Madelaine C. Lane, a partner in the law firm Warner Norcross + Judd LLP, has been selected as a member of the 2021 class of 40 Under 40 Business Leaders by the Grand Rapids Business Journal.
Lane and 39 other West Michigan leaders younger than 40, including her sister, Erin Lane, will be recognized for their business and community leadership during an awards program Oct. 26. The recognition acknowledges up-and-coming leaders who are making a difference in their communities and who will be “shaping the region for years to come.”
The Business Journal received more than 400 individual nominations for this year’s class. Since this award program began in 2002, the publication has recognized more than 600 young leaders for their professional, community and philanthropic contributions.
An involved leader at Warner, Lane concentrates her practice on litigation and serves as co-chair of the firm’s White Collar Criminal Defense and Investigations Practice Group and Regulatory and Compliance Practice Group. She is co-chair of Warner’s Data Analytics and eDiscovery Practice Group and co-partner-in-charge of the firm’s eDiscovery Center. Lane serves on Warner’s 10-member Management Committee, which oversees the firm’s strategic direction and day-to-day operations. She is also the firm’s associate general counsel, routinely counseling attorneys, staff and administration regarding conflict issues, contract negotiations, privilege issues and other related concerns.
Active in the arts and within the West Michigan community, Lane is an opera singer who has performed at Carnegie Hall, the National Opera Center and venues throughout Michigan. She made her European debut in 2016 at the Sankt Goar International Music Festival in Germany. Lane competes successfully in opera competitions, appearing as a finalist in the 2015 Nicholas Loren Vocal Competition, among others.
Lane is the only performing member on the board of directors of Opera Grand Rapids, where she is also a member of the chorus and chair of the development committee. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, she helped Opera Grand Rapids go virtual as the inaugural performer in its popular “Singing in Place” series, which brought opera into the homes of the community. Lane also volunteers with the West Michigan Opera Project.
A graduate of Grand Rapids Public Schools, Lane serves as president of the Grand Rapids Public Schools Foundation, formerly the Student Advancement Foundation. She has served on the foundation’s executive committee since 2018, including a term as vice president.
Lane has also served on the board of the Holland Historical Trust, on the Young Professionals Steering Committee of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park and on the Holy Cross Alumni Board. She was also a member of the Art Advisory Committee for the city of Grand Rapids.
Lane also served on the executive committee of the Federal Bar Association of the Western District of Michigan, where she helped establish the Young Lawyers Committee. She is a member of Women’s White Collar Defense Association, State Bar of Michigan and Grand Rapids Bar Association, where she serves on the Judicial Candidate Review Committee. She has been recognized as a Rising Star by Michigan Super Lawyers and in the 2016 Class of Up and Coming Lawyers for Michigan Lawyers Weekly.
A native of New York, Lane has lived in West Michigan for more than three decades. She holds a bachelor’s degree cum laude from the College of the Holy Cross and a law degree magna cum laude from Wayne State University Law School, where she was Order of the Coif and assistant editor and senior articles editor of the Wayne Law Review.
About Warner
By providing discerning and proactive legal advice, Warner Norcross + Judd LLP builds a better partnership with our clients. One of Michigan’s largest law firms, we’re focused on providing the best legal solutions and exceptional client service to organizations throughout the world. Connect with us on wnj.com, LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook.
# # #
