Dawda PLC is pleased to announce that Erin Bowen Welch, a Member of our Real Estate Practice Group, has been selected as an honoree for Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s prestigious 2025 Influential Women of Law awards program. This distinguished recognition acknowledges Erin’s exceptional contributions to the legal profession and her demonstrated leadership within the commercial real estate sector.
Erin’s selection reflects her substantial impact on the Midwest commercial real estate market. In 2023 and 2024 alone, she successfully handled more than 100 real estate transactions across the Midwest region—encompassing Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Ohio, Tennessee, and Wisconsin—with aggregate purchase prices and loan amounts exceeding $1 million per transaction.
As a licensed real estate broker and attorney admitted to practice in both Michigan and Illinois, Erin brings a unique dual perspective to complex commercial real estate matters, enabling her to provide comprehensive counsel that addresses both legal and practical business considerations.
Erin earned her Juris Doctor from Michigan State University College of Law in 2013 and has since established herself as a thought leader in commercial real estate law. Her expertise has been consistently recognized by leading legal publications and organizations, including selection to Michigan Super Lawyers “Rising Stars” list consecutively from 2017-2024, recognition as one of 30 attorneys in Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s “Up & Coming Lawyers” Class of 2018, and inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America©, Ones to Watch in Corporate Law and Real Estate Law from 2021-2025.
Beyond her transactional practice, Erin demonstrates her commitment to advancing the profession through scholarly contributions and educational initiatives. She authored “Taking a Closer Look at the Right of First Refusal, the Right of First Offer, and the Option to Purchase,” published in National Real Estate Investor in October 2018, providing practical guidance on these critical commercial real estate concepts. Her dedication to professional development extends to mentoring emerging legal talent within Dawda PLC, where she regularly works with associate attorneys and summer associates.
Erin’s influence extends beyond the practice of law through her significant community involvement. Since 2018, she has served on the Board of Trustees for Leaps and Bounds Family Services, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and adults in the Metropolitan Detroit area. She has also organized book drives for the organization and maintains active volunteer commitments at St. Hugo of the Hills parish and school.
Erin’s achievements reflect her continuation of a distinguished legal heritage as a member of a family deeply rooted in the legal profession, including her father Thomas Bowen and brothers David and Marc Bowen, all practicing attorneys. Her husband, Nathan Welch, is also an attorney. Erin attributes her organizational efficiency and time management skills to her role as a mother of two young children, demonstrating her ability to balance demanding professional responsibilities with personal commitments.
The Michigan Lawyers Weekly Influential Women of Law awards program recognizes female attorneys who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, vision, advocacy, and legal expertise. The 2025 honorees will be celebrated at a reception and awards ceremony on September 26, 2025, at The Mint at Michigan First Conference Center. Learn more here:
With 14 years of service to Dawda PLC, Erin continues to enhance the firm’s reputation for excellence in commercial real estate transactions and reinforces our commitment to developing and supporting outstanding legal professionals who make meaningful contributions to both the legal profession and the broader community.
