Dickinson Wright PLLC > Troy, United States > Firm Profile

Dickinson Wright PLLC > The Legal 500 Rankings

Industry focus > Cannabis Tier 3

Led by the Columbus-based duo of Scot Crow and Benton Bodamer, Dickinson Wright PLLC heavily specializes in handling corporate reorganisations, multi-jurisdictional M&A, and private equity investments, predominantly operating in the cannabis industry. The team simultaneously boasts a strong contentious offering, providing tailored advice in complex commercial disputes, filing litigation, and breach of contract claims. Crow is highly knowledgeable in private offerings and divestitures, Bodamer concentrates on leveraged buyouts and joint ventures, while in Detroit, Amy Kwiatkowski is a corporate finance expert. From Lansing, Brandon Hubbard stands out for his fraud and trade secrets insights, in Columbus, Lloyd Pierre-Louis is highlighted for his administrative law focus, and Las Vegas’ Melissa Waite is also an integral player.

Intellectual property > Patents: licensing Tier 3

Dickinson Wright PLLC’s IP licensing and transactions practice group calls upon their engineering background and in-house patent attorney experience to offer comprehensive advice on licensing matters, spanning product development, protection and licensing. The team operates coast to coast handling matters involving both startups and well-established tech companies. Well vested in a wide range of IP matters and significant experience in negotiating and resolving patent IP disputes is Richard A. Jones who heads the team in Troy, and offers niche expertise in mechanical and electrical technologies. Lance Anderson brings expertise in preparing and negotiating tech and IP-focused transactions. Steven Daniels focuses on IP litigation, while Andrea L. Arndt boasts deep experience in managing domestic and international patent portfolios. Stephen Mason is adept at supporting early-stage tech startups on a range of IP issues. Unless otherwise stated, all named members are based in Austin.

Dispute resolution > General commercial disputes Tier 4

Dickinson Wright PLLC‘s commercial and business litigation team, led by John Desmond in Reno and Scott Knapp in Michigan, excels in pre-trial mediation and negotiations. Its practice spans all types of corporate litigation, including class actions and tortious interference cases. Dan Goldfine in Arizona represents clients in antitrust, insurance and RICO litigation, with particular knowledge of consumer fraud and consumer protection laws. In Michigan, Phillip DeRosier specializes in state and federal civil appeals and Daniel Quick excels in shareholder and IP litigation. Arizona-based Jamie Halavais is an expert in the insurance industry, as well as representing clients in class actions and government and internal investigations.

Intellectual property > Patents: litigation (full coverage) Tier 4

Dickinson Wright PLLC routinely handles patent infringement cases in state and federal courts nationwide, as well as before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board and International Trade Commission. The team is particularly well-versed in business-critical tech patents across the electronics, manufacturing, retail, and telecoms sectors. John Artz, located in Ann Arbor, is a prominent attorney in the department, having acted as lead counsel for various technology companies in federal courts and the patent office. Artz co-heads the team with Ann Arbor-based Philip Rettig and Denver-based Frank Long. Other stand-out practitioners include Jonathan Baker, from Silicon Valley, a highly experienced patent litigator with knowledge of a diverse range of technologies, such as computer hardware and software, and semiconductors; Jonathan Redway, based out of Washington DC, who has first-chaired numerous IP trials before federal and state courts; and William Honaker, based out of Troy, who brings further expertise in patents and trade secrets dispute resolution.

Intellectual property > Trademarks: litigation Tier 4

Consistently handling litigation with multi-jurisdictional aspects, Dickinson Wright PLLC possesses a solid grounding across trademark infringement, dilution and registration issues. Five names lead the practice: Michigan-based Philip Rettig and John Artz, Arizona’s Flavia Campbell, Denver’s Frank Long, whose wide-ranging skillset spans trademarks, trade dress and cybersquatting issues, and Washington DC’s Nicole Meyer, whose extensive experience encompasses travel, food and retail industry mandates. Also in Washington DC is Jonathan Redway, an accomplished practitioner before both federal and state courts as well as the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.

Labor and employment > Labor and employment disputes (including collective actions) Tier 4

The employment practice at Dickinson Wright PLLC is regularly engaged in disputes involving trade secrets, retaliation, whistleblowing, harassment, breach of contract and wage and hour matters. The group is jointly led by Joshua Burgener in Nashville and Brian Johnson in Lexington. Burgener specializes in trade secrets, non-compete suits and contract claims. In the Detroit office, Kathryn Wood is active in discrimination, harassment and whistleblower claims and Timothy Howlett is a key contact for litigation matters involving substantial financial risk. In the Nashville office, Reid Estes has significant experience handling FLSA cases and wage and hour claims. William Thacker is also a notable name in the Ann Arbor office.

M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: middle-market (sub-$500m) Tier 4

Supported by an extensive network of offices across the US and Canada, Dickinson Wright PLLC’s M&A team is engaged by clients across the healthcare and dentistry, financial services, food and beverage, manufacturing, and TMT industries. Particularly active in lower-value transactions, the group handles the full scope of acquisitions, disposals, share transfers, and investment transactions. Scot Crow spearheads the corporate, private equity, and M&A department; he splits his time between Columbus and Denver and possesses a broad corporate practice that also encompasses tax law matters. The group further includes Columbus-based Benton Bodamer, whose client roster encompasses private and public companies and private equity sponsors; Detroit-based Amy Kwiatkowski, who serves as deputy chair of the corporate and M&A practice; and Detroit-based private equity-focused partners Richard Bolton and Allison Bach.

Real estate > Construction (including construction litigation) Tier 4

Dickinson Wright PLLC ‘s attorneys are ‘extremely knowledgeable and practical’ in trying litigation claims before arbitration panels and courts. Todd Baxter leads the practice from his Arizona base – he regularly negotiates and drafts contracts and initiates litigation proceedings on behalf of contractors, owners and developers. Grand Rapids’ John Cameron also prepares contracts for the development of large-scale projects including hotels, healthcare facilities, and sports complexes. In Phoenix, Stephen Richman is an experienced arbitrator who is well-versed in design-build, lien laws and risk-shifting clauses, while Scott Holcomb represents public entities in construction and real estate litigation. Andrew Alvarado is another key litigator based in Austin.

Real estate Tier 4

The real estate team at Dickinson Wright PLLC represents the full spectrum of clients, from developers, financial institutions, and investors to public institutions and municipal bodies. With a breadth of experience, the group regularly advises on matters regarding a variety of asset classes, handling transactions related to retail, office, hospitality, residential, and mixed-use assets. Working out of Troy, Michigan, Michael Lusardi chairs the real estate practice, providing counsel on the acquisition, leasing, development, and construction of office, retail, and residential projects throughout the US. Further expertise is brought by Monica Labe, with extensive experience representing clients in financing and entertainment projects, and John Cameron who has worked on condominium matters. The real estate finance team is led by Katheryne Zelenock, who also works out of the Troy office.

Real estate > Real estate finance Tier 5

Dickinson Wright PLLC assists borrowers and lenders nationwide in commercial mortgage transactions, and particularly stands out for its work with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s multifamily and mortgage loans. The team also has experience with international clients, specifically with Canada-based lenders. In Troy, Katheryne Zelenock and Michael Lusardi co-head the practice. Zelenock routinely leads on the closing of commercial and multifamily mortgage loans on behalf of national lenders. Another integral member of the team is James B. Cunningham, who focuses on real estate-based acquisitions.