Melvin “Butch” Hollowell is the Managing Partner of The Miller Law Firm – Detroit, overseeing its downtown practice and specializing in complex commercial litigation, class actions, election law, government regulation, and sensitive investigations.
Hollowell represents Fortune 500 companies, major universities, national developers, health care leaders, foundations, and public officials across the U.S. and Canada. He is frequently retained to conduct investigations into alleged discriminatory or unlawful conduct. As Detroit’s top lawyer, Hollowell launched the “Project Clean Slate” expungement program, reduced litigation payouts by nearly half, guided the City through bankruptcy, and ended 11 years of DOJ oversight of the police department. His litigation victories include the injunction trial defending reproductive rights in Michigan.
Hollowell serves as Chairman of Rise Higher Detroit, Mayor Mary Sheffield’s transition initiative, and sits on the boards of the Detroit Downtown Development Authority and Detroit Public Lighting Authority. He has been featured in the 2024-25 Michigan Chronicle Power 50, on the cover of Super Lawyers magazine, and as a Crain’s Detroit Business 40 Under 40 honoree.
Previously, Hollowell served as Detroit’s Corporation Counsel and as General Counsel of the Detroit Branch NAACP, later becoming the first African American Chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party and a member of the Democratic National Committee.