Foley in Spotlight for 25 Years of Client and Community Service in Detroit
“I am inspired by what we have built and where we are going.” – Daljit Doogal, Foley Chairman and CEO
Foley & Lardner LLP is featured by Detroit Lawyer in commemoration of the firm’s 25th anniversary in Detroit.
Chairman and CEO Daljit Doogal, Detroit managing partner Marcus Sprow, and partners Phil Phillips, Vanessa Miller, Mark Aiello, Gjina Lucaj, and Omar Lucia spoke to the magazine about the office’s instrumental role in Foley’s national story of growth, client service, and community engagement.
“Detroit has always had a strong manufacturing business landscape, especially in the automotive sector. When Foley opened here in 2000, the firm was drawn to these aspects,” Doogal said of the firm’s Motor City beginnings. “With Foley’s historical excellence in the manufacturing and automotive sectors and strong Midwest presence, opening an office in Detroit was a natural extension.”
He pointed to how the firm’s Detroit success has paralleled Foley’s national rise, as across the last 25 years, the firm has opened 13 new offices worldwide. “We are now not only known for our work in the manufacturing sector but also energy and infrastructure, health care and life sciences, and innovative technology,” Doogal continued. “We work collaboratively across our national platform, bringing the whole of the firm to the client.”
Sprow concurred, identifying how Foley’s national reach distinguishes the firm in the Detroit market. “We have established ourselves as lawyers with a deep and unique understanding of Michigan’s manufacturing economy, but we also have that knowledge at the national and international level,” he said. Sprow also highlighted the firm’s local engagement, citing the Detroit office’s commitment to community and pro bono service. “Detroit is a bellwether for trends you eventually see across the country,” he commented. “Being here gives us early insights into shifts and changes in technology, manufacturing, and electrification, and positions us to better support the local, national, and global players in those spaces.”
Phillips, who serves on the firm’s management committee, highlighted Foley’s collaborative culture as key to the firm’s success in Detroit and beyond. “We bring a smaller office feel to our work but have the resources and talent of a national law firm. We are constantly working together and strategizing with our colleagues in Detroit and across the firm,” he said, emphasizing the firm’s application of this same people-driven approach to client relationships.
Miller, Foley’s Automotive Team chair, and Aiello, Electrified Mobility & Infrastructure Team chair, described Foley’s longstanding integration with the city’s economic backbone. “Our office was founded in large part to support clients in the automotive and manufacturing sectors,” Miller said, detailing how Foley helps clients not only navigate risk, but also strategically approach evolving business trends. Aiello said Foley keeps a “pulse on the industry” through active involvement in leading trade organizations as part of the firm’s overall efforts to deliver best-in-class client service, particularly as emerging technologies transform the industry.
“In Detroit, there is excitement and action within the manufacturing and distribution sectors because of the region’s deep-rooted automotive legacy and its ongoing transformation into a hub for advanced manufacturing, logistics, and EV technology,” Lucaj, chair of the office’s corporate team, said of the city’s dynamic economic outlook. Lucia, who co-chairs the firm’s Private Equity Practice, noted that Foley is well-prepared to support Detroit’s next stages of growth as the firm’s attorneys “invest significantly in understanding our clients’ businesses.”
Asked to sum up the key factors behind Foley’s strong footing in Detroit, Doogal referenced the firm’s national platform and local understanding. “Our culture also mirrors the city,” he added. “Hardworking, entrepreneurial, and business-focused — and we have capitalized on that mindset.”
