Photo of Leonard C. Wolfe

Leonard C. Wolfe Chairman and CEO

Areas of Practice

Industries

Bar Admissions

  • Michigan

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan

Education

Indiana University, J.D.

James Madison College at Michigan State University, B.A.

Len Wolfe is Dykema’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Prior to assuming his new role in January 2021, Wolfe served in Firm senior leadership positions including two terms on the Firm’s Executive Committee and nine years as Director of the Firm’s Regulated Industries Department and Practice Group Leader of the Government Policy Practice Group. He also served as Board Liaison to the Firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee for four years.

Len is a member of the Detroit Economic Club Board of Directors. The DEC is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization committed to shaping a modern business environment through the free exchange of ideas and debate. He has also served in various state, business and community leadership roles, including board roles with the State Board of Ethics and the Michigan Chamber of Commerce,

Before being elected Chairman and CEO, Len was a skilled government policy and regulatory attorney with over two decades of substantive experience helping clients formulate and implement significant public policy initiatives. His practice covered several areas of legal representation, including government reorganization and restructuring, education law, state procurement and representing clients before various state departments, agencies and boards. Len was regularly retained to assist with the drafting and design of complex legislation and rules affecting the delivery, funding and licensure of public services and regulated industries. His practice also included representation of clients in a number of high profile public policy litigation matters.

Experience

Government Reorganization and Restructuring

  • Appointed as a Special Assistant Attorney General and part of the Dykema team that represented the State of Michigan in the privatization of the State Accident Fund of Michigan
  • Member of the Dykema team involved with the design, reorganization and restructuring of the Community School District in the City of Detroit and other local school districts
  • Member of Dykema team involved in the creation and design of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)
  • Involved with the design and drafting of several Executive Orders reorganizing or creating new state departments, agencies, boards and new government instrumentalities

Education Law

  • Represent companies doing business with the State of Michigan, K-12 schools and institutions of higher education
  • Represent companies and public entities before the Michigan Department of Education on a variety of regulatory, compliance, data privacy, and funding issues
  • Regularly counsel trade associations representing both public school and higher education member institutions on a variety of regulatory, data/student privacy, legislative and litigation issues
  • Involved in the formation of over 200 charter schools in Michigan on behalf of several state public universities, community colleges, intermediate school districts and school district authorizing bodies

State Procurement, Administrative Law & Regulation

  • Regularly counsels clients on state bid and contracting issues involving numerous state departments, agencies and boards
  • Significant experience handling state procurement and bid protest matters in front of the Michigan State Administrative Board involving various state departments and agencies including Department of Technology Management and Budget
  • Lead outside regulatory counsel responsible for negotiating and obtaining Michigan Gaming Control Board approval of $1 billion acquisition and acquisition financing in connection with sale of ownership interest in Detroit Entertainment, L.L.C. (d/b/a MotorCity Casino)
  • Successfully represented national trade association in administrative proceedings before State regulatory and licensing boards in opposing use of certain foreign made construction products and materials being used in state and public projects

Public Policy Litigation

  • Member of the Dykema team that successfully defended the constitutionality of the state's original charter school law (Part 6a) and state appropriations for nonpublic schools
  • Involved with the formulation and drafting of advisory opinion requests to the Michigan Supreme Court
  • Drafted and filed amicus briefs for clients on a number of high profile public policy litigation matters
  • Council of Organizations and Others for Education about Parochiaid v State of Michigan, Michigan Supreme Court, Case No. 158751 (2020). Successfully defended constitutionality of state appropriation reimbursing nonpublic schools for health, safety and welfare mandates.
  • Groves, et al v. Michigan Department of Corrections, Public Communications Services, Inc., et al; 295 Mich App 1; 811 NW2d 563 (2011). Successfully defended award of Michigan Department of Corrections contract by State of Michigan to client.
  • Michigan Education Association v. Superintendent of Public Instruction, et al, Michigan Court of Appeals, No. 267714 (2006). Motion for summary disposition granted on behalf of client, Coalition for Educational Choice, dismissing complaint challenging constitutionality and legality of the Bay Mills Community College Board of Regents as a charter school authorizing body. (Published Opinion)
  • Council Of Organizations and Others for Education about Parochiaid v. Governor John Engler, et al., 455 MICH 557; 566 NW2d 208 (1997). Successfully defended constitutionality of state's first charter school law. Case set forth the constitutional requirements for a "public school" under Michigan law.

Seminars and Speeches

For over 20 years, Mr. Wolfe has presented on issues impacting the areas of government reorganization and restructuring, education, and state procurement at both state and national conferences and trade association meetings.

Memberships & Involvement

  • Member, Detroit Economic Club Board of Directors
  • Member, Michigan State Ethics Board
  • Board of Directors, Michigan Chamber of Commerce
  • Board Member, Westside Community YMCA
  • Member, National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA)
  • Michigan Bar Association

Distinguished Brief Award, Western Michigan University/Cooley Law School Law Review for International Union v. Yaw, Michigan Supreme Court (2015)

Named as "Lawyer of the Year" in Gaming Law by The Best Lawyers in America® in 2019. Copyright 2015 by Woodward/White, Inc., Aiken, SC

Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® for Administrative/Regulatory Law, Gaming Law and Government Relations Practice, 2007-Present. Copyright 2015 by Woodward White, Inc., Aiken, SC

Recipient of Martindale-Hubbell® AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rating. Attorneys with an AV® Preeminent™ rating from Martindale-Hubbell® are those who have been recognized by their peers for excellence in both legal ability and ethical practice.

Fellow, State Bar of Michigan Foundation, Lifetime Member