BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI – September 2, 2015 – Hilary A. Ballentine, an appellate attorney at Plunkett Cooney, one of the Midwest’s oldest and largest law firms, was recently elected vice president of the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel (MDTC), a leading defense bar organization.

Ballentine was elected to the executive post during the MDTC’s recent annual meeting in Midland, Michigan. Per the organization’s leadership succession protocol, she will become president of the organization in 2016-2017.

“We are extremely proud of Hilary,” said Mary Massaron, who serves as Plunkett Cooney’s Appellate Law Practice Group Leader. “Hilary’s election stands as a testament to her leadership skills, years of dedicated service and reputation as an appellate attorney.”

The MDTC was established in 1979 to enhance and promote the defense bar. The organization was founded on the principle of exchanging views and to advance the interests of defense attorneys. Its members are dedicated to representing individuals and corporations in civil litigation.

Ballentine is a member of Plunkett Cooney’s Bloomfield Hills office who concentrates her practice in appellate law. Her practice includes general liability, municipal law, construction claims and constitutional and medical liability appeals, among others. Ballentine is admitted to practice in both state and federal courts in Michigan, as well as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court.

An active member of the MDTC. Ballentine currently chairs the organization’s Sponsorship Committee, and she is a member of the Future Planning Committee. Ballentine served as a member of MDTC’s Board of Directors in 2011 and co-chaired its Appellate and Amicus Committee in 2008. She was also named Volunteer of the Year by the MDTC in 2012. Ballentine is also a member of the Michigan Appellate Bench Bar Planning Committee, the State Bar of Michigan and the DRI – The Voice of the Defense Bar.

A magna cum laude graduate from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 2006, Ballentine served as the managing editor of Law Review. While attending law school, she received numerous academic awards and was also inducted into Alpha Sigma Nu and the Justice Frank Murphy Honor Society.  Ballentine received her undergraduate degree, with high distinction, from the University of Michigan – Dearborn in 2003.

Plunkett Cooney is one of the few Midwest law firms with a dedicated team of appellate attorneys.  The firm’s appellate lawyers frequently handle cutting-edge appeals involving issues of first impression. They also regularly guide appellate strategy in the wake of adverse judgments seeking a reversal or pursuing a settlement strategy. In addition to representation before state and federal appellate courts throughout the country, the firm’s appellate attorneys provide a broad range of specialized services, including counsel during trial designed to optimally position cases for possible appeal.

Established in 1913, Plunkett Cooney employs over 150 attorneys in its offices which are located in nine Michigan cities; Columbus, Ohio and Indianapolis, Indiana. The firm has achieved the highest rating (AV) awarded by Martindale-Hubbell, a leading international directory of law firms, and is listed among the U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” in 2015. Plunkett Cooney has also received several awards naming the firm as a top place to work within the legal industry.

For more information about Hilary A. Ballentine’s election as vice president of the MDTC, contact the firm’s Director of Marketing & Business Development John Cornwell at (248) 901-4008; jcornwell@plunkettcooney.com.

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