Warner Norcross + Judd LLP partner Susan M. Cook has been selected for Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s 2021 Hall of Fame.
Now inducting its third Hall of Fame class, the publication chose 21 Michigan attorneys for their success and demonstration of strong leadership both within and outside of their chosen legal field and their contributions to the community. Cook concentrates her practice on bankruptcy law, business reorganization, commercial litigation and business transactions.
Alongside fellow recipients, Cook will be honored during a virtual event April 13 and will be profiled in the publication’s Hall of Fame insert March 8.
Cook’s nomination reads in part: “Sue finds the small cases are just as rewarding as the big ones. She finds fulfillment in her job knowing she can help a business remain active and flourish, regardless of its size. Throughout her career, Sue has also mentored countless attorneys. She works to ensure they understand the importance of listening to their clients. ‘If you’re talking, you’re not learning,’ Sue says. And while she agrees there is plenty of time for talking, the best way to help a client is to take the time to listen to their issue and learn everything you possibly can about that issue before proposing a solution.”
With more than 40 years of reorganization experience, Cook has represented both purchasers and sellers in the sale of businesses, banks in the drafting and reviewing of loan documentation and distressed businesses and creditors in both out-of-court and bankruptcy reorganizations. She has reorganization experience in a wide range of industries, including automotive, hospitality, health care, construction, gaming and retail. She has significant experience representing Tier I and Tier II automotive suppliers and has been involved in all of the major automotive bankruptcy proceedings in the past 15 years.
Cook has received numerous awards throughout her legal career, including recognition by Best Lawyers, Michigan Super Lawyers,Lawdragon and Michigan Lawyers Weekly. She was recently named the Best Lawyers’ 2021 Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law Lawyer of the Year in Troy. In 2020, she was recognized by the Turnaround Management Association for her role in the Mid-Size Company Transaction of the Year in which she led a team of Warner partners serving as legal advisors to Beach Mold and Tool Inc. in New Albany, Indiana, during its sale to NYX Inc.
Known for giving back to the community, Cook serves on the Bay Area Women’s Center board and Bay Area Community Foundation Stewardship Committee. She previously served on the McLaren Bay Medical Foundation board and with the American Bankruptcy Institute’s Central States Regional Conference as its educational program co-chair and advisory board member. Cook additionally serves on the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Michigan Mediation Panel and is a lecturer and faculty member of the Federal Bar Association in both the Eastern and Western districts. She is a member of and lecturer for the Institute of Continuing Legal Education and a member of the Consumer Bankruptcy Association Trial Advocacy Program.
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