Bonnie Mayfield

Member


Scoring an impressive series of victories for different clients, including two "hat tricks" for a triad of wins for two different clients in different industries, and also making legal history for another client by winning the first ever award in a particular type of labor arbitration, Bonnie Mayfield has earned her designation as a seasoned and business savvy trial and appellate lawyer.

She also has received client recognition for building a diverse and inclusive team. As a member of the Litigation and Labor & Employment Law practice groups, Bonnie has successfully litigated employment discrimination, labor, hybrid §301, retaliation, wage and hour, whistleblower, tort, product liability (automotive, pharmaceutical, medical device, chemical and toxic tort), and commercial matters. She regularly advises and counsels clients about administrative, internal and labor matters. Bonnie’s skills in settling matters also have resulted in her being brought in as a settlement strategist, ensuring a successful, effective and “win-win” resolution. As the designated emergency responder for a petroleum manufacturer, Bonnie is available on a 24/7 basis for emergent services in the State of Michigan.

Bonnie has tried product liability, pharmaceutical, commercial, medical malpractice, labor and employment cases. She also has been selected by several major clients to defend their labor, employment, pharmaceutical and commercial matters and also to be the Responsible Partner managing the client/law firm relationships. As a Responsible Partner, Bonnie assists in the management of the client/law firm relationships and also performs substantive work for those clients. She enhances the client/law firm relationships, facilitates constructive feedback and provides a common focal point and conduit for both our lawyers and client contacts, in addition to defending legal matters.

A frequent lecturer, she has spoken to groups such as the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC), and the State Bars of Michigan and Wisconsin, and was a panelist at the American Bar Association's mid-year products liability meetings. Prior to joining Dykema, she served as a Council on Legal Education Opportunity teaching assistant for Ralph Smith (former law professor, University of Pennsylvania) and clerked for the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund. She also clerked for the Honorable Julian Cook (former Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan) and for the Honorable Nathaniel R. Jones (former Circuit Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit). Bonnie interned for the Honorable Harold Baer, Jr. (former New York Supreme Court Justice) and the Honorable Caleb Wright, Jr. (former Delaware Federal District Court Judge). In law school, she was a member of New York University's Law Review.

    • New York University, J.D.
    • Dillard University, B.A.
  • Bar Admissions

    • Michigan
  • Court Admissions

    • U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit
    • U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit
    • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
    • U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan
    • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio
    • Named to Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s 2020 class of “Women in the Law”
    • Recipient of the IADC Richard L. Neumeier Excellence in Service Award
    • Recipient of the IADC Diversity and Inclusion Committee Chair plaque
    • Recognized in Michigan Super Lawyers® for Employment Litigation: Defense, Personal Injury - Products: Defense, Class Action/Mass Torts: Defense, 2009-2012, 2014-Present
    • Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® for Litigation - Labor and Employment; Employment Law - Management, 2019-2024

    • Recipient of the Women in Color Achievement Award, from the 100 Black Men of Greater Detroit, in partnership with the Women Presidents' Organization
    • Named a Michigan Leading Lawyer in the area of Employment: Management Law by the Leading Lawyers Network, 2014-2017

    • Recipient of an AV® Preeminent™ Rating by Martindale-Hubbell
    • Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association
    • Wolverine Bar Association
    • National Bar Association
    • National Association of Women Lawyers, Legislative Committee Chair
    • Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (FDCC), Member
    • American Bar Association, General Practice Section's Urban, State and Local Government Subcommittee, Former Diversity Chairperson; Civil Justice Institute; Section of Litigation, Products Liability Committee, Leadership
    • State Bar of Michigan Judicial Qualifications, Professional and Judicial Ethics, Continuing Legal Education, and Character and Fitness Committees, Former Co-chair and/or Member
    • Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, Wayne Region, Former President; Vice President; Program Chairperson; and Treasurer
    • Defense Research Institute
    • United Negro College Fund, Former Women's Committee member
    • International Association of Defense Counsel, Board of Directors, Chair of Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Chair of Diversity Programs; Chair of Employment Law Committee; State Membership Chair; Former Vice Chair of Diversity Initiatives; Vice Chair of Webinar - Employment Committee
    • State Bar of Michigan's Open Justice Commission, Former Commissioner
    • Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Member

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