Warner Norcross + Judd LLP announced nine attorneys have been named partners.
The new partners are Sarah R. Bileti, Daniel S. Brookins, Sarah Harper, Alexandra E. Haywood, Catherine H. Jacobs, Nina E. Lucido, Ashley E. Racette, Matthew E. Sierawski and Timothy H. Smith. Brookins, Harper, Haywood, Jacobs and Sierawski are based in Grand Rapids. Bileti, Racette and Smith are based in Detroit, and Lucido is based in Macomb County. All are members of the State Bar of Michigan.
“We are delighted to welcome each attorney to the partnership,” said Mark Wassink, managing partner of Warner. “Their commitment to providing excellent legal counsel, building strong partnerships and delivering exceptional client service epitomizes the spirit of Warner. They will each make strong contributions to their practice areas and to our continued growth as a firm.”
Bileti concentrates her practice on immigration law with a focus on domestic and international employment-based immigration matters that span employee work authorization, corporate restructuring challenges and Form I-9 compliance. She represents clients in health care, information technology, engineering, automotive, financial services, higher education, pharmaceuticals and energy, proactively developing strategies to address potential obstacles before they arise to ensure a smooth and efficient journey. Bileti chairs the firm’s Immigration Practice Group, co-chairs the International Business and Trade Industry Group and launched the Talent Without Borders blog, which provides immigration updates impacting workforce planning and compliance.
Bileti was named to the Best Lawyers®: Ones to Watchlist from 2021-23 and received JD Supra’s Reader Choice Top Ten Award for immigration law in 2025. She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, or AILA, and serves on the AILA National Business Steering Committee. She is licensed to practice in both Michigan and Colorado.
Bileti holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, a master’s from Sotheby’s Institute of Art and her law degree from Wayne State University Law School.
Brookins is a litigator who advises clients through a wide array of employment disputes in state and federal courts, including discrimination, retaliation, benefits and wage and hour lawsuits. His experience covers litigating claims under Title VII, Title IX, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. He represents clients across various industries, including automotive, health care, pharmaceuticals, consumer products, K-12 and higher education, insurance, manufacturing and energy.
Brookins has been named to the Best Lawyers® Grand Rapids Commercial Litigation: Ones to Watchlist since 2024. He also serves on the board of Dégagé Ministries. He is a member of the Federal Bar Association and Grand Rapids Bar Association.
Brookins holds two bachelor’s degrees from Nova Southeastern University and a law degree with high honors and Order of the Coif from the George Washington University Law School, where he was the notes editor of the George Washington Law Review.
Harper focuses on corporate transactional and securities matters, including business formation, corporate governance, capital raising, mergers and acquisitions and commercial contracting. She is a member of the firm’s industry-leading impact investing group, working with community development financial institutions and other organizations to finance affordable housing, small business loans and educational initiatives.
Harper has been recognized on Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch List since 2025, Chambers USA Associates to Watch for Mergers and Acquisitions in Michigan in 2025 and Michigan Super Lawyers Magazine Rising Stars List since 2024. Crain’s Grand Rapids recognized Harper as Young Dealmaker of the Year in 2024. She serves on the board of D.A. Blodgett of St. John’s. She is a member of the American Bar Association, or ABA.
Harper holds a bachelor’s degree summa cum laude from Ferris State University and a law degree cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School.
Haywood focuses her practice on real estate, advising clients on all aspects of residential and commercial construction projects, purchase and sale transactions, renewable energy development projects and commercial leasing matters. She also has experience in cybersecurity, reviewing licenses and technology procurement and service agreements.
Haywood has been recognized on Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch List in 2023 and 2024 and Grand Rapids: Real Estate Law Ones to Watch List since 2024. She serves on the board of the YWCA West Central Michigan Advisory Council, as well as board secretary for Commercial Real Estate Women, or CREW, West Michigan. She is a member of the ABA.
Haywood holds a bachelor’s degree magna cum laude from Miami University and a law degree cum laude from Indiana University Maurer School of Law, where she was the executive editor of the Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies.
Jacobs focuses her practice on elder law, providing comprehensive estate and succession planning for individuals, families and businesses. In addition to her core trust and estate planning services, she helps families with Medicaid qualification and securing the appropriate level of care they need. She works extensively with clients with special needs. She launched and produces a regular series of Medicaid Moments vlogs that provide easy-to-understand explanations about paying for long-term care.
Jacobs has been recognized on Best Lawyers since 2023. She was named a Top Lawyer in Trusts and Estates by Grand Rapids Magazine in 2022-23. She received the Jerry O’Bee Award from Caregiver Resource Network.
Jacobs serves on the board of Elder Law of Michigan and on several committees for Caregiver Resources Network. She is a former trustee and planning commissioner for Ada Township and a former board member of the Forest Hills Public Schools Foundation. She was a member of the Ada-Cascade Rotary, where she served as a past president and helped to establish the Rotary Interact for local high schoolers.
Jacobs holds a bachelor’s degree from Central Michigan University and her law degree from Michigan State University Detroit College of Law.
Lucido concentrates her practice in trusts and estates, tax and business succession planning and corporate operations.She is experienced with tax planning, charitable giving, trust administration, estate settlement and other areas for individuals, families, nonprofits and family offices.
Lucido has been recognized by Michigan Super Lawyers on its Ones to Watch list in 2025 and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch list since 2024. Super Lawyers recognized her as a Rising Star in 2024.
Lucido is a member of the Financial and Estate Planning Council of Metro Detroit and the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan. She is a graduate of Leadership Macomb. Lucido is a member of the ABA, Macomb County Bar Association and Italian American Bar Association of Michigan.
Lucido holds a bachelor’s degree with honors from the University of Michigan and a law degree summa cum laude from MSU College of Law, where she was the notes editor of the Michigan State University Law Review. She completed a program at the Institute for Comparative Law & Jurisprudence at the University of Bialystok in Poland through MSU.
Racette is a commercial litigator who advises clients on complex business and contractual matters. She focuses her practice on supply chain conflicts and contractual disputes, representing automotive and other supply chain clients at all stages of business and contractual disputes.
Racette has been recognized on the Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch list in 2026 and Best Lawyers Detroit: Ones to Watch since 2021. Michigan Super Lawyers recognized her as a Rising Star in 2025. She serves on the Women’s Committee for the Eastern District of Michigan Bar Association.
Racette holds two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Louisville and a law degree summa cum laude from MSU College of Law, where she was the associate editor of the Michigan State Law Review.
Sierawski is a commercial litigator who handles complex cases for clients, focusing on supply chain and patent disputes. He represents a wide array of clients, ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies across various industries, including automotive, insurance, commercial real estate development, energy, hospitality and professional services.
Sierawski has been recognized on the Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch list for commercial litigation since 2025. He is a member of the ABA, Federal Bar Association and Grand Rapids Bar Association.
Sierawski holds a bachelor’s degree summa cum laude from MSU and a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School, where he was a contributing editor of the Michigan Law Review. Prior to his legal career, Sierawski served seven years as an operational intelligence analyst with the Michigan Air National Guard.
Smith is a litigator representing clients in both state and federal courts. His practice focuses on appeals, supply chain conflicts, contractual disputes, complex commercial litigation and constitutional litigation.
Smith has been recognized on the Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch list in 2026 and Best Lawyers Detroit: Ones to Watch list in 2024. He is licensed to practice in both Michigan and New York.
Smith holds a bachelor’s degree summa cum laude from Middlebury College and a law degree magna cum laude and Order of the Coif from the University of Michigan Law School, where he was a contributing editor of the Michigan 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 or Facebook.
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