Press Releases

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced that Cale A. Johnson, a Bloomfield Hills-based member in Dykema’s Litigation practice, was recently elected to serve as Chair of the State Bar of Michigan’s Antitrust, Franchising & Trade Regulation Section. Having previously served as Vice Chair, Johnson was elected to serve as Chair at the Section’s annual meeting on September 29, 2017. 

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced that Bonnie Mayfield, a Bloomfield Hills-based member in Dykema’s Litigation practice, was recently named Chair of the International Association of Defense Counsel's (IADC) Diversity Committee. A longstanding member of the IADC, Mayfield also previously held positions as the Diversity Committee’s Vice Chair of Programs and Vice Chair of Initiatives.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that the firm has selected six members to serve on its Executive Board for a three-year term commencing on January 1, 2018.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, is proud to announce that three of its attorneys, Donna K. McElroy, Justice Phylis J. Speedlin, and Dan G. Webster, were selected by the San Antonio Business Journal as 2017 Outstanding Lawyers Awards recipients. The Dykema Cox Smith contingent represents three of the 12 lawyers to be honored at a luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 5 at the Club at Sonterra in San Antonio.  

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that Lea F. Courington received the 2017 Forever Duke Award from her alma mater, Duke University. She was presented the award during Duke’s Homecoming Weekend, September 15-16, 2017.

Dykema, a national law firm, announced today that corporate counsel ranked Dykema as a Litigation Powerhouse in six of eight areas in the BTI Litigation Outlook 2018 report. Firms listed as leaders in the litigation market are the ones corporate counsel tell BTI they are currently turning to for their most pressing litigation needs.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced the addition of Cynde H. Munzer to its Corporate Finance practice group as a member in the firm’s Chicago office. Munzer joins Dykema after practicing at Aronberg Goldgehn. Prior to that, she had spent more than two decades with Arnstein & Lehr.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that 70 of its attorneys from the firm’s nine Michigan and Texas offices—and from multiple practice areas—were named to the 2017 Super Lawyers list by Michigan Super Lawyers Magazine and Texas Super Lawyers Magazine. Additionally, 20 of the firm’s attorneys were named to the 2017 Michigan Rising Stars list. In March of this year, 11 of the Firm’s attorneys were also included on the 2017 Texas Rising Stars list.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced the addition of Michael D. Bernard to its Business Litigation practice group as a member in the firm’s San Antonio office. Bernard joins Dykema after practicing in the San Antonio office of Bracewell LLP. Prior to that, Bernard served  as City Attorney to the City of San Antonio from 2005-2013, which includes time serving under former Mayor and current Dykema senior counsel Phil Hardberger.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced the addition of Christopher M. Carlisle to its Corporate Finance practice group as a senior counsel in the firm’s growing Dallas office, which has now added four attorneys in the past two months. Prior to joining Dykema, Carlisle practiced at Locke Lord LLP before spending five years working as in-house transactional counsel at Dean Foods.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that 110 of the its attorneys, in multiple practice areas and markets, have been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America© 2018 guide. Additionally, 10 of the firm’s practitioners have been named Best Lawyers 2018 “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, announced today Detroit and Ann Arbor-based member Robert A. Boonin was elected to be a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. Boonin was nominated by his peers and elected by the American Bar Foundation’s Board.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that it has been chosen by Texas Appleseed’s Board of Directors as one of three law firms to receive the organization’s Pro Bono Leadership Award. Dykema will be recognized at Texas Appleseed’s annual Good Apple Dinner November 16, 2017, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin, Texas.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that Washington, D.C.-based member Sean C. Griffin has earned DRI’s G. Duffield Smith Outstanding Publication Award for his November 2016 article on data security titled, “Hacks, Files, and Ethical Gapes: Attorneys’ Liability for Data Breaches,” which appeared in the DRI publication For The Defense. Griffin will be recognized at the Awards Luncheon of DRI’s 2017 Annual Meeting in Chicago on October 5, 2017.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today the addition of Ayanna Clinton as the firm’s Chief Human Resources Officer. 

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 elected to serve as President of the Ingham County Bar Foundation (ICBF) for a one-year term. The ICBF is the Ingham County Bar’s philanthropic entity and has a close relationship with the Ingham County Bar Association (ICBA) and other local bar organizations.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, is pleased to announce that it has received recognition for its unparalleled client relationships in the Financial Services industry in the report BTI Industry Power Rankings 2017: The Law Firms with the Best Client Relationships in 18 Industries. The Firm was named a Clientopia Leader and is one of only 24 law firms with Clientopia relationships in the Financial Services industry.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today several pieces of news regarding some of the firm’s San Antonio-based attorneys; John Dulske became President of the San Antonio Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, Deborah Williamson received the 2017 Michelle A. Mendez Award of Excellence from The Bankruptcy Law Section of the State Bar of Texas, and Bryan Kost received the Goldstein Award of Excellence from The William S. Sessions American Inn of Court.

