Schenk & Bruetsch PLC Names Real Estate & Economic Development Lawyer Jill M. Ferrari, Partner

Detroit-based law firm Schenk & Bruetsch PLC is pleased to announce that attorney Jill M Ferrari has been named a partner in the firm. Ms. Ferrari is an experienced attorney, consultant and real estate developer, specializing in complex urban and rural brownfield redevelopment projects who is starting her 30th year in real estate development. Ms. Ferrari will lead Schenk & Bruetsch’s real estate & economic development law practice.

Jill’s background includes commercial real estate development, legal practice, consulting, and community development. As an affordable housing and community development executive, she has packaged financing for various projects ranging from neighborhood revitalization to large mixed-use developments. As an attorney and private real estate developer, she has managed complex Brownfield Redevelopment projects in multiple states. In 2019, Jill co-founded Renovare Development, a majority woman-owned commercial real estate development company that currently has over 100 million in the development pipeline throughout Michigan and was named the 2025 “Developer of the Year” by Michigan RE Journals. She is a founding board member of the Women’s Sustainable Development Initiative (WSDI), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support emerging women commercial real estate developers working in low-income communities on projects with environmental, social and environmental components. She is also an adjunct practice instructor at the University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, where she teaches Real Estate Development Design and Development Fundamentals.

Jill is a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Terwilliger Center for Housing National Advisory

Board. She received the 2025 Phoenix Award in Lifetime Achievement from the United States

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the International City/County Management

Association (ICMA) for her work in brownfield redevelopment. She was named “Woman of the Year” by the Detroit Women’s Leadership Network in 2023 with her WSDI co-founders, a Crain’s Detroit “Notable Executive in Real Estate” in 2021, a GlobeST Magazine “Woman of Influence” in 2021, a 2017 “Woman of Distinction” by the Wayne State University Council on the Status of Women and a 2016 winner of the Melvin Simon Award from the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) Foundation.

Schenk & Bruetsch’s Matthew Schenk praised Ferrari’s ability in announcing her new role. “Jill is a forceful advocate and skilled counselor. She is a great resource to our clients and we are proud to have her join the partnership ranks of our growing firm.”

Schenk & Bruetsch PLC is a premier boutique business law firm specializing in Commercial

Litigation, Government Law and Contracting, Real Estate and Economic Development, Business Law and Transactions, and Labor and Employment. Further information about the firm can be found at www.SBDetroit.com.

Categories: Firm News

★★★★★

“I called upon the services of attorney Matthew Schenk of Schenk & Bruetsch to help me with an extremely urgent and difficult matter to expedite the processing of some critical documents by the city (Detroit), county (Wayne) and state (Michigan). Even under the best times, this is something that would have taken weeks. I needed results in a few days. To make matters more difficult, this was during COVID, so instead of even weeks, I was told by government officials that it would likely take 2-3 months. Having known Mr. Schenk’s background and reputation, I asked if there was anything he could do to help, as I had reached dead ends on all fronts, and failure in this matter was not an option for me. He promptly began making calls to his close connections at all government levels, and within three days (!!) I had everything completed. Amazing.”

– John T., Royal Oak, Michigan

★★★★★

“During my tenure as SVP & General Counsel for Litigation for a major financial institution, I worked with local Detroit and national firms on a regular basis. Tom Bruetsch was one of the Detroit attorneys that I worked with on several matters. I found him to be accessible, an excellent strategist and reasonable in his advice and the time he spent on our projects. As the in-house counsel, I appreciated the fact that Tom understood that I was ultimately responsible for the outcome of the matter and he worked very diligently to ensure I was part of the litigation team. I was involved in most, if not all, strategy and preparation sessions and was provided plenty of time to review significant pleadings prior to their being filed with the court. Such attention to the client relationship was not something that I found across attorneys I worked with. Tom had that in spades. I would highly recommend him for your litigation matters.”

– Terri R.

Located in Downtown Detroit.
Click for Garage/Parking Details

Schenk & Bruetsch PLC

211 West Fort Street, Suite 1410

Detroit, MI 48226

Phone: 313-774-1000

Email:

Practice Areas

For More Information

Contact Us