The appeal of a landmark eminent domain case in the city of Detroit’s storied Poletown neighborhood will be the focus of a symposium on May 9, featuring Plunkett Cooney appellate attorney Mary Massaron.

Massaron, who represented the plaintiffs in County of Wayne v. Hathcock, will lend her perspective to the panel discussion during the Michigan Supreme Court Advocates Guild’s symposium, which will also feature former Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert Young, the author of the Hathcock decision, and former Supreme Court Justice James Ryan, the author of the dissent in Poletown.

The symposium, titled: “The Story of Poletown - A Night of Hathcock, Eminent Domain and the Michigan Supreme Court,” will take place at 5 p.m. in the Partrich Auditorium at Wayne State University Law School. Billed as a night of fun, sophistication and the law, the free event is open to the public, but email registration is required by clicking here. A short reception will follow the panel discussion at 6:15 p.m.

“This was one of the most high-profile and high-stakes cases in my career,” said Massaron, a partner in Plunkett Cooney’s Bloomfield Hills office and one of the firm’s most accomplished appellate attorneys. “I think it will be fun and insightful to discuss this case with two former Supreme Court justices who played pivotal roles in the decision.”

A former law clerk to Justice Patricia J. Boyle of the Michigan Supreme Court, Massaron has handled or supervised the handling of over 400 appeals, resulting in approximately 150 published opinions, including over 100 appeals in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Ms. Massaron’s appellate advocacy is widely known. She has won numerous victories before the Michigan Supreme Court for public- and private-sector clients, overturning multi-million-dollar judgments and establishing new legal principles. 

Massaron has been 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. She was recognized as the Best Lawyers 2017 and 2021 Appellate Practice "Lawyer of the Year" in Bloomfield Hills. DBusiness Magazine named her top appellate lawyer for the past five years.

Plunkett Cooney’s Appellate Law Practice Group consists of attorneys who practice exclusively in this area of law. Their experience includes serving as lead counsel in more than 1,500 cases decided by state and federal appellate courts, including all appellate courts in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Connecticut, Iowa, and California, as well as numerous federal circuit courts of appeal.

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.

Plunkett Cooney 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 Mary Massaron’s appearance as a panelist at the upcoming Michigan Supreme Court Advocates Guild symposium, contact the firm’s Director of Marketing & Business Development John Cornwell at (248) 901-4008 or via email at jcornwell@plunkettcooney.com.

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