Miller Canfield, headquartered in Detroit, announced that Megan Norris will become the firm’s first female CEO. Assuming her duties on Feb. 26, she will focus on providing client value and efficiency. She has been recognized as a DBusiness Top Lawyer.
Norris is an employment and labor attorney and an accomplished litigator who has been elected by her national peers to join the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, as well as the American College of Trial Lawyers.
Norris is a nationally recognized expert and frequent public speaker on the topics of the Family and Medical Leave Act and the Americans With Disabilities Act. She has served as the leader of the employment and labor group, overseeing the firm’s employment and labor attorneys and staff. She has served on the board of managing directors for eight years and as chair for the last six years.
“In many ways, for nearly 170 years, the firm’s focus has never changed: Our primary purpose is always to serve our clients, and we can’t do so without the best attorneys in the business,” says Norris. “What is always changing is what our clients need. Clients face budgetary restrictions, so we must adapt to provide high-quality legal services in more efficient ways while remaining profitable.”
Norris will continue to invest in attracting and retaining diverse lawyers.
“Clients now demand that their law firms commit to diversity just as they are doing themselves,” says Norris. “So, I expect that much of my time will be spent on our human capital—recruiting and retaining top talent, and putting our people to work to figure out how we can always better serve our clients.”
Norris is the recipient of the State Bar of Michigan Labor and Employment Law Council Distinguished Service Award. She has served on the United States District Court Local Rules Advisory Committee, the board of directors for the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association, as chair in 2003 and 2004 for the city of Detroit Police Commission, and others.
Norris succeeds Michael McGee, who is stepping down after serving as CEO since 2013.
“Megan is an exceptional leader who will bring great vision and values to her work as CEO,” says McGee.
McGee will resume his practice in the firm’s public finance group. Under McGee’s leadership, the firm renewed and strengthened its commitment to law firm diversity, equity, and inclusion, becoming the only firm in Michigan and one of only 24 nationwide to have earned Mansfield Plus Certification for three years in a row. The certification is awarded to law firms that meet standards for significant representation of women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ attorneys in leadership roles. During his tenure as CEO, the firm expanded capacity in the rapidly growing autonomous and connected vehicles sector, the aerospace and defense industry, and grew its footprint domestically and internationally, forging alliances through North and South America, and adding offices in Washington, D.C., Ohio, and Qatar.
“I have had the good fortune to work with Mike McGee and the managing directors, both as a group leader and as a managing director, and I am honored that they have chosen me as the firm’s next CEO,” says Norris. “I am grateful that he will remain a valued partner and trusted advisor as we embark on the firm’s next decade.”
Miller Canfield has more than 220 lawyers practicing in all major areas of law and has 18 offices in six countries.
