Elizabeth Kudla Saarela

Elizabeth Kudla Saarela is a Shareholder with the firm specializing in municipal law. For the past 21 years she has focused her practice in providing legal services to local governmental agency clients. She is the Township Attorney for Hamburg Township and an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Novi and the Cities of Farmington and Farmington Hills. Ms. Saarela also advises several other Oakland County communities on specialized governmental public works issues including water, sewer, and roadways, as well as environmental regulation.

Elizabeth principally provides advice on municipal matters, including: police and prosecution matters, ordinance drafting, contract review and administration, planning, zoning, and development; compliance with Open Meetings Act and Freedom of Information Act requirements, special assessments, property maintenance/nuisance abatement, property transactions for local governmental entities, including acceptance of new roads and public utilities in connection with new developments, as well as acquisition of land for public projects. Ms. Saarela is admitted to practice in all Courts in the State of Michigan.

Practice Areas

• General Municipal Law
• Zoning and Land Use
• Real Estate and Construction
• Prosecution and Ordinance Enforcement

Education

• Wayne State University Law School, J.D., 1999
• University of Michigan-Dearborn, B.A., 1995

Professional Activities / Memberships

• State Bar of Michigan
  Public Corporation and Real Property Law Sections
• Oakland County Bar Association
  Municipal Law Committee
• Novi Rotary
  Member

Awards

• Listed in Best Lawyers in America, Municipal Law, 2018-2022
• Selected to Super Lawyers Rising Stars by Thomson Reuters, 2011-2012

Community Activities / Involvement

• Novi Rotary
  2018-2019 Golf Committee