Plunkett Cooney attorneys Danielle Chidiac and Claire D. Vergara were recently named to the Lawyers of Color (LoC) magazine 2023 Annual Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Hot List.

Based on peer nominations, the DEI Hot List annually recognizes junior- and mid-level attorneys across the country who show promise in their careers and demonstrate a strong commitment to advancing diversity in the legal profession. LoC is a nonprofit devoted to promoting diversity in the legal profession and advancing democracy and equality in marginalized communities.

Honorees will be profiled in the DEI Hot List 2023 issue, as well as in the free digital version that will be available on the publications page of LoC’s website. LoC will also host a complimentary reception on July 19 from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Washington, D.C. law office of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner.

Co-chair of Plunkett Cooney’s DEI Committee, Chidiac practices primarily in the area of insurance coverage, representing leading property and casualty insurance companies in coverage cases throughout the Midwest. Her coverage work as a member of the firm’s Insurance Coverage Practice Group includes the handling of coverage issues involving environmental contamination and travel insurance related to COVID, as well as research and coverage opinions regarding general liability policy issues that involve environmental, property damage or construction defect claims. 

Chidiac, who is a member of Plunkett Cooney’s Bloomfield Hills office, received her law degree from Wayne State University Law School in 2020. She received her undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, from Oakland University in 2017.

Vergara works in the Detroit office and is a member of the firm’s DEI Committee. She is also a member of Plunkett Cooney’s Transportation Law and Medical Litigation practice groups. Vergara focuses her practice in the areas of medical liability, trucking litigation, first-party No-Fault auto insurance law and third-party motor vehicle negligence claims. She also has experience handling insurance-related matters involving personal injury and general negligence.

Vergara is a member of the Michigan Asian Pacific American Bar Association and currently serves as secretary of the organization’s executive board. Licensed to practice law in the state and federal courts in Michigan, Vergara received her law degree from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School in 2012. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in 2009.

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 130 attorneys in seven Michigan cities, Chicago, Illinois, Columbus, Ohio and Indianapolis, Indiana.

Plunkett Cooney recently received Mansfield Rule Certification for midsize law firms, which recognizes leaders in diversity, equity and inclusion within the legal industry. The firm has also achieved the highest rating (AV) awarded by Martindale-Hubbell, a leading, international directory of law firms, and it was recently named a 2023 “Best Law Firm” nationally in 12 practice areas as determined by U.S. News – Best Lawyers®.

For more information about Chidiac and Vergara named to LoC’s 2023 DEI Hot List, contact the firm’s Director of Marketing & Practice Development John Cornwell at (248) 901-4008 or jcornwell@plunkettcooney.com.

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