Plunkett Cooney partner Mary Massaron was recently named by Michigan Lawyers Weekly (MiLW) to its 2023 Class of “Influential Women of Law.”

“Mary is an outstanding appellate attorney and has been an influential leader of several national organizations,” said Thomas P. Vincent, Plunkett Cooney’s President and CEO. “For all the work and time she dedicates to her clients and her colleagues, she certainly is an accomplished and influential woman of law, and she is well deserving of this award.”

Massaron is among 35 attorneys and judges who will be honored at a luncheon on Sept. 22 at Petruzzello’s in Troy, Michigan where one member of the 2023 class will also be named “Woman of the Year.” MiLW, a leading publication serving the state’s legal industry, will also recognize this year’s honorees in a special section of the Sept. 25 issue of the newspaper.

MLW editorial staff members selected this year’s honorees based on their excellent work on behalf of clients and within the justice system, as well as their commitment to the communities they serve and service to the profession.

Massaron, one of Plunkett Cooney’s most accomplished appellate attorneys, is the second female president of DRI – Lawyers Representing Business and the first woman president of Lawyers for Civil Justice. A member of the prestigious American Academy of Appellate Lawyers and American Law Institute, Massaron is also a past chair of the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Amicus Curiae Briefs, a five-member committee that oversees preparation of ABA briefs for filing in the U.S. Supreme Court.

The list of Massaron’s appellate victories is long and distinguished, including an award-winning brief in Nexteer Automotive Group v. Mando America Corp in 2018. Cooley Law Review presented Massaron with its Distinguished Brief Award for her efforts in this case. She has also received distinguished service awards from the Michigan Municipal League in 2003 and Marygrove College in 2004, as well as the Leaders in the Law Award from Michigan Lawyers Weekly in 2009. Additionally, Massaron received the 2020 Al Cortese Award for outstanding contributions to the cause of civil justice, which was presented to her by Lawyers for Civil Justice.

With over 100 appeals as lead attorney before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, Massaron’s list of published cases in state appellate courts is equally as long and distinguished. She is admitted to almost every federal circuit court of appeals and has handled matters before the Second, Third, Sixth, Seventh, and Ninth circuits. She has also handled cases in Alabama, California, Indiana, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Ohio courts, as well as in the Tribal Court of Appeals.

Massaron, who has exclusively practiced in the area of appellate law for over 30 years, is perennially recognized by Best Lawyers in America for appellate law and has been repeatedly acknowledged as one of the top 100 lawyers, top 50 business lawyers, top 25 women business lawyers, top 50 female lawyers, and top appellate law practitioners by Michigan Super Lawyers. In addition, she was recognized as the Best Lawyers 2017 and 2021 Appellate Practice "Lawyer of the Year" for attorneys practicing in Bloomfield Hills. Dbusiness magazine has named Massaron its top appellate lawyer for the past five years, and she received the State Bar of Michigan’s Appellate Section Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021.

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 130 attorneys in seven Michigan cities, Chicago, Illinois, Columbus, Ohio and Indianapolis, Indiana.

Plunkett Cooney recently received Mansfield Rule Certification for midsize law firms, which recognizes leaders in diversity, equity and inclusion within the legal industry. The firm has also achieved the highest rating (AV) awarded by Martindale-Hubbell, a leading, international directory of law firms, and it was recently named a 2023 “Best Law Firm” nationally in 12 practice areas as determined by U.S. News – Best Lawyers®.

For more information about Mary Massaron receiving the Michigan Lawyers Weekly “Influential Women of Law" honor, contact the firm’s Director of Marketing and Business Development, John Cornwell, at (248) 901-4008; jcornwell@plunkettcooney.com.

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