Dora A. Brantley

Dora A. Brantley is an experienced litigation and trial attorney. She is a Senior Shareholder at Rutledge, Manion, Rabaut, Terry & Thomas, P.C., established in 1986.

Among other matters, Ms. Brantley has successfully defended, as lead counsel, professional liability claims, and claims brought against restaurants, hospitality companies, manufacturers, transportation carriers, automobile drivers, employers, landlords, homeowners, small business owners, and governmental entities and their employees. She has been engaged by employers to investigate and provide direction regarding claims of discrimination and harassment, and by insurance carriers to resolve insurance coverage disputes. She has tried, to verdict, cases involving catastrophic injuries, including death. Ms. Brantley enjoys the privilege of being the only attorney who has been selected by two Fortune 500 fast food corporations to defend claims and litigation involving a variety of issues, including tort liability and alleged civil rights violations, that have been brought against the corporations in Michigan. She is also one of only two attorneys who have been selected by a Fortune 500 hospitality corporation to defend tort and civil rights claims and litigation that have been brought against the corporation in Michigan.  She serves as one of only a few Michigan panel counsel for a leading conglomerate of insurance companies.  Those claims and litigation encompass, but are not limited to, automobile negligence (first and third party), single and multi-family residential fire losses, construction and toxic torts.

Ms. Brantley is a member of the prestigious Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC), an international organization with less than 1200 attorney members, all who have demonstrated their leadership in the legal community. Election to the FDCC is by the Board of Directors upon recommendation of an Admissions Committee charged with making an exhaustive investigation into the qualifications of nominees to ensure that they have distinguished themselves professionally. Ms. Brantley formerly held the position of Representative for the State of Michigan with the FDCC.

Ms. Brantley is also a member of the Michigan Bar Association and   the Association of Defense Trial Counsel. She is a former member of the Michigan Defense Trial      Counsel where she served as both a board member and the General Liability Section Chair.

In 2006, to complement her professional liability practice in the defense of real estate salespersons and appraisers, Ms. Brantley completed course work and was licensed as a real estate salesperson in the State of Michigan.

In 2016, Ms. Brantley was honored by Michigan Lawyer’s Weekly as one of its “Women in the Law,” an award given annually to salute 30 high-achieving female lawyers in Michigan and their accomplishments. In 2009, Ms. Brantley was recognized by The Michigan Chronicle as a “Woman of Excellence,” an award given annually to 50 women in Metropolitan Detroit to celebrate    their achievements, character, manner and style.

From 2017 to 2019, Ms. Brantley served on the Board of Directors for Ronald McDonald House Charities Detroit. From 2007 to 2014, Ms. Brantley served on the Board of Directors of LIFT Women’s Resource Center (Detroit), an organization established to assist women struggling with various social issues, including domestic violence and substance abuse.

email: dbrantley@rmrtt.com ~ vcard