Alexandra Markel represents a variety of business clients in complex commercial litigation matters, including antitrust matters, insurance and ERISA disputes, contract matters, and a broad range of other commercial and business disputes.

She is also a significant contributor to Bodman’s pro bono program. Ms. Markel frequently represents pro bono clients in connection with expungement screenings under Michigan’s new “Clean Slate” statute and in matters involving constitutional and prisoner rights issues.

Before joining Bodman as an attorney, Ms. Markel worked at the firm as a summer associate, gaining exposure to a broad range of clients and legal issues. She has served as a judicial intern with the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, in the chambers of Judge Robert Cleland. Prior to returning to Michigan for law school, Ms. Markel worked as a government relations analyst with a Houston-based liquefied natural gas export company in Washington, D.C.

During her time at the University of Michigan, Ms. Markel was active in the law student community. She was a student attorney in Michigan Law’s Federal Appellate Litigation Clinic, and was Associate Editor and Editor-in-Chief of the Michigan Journal of Gender and Law. She participated in the Campbell Moot Court Competition and several various oral advocacy competitions, of which she finished as a quarterfinalist for the University of Michigan 1L Oral Advocacy Competition and won the State Bar of Michigan 1L Oral Advocacy Competition. As a member of Law Students for Reproductive Justice, she served as Communications Chair.

Outside of the legal community, Ms. Markel has been riding horses for over 20 years. At the University of Michigan, she was a varsity member of the UM Intercollegiate Polo Club. Recently, she earned the Bronze Medal Rider Award with the United States Dressage Federation.

Honors, Awards, and Recognition

• Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America 2022-2027, Commercial Litigation
• Michigan Rising Stars 2022-2026, Business Litigation

Professional Affiliations

• Defense Research Institute
  • Young Lawyers Vice Chair, DRI Life, Health, and Disability Committee

Publications

• Editor, ABA ERISA Survey of Federal Circuits, 2024 and 2026 editions, chapter on the Sixth Circuit
• Editor, The Law of Life Insurance, 2026 edition, chapter on the Sixth Circuit
• Assistant Editor, ABA ERISA Survey of Federal Circuits, 2018, 2020, and 2022 editions, chapter on the Sixth Circuit

Speaking Engagements

• “Recent Transitions: Legal Developments in Gender-Affirming Care,”  DRI Life, Health, Disability and ERISA Seminar, April 9, 2025
• “Friends with Benefits: Offsets, Subrogation, and Other Income-Related Complications,”  DRI Life, Health, Disability and ERISA Seminar, April 26, 2023

Pro Bono

• State Bar of Michigan 2025 A Lawyer Helps Pro Bono Honor Roll
• Representative Pro Bono matter:

Celina Grimes and Alexandra Markel Successfully Win Pro Bono Settlement Case

Celina Grimes and Alexandra Markel achieved a successful settlement for pro bono client Freedom Cleaning Company LLC, a metro-Detroit cleaning and maintenance company. The case began after a hotel that Freedom Cleaning serviced failed to pay the client for their services and in turn breached the agreed contract.

Celina and Alex worked as a team filling the lawsuit on behalf of the client with Celina serving as the primary contact for the negotiations and handling client communication so the client, who is a non-native English speaker, could easily comprehend the legal proceedings. In October, the hotel agreed to a settlement for the amount owed, making our client very happy with the result.

Representative Matters

• Represents the City of Benton Harbor, Michigan, and city officials in connection with three related class action lawsuits in the Western District of Michigan arising from the discovery that certain homes had tap water contaminated with lead.
• Represents Michigan’s largest health care insurer in a national class action and related opt out lawsuits involving thousands of parties. The lawsuits, which challenge the structure of the national Blue Cross Blue Shield system, include one of the largest multi-district litigation actions in the U.S. and could have a profound impact on healthcare delivery for millions of Americans. The opt out suits have been filed across the U.S. in state and federal courts.
• Represented Michigan’s largest health care insurer in antitrust litigation seeking approximately $360 million in damages and alleging that its contracts with various hospital providers were anticompetitive and unreasonably restrained trade in violation of both the Sherman Act and the Michigan Antitrust Reform Act.
• Obtained an award at arbitration for an automotive supplier for a finding of zero liability following a full evidentiary hearing seeking over $1 million in damages.
• Obtained a partial summary judgment verdict resolving all issues of contract interpretation in a lawsuit regarding failure of a software developer to deliver any meaningfully useful product, leading to a favorable settlement and resolution on the eve of trial.
• Obtained a full summary judgment award in favor of an insurer of an ERISA plan, affirming the denial of life insurance benefits and rescission based on material misrepresentations.
• Obtained a full judgment on the administrative record in favor of an insurer in a claim of improper termination of benefits under an ERISA plan.
• Obtained a report and recommendation granting summary judgment in part on a Telephone Consumer Protection Act claim brought by a serial litigant, reducing the possible recovery by over 70% and leading to a favorable settlement and resolution.

Related News

• 08/20/202617 Bodman PLC Attorneys Listed in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch 2027
• 08/19/202655 Bodman Attorneys Listed in Michigan Super Lawyers 2026
• 09/04/2025Bodman PLC and 29 Firm Attorneys Recognized in State Bar of Michigan’s 2025 Pro Bono Honor Roll
• 08/21/202518 Bodman PLC Attorneys Listed in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch 2026
• 08/20/202559 Bodman Attorneys Listed in Michigan Super Lawyers 2025