Press Releases

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced the addition of Jarrod T. Smith to its Corporate Finance Practice Group as a senior counsel in the firm’s Lansing office. Prior to joining Dykema, Smith served as Assistant Attorney General, Finance Division for the Michigan Department of Attorney General.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, proudly announced today that it received a perfect score of 100 percent on the 2017 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBT workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. Dykema joins the ranks of 517 major U.S. businesses which also earned top marks this year, and is the only Michigan-based law firm to receive a perfect rating.

Eduardo Espinosa, a member with leading national law firm Dykema, has been appointed Trustee for the Position Holders Trust as part of Life Partners Holdings Inc.’s  Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization, which was confirmed on November 1, 2016.

Dykema Cox Smith, a leading national law firm, today announced that Arlene Switzer Steinfield, Dallas-based Senior Counsel in the firm’s Labor and Employment Practice, was recognized in D CEO’s special edition, The Dallas 500. Steinfield was one of only six honorees recognized in the area of “Law-Labor and Employment.” 

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that 24 attorneys from its Detroit, Bloomfield Hills and Ann Arbor offices have been named to dbusiness magazine’s list of 2017 Top Lawyers. dbusiness is a regional publication covering business news in Southeast Michigan.

On October, 31, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on behalf of Ehlena Fry, a 12-year-old Jackson, Michigan, girl with cerebral palsy who, at age five, was banned from bringing her service dog to school. 

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that the firm was nationally ranked in 16 practice areas in the 2017 U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” list, as well as receiving a total of 139 metropolitan rankings representing various areas of law.

Respondents to Dykema’s 12th Annual M&A Outlook Survey predict a flat year ahead with steady deal flow, expressing an overall neutral viewpoint coinciding with the recent leveling off of the global M&A market. 

Dykema, a leading national law firm, is pleased to announce that Marty Truss, member and co-leader of its Energy Industry Group, will be honored by St. Mary’s University School of Law this Friday, October 21, at the University’s 2016 Distinguished Law Graduate Dinner. Truss, who earned his J.D., summa cum laude, from St. Mary’s School of Law in 1996, will be honored along with the Honorable Donna Rayes of the 81st Judicial District of Texas as the two Distinguished Law Graduates this year.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that six of its attorneys were named “local litigation stars” by Benchmark Litigation. Additionally, four of the firm's attorneys were named “future stars.” The publication also listed Dykema as one of only six "Highly Recommended" firms for litigation in the state of Michigan.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, has been selected by the Legal Aid and Defender Association, Inc. (LADA) as the winner of the Law Firm of the Year Pro Bono Award. The firm was honored at the 2015-2016 Laddy Awards, which presented Thursday, October 13, 2016, in the Theodore Levin United States Courthouse in Detroit. 

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced the addition of Craig Woods to its Commercial Litigation Practice Group and Dental Service Organizations Industry Group as a member in the firm’s Dallas office. Prior to joining Dykema, Woods practiced at the Dallas office of Greenberg Traurig LLP.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that Dennis M. Haffey, Bloomfield Hills-based member of the firm’s Litigation Department, was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in North America. The induction ceremony took place before an audience of approximately 800 persons during the recent 2016 Annual Meeting of the College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Dykema Cox Smith, a leading national law firm, announced today that 30 of its attorneys from the firm’s Texas offices, and from multiple practice areas, were named to the 2016 Super Lawyers list by Texas Super Lawyers Magazine. Additionally, Christopher D. Kratovil, Managing Member of the firm’s Dallas office, was also included on two of the Super Lawyers “Top Lists.” 

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that 44 of its attorneys from the firm’s five Michigan offices, and from multiple practice areas, were named to the 2016 Super Lawyers list by Michigan Super Lawyers Magazine. Additionally, 18 of the firm's attorneys were named to the 2016 Rising Stars list. Three of the firm’s Michigan practitioners were also included on Super Lawyers “Top Lists.” 

