Theodore W. Seitz

Member


Ted Seitz is a state and national leader in trial, appellate, and class action defense and a leading practitioner and published author in consumer finance matters. His superior legal knowledge, mastery of technical details, business savvy, advocacy skills, and long-term vision have delivered favorable outcomes in consumer finance, commercial, privacy, insurance, social media, entertainment, public finance, and constitutional cases. 

Ted also has experience representing public bodies and public officials in matters and a history of representing pro bono clients in social justice cases throughout the country.  

For nearly 20 years, as a member of the firm's consumer finance litigation, appellate, and class action teams, Ted has been admitted, appeared, and acted as lead trial and appellate counsel in state and federal courts across the country. He also regularly appears before administrative agencies and in mediation, arbitration, and other ADR proceedings.

He represents public corporations, middle-market corporations, and non-profit foundations in a variety of commercial disputes. In the past few years, Ted has developed a pro bono practice devoted to public policy, social justice, and prisoners' rights issues, where he has also been a court-appointed mediator.

Ted also has long-standing relationships with local government bodies and public officials, as well as public advocacy groups, working with them on litigation, legislative, and public policy, including but not limited to state and local tax and public finance issues, along with defending public officials in civil matters and responding to investigations.

In the class action and consumer finance areas, Ted is a frequent author and speaker and has presented to clients, industry groups, and law schools in those areas. This includes authoring a portion of one of the leading treaties in the consumer financial services area. 

On the local level, Ted has been appointed to chair a board governing juries and helped implement reforms that have had a lasting impact. 

Because of Dykema's deep firmwide commitment to pro bono matters, Ted has become a passionate social justice advocate, especially for prisoners' rights. He has intervened on behalf of individuals incarcerated for life, helping them obtain an opportunity for parole, and in a few instances, escorting them from prison after securing their freedom. 

I devote my energies to listening to clients, understanding their needs, and empathizing with their interests, so I can advocate on their behalf and create a process to best achieve a successful result that meets their short and long-term goals, whether it be in the courtroom, the boardroom, social justice, or public policy arena.
    • Washington University, J.D.
    • Michigan State University, B.S. (Biology, Lyman Briggs College)
    • Michigan State University, B.A. (Political Theory, James Madison College)
  • Bar Admissions

    • Michigan
  • Court Admissions

    • U.S. Supreme Court
    • U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit
    • U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit
    • U.S. Court of Appeals, 8th Circuit
    • U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois
    • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois
    • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
    • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana
    • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana
    • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
    • U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan
    • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri
    • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio
    • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio
    • U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania
    • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee
    • U.S. District Court, Western District of Tennessee
    • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
    • Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® for Commercial Litigation; Litigation - Banking and Finance, 2021-Present. Copyright 2015 by Woodward/White, Inc., Aiken, SC

    • Named as Michigan Leading Lawyer in areas of Commercial Litigation and Creditors Rights by the Leading Lawyers Network, Law Bulletin Publishing Company, 2018

    • Recognized as a Rising Star in Michigan Super Lawyers®, 2008

    • Named Top 40 Under 40 Trial Lawyer by The National Trial Lawyers (2012)

    • Michigan State University Outstanding Senior Award

    • Chairperson, Ingham County Jury Board
    • Michigan State University School of Law, American Inns of Court (Master of the Bench)
    • Ingham County Bar Association, Board of Directors

    • Washtenaw County Bar Association
    • American Bar Association
    • Federal Bar Association
    • State Bar of Michigan, Litigation, Real Property, and Business Law Sections

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Last Month at the Supreme Court | December 2023

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