Michigan Lawyers Weekly Recognizes Deb Lapin as an Influential Woman of Law
Maddin Hauser is thrilled to announce that Michigan Lawyers Weekly named Deborah S. Lapin to its 2026 class of “Influential Women of Law.” Selected annually, the honorees are exceptional attorneys and judges who demonstrate legal excellence, community leadership, and a dedication to mentoring the next generation of practitioners.
What Makes Deb an Influential Woman of Law?
As a shareholder in Maddin Hauser’s Financial Services and Real Property Litigation group, Deb focuses on real estate litigation, particularly mortgage-related issues and title insurance coverage disputes. Her practice also extends across the full spectrum of business litigation matters, leveraging the firm’s cross-disciplinary capabilities and resources to support her work on behalf of clients across multiple industries.
An accomplished advocate, Deb sees little distinction between the individual and institutional clients she serves. No matter who she meets with and regardless of the issue or concern they bring to her office, Deb fosters the type of close connections that facilitate dialogue, trust, and a sense of confidence that she will give 100% of herself to help them achieve their goals or protect their interests. She evaluates a case not through the lens of dollars and cents but through her clients’ eyes. A matter that may seem “small” in the context of her stacked caseload can be of existential consequence to her client. Her efforts and approach, her counsel and care, her determination to take a matter through trial or to negotiate a settlement with prudence, all reflect this fundamental appreciation of how much hangs in the balance in every engagement.
Throughout her more than 35 years of practicing law, Deb recognized a common thread connecting client work to her efforts to mentor, support, and develop the professional skills of young lawyers in the early stages of their careers. In both areas, and what sets Deb apart, is her relentless focus on the personal relationships that make the law a profession rather than a service industry.
Deb’s contributions to the legal profession include educating clients and fellow attorneys on legal issues and providing practical guidance on business development, networking, wellness, and investing. She is a member of the Institute of Continuing Legal Education’s (ICLE) Real Property Law Advisory Board, often speaks and blogs on topics relevant to her practice and clients, and regularly presents continuing legal education courses to colleagues. Deb is additionally active in the industries in which her clients do business, including serving on the Board of Directors of the Michigan Recreational Boating Industries Educational Foundation, which is dedicated to advancing marine education and scholarships.
Supporting Her Community
Personal investment in others is not only a defining characteristic of how Deb practices, but it is also how she manifests her commitment to improving the legal profession. Deb learned early in her career as a public defender how vital it was for young practitioners to not only learn the law but also learn how to be a lawyer. Her trial-by-fire experiences inform her desire to mentor young lawyers. Deb is particularly generous with her time, insights, and, more importantly, with her role as a trusted confidant and sounding board for scores of lawyers in the early years of their careers.
A leader within our firm, Deb devotes significant time to Maddin Hauser’s Women’s Success Through Empowerment and Engagement (SEE) Committee, including volunteering with Humble Design’s “Day of Joy,” transforming empty houses into warm, welcoming homes for families transitioning out of homelessness. She has also given her time to the Ronald McDonald House, her synagogue, and youth sports boards.