Mark K. Harder, a partner with Warner Norcross & Judd LLP, has been recognized by Business Review as one of its 2010 Thought Leaders in the Law.
Harder, who concentrates his practices in trusts and estates law, was honored for his work in drafting the new Michigan Trust Code, legislation that governs how trusts are established and administered in the state. The Michigan Trust Code both modernizes and provides uniformity for the law of trusts, filling in important gaps in the previous legislation.
Harder was one of six Thought Leaders in the Law selected by Business Review. Now in its second year, Thought Leaders is designed to highlight West Michigan attorneys who have made a significant contribution to their practice area on a state or regional level. A Warner Norcross alumna, Amy Chambers, who is now vice president of product and market development at Priority Health, was also among this year's recipients.
All Thought Leaders in the Law will be recognized at a special reception on Thursday, Feb. 4, at the Grand Rapids Art Museum.
"We are very pleased that Mark's work drafting and leading the effort to enact the Michigan Trust Code has been recognized by Business Review," said Doug Wagner, managing partner. "At Warner Norcross, we encourage our attorneys to pursue leadership roles within our profession that will further enhance their knowledge, as well as the core of knowledge in the fields where they practice. We are always gratified when their efforts are recognized, as Mark's have been."
In his role with the new Michigan Trust Code, Harder chaired the State Bar of Michigan committee that spent more than five years writing the legislation that governs how trusts are established and administered in the state. As chair, he oversaw the drafting of the Code, negotiated its terms with other key organizations and provided testimony at the Senate and House Judiciary Committee hearings on the legislation. The new state law will go into effect April 1, 2010.
Active professionally and within the community, Harder serves as secretary of the Michigan State Bar's Probate and Estate Planning Section. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Wisconsin and the Michigan State Bar Foundation. He serves on the State Laws Committee of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, where he is a fellow.
He has held leadership and board positions with numerous organizations, including the Holland Area Chamber of Commerce and the Center for Women in Transition. He is recognized in The Best Lawyers in America and Michigan Super Lawyers.
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About Warner Norcross & Judd
Warner Norcross & Judd LLP is one of the leading law firms in Michigan and one of the top 200 in the nation. With more than 220 attorneys in Holland, Grand Rapids, Southfield, Sterling Heights, Lansing and Muskegon, Warner Norcross is a full-service provider of legal services. Nearly half of our partners are listed in the 2010 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Warner Norcross has been recognized for business excellence and workplace flexibility with an Alfred P. Sloan Award, as a national leader in client service among law firms by BTI Consulting, as one of the nation's leading employment law firms by Workforce Management, as one of the 101 Best & Brightest Companies to Work For in both West Michigan and Metro Detroit and as one of the Best Michigan Businesses by Corp! Magazine. The Firm represents local, statewide, regional, national and international clients in all areas of business and civil law.