“I owned a franchise that I eventually sold,” says Rhonda. “While I was transitioning I began to realize
that one of the biggest challenges of owning a business was trying to determine
if I was getting adequate, sufficient legal advice from my lawyers. I couldn’t tell so I decided to go to law
school to learn more.”
After summering with Dickinson Wright, she joined the firm
in the mid-1990s as an Associate. She
has never left and now is a bond lawyer that specializes in municipal financing
at both the state and local levels. She
serves as bond counsel to the Michigan State Housing Development Authority
which provides various forms of financial assistance in support of housing for
low and moderate income families and has served as issuer’s counsel in well over
100 financing transactions for short and long-term debt issued by public school
academies.
“In my type of practice, what helps me is that it is
non-confrontational,” says Rhonda. “All parties to each transaction are working
toward the same goal and that is to provide tax-exempt funding to be used for a
public purpose. You’re not only helping
the issuer in municipal financing transactions, but society at large by making tax-exempt
funding available for programs and public improvements that help the community
and enhance our quality of life. It’s a
win-win for everybody.”
Rhonda is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the Detroit
Metropolitan Bar Association, the Wolverine Bar Association and the National
Association of Bond Lawyers. She is recognized by Best Lawyers in America as a leader in the fields of Municipal Law
and Public Finance Law. She is also very active in her community, serving on
the boards of the Detroit Medical Center Foundation, the Detroit Institute of
Arts, and the Detroit Medical Center Legacy Board.
