ABOUT
DICKINSON
WRIGHT
ATTORNEYS
OFFICES
PRACTICE AREAS
Our History
Founded in Detroit in 1878 by two young lawyers, Henry Monroe Campbell and Henry Russel, Dickinson Wright has continued to flourish by focusing on meeting the needs of each individual client while implementing innovative and thoughtful best practices and ensuring our founding values guide our everyday decisions. The firm’s name evolved several times throughout our history to reflect changes in leadership. Finally, in 1998, the firm officially became Dickinson Wright PLLC.
From our start as a two-person firm serving the banking and railroad industries in the late 1800s, Dickinson Wright has evolved into a leading global law firm, serving clients across North America and around the world. With more than 550+ lawyers across 40 practice areas, Dickinson Wright has the honor of representing leading industrial, financial, insurance, emerging technology, and service enterprises. Dickinson Wright has worked with clients on six continents, and our global presence continues to expand as we seek opportunities to serve our clients wherever their businesses take them.
Dickinson Wright began expanding outside of Michigan in 1978 with the opening of the Washington, D.C. office. Since then, the firm has added additional offices across the United States. In 2011, the firm’s Ontario affiliate, Dickinson Wright LLP, grew through a combination with a Toronto-based firm, Aylesworth LLP, that had served clients with distinction since 1861. Then in 2013, our Phoenix office combined with Phoenix-based Mariscal, Weeks, McIntyre & Friedlander, P.A., a firm of over 60 attorneys, to become the firm’s largest office outside the Detroit area. Today, the firm serves clients worldwide through affiliations with local firms in China, Japan, South Korea, India, Europe, and beyond.
Top 200 Law Firm by Revenue
Long-Term Partnerships
At Dickinson Wright, we value our relationships with our clients and business partners, investing in each client’s success. Our commitment to excellence and client satisfaction is evidenced by our long-term client relationships – we have served many of our clients for decades, and some of them for centuries! We have worked with the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company since the late 1800s and with Chrysler Corporation since it was organized in the 1920s. Our association with both Ford Motor Company and the National Bank of Detroit (now JPMorgan Chase Bank) spans over eight decades.
“Good service and good responsiveness, high-quality legal thinking and good execution on the transactions. The team showed commitment and attention to detail, and a good attitude to solving the problem at hand."
Chambers USA
Thought-Leaders and Policy Shapers
Throughout the years, Dickinson Wright has assisted in a number of historically significant events. Members of the firm helped draft the state of Michigan’s two constitutions in 1908 and 1963. And, in 1933, after President Franklin Delano Roosevelt closed banks nationwide, our firm was instrumental in helping to organize a new national bank in Detroit. We are equally active in writing and revising legislation for our clients’ benefit. Firm members drafted several significant statutes, including the Michigan Financial Institutions Act of 1937, the Intangibles Tax Act, the Industrial Facilities Tax Act of 1974, and the Community Property Tax Act of 1948. Additionally, numerous firm members have been appointed or elected to the judiciary, and several former firm members who began their legal careers at Dickinson Wright have served, or are currently serving, on the Michigan Supreme Court. Additionally, Dickinson Wright was one of the first law firms in the world to receive the ISO/IEC 27001:2019 Privacy Management Certification for its information security management system.
CURRENTLY REPRESENTING 90+ COMPANIES ON THE FORTUNE 500 LIST
Client Services
At Dickinson Wright, we define success by our clients’ metrics. Across our 40+ practice areas, our team of over 550 lawyers has an unwavering focus on providing unmatched client service and the highest quality legal advice. We are proactive and accessible, providing practical solutions and actionable advice. We are always mindful that we must earn our reputation each and every day by delivering results that speak for themselves. As a growing, full-service law firm of diverse and dedicated legal professionals, our lawyers are respected by their peers, honored by industry endorsements, and recognized through significant appointments to bar associations and the judiciary system. But, the most important thing to us is the respect we’ve earned from our clients. For nearly 150 years, we’ve put our clients first. From Fortune 500 companies to small and emerging businesses to governmental entities, nonprofits and individuals, every client is important to us. Our unwavering focus on client satisfaction and service has defined our purpose and propelled our growth. We develop strong relationships built on a deep understanding of each client’s needs, quick responsiveness, and sound advice.
We Promise The Following
- A Long-Term Partnership: We make it our business to know your business and, especially, your way of doing business. We build relationships that last centuries by investing in each client's success and partnering with you to achieve your business goals.
- Personalized Support: We treat each client as if they were our only client, proactively sharing our business and legal acumen to solve your toughest and most complex legal issues. We are committed to providing you with excellent client service through both responsiveness and turnaround time.
- Seamless Representation: We assemble the best teams across multiple markets to deliver personalized legal solutions for our clients, wherever their businesses take them. Our attorneys leverage advanced technology and communication strategies throughout the firm to ensure that you stay informed and involved.
- Forward-Thinking Leaders: We strive to continuously evolve as a firm, implementing innovative and thoughtful best-practices while ensuring our founding values guide how we engage with others and who we select to join our firm.
- Cost-Effective Services: We work closely with you to provide quality legal counsel at a reasonable cost, in the most efficient manner possible. Our firm encourages alternative fee arrangements and risk-reward solutions to ensure financial predictability and accountability.