Debani T. Gordon Lehman

Debani T. Gordon Lehman focuses her practice on municipal law, representing city leaders, departments, and related entities on a broad range of legal issues faced by municipal governments.

Debani provides general counsel services to several municipal governments and to departments of public works, development authorities, planning departments, police departments, city administrators, city clerks, and city councils. She is also a trained civil mediator.

Before joining Bodman, Debani was an associate at a Michigan-based law firm where she handled multi-million dollar water, sewer, and stormwater class action litigations for various municipalities and defended several municipalities against complex discrimination cases filed with the EEOC and MDCR.

As a law student, Debani served as a law clerk for Legal Services of South Central Michigan and represented clients at various Michigan circuit courts on landlord-tenant matters. She participated in the Eviction Diversion Program where she represented clients who could not afford to hire private legal counsel for their landlord/tenant issues. She also served as President of the Michigan State University College of Law Women’s Law Caucus.

Honors, Awards, and Recognitions

• DBusiness Magazine “Top Lawyers” 2025, Municipal Law
• Michigan Rising Stars 2024, State, Local, & Municipal

Professional Affiliations

• State Bar of Michigan
  • Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee, Member (2021-present)
  • Labor & Employment Law Section
  • Cannabis Law Section
  • Young Lawyers Section
• Oakland County Bar Association
  • Chair, Municipal Law Committee
• Women Lawyers Association of Michigan—Oakland Region
• Davis-Dunnings Bar Association
• Wolverine Bar Association
• American Bar Association

Publications

• Municipal Law Updates, Planning and Zoning News, (2021—present)
• “Michigan Supreme Court Holds Pro Bono Status Cannot Affect Fee Awards,” ICLE Legal Update, (September 2023)
• Government Law Case Summaries, Briefly, a publication of the Government Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan (September 2023)

Speaking Engagements

• “Professionalism in Action” Michigan State University College of Law Foundations Week (August 2023)
• “The King Can Do No Wrong; Or Can He?: Lessons in Governmental/Municipal Litigation for the Novice Lawyer,” Michigan Defense Trial Counsel (2021)

Pro Bono

• State Bar of Michigan 2024 A Lawyer Helps Pro Bono Honor Roll

Related News

• 11/04/202478 Bodman Attorneys Included in DBusiness Top Lawyers 2025
• 08/12/202458 Bodman Attorneys Listed in Michigan Super Lawyers 2024
• 07/18/2024Bodman PLC and 28 Firm Attorneys Honored by State Bar of Michigan for Pro Bono Service
• 10/02/2023Debani T. Gordon Lehman Reappointed to State Bar of Michigan Diversity & Inclusion Committee
• 08/09/2023Debani T. Gordon Lehman Joins Bodman PLC Ann Arbor Office