Courtney F. Kissel
Member
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Perhaps the best way to describe Courtney Kissel is an outside general counsel for regulatory and legislative issues. Private and public sector clients rely on her heightened ability to simplify and navigate complicated government policies, state constitutions, and administrative regulations while accomplishing the client's goals.
Much of Courtney's practice is devoted to guiding K-12 schools, universities, utilities, insurance companies, and other clients through the complex regulations that govern their operations. She serves as the Department Director for Regulated Industries at the firm.
Because of her keen understanding of regulatory and legislative processes, she drafts proposed legislation, helps implement compliance procedures, and interprets complicated statutory and constitutional issues. But when unfair and unworkable rules pose structural or even existential threats to her clients, she advocates for rule changes through negotiation, administrative proceedings, or courtroom litigation.
“Clients don't see me only as 'the lawyer.' I'm an actual person to them, like they are to me.”
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- University of Wisconsin Law School, J.D., magna cum laude, Law Review, Note & Comment Editor
- University of Michigan, A.B., with highest distinction
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Bar Admissions
- Michigan, 2010
- Wisconsin, 2010
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Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan
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Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® for Energy Law, 2023 and 2024
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Recognized by The Legal 500 United States as a Key Lawyer for Native American Law, 2022 and 2024
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Named to Oakland County Executive’s Elite 40 Under 40 Class of 2020
- Recognized in Michigan Super Lawyers® as a Rising Star in Government Relations, Appellate and Constitutional Law, 2017-2020
- Recipient of the 2015 Distinguished Brief Award, Thomas M. Cooley Law Review, for Brief of Amicus Curiae Michigan Chamber of Commerce, Michigan Supreme Court Docket No. 147700 (regarding the applicability of Michigan's freedom-to-work law to state employees under the Michigan Constitution)
- Award for Academic Excellence in Substantive Criminal Law, Secured Transactions, and Constitutional Law II
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- State Bar of Michigan
- State Bar of Wisconsin
- Ingham County Bar Association
- Federal Bar Association
- Women Lawyers Association of Michigan
- Detroit Economic Club, Young Leader Member
- Advancing Women in Energy
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