processes and decisions affect their businesses.
“Michigan businesses need practical, bipartisan guidance as they navigate an evolving regulatory and economic-development landscape,” said Fadwa Hammoud, Managing Member of Miller Johnson’s Detroit office, who previously served as Michigan’s Solicitor General and Chief Deputy Attorney General. “With Mel Brown leading Government Solutions, Miller Johnson is bringing together deep legal experience and government expertise to create a powerful resource for businesses navigating complex challenges and pursuing new opportunities.”
“I’ve worked with Mel in both state government and on the Oakland University board, and she’s the first to take on any challenge that will help solve problems,” said Brian Calley, President and CEO of the Small Business Association of Michigan and former Michigan Lieutenant Governor. “She’s the one you want in the trenches with you.”
Learn more about the Government Solutions practice at millerjohnson.com/practices/government-solutions/
About Miller Johnson - Miller Johnson is a full-service law firm delivering strategic legal counsel to businesses and individuals through corporate law, employment and labor, litigation, mergers & acquisitions, education law, and private client services. The firm’s nearly 200 attorneys serve clients across regional, national, and global markets from offices in Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Kalamazoo. For more than six decades, Miller Johnson has helped clients navigate complex legal matters through a collaborative, practical, and results-driven approach. The firm is recognized in Chambers USA; Best Lawyers; Best Law Firms; and additional leading rankings and recognition publications reflecting its commitment to excellence and client service. For more information, visit millerjohnson.com.
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