Nessel announces second term executive team changes

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on Wednesday announced the appointment in her second term of Fadwa A. Hammoud as chief deputy and Ann M. Sherman as solicitor general. Current Chief Deputy Attorney General Christina Grossi will be leaving the department after more than a decade in public service.

—Fadwa Hammoud

“During her four years as Solicitor General, the Department has benefitted greatly from Fadwa’s keen legal insights, advocacy skills, and wisdom,” said Nessel. “Fadwa was the first Arab-American Solicitor General in the country, and the first Arab-American woman to argue before the United States Supreme Court — in a case she recently won for the Department. I am thrilled and honored that Fadwa has agreed to continue to share her many talents with us, as she takes on the greater role of chief deputy. “

Hammoud was sworn in as Michigan’s 12th solicitor general on January 15, 2019. In her current role, Hammoud supervises all appellate activity and, as bureau chief of the department’s Criminal Justice Bureau, supervises all criminal work in the department. Hammoud also oversees the prosecution of criminal charges related to the Flint Water crisis along with Wayne County Prosecutor Kym L. Worthy. Hammoud assumed her role as Michigan’s top appellate attorney after years of public service on behalf of the people of Wayne County. As lead attorney under Worthy, Hammoud established the Business Protection Unit and prosecuted criminal enterprise, homicide, financial crime and identity theft cases.

Hammoud also served as a trustee and treasurer of the Dearborn Public Schools Board of Education and the Henry Ford College Board, championing public education in her hometown. A first-generation American, Hammoud advocated on behalf of Wayne County’s various ethnic and immigrant communities and advised state, county and city leaders.

—Ann Sherman

“Ann brings a wealth of experience, a commitment to the office and appellate work, and the respect and trust of her colleagues and the legal community,” said Nessel. “Her legal insight and unflappable nature make her an invaluable asset to the Department and a natural fit for the position of Solicitor General. Ann’s talent and skills have been lauded by her colleagues in the legal community and recognized by numerous organizations.”

Sherman has been a fixture at the Department of Attorney General for nearly 18 years, including as an appellate specialist in one of the department’s large litigation divisions, as assistant solicitor general, and most recently as deputy solicitor general. She was awarded the 2021 National Association of Attorneys General meritorious service award, and over the years the department has honored her with a Civil Litigator of the Year award, two appellate advocacy awards, and several desk awards for success in important cases involving the State.

Sherman is a member of Michigan Supreme Court Advocates Guild, a State Bar Foundation Fellow, and an elected council member of the State Bar of Michigan Appellate Practice Section. Prior to joining the department, the Michigan State University College of Law graduate clerked for U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Richard F. Suhrheinrich, Sixth Circuit.

—Christina Grossi

“Over the years, Christina’s contributions to the Office have been inestimable, most notably in her role as chief deputy as she artfully guided the office through the COVID crisis, budget issues, and other challenges,” Nessel said. “Christina is a champion for the work of the department’s dedicated public servants. She will be greatly missed, and we wish her well in her future endeavors.”

Grossi began her career in private practice and joined the department in 2010. She transitioned from a staff attorney in the Public Employment, Elections and Tort Division to section head of the State Operations Division in 2013 and became the State Operations Division chief in 2018. As chief deputy, Grossi oversaw the department’s 550 employees and a caseload of roughly 40,000. In addition to her work at the department, Grossi is an adjunct professor at Michigan State University College of Law.

During her tenure with the department, Grossi worked on several high-profile cases and criminal investigations, including allegations against Larry Nassar at Michigan State University, abuse by clergy in the Catholic Church, and most recently in Whitmer v Linderman, where she successfully argued in Oakland County Circuit Court to secure a preliminary injunction thereby preventing the enforcement of the state’s 1931 abortion statute that would have effectively banned access to abortion care for women in Michigan.

“A career in public service is a real opportunity to change the world we live in for the better. I will forever be grateful to the attorney general for the opportunity to serve as her chief deputy and to the men and women of this department who I’ve had the privilege to work alongside in that pursuit,” said Grossi. “Regardless of what comes next, I will always remember — and continue to be inspired by — those who work each day in the service of others.”

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