Warner Norcross + Judd LLP partners Joscelyn Cekola Boucher, Rachel J. Foster and Madelaine C. Lane have been selected for the Crain’s Grand Rapids 2024 “Notable Women in Law” list.
Notable Women in Law recognizes women who set legal precedents, relentlessly pursue justice, win big cases, complete large deals or handle notable pro bono work and serve in leadership roles for professional and community service organizations, all while mentoring other attorneys.
Boucher is executive partner in Warner’s Kalamazoo office, where she leads a team of 25 attorneys and five staff. She focuses her practice on representing emerging growth companies, investment funds and individuals in venture capital and other investment transactions. She serves on the firm’s Management Committee and chairs the Funds and Investments Industry Group.
Her nomination read in part: “Josie distinguishes herself with creative thinking and a ‘get it done’ attitude. She is a go-to for establishing creative deal structures and implementing them in complex transactions. Josie’s notable leadership shines through her representation of prominent clients, such as guiding a cancer therapeutic development company in a series of convertible note and preferred stock financings, culminating in a $60 million Series D financing round and ultimate initial public offering. Josie is an outstanding attorney and remarkable person. Through her dedication to family, community, her profession and nonprofit service, she is embedded in the fabric of Kalamazoo and embodies the spirit of our community.”
Boucher has been recognized as one of the Best Lawyers in America® for securities and capital markets law since 2020. She also has been named a “Women in the Law” by Michigan Lawyers Weekly. She serves on the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra board and as a volunteer with the Kalamazoo Community in Schools Career Prep Club, where she mentors high school students.
Foster is a partner in the firm’s Kalamazoo office and concentrates her practice in real estate transactions, including construction contracts, condominiums and foreclosures, real estate acquisitions and sales as well as financing and refinancing projects. She is co-chair of the State Bar of Michigan’s Commercial Development Ownership and Finance Committee and a member of CREW West Michigan.
Her nomination read in part: “Rachel is empathetic and detail-orientated and delivers exceptional legal services for her clients. She represented the Hollander Development Corporation’s project known as The Creamery, a pioneering $14.7 million mixed-use project in Kalamazoo. Achieving LEED Platinum certification, it includes workforce housing, a child care center and residential units reserved for households with very low income. Rachel navigated complex real estate issues, leases and construction contracts, addressing intricate financing structures with low-income housing tax credits, a loan from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and funding from the city of Kalamazoo. This transformational project not only underscores Rachel’s legal ability but exemplifies her dedication to advancing meaningful initiatives within the firm and broader community.”
Foster has been named a “Go To Lawyer” for real estate and condominium law by Michigan Lawyers Weekly. She is a member of the Kalamazoo Valley Habitat for Humanity board and Kalamazoo County Humane Society campaign cabinet. She also serves as a judge and volunteer for the Grand Rapids High School Mock Trial Tournament.
Lane is a partner in Warner’s Grand Rapids office and concentrates her practice on white collar criminal defense. She is associate general counsel for the firm, a member of its Management Committee, co-chair of Warner’s Data Solutions Practice Group and co-partner in charge of the firm’s eDiscovery Center. She serves as a faculty member for the Hillman Trial Institute and National Institute for Trial Advocacy, as well as a member of the Institute of Continuing Legal Education Criminal Advisory Board and Grand Rapids Bar Association’s Michigan Indigent Defense Commission Training Committee. She also serves on the boards for Sacred Beginnings and Grand Rapids Dominican Sisters Foundation.
Her nomination read in part: Lane has “had the honor of representing hundreds of clients, each of whom was facing unique legal challenges that were important to them and/or their business. But her most meaningful case in the past five years was working with a victim-survivor of human trafficking to seek a gubernatorial pardon. The client faced decades of trauma, and it was a Christmas miracle when she received the call from the governor’s office just a few days before Christmas 2022 with the news that she was finally free of her past. (Lane had) never been so proud to be a lawyer and to be in a position to offer pro bono legal services in support of such a worthy cause. Her professional character, excellent communication skills and community engagement clearly merit her for consideration as a most notable attorney in West Michigan.”
Lane has been recognized as a Michigan Super Lawyers for white collar criminal defense, Top Lawyer in white collar criminal defense by Grand Rapids Magazine, 40 Under 40 Business Leader by Grand Rapids Business Journal and A Lawyer Helps Pro Bono Honor Roll honoree by the State Bar of Michigan.
About Warner
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