Attorneys
The people at the helm.
Four partners, four practices, one Ann Arbor office. You will always know who is handling your matter.
About the firm
Small by design. Steady by habit.
Lake Effect Law was founded in Ann Arbor on a simple idea: clients deserve partners who answer their own phones.
We have stayed deliberately small, so the partner you meet is the partner who does the work. We tell clients plainly what we think, we explain what things will cost before they cost it, and we would rather solve a problem early than win it late.
Managing Partner · Litigation & Disputes
Graham Ivers
Graham has spent more than twenty years trying commercial cases in Michigan state and federal courts. He represents business owners in partnership breakups, contract disputes and trade-secret cases, and he is known for preparing every case as if it will be tried.
Outside the office he coaches youth hockey and spends as many January weekends as he can on the ice of Lake Michigan.
J.D., cum laude · Michigan and U.S. District Court (E.D. and W.D. Mich.)
Partner · Business Formation & Startups
Elena Marr
Elena works with founders from the first conversation about an idea through financing, growth and, sometimes, a sale. Before joining the firm she was in-house counsel at a software company that grew from twelve employees to three hundred.
She mentors student founders in Ann Arbor and believes every company deserves a well-drafted operating agreement.
J.D. · M.B.A. · Admitted in Michigan
Partner · Estate Planning & Real Estate
Renée Haldane
Renée helps families plan for what comes next, from first wills to multi-generation plans for a family business or a cottage on the lake. She also handles residential and small commercial real estate transactions.
Clients describe her meetings as the calmest part of a hard week. She would like every family to have that conversation before they need it.
J.D. · LL.M. in Taxation · Admitted in Michigan
Partner · Employment & Crisis Counsel
Marcus Pell
Marcus advises employers and executives on the full range of workplace questions, and he is the person clients call first when something goes wrong. He leads workplace investigations and represents employers before state and federal agencies.
He spent his early career as a newspaper reporter, which he says is the best training there is for asking the right questions quickly.
J.D. · B.A., Journalism · Admitted in Michigan
First conversation
Talk to us before the weather turns.
A first consultation is thirty minutes, by phone or in our Ann Arbor office. Bring your questions; we will tell you plainly whether and how we can help.