A team of attorneys at Dykema, a leading national law firm, successfully represented 20 members of the Texas Legislature in high-profile efforts to overturn a plastic bag ban in Laredo, Texas. The victory – which could affect other Texas cities with similar bans – comes after a lower court upheld the ban following a legal challenge by the Laredo Merchants Association.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that 115 of the its attorneys, in multiple practice areas and markets, have been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America 2017 guide. Additionally, 14 of the firm’s practitioners have been named Best Lawyers 2017 “Lawyer of the Year,” a special distinction conferred upon a single lawyer within a practice area and metropolitan market.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced that Jason T. Hanselman, Lansing-based member in the Firm’s Government Policy and Practice group, has been appointed to serve on the Ingham County Bar Foundation’s (ICBF) Board of Directors for a three-year term. 

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced the addition of Harold D. Pope to its Litigation Department as a senior counsel in the firm’s Detroit office. Prior to joining Dykema, Pope practiced at the Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss office in Detroit.

Downtown Detroit isn’t accustomed to F-16 fighter jets tearing through the sky over the Detroit River on a Friday afternoon, but that’s exactly what happened on Friday, June 24. And the fly-by was just the beginning of the third annual Tuskegee Airmen Detroit River Days Airshow, which featured performances over three days during the River Days Festival on the Detroit Riverfront.

The National Kidney Foundation of Michigan (NKFM) has elected Jin-Kyu Koh as Chairman of the Board. Koh joined the Board in 2011 where he served as Secretary for two years, then Vice Chair until being elected Chairman in June 2016.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that Brian Melendez and Timothy D. Kelly, both from the firm’s Minneapolis office, have been named 2016 Super Lawyers by Minnesota Super Lawyers Magazine. Additionally, Jared D. Kemper was recognized as a 2016 Minnesota Rising Star.

The U.S. Supreme Court announced today that it will hear the case of Ehlena Fry, a 12-year-old Jackson, Mich., girl with cerebral palsy who, at age 5, was banned from bringing her service dog to class. At the heart of the appeal is whether students in certain circumstances can bring claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act without first exhausting administrative processes under a separate law. Along with the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, Dykema is representing the family pro bono.

Dykema is pleased to announce that Ernest Aliseda has been invited to join the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM). The CLM is a nonpartisan alliance comprised of thousands of insurance companies, corporations, Corporate Counsel, Litigation and Risk Managers, claims professionals and attorneys. 

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced that Joanne R. Lax, a Bloomfield Hills-based member of the firm’s Health Care Practice Group, has been elected to the American Health Lawyers Association’s (AHLA) Board of Directors.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that Sherrie Farrell, Office Managing Member of the firm’s Detroit office, received the 2016 D. Augustus Straker Bar Association Trailblazer Award. Sherrie, along with two other recipients, received the award at the Bar Association’s 23rd Annual Trailblazers Awards Dinner on June 9, at the Westin Hotel in Southfield, Mich.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced the addition of Sean C. Griffin to its Commercial Litigation Practice Group as a member in the firm’s Washington, D.C., office. Prior to joining Dykema, Griffin practiced at Garvey Schubert Barer in Washington, D.C. He also previously served in the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Division, where he handled commercial litigation trials and appeals for more than a decade.

Wayne County Judge Brian Sullivan today vacated the 2008 convictions and sentences of Davontae Sanford who had been serving a 37- to 90-year sentence for a quadruple homicide. Dykema Gossett PLLC, as pro bono Lead Counsel, represents Sanford in coordination with the Michigan Innocence Clinic, the Northwestern Center for the Wrongful Convictions of Youth and the Michigan State Appellate Defender Office. Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy has also agreed to file a motion to dismiss all charges and not to re-try Sanford for these crimes. As such, Sanford will soon be released from custody after nearly nine years of wrongful incarceration. 

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that nine of its Los Angeles-based attorneys have been named 2016 Rising Stars in the Southern California edition of Super Lawyers.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that 21 of its attorneys and 10 of its practice areas have been recognized in the 2016 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business guide.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced the addition of a new member, Abad Lopez, to its Labor & Employment Practice Group in the firm’s Chicago office. Prior to joining Dykema, Lopez practiced at Seyfarth Shaw LLP in Chicago.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced the addition of Jen Flood to its Government Policy & Practice Group as a government policy advisor in the firm’s Lansing office. Prior to joining Dykema, Flood served as a communications strategist with Byrum & Fisk Advocacy Communications, where she served as the firm’s lead in clean energy and education.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced the addition of Rio Grande Valley native, Ernest Aliseda, to its Commercial Litigation Practice Group as a member in the firm’s McAllen, Texas office. Prior to joining Dykema, Aliseda served as General Counsel/Chief Legal Officer for the Loya Insurance Group companies, where he handled general legal matters and managed and oversaw diverse litigation throughout the country. Aliseda is also a former State District Judge for both the 398th and 139th State District Courts in Hidalgo County. 

