About Donald
Donald Petersen has been a steady presence in both corporate and private-practice settings for decades. He combines a background in economics and law with years of in-house and outside counsel experience. His career path moves in clear steps from corporate work to private practice and back into law firm life.
Petersen studied economics at the University of Chicago and later attended Harvard Law School, earning his law degree before entering practice. The two institutions shaped his approach to legal problems. He brings an analytical eye to statutory questions and a practical sense for contractual details.
He served as deputy general counsel at Plain Green Loans beginning in 2006. In that role he worked on matters tied to lending operations and internal compliance, advising on policies and documentation. He left that position to return to private practice, joining the Law Offices of Walter Graves in 2008. At the Graves office he handled client matters across a range of business and transactional areas, taking cases from initial advice through resolution.
In 2020 Petersen joined George Law as a lawyer. His time there continues a pattern of moving between client-side counseling and litigation work in private practice. Colleagues describe him as methodical in preparing cases and pragmatic in settlement discussions. He has handled filings and negotiations in multiple jurisdictions and navigated cross-state issues when they arose.
Petersen maintains active bar memberships in Michigan, Texas and Illinois. He is admitted to practice in those states and carries current memberships in each state bar. Outside the ordinary legal credentials he holds a CPR Training Certification from the Oakland County Health Department, a credential that speaks to an attention to workplace safety and preparedness.
Across roles he has combined in-house perspective with private-practice experience. That mix gives him a view of how organizations operate internally and how outside counsel can align strategy with business needs. He has worked on regulatory and contract matters, internal policy questions and client-facing disputes. His work spans the kinds of issues firms encounter when operating across state lines.
Petersen is based at George Law and continues to represent clients under Michigan, Texas and Illinois law. He currently practices at George Law, handling matters arising under those jurisdictions.
