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

Ballentine, who was elected to the executive post during the MDTC’s annual meeting at the Atheneum Hotel in downtown Detroit, will serve a one-year term as president.

“We’re pleased that the MDTC has recognized Hilary’s leadership skills and excellence as a defense lawyer,” said Mary Massaron, who serves as Plunkett Cooney’s Appellate Law Practice Group Leader. “The MDTC is a terrific organization, and Hilary will do a great job in helping to achieve the group’s goals and mission.”

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

Ballentine is a member of the MDTC’s Legal Excellence Awards Committee, and she is a past chair of the organization’s Sponsorship Committee.  Ballentine served as a member of the MDTC’s Board of Directors in 2011 and co-chaired its Appellate and Amicus Committee in 2008. In 2012, she was named the MDTC’s Volunteer of the Year.

A member of Plunkett Cooney’s Bloomfield Hills office, Ballentine concentrates her practice exclusively in the area of appellate law. Her practice includes appellate expertise to such substantive legal areas as Constitutional Law, municipal law, construction liability, medical liability and general civil litigation, among others.

Ballentine is a 2006 magna cum laude graduate from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and a 2003 graduate of the University of Michigan – Dearborn where she earned her undergraduate degree with high distinction. She is admitted to practice in the state and federal courts in Michigan, as well as in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and in the U.S. Supreme Court.

In addition to her involvement with the MDTC, Ballentine is a member of the Michigan Appellate Bench Bar Planning Committee, the State Bar of Michigan and the DRI – The Voice of the Defense Bar.

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, and they have been involved in many of Michigan’s landmark appellate decisions. They also provide a range of specialized services, including advice and counsel during ongoing trials to optimally position cases for appeal, if necessary.

Established in 1913, Plunkett Cooney employs over 140 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 2016. 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 MDTC president, contact the firm’s Director of Marketing & Business Development John Cornwell at (248) 901-4008; jcornwell@plunkettcooney.com.

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