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced the launch of its Cannabis Law practice, creating an integrated and specialized offering for clients navigating the myriad issues that arise from operating in the cannabis industry. The practice group’s expertise spans the political, licensing, regulatory compliance, and business services space, and includes senior lawyers and lobbyists in states across the country. The practice will be led by Lance Boldrey, a member in the firm’s Lansing office, who focuses his practice on regulated industries.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced that Christopher D. Kratovil, a member of  the firm’s Litigation Department, has been appointed as the Office Managing Member of the firm’s 40-lawyer Dallas office. He succeeds former Dallas Office Managing Member Bill Finkelstein, who will transition his full-time practice to serving the firm as Senior Counsel.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that Eric Fingerhut and Jennifer Fraser, each from the firm’s Washington, D.C., office, were named  2016 Super Lawyers in the Washington, D.C. edition of Super Lawyers Magazine. Additionally, Joshua Joseph was named a 2016 Rising Star.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced the addition of William J. Kohler to its Corporate Finance Practice Group as senior counsel in the firm’s Detroit office. Kohler has held leadership positions at major corporations in the automotive industry throughout his career. 

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that Kathleen Campbell Walker, El Paso-based member and leader of Dykema’s Immigration Team, has been recognized in the 2016 Chambers Global ranking. Walker was ranked in Band 1, the highest band rating possible. She is one of 11 lawyers in the United States awarded this ranking for expertise in business immigration by Chambers Global.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced the addition of Janis Hui Ozaki as senior counsel in the firm’s Los Angeles office. She joins Dykema’s Litigation Department. 

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that six of its Texas attorneys have been named 2016 Rising Stars in the Texas edition of Super Lawyers Magazine.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced that Paul M. Laurenza, Office Managing Member of the Firm’s Washington, D.C. office and a member of the Firm’s Automotive Industry Group, has been elected Chairman of the Connected Vehicle Trade Association (CVTA). Laurenza, who heads Dykema’s motor vehicle and consumer product safety federal regulatory practices, previously held the position of Vice Chair for the CVTA, and has served on its board of directors since 2007.  

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced the addition of Jonathan E. Aberman to its Bankruptcy Practice Group as a member in the firm’s Chicago office. Prior to joining Dykema, Aberman practiced at Vedder Price in Chicago.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced the addition of Gavin Hill to its Commercial Litigation Practice Group as a member of the firm’s Dallas office. Prior to joining Dykema, Hill practiced at Bracewell & Giuliani, LLP in Dallas.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today the addition of Linda Moss as the firm’s first Chief Business Development and Marketing Officer. She joins from AmLaw 100 firm Baker & Hostetler LLP, where she worked for 10 years, most recently serving as National Director of Business Development.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that its Executive Board elected 13 new members to the firm effective January 1, 2016. 

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that Allan Gabriel, Jeff Huron and Derek Whitefield, each from the firm’s Los Angeles office, were named to the 2016 Super Lawyers list by Southern California Super Lawyers Magazine. 

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced the addition of Bradley D. Coburn to its Intellectual Property Department as a member of the firm’s Austin office. Prior to joining Dykema, Coburn practiced at Denko Coburn Lauff LLP and Fish and Richardson PC.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced the addition of Frederick A. Fromm Jr. to its Corporate Finance Practice Group as a senior counsel in the firm’s Detroit office. Prior to joining Dykema, Fromm served as Vice President and General Counsel of GM International Operations, based in Shanghai and then Singapore.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that a total of 18 attorneys from the firm’s Chicago and Lisle offices, and from multiple practice areas, were named to the 2016 Super Lawyers list by Illinois Super Lawyers Magazine. Additionally, three of the firm’s Illinois-based attorneys were named to the 2016 Illinois Rising Stars list as well.