The partners of Plunkett Cooney, one of the Midwest’s oldest and most accomplished law firms, have elected four colleagues to its board of directors and re-elected one other.

At the firm’s recent annual meeting, longtime member and secretary/treasurer of the board, Michael P. Ashcraft, Jr. was re-elected to a new three-year term. He will be joined by first-time board members Emily M. Coyle, Marc P. Jerabek and Elaine M. Pohl who also won three-year terms. Robert A. Marzano was elected to complete a partial term previously held by Jeffrey C. Gerish, who became the firm’s President & CEO, effective Jan. 1.

Ashcraft, who is a member of the Bloomfield Hills office, has been a member of the board of directors for 13 years and has served as secretary/treasurer since his election in 2012. He also serves as co-leader of Plunkett Cooney’s Professional Liability Practice Group. Ashcraft is one of Michigan’s most accomplished professional liability attorneys having routinely and favorably resolved numerous high-exposure and high-profile cases involving attorneys, judges, accountants and other professionals throughout Michigan.

Coyle has the distinction of being the firm’s first openly queer partner to win election to the board of directors. She has expertise in a variety of practice areas, including transportation law, No-Fault auto liability and collections. A member of the firm’s Detroit office, her practice also includes expertise with respect to investigating fraudulent or suspicious claims stemming from motor vehicle accidents. Coyle is a member of the firm’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committee, and she is active in the LGBTQA Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan.

Also a member of the firm’s DEI Committee, Jerabek is the first Hispanic member of the firm’s board of directors. He focuses his practice on the representation of financial institutions, mortgage servicers, large and small businesses, and individuals, helping them navigate legal issues and achieve the best result when facing litigation. A member of the Bloomfield Hills office, Jerabek also has extensive experience in financial services litigation, commercial loan workouts, defense of consumer claims (including RESPA, TILA, FDCPA, FCRA, student loan disputes), and real estate litigation (landlord-tenant disputes, quiet title, boundary disputes, among others).   

A member of the Bloomfield Hills office, Pohl is one of Plunkett Cooney’s most experienced insurance coverage attorneys. She maintains a national practice, counseling insurers in complex property and casualty disputes, including litigated and non-litigated matters. Her expertise extends to analyzing coverage for claims involving professional liability, construction defects, bodily injuries, product liability, environmental contamination, personal and advertising injury issues, first-party property claims as well as allegations of bad faith.

Marzano, who is a co-leader of the firm’s Torts & Litigation Practice, maintains a diverse practice that includes premises liability law, foodservice and hospitality law, security guard liability, pet liability, real estate law and landlord/tenant disputes. A member of Plunkett Cooney’s Bloomfield Hills office, Marzano is also an experienced municipal attorney. He represents one of southeast Michigan’s largest and fastest growing cities.

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 Plunkett Cooney’s recent board election, 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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