The story
Early Years (1878–1930s)
Dickinson Wright traces its origins to 1878, when Henry Munroe Campbell and Henry Russel established the firm in Detroit to serve the city’s growing banking and railroad industries.
Members of the firm contributed to the drafting of Michigan’s 1908 and 1963 state constitutions. During the 1933 national banking crisis, the firm helped organize the federally funded National Bank of Detroit (now part of JPMorgan Chase & Co.), which played a central role in restoring stability to Michigan’s financial system.
Mid-Century Contributions
Throughout the 20th century, Dickinson Wright attorneys were active in legislative drafting. They were involved in shaping the Michigan Financial Institutions Act of 1937, the Intangibles Tax Act, the Community Property Tax Act of 1948, and the Industrial Facilities Tax Act of 1974. Firm lawyers also regularly held judicial and governmental appointments, including multiple justices on the Michigan Supreme Court.
Expansion Beyond Michigan (1970s–2000s)
The firm’s first office outside Detroit opened in Lansing in 1970, followed by Washington, D.C. in 1978, and Grand Rapids in 1989. Ann Arbor was added in 2000, and by the end of the decade, Dickinson Wright had entered Nashville, Phoenix, and Toronto. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the firm adapted to the influx of Japanese investment in the Detroit area by hiring Japanese-speaking attorneys and staff, launching a Japanese-language newsletter, and hosting seminars for Japanese companies operating in Michigan.
International and U.S. Growth (2010s–Present)
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The firm’s cross-border presence expanded in 2011 when its Ontario affiliate combined with Toronto-based Aylesworth LLP, a firm with roots dating back to 1861. Two years later, the Phoenix office combined with Mariscal, Weeks, McIntyre & Friedlander, P.A., adding more than 60 attorneys and becoming Dickinson Wright’s largest office outside Detroit.
Further U.S. expansion included new offices in Columbus and Saginaw (2012), Las Vegas, Lexington, and Reno (2015), Fort Lauderdale and Austin (2016), El Paso (2017), and Silicon Valley (2018). In 2021, the firm opened in Chicago through its combination with Stahl Cowen Crowley Addis LLC.
Most recently, the firm opened in Denver (2023), San Diego and Windsor (2024), and Seattle (2025). In addition to its North American offices, Dickinson Wright maintains affiliations with firms in China, Japan, South Korea, India, and Europe.
Long-Term Client Relationships and Recognition
Dickinson Wright has represented many of its major clients for decades. The firm has served Metropolitan Life Insurance Company since the late 1800s, Chrysler Corporation since its founding in the 1920s, and both Ford Motor Company and the National Bank of Detroit for more than 80 years.
From Wikipedia’s article on Dickinson Wright, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4