Founders Raymond K. Dykema, Elroy O. Jones and Renville Wheat open up shop on the 20th floor of the Old Penobscot Building in downtown Detroit. With a total headcount of five, the firm engages its first client—the Great Lakes Engineering Company. Wasting no time establishing a reputation for strength in relationships through client service, Dykema’s fourth client remains a client of the firm for more than 50 years.

In the same year U.S. automobile production hit 5.3 million, a record that would not be surpassed until the 1950’s, Dykema moves its offices to Suite 2746 of the Griswold Street Building of the Penobscot complex—a move necessitated by more than doubling firm headcount in three short years. Today, Griswold Street passes through the heart of Detroit’s Financial District.

While the U.S. continues to face the effects of the Great Depression, Dykema expands its client portfolio. The firm opens its 800th client file six years after it welcomed its first client—that’s more than an average of 133 new clients per year.

Dykema begins working with two divisions of GM—General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC) and General Exchange Insurance Corporation. The initial scope of work for the client encompasses matters of collection and repossession.

Dykema exhibits its ability to successfully adapt to clients’ changing needs. With the Second World War impacting the way-of-life on all fronts, the firm handles a myriad of legal issues accompanying the immense expansion of clients’ facilities needed for the production of war materials.

Co-founder of Dykema, R.K. Dykema, makes known his high and rigid ethical standards, making certain the firm adheres to these principles. While his motto was “better to lose a client than to compromise a principle,” the truth is he did not lose clients.

The practice of law locally began to evolve as attorneys were introduced to areas of practice previously handled at the Federal level. Tax work, traditionally left to accountants in the big firms, or to Washington, D.C. counsel, begins to shift to Dykema’s Detroit-based lawyers. While the theory had been that one needed a D.C. lawyer to access the National Office of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, Dykema lawyer, Paul Trigg, learns that all the way up the line, everyone in the Commissioner’s office will accept a long-distance call (which in those days were not made lightly, and cost “real money”). Corollary to the accessibility of D.C.-based government officials, were the novel changes in tax code.

The firm is substantially involved in the planning, building and development of the Illinois and Indiana toll road systems, which directly affect the operations of several firm clients. Championed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the formation of these and other roads—which are part of the Interstate Highway System—was authorized by the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956.

Rooks Pitts partner, Jay Lipe, helps establish one of the first environmental legal teams in the United States to help the steel and other industries deal with newly enacted federal and state regulations and litigation. During this time, the new regulations impacted nearly every environmental facet—including air, water, land and hazardous waste.

As law firm management practices evolve, Dykema engages a management consulting firm to recommend an administrative and operating structure, as well as to identify those partners who might best fit these administrative roles. The recommended model, fashioned on a corporate structure, includes such positions as: Executive Partner, Partner in charge of Professional Personnel, Partner in charge of managing the firm’s relationship with the Detroit community, and another in charge of Non-Professional Personnel—but no Executive Committee yet.

Dykema celebrates its 40th anniversary with all three founding members—Messrs. Dykema, Jones and Wheat—present. During the celebration, R.K. Dykema remarks about the firm, "...with this number of people the most vital concern is to have that state of morale—of harmonious common endeavor—which makes for the highest productive capacity of the whole group."

Dykema opens its Bloomfield Hills office with a headcount of 60 lawyers—making it the firm’s second largest office at the time—representing virtually all of the firm’s practice areas. Key clients include Tier 1 and Tier 2 automotive suppliers, financial institutions, real estate developers, high tech companies and several Fortune 200 firms.

Concurrent with the region’s explosive growth in high-tech enterprises, Dykema opens its office in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The move helps expand the firm’s client portfolio to include municipalities, media organizations and educational institutions, as well as computer, robotics and other representative high-tech industries.

Dykema’s Lansing, Michigan office opens. Adjacent to Michigan’s Capitol Building, the firm’s newest office serves as the home of Dykema’s government policy practice.

After almost three years of planning, design and construction, Dykema moves its Detroit office to the iconic Renaissance Center. The space is large enough to house Dykema’s growing headcount—including lawyers, legal specialists and staff—of 258, and is the biggest undertaking by the firm to date.

In the same year the Washington Bullets (n.k.a the Washington Wizards) win their firsts NBA title, Dykema opens its first office outside of Michigan in Washington, D.C. The expansion allows better service to clients in such areas as federal legislative and policy practice, intellectual property, transportation law and government contracts.

Strengthening its presence in Michigan, Dykema opens its Grand Rapids office—at the time, the firm’s westernmost office. The team of Grand Rapids-based lawyers serves clients throughout Western and Northern Michigan, and in the Upper Peninsula, in practices including real estate, corporate, banking, environmental and litigation.

Dykema expands to the third most populous city, and one of the busiest legal venues, in the U.S.—Chicago. The establishment of Dykema in Chicago marks the firm's seventh office. It allows the firm to expand its international client base. In fact, due to rapid growth, the firm is prompted to relocate to a larger office space in 1995.

The Board of Commissioners of the State Bar of Michigan unanimously adopts a resolution honoring the Firm, “for its outstanding and exemplary commitment to pro bono service to the public." Dykema is the only firm in Michigan to be bestowed such an honor—a testament to the Firm’s belief that the practice of law is a privilege that carries with it profound societal responsibilities, and that equal access to justice for those with unmet legal needs is essential. Over time, the firm has received many accolades for its pro bono work.

