Crafting a Life with Purpose and Precision

Fresh off a negotiation call, Mike Derksen, Deputy General Counsel at Daifuku North America, brought honesty and levity to the conversation. In a world where words are often tossed around without much thought, Mike has made it his business—both in and out of the office—to ensure that words do matter.

He wears a lot of hats: a leader overseeing all legal matters for a global logistics company; co-founder of Detroit City Distillery, one of Michigan’s standout craft distilleries; and vocalist, guitarist, and managing member of the band Closer to Zer0. Whether he’s wordsmithing a high-stakes contract, a business plan, or a song lyric, Mike brings clarity, precision, and a deep respect for craft.

You were here at Dykema in the middle of your career in business litigation and then went into a director-level position in-house. How did Dykema prepare you for that transition? And what pulled you toward an in-house role?

By the time I joined Dykema, I felt ready to take on bigger responsibilities—and I was lucky to get the opportunity to do just that. I worked on an antitrust trial with Bruce Goldsmith and handled a major trade secret case from start to finish with Steve Zeller. That one really stood out. I was involved from the very beginning: drafting the complaint, shaping legal strategy, talking with the client, handling depositions, flying to hearings across the country. I took it all the way through summary judgment. That experience was a game-changer. At a lot of firms, associates don’t get pulled in until later in the process, but Steve gave me a seat at the table and believed I could make valuable contributions. That level of trust built my confidence and made me a better attorney.

Going in-house was always the long game. I have healthy self-confidence and enjoy the work, but I never loved selling myself to get it. Dykema also made it easy for me to come home to Michigan—they supported my transition from Chicago to the Detroit office when my family was growing. I’m still really grateful for that flexibility and support.

You’ve been at Daifuku North America for a while now as Deputy General Counsel. I’d love to hear more about what your day-to-day really looks like. Is there a particular project you’re working on now that’s especially interesting?

My first in-house role was purely litigation-focused, but when I joined Daifuku, I was looking for something broader. Daifuku builds conveyors and material handling systems for airports, auto plants, fulfillment centers—you name it. Honestly, I do something new every day. I love that because someone walks into my office and asks me something that I’ve never dealt with in my entire life. So then I’ve got to go do some research and figure it out. So, every day is very new.

I still handle all our litigation, manage outside counsel, and provide my two cents on filings and strategy. But what I enjoy most now is drafting, reviewing, and negotiating contracts. So, what that means is getting in touch with our business people, making sure I understand their needs, and sending drafts. Then, ultimately, I get on the phone with these giant companies and negotiate, looking over words, considering what words mean, and what’s the implication if we change just a couple of words from here? A couple of words from there, and just kind of litigating with them a little bit.

That’s where my love of language really comes into play. I’ve always been a writer—I journal daily (so that’s probably a scary document)—and I genuinely love wordsmithing. In today’s world, where people throw around words carelessly, I still believe they matter. In my work, they absolutely do. If you phrase something one way and then tweak just a few words, the meaning—and the financial impact—can change dramatically. We’re talking about sentences that could cost (or save) millions of dollars.

I also don’t have to worry about bringing in business—I already have 4,000–5,000 clients internally. I work closely with the CEO and CFO, and I genuinely feel like I’m helping move the company forward.

Outside of your legal work, you helped launch Detroit City Distillery—and even got a tattoo to mark the journey. What inspired you to start a distillery, and are you still involved today?It started on a trip to Canada with my childhood best friends. We were sitting around having drinks and decided we wanted to do something together—something to keep us close. One of our friends was already kind of in the business, and we thought, why not? We’ve got a lawyer and an accountant, so we should be good to go.

I took care of all the legal stuff—federal approvals through the TTB, state licensing with the MLCC, and then the local approvals in Detroit, which were probably the most challenging, but somehow, we got it done and opened up shop.

I’m still pretty involved. We don’t have our own counsel, so I review contracts, help with compliance, work on financing docs, and draft letters of intent when we’re exploring investors or expansion. We also have landlords who like to argue with us—and honestly, I kind of enjoy it. It’s funny—I stepped away from full-time litigation in my day job, but I kind of enjoy jumping back into that mindset when something flares up with the distillery. We have biweekly business calls, and I talk to JP—our head distiller, whom I’ve known since I was two, pretty much every day.

And yes, I do have a tattoo of our logo on my back shoulder. I tried to get the other guys to do it too—set money thresholds and everything—but I’m still the only one. At our Whiskey Club events, the superfans always want to see it, so I end up taking my shirt off more than I’d like. If any of the other guys finally cave, I’ll definitely recommend an easier spot to show off.

The distillery has continued to grow for more than ten years, but I’m sure not without challenges. What stands out when you look back at the journey?When COVID hit, we really thought it was over. We got on a call and said, “Well, that was fun. But this might be it.” Then the Detroit Police Department asked if we could make hand sanitizer. Within 72 hours, we converted our entire distillery into a sanitizer factory. We started by giving it away and then eventually began selling it to help cover costs. The governor recognized us for stepping up during that moment, and it truly saved the business.

We came out of the pandemic better, and kept growing—tasting rooms, a big event space called The Whiskey Factory, property up north, and expanded production. Most recently, we took over part of the former Detroit Vineyards building—a 12,000-square-foot space right next door to The Whiskey Factory. It’s giving us room to grow in all the right ways: more barrel storage, space for larger events, and a new front-facing tasting room that opens up even more possibilities.

And through it all, The Whiskey Factory continues to be a central part of who we are. One of our co-founders even got married there. When you’ve built something with your closest friends, and you see it become part of people’s lives and celebrations, it really hits home how far you’ve come.

You’re also in a band, Closer to Zer0, that started back in your U of M days (Go Blue!). Are you still playing together? What’s your instrument?

Go Blue forever! I’ve been playing guitar since sixth grade. I write music, sing, and still play with the same guys I played with back in college. We have 14 songs on Spotify and Apple Music, and we’ve even gotten some radio play, including out in L.A.

Music is really therapeutic for me. I write and record most of the tracks myself, then send them to my producer in Mexico. A couple of weeks later, he sends back something completely actualized. It’s magical.

My two daughters are my biggest fans. They request my songs in the car and know all the lyrics—some of which may not be the most G-rated—but they love them, and that’s incredibly fulfilling.

We have a new class of summer associates just starting. Looking back, do you have any advice for them on how to make the most of their time here at Dykema

Dykema is full of people—especially in leadership positions—who actually want to help you grow.

My biggest advice? Seek out those relationships, show what you can do, and be open to learning. At Dykema, I always felt like I mattered—from day one. I walked into the Chicago office not knowing anyone, and I was respected from the beginning and entrusted with meaningful work. That kind of environment is rare, and I still feel that support today. I stay in touch with many of my former colleagues—many of them are cheering on the distillery and checking in just to say hi.

Working at Dykema was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

 

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Daifuku North America, Inc., headquartered in Michigan, is a global leader in the design, manufacture, installation, and service provider of integrated material handling systems with sales and manufacturing locations throughout the continent. ‍Detroit City Distillery creates small batch artisanal whiskey, gin and vodka using the finest local ingredients sourced directly from farms near our distillery and tasting room located in Detroit's famed Eastern Market. Closer to Zer0 is an alternative band based in Michigan. All that’s left on their bucket list is to rock until they drop.

This conversation is part of an ongoing series. If you’re a Dykema alum and have an interesting story, we want to hear from you. Please email alumni@dykema.com.