By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News
With a family steeped in the business world, it’s no wonder Ryan Mardini was drawn to corporate governance, banking and finance.
“This peculiar field of law has a reputation of being challenging to grasp,” he says. “I’ve always appreciated grappling with the idea of the age-old debate about the purpose of corporation and governance roles.”
A 2L at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, Mardini’s principal focus is corporate litigation, in relation to contracts, mergers & acquisitions, and secured transactions. Diligently pursuing his dream to be recognized as an up-and-coming corporate litigator, his future goals including pursuing an LLM in Corporate Governance & Finance Law, and making partner at a large corporate law firm.
Mardini will soon accomplish another dream goal—to work at a multi-national law firm—by landing a summer spot with Baker McKenzie, one of the largest international law firms in the world with 13,000 employees in 77 offices across 47 countries.
“Securing a summer associate position with their office in Dubai is something I’m exceptionally grateful for,” he says. “I’m thrilled to expand my knowledge and expertise into the corporate business realm while working with the top attorneys in their respective fields.”
Mardini’s parents have always been supportive of his dreams, encouraging him from an early age that – with his keen sense of justice – he should study law and constructively aid the justice system.
“I went on to pursue this law degree to equip myself with an arsenal that can take on any obstacles within that realm of work,” he says.
After earning his undergrad degree from the University of Michigan with a double major in criminal justice and political science, he chose Detroit Mercy Law, where he appreciates having a “myriad of professors acting as mentors—coupled with the contagious positive energy.”
In his 1L year, he spent six months interning for Judge Bernard Friedman at the U.S. District Court in Detroit, an experience that he says equipped him with an exceptional understanding about the legal system and its criminal and civil procedures.
“From sitting alongside Judge Friedman during settlement conferences to participating in trials held in his courtroom, the most appealing aspect was having such an influential mentor—the most pleasant, most genuine of men,” he says.
A five-month internship last year at the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office deepened Mardini’s understanding and perception of what the criminal field entails.
“Gaining firsthand experience as to what the APA goes through on a daily basis was remarkable,” he says. “The most thrilling phase was my ability to be sworn into the court and appear in front of a judge on behalf of my supervising APA.”
After two years as a legal intern at Garan, Lucow, Miller PC in Detroit, Mardini has been clerking at the firm since last May, where his regular duties as a law clerk are enhanced by actively participating in trial strategies, and building his litigation skill set.
Since last September, he also has assisted Professor Andrew Moore, researching the mental health needs of immigrants and the need for cultural competency on the part of mental health professionals.
For the past year, he has also made time to be involved with the United Way, where he enjoys networking activities with community-minded leaders committed to changing lives across the greater Detroit area.
Born in Miami, Mardini moved to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, at the age of 5, where he graduated from a private international prep school before relocating to Michigan. In 2012, he returned to Jeddah to spend six months working for an insurance company.
The Canton resident enjoys playing basketball, and writing, a passion he has pursued since the age of 10. He has assembled multiple short stories ranging in topics, and is currently finalizing a scholarly publication with Professor Khaled Beydoun.
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