09.14.2021

Plunkett Cooney attorney Claudia D. Orr was recently named by Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s (MLW) to its 2021 Class of Women in the Law.

“This is a tremendous honor for Claudia who is an outstanding employment law attorney,” said Thomas P. Vincent, Plunkett Cooney’s President and CEO. “She represents a range of employers from Fortune 500 companies to nonprofits. She is also very involved in the southeast Michigan HR community, so this well-deserved on several levels.”

Orr was among 34 women honored at a luncheon on Sept. 9 at the Detroit Marriott in Troy where one member of the 2021 class was also named “Woman of the Year.” MLW, a leading publication serving the state’s legal industry, recognized this year’s honorees in a special section of the newspaper that was distributed yesterday.

The MLW editorial staff selected this year’s honorees because they made outstanding contributions to the practice of law in Michigan and set an example for other lawyers. These women are pioneers and trailblazers, educators and role models. They have shown tremendous leadership and offer a wealth of expertise in diverse areas of the law.

A senior attorney in the firm’s Detroit office, Orr exclusively represents and advises employers in litigation, human resources matters and labor law disputes. These matters include hiring, discipline/discharge, ADA and FMLA leaves, workers' disability compensation, public policy, unpaid commissions and whistleblower issues and many other areas of employment law.

Dbusiness magazine also named Orr a Top Lawyer in Labor & Employment Law in 2010, 2015 and 2020. Since 2014, she has been listed by Best Lawyers in America as one of the state’s top employment attorneys, and she has received the top peer review rating of AV-Preeminent as awarded by Martindale-Hubbell, an international peer review rating service.

Orr is a member of the Master Lawyers and Employment and Labor Law sections of the State Bar of Michigan, and she serves as a mediation panel member of the Special Employment Panel of Neutral Arbitrators for the American Arbitration Association. A long-time member of Detroit-SHRM, Orr currently serves on its Legal Affairs Committee. 

Orr received her law degree from the University of Detroit Law School, summa cum laude, in 1991, and she graduated from the University of Michigan – Dearborn with high distinction in 1986.  She is admitted to practice in Michigan’s state and federal courts, as well as the in U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and in the U.S. Supreme Court.

Established in 1913, Plunkett Cooney is one of the nation’s oldest and largest law firms with approximately 300 employees, including 150 attorneys in seven Michigan cities, as well as in Chicago, Illinois, Columbus, Ohio and Indianapolis, Indiana. The firm, which provides a range of transactional and litigation services, has achieved the highest rating (AV) awarded by Martindale-Hubbell.

For more information about Claudia Orr receiving the Michigan Lawyers Weekly “Women in the Law" honor, contact the firm’s Director of Marketing and Business Development, John Cornwell, at (248) 901-4008; jcornwell@plunkettcooney.com.

###