As The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King earns the year's Best Picture honors, Dykema opens its first office west of the Mississippi—in Los Angeles. With its Midwest work ethic and value-driven approach, the Firm serves those industries that fuel the California economy, including automotive, banking, entertainment, technology and real estate

Rooks Pitts and Dykema Gossett join forces to form the nearly 400 attorney firm operating under the name, Dykema Gossett. Announced on February 23, 2004, the merger gives Dykema a substantial Chicago presence—at the time, the 2nd largest of its offices—greatly expanding its litigation practice while broadening its platform to deliver corporate, real estate and related services. Rooks Pitts gains an enhanced platform to offer clients expanded capabilities in corporate law and securities, government policy, employment, intellectual property, real estate, tax, health care and trade regulation.

Dykema expands to the “Big D,” opening its Dallas office. With Dallas-Fort Worth being the fourth largest metropolitan area in the United States, and being home to the third largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the nation, the move is highly strategic for expanding the Firm’s commercial litigation, consumer financial services, intellectual property and class action practices.

Becoming effective on July 14, 2008, Dykema's merger with Schwartz Cooper Chartered grows the firm by 53 attorneys. The transaction gives the Firm a headcount of nearly 130 lawyers in Chicago, and more than 450 lawyers and other professionals nationally. Strategically, the transaction bolsters Dykema’s existing practices in banking and lending; bankruptcy, insolvency and creditors’ rights; real estate/real estate finance; corporate; and litigation.

To address client demand, Dykema opened its Minneapolis office in January 2013. The Twin Cities are home to 19 Fortune 500 corporations and several of the world’s largest private companies and a major center for medical devices, high-technology industries, financial service institutions and energy providers.

Opened in July 2013, Dykema’s Austin office is home to experienced and highly credentialed lawyers representing several of the firm’s core practices: Taxation, Litigation, Government Policy and Real Estate. As part of the firm’s Capitols Strategy, the new office is just a few blocks from the Texas State Capitol—enabling our attorneys and other professionals to represent clients before government and regulatory agencies.

The combination between Dykema and Cox Smith—a leading Texas law firm with deep history and more than 100 attorneys—gives the firm a significantly expanded presence in Texas and the American Southwest. In addition to San Antonio, which is now one of the firm’s largest offices, the combination added locations in El Paso and McAllen, effectively doubled the number of attorneys in Dallas, and significantly increased the firm’s presence in Austin. In Texas, the firm initially operates under the name Dykema Cox Smith.

Dykema and Loss, Judge & Ward combine, doubling each firm’s Washington, D.C., presence. The depth and experience of Loss, Judge & Ward’s nationally-recognized complex commercial insurance practice complements and strengthens Dykema’s Insurance Industry Group. Dykema’s expansive practice capabilities and national platform enhance the range of services available for legacy Loss, Judge & Ward clients.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dykema swiftly transitioned to remote operations while maintaining uninterrupted service to clients nationwide. The firm formed a COVID-19 Taskforce and launched a centralized COVID-19 Resource Center to provide timely legal guidance across practices and industries. Dykema also produced proprietary COVID-19 research through client-focused surveys, earning award-winning recognition for its innovative approach to client service.

Dykema launched a comprehensive rebrand featuring a new visual identity, website, and communications approach grounded in extensive research with clients, attorneys, and third-party stakeholders. The rebrand highlighted the firm’s core strengths, including pragmatic problem-solving, business-minded counsel, and collaborative relationships. The updated brand and digital presence were designed to more clearly express Dykema’s culture, values, and commitment to delivering practical, client-centered legal solutions.

Dykema opened its Houston office as part of a strategic expansion in Texas, one of the firm’s most important growth markets. Houston—a primary legal market in the state—serves as a major hub for energy, healthcare, life sciences, bankruptcy, and complex commercial litigation. The office enhanced Dykema’s ability to serve its clients and has continued to grow, reflecting the firm’s long-term investment in the region and its business community.

Dykema expanded into Wisconsin with the opening of its first Milwaukee office, adding a multidisciplinary capital markets team focused on M&A, securities, finance, and healthcare transactions. Situated between the firm’s Chicago and Minneapolis offices, Milwaukee strengthened Dykema’s Midwest platform and created new opportunities for regional collaboration. The expansion supports the firm’s long-term strategy of serving Fortune 1000 and middle-market companies through sophisticated corporate and transactional practices.

Dykema marked the 10-year anniversary of its Annual Definitive Conference for DSOs, an award-winning industry event recognized as one of the most influential gatherings in the dental services sector. Since its launch in 2014, the conference has brought together hundreds of sellers, buyers, investors, providers, and executives to share insights on the evolving DSO landscape. The milestone reflects Dykema’s long-standing leadership and deep experience in representing dental service organizations nationwide.

In 2026, Dykema celebrates its 100th anniversary, honoring a century of serving clients with practical, results-driven legal counsel. From its founding in 1926 to its evolution into a national law firm, Dykema’s centennial reflects a legacy built on strong relationships, professional excellence, and a commitment to adapting with the changing needs of clients and the legal industry.