Plunkett Cooney partner and Trusts & Estates Practice Group Leader Laura L. Brownfield was recently named by Michigan Lawyers Weekly (MiLW) to its 2026 Class of “Influential Women of Law.”

Brownfield is among 34 attorneys who will be honored at a luncheon on Sept. 18 at The Mint at Michigan First Conference Center in Lathrup Village, Michigan, where one member of the 2026 class will also be named “Woman of the Year.” MiLW will also recognize this year’s honorees in a special section of the newspaper, which covers the state’s legal industry.

MiLW’s editorial staff selected this year’s honorees based on excellence in serving the needs of their clients, service to the profession and commitment to their communities through volunteerism and pro bono efforts.

Brownfield has over 30 years of experience in private practice and in-house counsel, focusing on estate planning and administration, charitable planning, as well as nonprofit law.

Brownfield’s trusts and estate practice focuses on the development of comprehensive plans for the management of her clients’ assets during their lifetimes, the protection of their assets in the event of disability, and the tax-efficient transfer of their wealth during their lifetime and upon death. She also assists individuals and families with succession planning for closely held businesses and with implementing charitable giving plans to ensure a meaningful personal legacy for her clients. In addition, Brownfield assists fiduciaries and beneficiaries in trust and estate administration matters and in the resolution of disputes arising from the administration of wills and trusts.

Former general counsel of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, Brownfield leverages her in-house nonprofit expertise to help clients establish, govern and operate tax-exempt organizations. She also provides strategic counsel and practical business advice to ensure new and existing nonprofits remain in compliance with federal and state laws and regulations.

Brownfield serves on the Board of Directors of the Catholic Foundation of Michigan. She received her law degree from Wayne State University Law School in 1995 and her undergraduate degree from Miami University in 1992.

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

Plunkett Cooney’s Trusts & Estates Practice Group members assist clients in meeting their wealth transfer and estate planning objectives. Their practice entails counseling clients on various aspects of estate planning and evaluating their unique circumstances to assist them in achieving their personal, business and financial goals. Practice group members design estate planning documents, business succession and asset protection plans and charitable planning vehicles. They also coordinate and administer trusts and estates, and when a dispute becomes unavoidable, represent clients in litigation and alternative dispute resolution.

Plunkett Cooney has achieved the highest rating (AV) awarded by Martindale-Hubbell, a leading, international directory of law firms, and the firm has received recognition by Best Lawyers as one of the nation’s leading law firms since the honor’s inception in 2010.

For more information about Laura Brownfield receiving the MiLW Influential Women of Law honor, contact John Cornwell of the firm’s Practice Development Department at (248) 901-4008; jcornwell@plunkettcooney.com.

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