Plunkett Cooney associate attorney, Michael D. Hanchett, was recently named to the 2024 Class of Up & Coming Lawyers by Michigan Lawyers Weekly (MiLW), an industry publication serving the state’s legal community.

Hanchett, along with 24 other Michigan attorneys, will be honored at a recognition luncheon on April 26 at the Petruzzello’s Banquet and Conference Center of Troy, and he will be included in a special print feature within the April 22 edition of MiLW.

The Up & Coming Lawyers program honors attorneys throughout Michigan who have excelled in the profession and set themselves apart from their peers with legal accomplishments and community involvement during their first 10 years of practice.

A member of Plunkett Cooney’s Bloomfield Hills office, Hanchett is a member of the firm's Governmental Law and Labor & Employment Law practice groups. Hanchett defends public-sector clients in a variety of litigation with particular expertise in police liability, including searches and seizures, use of force and corrections law. His practice also includes the defense of employment law disputes involving such issues as alleged discrimination, retaliation and civil rights claims brought under state and federal statutes.  He is also currently serving as a Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of Michigan.   

Hanchett is a member of the Federal Bar Association for the Eastern District of Michigan, where he serves as co-chair of the Civil Rights Section and on the Newsletter Committee. He is also a member of the Construction Law, Insurance Law and Young Lawyers committees of the DRI. Hanchett is also active in the Oakland County and American bar associations, as well as the State Bar of Michigan’s Government Law and Labor and Employment sections.

Designated by Best Lawyers as one of their Ones to Watch in municipal law since 2021, Hanchett routinely speaks to police and various municipal organizations. Admitted to practice law in state and federal courts in Michigan, he received his law degree from the University of Toledo College of Law in 2016 and his undergraduate degree from Ferris State University in 2013.

Established in 1913, Plunkett Cooney is a leading provider of business law and litigation services to clients in the private and public sectors. The firm employs approximately 140 attorneys in seven Michigan cities, Chicago, Illinois, Columbus, Ohio and Indianapolis, Indiana.

The firm has achieved the highest rating (AV) awarded by Martindale-Hubbell, a leading peer review service, and has received Mansfield Rule Certification for midsize law firms, which recognizes leaders in diversity, equity and inclusion within the legal industry.

For more information about Michael Hanchett receiving the MiLW “Up & Coming Lawyer” honor, contact the firm’s Director of Marketing and Business Development John Cornwell at (248) 901-4008; jcornwell@plunkettcooney.com.

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