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 2017 Super Lawyers by Minnesota Super Lawyers Magazine. 

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced the addition of Jamie A. Zaniewski to its Government Policy & Practice Group as a government policy advisor in the firm’s Lansing office. Prior to joining Dykema, Zaniewski served as Michigan Governor Rick Snyder’s health care and insurance policy advisor.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced the continued expansion of its Dallas office with the additions of Ferdose al-Taie, Virgil Ochoa and Ian Pesses, who each join the firm as senior counsel.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, is proud to announce that pro bono clients Samira Hakimi and her two sons, four and eight years old, and Nazifa Nabizada and her 10-month old son were granted asylum in the United States after more than five months of detention in the Karnes County Detention Facility. Rene Ruiz and James “Marty Truss, San Antonio-based members in the firm’s Government Policy & Practice group, represented the Hakimi family. David West, a member in Dykema Cox Smith’s Financial Services Litigation practice, and Josué Galván, a Commercial Litigation associate, represented the Nabizada family.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced the addition of Michael Klein to its Litigation Department and Insurance Industry Group as a member in the firm’s Austin office. Klein joins Dykema after practicing at the Austin office of Sedgwick LLP.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that six of its San Antonio-based attorneys have been named "Best Lawyers" S.A. Scene Magazine's Best S.A. Lawyers 2017.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that seven of its Los Angeles-based attorneys have been named 2017 Rising Stars in the Southern California edition of Super Lawyers.

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 reappointed by Governor Rick Snyder to Michigan’s Unarmed Combat Commission on a term that expires June 5, 2021.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that the firm’s Immigration and Automotive Product Liability Litigation practices have been ranked by the Legal 500 United States 2017 (The Legal 500). In addition to the practice rankings, eight total Dykema attorneys received individual recognition within the two practice categories, including naming Kathleen Campbell Walker as a “Leading Lawyer” in Immigration.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that attorneys from multiple offices and practice areas received 21 individual rankings and 10 practice areas have been recognized in the 2017 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business guide. 

On May 18, 2017, the Illinois Supreme Court unanimously held that the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) is not subject to the state’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) laws, affirming the decisions of two lower courts. Better Government Ass’n. v. Illinois High School Ass’n et al, 2017 IL 121124 (May 18, 2017). Dykema member David Bressler argued to the court on behalf of the IHSA, assisted on the briefs by Melanie Chico and Rosa Tumialán.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced that Chicago-based attorneys Heather Kramer and Melanie Chico will be presented with an Award for Excellence in Pro Bono Service by The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. The award will be presented at the Eighteenth Annual Excellence in Pro Bono and Public Interest Service Award Ceremony on Wednesday, May 24, 2017, in the James B. Parsons Memorial Courtroom, Room 2525, of the Everett McKinley Dirksen United States Courthouse.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced the addition of Michael D. Weis to its Corporate Finance Practice Group as a member in the firm’s Chicago office. Weis joins Dykema from Williams, Bax & Saltzman, where he served as chair of the firm’s Business and Transactional practice. He is also a Certified Public Accountant.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, is pleased to announce that four of its Dallas-based attorneys are listed as “Best Lawyers in Dallas,” in a special editorial feature in the May 2017 issue of D Magazine. D Magazine, with a circulation of more than 60,000, is one of the leading city magazines in the nation.

Small energy drink maker Jacked Up, LLC prevailed over international food conglomerate Sara Lee Corporation yesterday in a significant appellate victory in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Jacked Up was represented on appeal by a team of attorneys from Dykema, a leading national law firm. The Fifth Circuit’s 29-page published opinion places Jacked Up in position to potentially recover the millions of dollars in damages it suffered as a result of Sara Lee’s wrongful actions.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced that Richard M. Bendix, Jr., Chicago-based member of Dykema’s Bankruptcy and Restructuring Practice Group, is leaving the firm to join Ravinia Capital, LLC. Bendix departs after more than three decades of practice with the firm. He originally joined Schwartz, Cooper, Kolb & Gaynor (predecessor to Schwartz Cooper Greenberger & Krauss) in February 1981 before it combined with Dykema in 2008.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced that Jill Wheaton, Ann Arbor-based member in Dykema’s Litigation Department and Leader of the firm’s Appellate practice, has been chosen to serve on Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society’s Board of Directors. Wheaton accepted the role at the Historical Society’s Annual Membership Luncheon April 20 at the Detroit Athletic Club.  She will serve a two year term, effective immediately. 

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  2017 Super Lawyers in the Washington, D.C., edition of Super Lawyers Magazine.