Michael P. Cooney

Member


Director of the firm's litigation practice, Mike brings a formidable combination of skilled advocacy, technical knowledge, and business savvy to representing clients involved in high-profile, high-exposure products liability, class action, patent, and commercial litigation matters.

Fortune 500 companies in a broad spectrum of industries call upon Mike to defend their interests in their most complex and consequential cases. Mike's clients recognize his effectiveness in the courtroom and value his counsel in developing strategies that lead to favorable outcomes. His ability to bring clarity to complex issues helps his clients make informed business decisions and assists juries and judges in understanding the highly technical issues often at the heart of his cases.

Mike’s practice includes serving as national and regional trial counsel for automotive manufacturers and suppliers in a wide range of products liability, class action, and commercial litigation matters. In those roles, he is particularly well-known for cases involving occupant restraints, fuel systems, roof structure, vehicle handling and stability, electric and hybrid power trains, advanced driver assistance systems, emission systems, and overall vehicle crashworthiness. 

In addition to his automotive work, Mike regularly defends class action, IP and product liability matters in a wide range of other industries, including medical devices, recreational vehicles, watercraft, industrial equipment, home appliances, lift trucks, and power tools. 

Mike also counsels product suppliers on safety, regulatory, trade secret, and intellectual property matters, including NHTSA and CPSC investigations, and provides product liability avoidance advice, including design process reviews and product warnings.

In order to properly evaluate a claim involving complex technology, you must understand it. In order to explain that technology to a jury, you need to translate it into plain English. But to win or otherwise resolve such cases, you also need to acknowledge the human aspect involved.
    • University of Notre Dame, J.D.
    • University of Notre Dame, B.S.M.E.
  • Bar Admissions

    • Michigan, 1986
  • Court Admissions

    • U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit
    • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
    • U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan
    • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
    • U.S. District Court, Central District of California
    • U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
    • Elected to the American Board of Trial Advocates, 2023

    • Recognized on Michigan Super Lawyers® "Top 100 List," 2017-2018, 2020
    • Named a Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation, 2013-2020
    • Named "Lawyer of the Year," Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions - Defendants Law, Detroit, Michigan, by The Best Lawyers in America®, 2022
    • Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® for Product Liability Litigation - Defendants, Commercial Litigation, and Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions - Defendants, 2013-Present. Copyright 2015 by Woodward/White, Inc., Aiken, SC
    • Recognized by The Legal 500 United States for Automotive Product Liability, Mass Tort, and Class Action Defense (2012-2022); Automotive Litigation (2022); Transport: Rail and Road – Litigation (2018-2019, 2021)

    • Recognized in Managing Intellectual Property magazine as an IP Star for Patent Litigation, 2014-2017
    • Named a Top Lawyer by dbusiness Magazine for Product Liability Litigation, 2010-2019
    • Named a Michigan Leading Lawyer in the areas of Class Action/Mass Tort Defense, Commercial Litigation and Products Liability Defense Law by the Leading Lawyers Network, 2012-2017
    • Recognized in Michigan Super Lawyers® for Personal Injury - Products: Defense, Class Action/Mass Torts: Defense, Business Litigation, Intellectual Property Litigation, 2008-Present
    • Recipient of an AV® Preeminent™ Rating by Martindale-Hubbell  
    • Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
    • Member, Trial Law Institute
    • Member, Diversity Law Institute
    • State Bar of Michigan, Litigation Section Council Committee, Programs Chair; Character and Fitness Committee; Intellectual Property Section
    • Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association; Chairman, Litigation Section
    • American Bar Association
    • Defense Research Institute

Latest News and Insights

Press Releases6.1.23

Dykema Earns 16 Practice Area Rankings and 29 Individual Rankings in Chambers USA 2023

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that it received 29 individual attorney…

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Press Releases5.24.23

Mike Cooney Elected to the American Board of Trial Advocates

Dykema is proud to announce that Mike Cooney, Director of the firm's Litigation Department, was…

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Press Releases8.18.22

180 Dykema Lawyers Listed in The Best Lawyers in America© 2023 and Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch”

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that 180 of its attorneys, in multiple practice…

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