Michigan Lawyers Weekly Names John MacKenzie to Its 2022 Class of “Up & Coming Lawyers”
We are pleased to announce shareholder John A. MacKenzie has been selected to Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s “Up & Coming Lawyers” for 2022.
The publication’s annual award recognizes lawyers in their first ten years in practice who have established themselves by displaying the ambition, drive, and accomplishments that distinguish them from their peers. Michigan Lawyers Weekly will celebrate John and his fellow honorees during a luncheon program at the Detroit Marriott Troy on April 8, 2022.
What Makes John an Up & Coming Lawyer?
John devotes most of his practice to complex commercial disputes and real property litigation, appearing in state and federal courts, administrative agency proceedings, arbitrations and mediation, and other ADR venues. He performs occasional corporate transactional work too, making him a well-rounded business and real estate lawyer. Because of his accomplishments, Best Lawyers named him among its “Ones to Watch” for 2022.
Besides assisting and sitting second-chair for more senior attorneys at the firm, he has built his own stable of clients in manufacturing, fabrication, and real estate. He leads and first-chairs commercial matters such as breach of contract claims, business torts, workplace and employment disputes, trade secret misappropriation, and collections. His real estate litigation work includes property tax appeals, zoning and land use actions, real estate commission disputes, and issues real estate buyers and sellers encounter before, during, and after a sale.
Much of John’s success as a lawyer is attributable to his curiosity and quest for guidance and advice from those who can teach him; there are many examples. A local judge influenced his decision to attend Thomas M. Cooley Law School. He supplemented his classroom learning by clerking for a large regional firm and participating in a special program the firm established. To learn more about the business of real estate, he obtained a real estate salesperson’s license.
After law school, John worked for a local insurance company in its claims area, managing litigation and outside counsel. He then launched his own litigation career with an insurance defense practice, and then joined Maddin Hauser in 2017. Because of John’s determination, professionalism, hunger to learn, competitiveness, and drive to deliver results for his clients, he was named a shareholder last month after only four years with the firm.
Civic Involvement and Accomplishments
Outside the office, John gives back to his hometown community as an Anchor Bay Chamber of Commerce Ambassador. The Chamber offers members benefits and resources and facilitates relationships within Macomb and St. Clair Counties while making the region a better place to live, work, play, and raise a family. The pandemic dealt a significant economic blow to many businesses, and John and his fellow Chamber leaders initiated programs to support members and help them weather the downturn.
John also participates in pro bono work in Macomb County. He counsels and sits on the governing board of All-Ways Care Services (ACS), a New Baltimore nonprofit that cares for the needs of disabled people who require assistance in their everyday lives. Its clients range from young children to seniors with varying degrees of autism, Down Syndrome, pervasive development disorder, bipolar disorder, and other challenges. ACS helps them achieve independence and retain their sense of self-worth and personal dignity. John has also represented indigent clients who could not otherwise afford an attorney.
Please join us in congratulating our colleague and friend John MacKenzie on this well-deserved award!