Dykema

Dykema at a Glance

A Commitment to Client Service

Leadership is often described as a burden. I view it as a privilege and an opportunity.

The privilege to serve my colleagues, our clients, and the firm in a different role. 

An opportunity to set a tone. Inspire action and support innovation. Grow a workplace built on a culture of respect, camaraderie and teamwork. Create and implement a vision for the firm based on excellent client service, collegiality, and a work environment that recognizes and values the success of all.

I am a believer in incremental change. Day by day, striving to learn and improve. Building a foundation for unrivaled service and an environment that rewards excellent work, creative solutions, and a promise to go “all in” for our clients and colleagues.

That’s my commitment to this firm. And it’s Dykema’s commitment to you.

— Len Wolfe, Chair and CEO

Our Client Service Standards

You should expect more from your law firm than simply excellent legal advice and work. We pride ourselves on the quality of our work.

But delivering for our clients also means holding ourselves to the highest standards for service and excellence. Our teams turn these principles into action, in every office and at every level.

Results

Every client has a different vision for success. What do you want to achieve? At Dykema, we help you identify your goals to craft pragmatic solutions and deliver value the way you define it. We understand that you need more than legal theory from your law firm. You hire us to get things done—and we do.

Value

We deliver results, and we deliver exceptional service. But more than anything, we aim to deliver value. We effectively manage fees and costs. We keep an open channel of communication with you, quickly responding to your requests and proactively reaching out to ask how we’re doing.

We won’t waste your time, and we won’t take you and your business down paths that don’t help you achieve your goals.

Insight

Our team is not here for you simply to solve the problem in front of us. We make sure you are aware of changes coming down the road and understand what it means for your business.

Through webinars and blogs and alerts delivered to your inbox, we offer insight that goes beyond the billable hour.

A Focus on You

Putting clients top of mind requires a combination of elements: availability and responsiveness, knowledge of your industry and the market, understanding the political and regulatory pressures you’re under, and keeping our ear to the ground for the next big change.

From knowing your company culture and tolerance for risk to assessing competitors and market position, we bring mindfulness to our client relationships.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

Our Commitment to DEI

Diversity and inclusion are core values at Dykema. Our commitment to DEI is central to how we engage with each other, engage with our clients, and engage in the communities in which we work and live.

Diversity at Dykema is not only the “right thing to do”, but it is the “business thing to do”. We believe that an inclusive, positive environment that emphasizes respect, collaboration, fairness, and equality fosters superior service to our clients and is essential to the long-term success of our firm.

Delivering for Our Communities

As a leading national law firm with offices across the country, Dykema is committed to serving the communities in which we live and work. This commitment extends well beyond our robust pro bono programs and the professional support we offer to those in need.

Legal Aid

We believe that the practice of law, especially in a large commercial firm, is a privilege that carries with it profound responsibilities. Performing legal services for those who are traditionally denied access to justice—or for organizations that support them—is a central part of our effort to meet the legal needs of the underserved in our communities. We work with organizations across the country to provide legal aid to those who need it, including:

• Chicago Bar Association’s Investing in Justice Campaign, a fundraising effort designed to narrow the gap between the 1.3 million area residents who qualify for—but have trouble procuring—civil legal aid. 
• Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking, a California-based organization that provides legal, social, and advocacy services to those victimized by human trafficking.
• Community Justice Program, the pro bono project of the San Antonio Bar Association, which provides free legal services to individuals who may not otherwise have access to the legal system.
• Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program, an organization dedicated to providing legal services for the poor. Dykema participation has ranged from helping resolve landlord-tenant disputes to handling divorce and custody matters to retrieving significant remuneration from the German government for two Holocaust survivors. 
• Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, a nonprofit organization tasked with revivifying Detroit by helping bring new companies and investments to the city.
• The Midnight Mission, one of the oldest continuously operating human services organizations in Los Angeles, helping take individuals off Skid Row and providing self-sufficiency to the homeless. 
• Para Los Niños, a 30-year-old nonprofit designed to promote academic success and social well-being for thousands of at-risk children in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.
• Tahirih Justice Center, which represents immigrant women and girls who have fled from gender-based violence and require legal services, advocacy, and public policy assistance.

Healthcare and Social Services

There’s no more fundamental need than healthcare, and the firm is proud to support healthcare and social services for our communities. We sponsor numerous organizations from each of our offices, including:

• Angel’s Place, which provides homes and professional support for adults with developmental disabilities.
• Friends of Prentice, which funds initiatives to improve the quality of health for women and infants.
• Kids in Danger, which creates secure environments for children by ensuring safer products are manufactured and encouraging parents and caregivers to remove dangerous or recalled products from homes and childcare facilities.
• Mercy Housing, which provides quality and affordable housing to those in need.
• The Rhonda Walker Foundation, which helps inner-city teen girls become strong, confident, and moral future leaders. The firm also created an internship program so RWF teens could gain valuable summer internship experience.
• Sound Off, a program assisting veterans and active-duty military personnel with mental healthcare issues through a voice-over-internet online platform. 

Poverty, Hunger and Homelessness

As a successful business, we have a moral obligation to give back to our communities—especially to those facing economic hardship. Across our offices, we support numerous organizations addressing issues of poverty, hunger, and homelessness. These include:

• Arlington Food Assistance Center, a community-based non-profit that provides groceries to neighbors in need
• Bright Beginnings, a nationally accredited child and family development center serving more than 180 children annually, whose families live in crisis shelters or transitional housing.
• The Central Texas Food Bank, which supports hungry residents in the Austin area.
• Christian Senior Services (a United Way Agency), whose caregivers provide hot, nutritious meals and companionship.
• Food Gatherers, Michigan’s first food rescue program and the primary distributor of food in Washtenaw County, where staffers volunteer several times a year, preparing and serving food to the homeless.
• Meals on Wheels, where San Antonio employees volunteer each month.
• “Soup’s On for All,” a fundraising event for Catholic Charities of West Michigan, whose mission is to help change the lives of those most in need, regardless of background or religion. 

Education and the Arts

We are so grateful for the opportunity to make an impact in our communities – even more so when it allows us to support organizations and initiatives that enrich all our lives. In each of our offices, the firm and our employees support arts and education programs and organizations throughout our communities. A few of these include:

• Dallas Summer Musicals, the preeminent not-for-profit presenter of Broadway musicals in North Texas since 1941.
• Leslie Science and Nature Center, a nonprofit organization devoted to fostering understanding, appreciation, stewardship, and respect for the natural world.
• Mayor’s Camp initiative, which sends dozens of inner-city youths to the Lansing YMCA summer camp in northern Michigan. Dykema not only hosts the annual donor breakfast, but provides financial support throughout the year.