Shanika Owens

Shanika Owens is a Detroit-based attorney who focuses her practice on business, corporate, and regulatory law. She regularly informs start-ups and counsels business clients in corporate governance and issues surrounding governmental compliance. As part of her practice, she has presented to Wayne State University’s School of Social Work, Wayne Law classes, and potential clients on ethical obligations, board governance and entity selection.

In addition, she is a Board Member of the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center, a Detroit-based nonprofit that offers community education, policy support, and various legal services to address environmental, resource, & energy issues affecting communities throughout the Great Lakes region. Owens also serves as a member of the State Bar of Michigan’s Representative Assembly, a policy-making body created by the Supreme Court to improve the proportion of members who actively participate in setting policies for the Michigan bar.

Further, Owens is co-chair of Butzel Long’s Pro Bono Committee. In this role, she coordinates pro-bono projects, suggests firm-wide policies, and encourages all attorneys to service indigent clients throughout Michigan with free legal support.

Owens is one of 25 attorneys in the state named to Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s 2021 Class of “Up & Coming Lawyers.” Notably, she was awarded the Michigan Chronicle’s 40 Under 40 Award in 2013 for her outstanding service as a policy analyst to the Detroit City Council.

Owens is a graduate of Wayne State University Law School (J.D., cum laude) and Michigan State University (B.S. Economics).

Owens enjoys travel, indoor cycling and spending quality time with her family of four.