We are pleased to announce that Michigan Lawyers Weekly selected shareholder Dina Zalewski to the 2023 class of “Up & Coming Lawyers.” She will formally receive the honor at an awards luncheon at the Troy Marriott on April 21st.
According to Michigan Lawyers Weekly, the honor is bestowed upon attorneys who “have excelled in the profession and are standouts among their peers – all in their first 10 years of practice. These lawyers are establishing themselves as future leaders through their ambition and accomplishments, and their drive and dedication to the practice of law.”
Dina joined Sommers Schwartz as an associate in the Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury Litigation Groups in 2018. The firm immediately took note of her advanced trial skills and impressive achievements, and in early 2022, she was named a shareholder.
To Dina, it is a privilege to advocate for clients harmed by others’ negligence and fight for their rights. “This is true for any lawyer, but it is especially so when representing someone who lost a loved one or suffered a significant injury due to a medical error,” she explains. “Medical malpractice cases are very personal and emotionally charged. Michigan law limits what injured plaintiffs can collect, and many legal and economic hurdles make litigating these cases difficult and time-consuming. When you combine the personal aspect of these disputes with the recovery limitations and all the legal hurdles, it can be devastating to the client’s emotional and mental health.”
Litigating med-mal cases is a “rollercoaster,” Dina says, with highs and lows and a fair amount of client stress along the way. “That being said, my reward comes at the conclusion of a case when we deliver a positive result. In that moment, the client finally gets closure. When you watch the weight of the world lifted off someone’s shoulders, and they finally take a deep breath and exhale again… that’s all the reward I need to want to do it all over again.”
Dina has been honored for her professional achievements. In 2022, Hour Detroit Magazine selected her as one of the “Top Women Attorneys in Michigan, and each year since 2019, the National Trial Lawyers has designated Dina as one of the “Top 40 under 40 Lawyers in Michigan.” She has also been named a “Rising Star” by SuperLawyers® every year since 2020. In addition to being a member of the State Bar of Michigan, she is also a member of the Macomb County Bar Association and the Oakland County Bar Association.
When Dina is not fighting for her clients, mentoring law students and new lawyers, and volunteering her time and energy to Kids on the Go, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two-year-old son, traveling, entertaining, and cooking. Dina got her love of cooking from her mother, who immigrated to the United States from San Marino, Italy. “I grew up in a strong Italian culture and spent most of my childhood helping my Nonna make pasta and cook.” Dina and her husband are hockey fanatics who cheer on the Red Wings at home and in the stands. Someday, Dina says she would like to learn the art of photography and the game of golf.
Dina believes being a lawyer makes her a better wife and mother – and being a wife and mother makes her a better lawyer. “My philosophy is that I need a healthy dose of both,” she says. “It is a lot, and it can sometimes feel like you are failing at one or both, but it can be done if you’re lucky enough to have an army of people to support you at work and at home.”
Congratulations, Dina, on this well-deserved honor!
Joseph H. Bourgon
Joe Bourgon serves as the firm’s Chief Executive Officer, overseeing the firm’s operations and stewarding its continued growth and profitability.
