Dykema Attorneys Honored As Client Service All-stars

Ann Arbor

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced that two members of the firm’s Litigation Department, Susan Artinianand Daniel Stephenson, have been named to the BTI Consulting Group’s Client Service All-Star Team for Law Firms 2009. This elite list honors a select group of attorneys who were identified by clients for having delivered superior client service to Fortune 1000 clients.

According to BTI, the 176 members of the Client Service All Star Team helped to drive client satisfaction among large corporations to its highest point in five years. Dykema is one of just 25 firms in the nation to have two attorneys recognized and is on a prestigious list that includes Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, Latham & Watkins, Jones Day, Sidley Austin, Kirkland & Ellis and Mayer Brown.

"Amid the economic turmoil in 2008, Susan and Dan have shown the ability to deliver service in a way that adds more value to the client relationship," said Rex Schlaybaugh, Dykema’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "We are proud of Dan and Susan for their outstanding client service performance and congratulate them on this tremendous honor."

BTI is a leading provider of strategic market research to law firms and professional services firms. They conduct private benchmarking, market awareness and client satisfaction research for some of the best-run organizations in the world. BTI recently conducted hundreds of individual interviews with corporate counsel at Fortune 1000 and large organizations as part of their goal to probe clients on different aspects of their relationships with law firms, including needs and priorities, the law firms they rely on, and the quality of service they receive.

Artinian has 28 years of experience in medical device and pharmaceutical, commercial and employment litigation defense on behalf of clients from a broad cross-section of industries, including drug and medical device manufacturers, retail and automotive. She currently serves as National Science and Expert Counsel for the Bayer Corporation in two major mass tort situations and has held a national role in previous mass tort litigation for the company. A resident of Grosse Pointe Park, Artinian received a B.S. and M.A. from the University of Michigan and a J.D., cum laude, from the University of Detroit.

Stephenson, a trial lawyer and member of the firm’s Executive Board, focuses his litigation practice on the defense of companies in the pharmaceutical, medical device and aviation industries. His mechanical engineering degree, with an emphasis on aeronautical engineering, gives him the insight to thoroughly assess the technology aspects of aviation-related legal disputes, some of which relate to airplane and helicopter disasters. A resident of Ann Arbor, Mr. Stephenson earned a B.S.M.E. from the University of California, Los Angeles and a J.D. from the University of Michigan.