Dickinson Wright PLLC > Troy, United States > Firm Profile

Dickinson Wright PLLC > The Legal 500 Rankings

Industry focus > Cannabis Tier 3

Dickinson Wright PLLC‘s practice assists clients with corporate, financing, real estate, employment, and IP aspects of cannabis work, as well as covering transactional and contentious mandates. The team has additional expertise in state, local and federal regulatory compliance, private equity investments, and government investigations. The group is co-directed by a Columbus-based duo, comprising Scot Crow and Benton Bodamer. The pair is well-versed in transactions such as M&A, venture capital financings, private offerings, private equity investments, mezzanine debt offerings, and divestitures. Lloyd Pierre-Louis, also based in Columbus, assists growers, manufacturers, retailers and testing labs with regulatory compliance and administrative law matters.

Intellectual property > Patents: licensing Tier 3

Dickinson Wright PLLC‘s coast-to-coast IP licensing/transactions practice group is comprised of patent attorneys, many of whom who have an engineering background and bring together the necessary expertise to advise on software licensing, technology licensing for universities, cross-licensing to resolve disputes, and traditional patent licensing. Adept in a wide range of intellectual property matters, especially to do with mechanical and electrical technologies, group head and ‘star in the licensing area’ Richard A. Jones in Troy has vast experience in negotiating patent licensing agreements and resolving IP disputes for his major automotive and material handling clients. In Austin, Lance Anderson deals with technology and intellectual property-focused transactions, Steven Daniels has extensive experience litigating intellectual property disputes, Andrea L. Arndt specializes in the international prosecution of patents and trademarks,  and Stephen Mason advises early-stage technology startups on a diverse range of IP issues.

M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: middle-market (sub-$500m) Tier 3

Offering clients extensive expertise in mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments, divestitures, and internal reorganizations, the corporate team at Dickinson Wright PLLC has a broad national and international reach: The unit frequently handles both domestic and cross-border matters spanning various industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, and consumer goods. In Columbus, public and private M&A specialist Benton Bodamer jointly heads up the practice with venture capital and tax specialist Scot Crow; both lawyers are known names on the market for their ability to handle transactions in the rapidly growing cannabis space. Detroit-based Amy Kwiatkowski‘s broad practice spans M&A, corporate governance and corporate finance. Also in Detroit, Richard Bolton is a key contact for private equity clients.

Dispute resolution > General commercial disputes Tier 4

IP and healthcare litigation expert Scott Knapp and contract disputes specialist John Desmond jointly direct the litigation department at Dickinson Wright PLLC from Lansing and Reno respectively. Commercial disputes, business torts, class actions and claims of tortious interference are the key focuses of the ‘solid and reliable’ nationwide practice group. Austin’s John Nelson is praised as ‘extraordinarily responsive’ and ‘highly effective’, particularly in relation to intellectual property disputes.

Intellectual property > Trademarks: litigation Tier 4

Leveraging its wide-ranging national and international office network to advise global and multinational brands, ‘highly commercial’ Dickinson Wright PLLC maintains a varied litigation practice that encompasses trademark infringement, dilution, and unfair competition issues, enjoying an active presence in federal courts on a national scale and has represented clients in Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Proceedings. In Washington DC, ‘standout’ attorney Nicole Meyer steers the department, contributing her expertise across the travel, food, clothing, and retail industries, while Jonathan Redway is routinely entrusted by clients to handle trademark, false advertising, and copyright disputes in state and federal courts. In Fort Lauderdale, Catherine Hoffman capitalizes on her considerable software engineering experience to assist clients with technical aspects within the IP space.

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

Dickinson Wright PLLC‘s practice handles a range of contentious employment mandates, including claims involving trade secrets, retaliation, harassment, discrimination, breach of contract, and wage and hour. Leadership of the practice is shared between Nashville-based Joshua Burgener and Lexington-based Brian Johnson. Burgener specializes in trade secret and non-compete cases. Names to note at the Detroit office include Timothy Howlett, who handles both advisory and contentious employment mandates; and the ‘thorough’ Kathryn Wood, who handles the gamut of employment litigation work. Nashville-based Reid Estes and William Thacker, who is based in Ann Arbor, are additional key litigators.

Intellectual property > Patents: litigation (full coverage) Tier 5

The ‘extremely responsive‘ intellectual property group at Dickinson Wright PLLC represents clients in patent infringement disputes before the full range of US patent litigation venues, including at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board and the International Trade Commission. The group is regularly sought out by clients in the electronics, networking, cybersecurity, entertainment and telecoms spaces, who benefit from its expertise litigating against the import and sale of infringing products manufactured abroad. John Artz is a key practitioner in Ann Arbor who specializes in patent, trade secret, trademark and copyright litigation and co-heads the group with IP litigators Philip Rettig, also based in Ann Arbor, and Frank Long, who practices from Dallas. Jonathan Baker in Silicon Valley is a trusted IP litigator whose practice has a strong focus on patents. The group also includes Steven Daniels in Austin and William Honaker in Troy, who both litigate across the full spectrum of IP disputes in a variety of US litigation venues.

Real estate > Construction (including construction litigation) Tier 5

Regional public entities and renewable energy clients turn to Dickinson Wright PLLC for representation in litigation and mediation relating to construction delays and defects. Todd Baxter leads the team, with expertise in the negotiation and preparation of design agreements, while Scott Holcomb frequently represents public entities in construction and real estate disputes, and operates from the firm's office in Las Vegas. Stephen Richmond is another active member of the team, who advises on matters concerning commercial and residential construction, while Grand Rapids-based John Cameron maintains a track record in handling real estate, construction, and general business law mandates. Cynthia Alexander is another key contact in the group. All lawyers are based in Phoenix, unless stated otherwise.

Real estate > Real estate finance Tier 5

Midwest firm Dickinson Wright PLLC is praised for its ‘seamless blend between the different aspects of real estate transactions‘, representing clients in a number of matters over the US, and is especially noted for its work with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s multifamily and mortgage loans. In Troy, Katheryne Zelenock and Michael Lusardi jointly lead the practice, with Zelenock focusing on commercial and multifamily mortgage loans for lenders. Key team member Leslee Lewis advises on construction loans and has expertise in clean energy related projects from Grand Rapids.

Real estate Tier 5

Under the joint leadership of real estate chair Michael Lusardi and real estate finance chair Katheryne Zelenock, Dickinson Wright PLLC has experience advising on a spread of acquisitions, sales, and financings of land and property for a blend of developers, financial institutions, public institutions, and real estate investors. Dispute resolution and construction contracts are also areas of expertise. Alongside the Troy-based heads, Monica Labe advises on a range of transactions and lease work covering industrial, office, mixed-use and entertainment real estate, among other areas. In Grand Rapids, John Cameron and Leslee Lewis, described as ‘engaged, committed, and well-respected’, are noted, as is James Patterson for his finance, workout, and landlord and tenant lease work in Phoenix.