Dykema is a national law firm with an especially strong presence in the Midwest cities where it first put down roots. Since the firm’s merge with Texas firm Cox Smith Matthews, Dykema has grown to over 400 attorneys in 13 cities across the United States. Attorneys at the firm's largest offices in Chicago, Detroit and Bloomfield Hills handle corporate, litigation, government relations, real estate, health care and energy matters.

Dykema, Meet Rooks Pitts

Dykema dates back to 1926, when five attorneys set up shop in downtown Detroit and took on the Great Lakes Engineering company as its first client. Over the next few years, the attorney headcount increased dramatically, and the number of clients grew from just one to 800 by 1932. In 1970, the firm established a second office in Bloomfield Hills to manage its expanding client list, which had grown to include real estate developers, banks, tech companies and automotive suppliers. Over the next two decades Dykema opened several more Michigan offices.

In 2004, Dykema Gossett joined forces with Chicago-based Rooks Pitts, a firm which had played a part in the industrialization of the heartland by counseling railroad and steel companies. During World War II, Rooks Pitts helped clients expand production facilities to meet wartime demand, and in 1960 it founded an environmental team to navigate clients through burgeoning federal environmental regulation. By merging with Rooks Pitts, Dykema established a strong Chicago presence, which it strengthened even more through a 2008 union with Schwartz Cooper Chartered.

Trophies for the Shelf

Over the years, Dykema has picked up a good number of awards to hang on the office walls. Midwest Real Estate ranked the firm top in Midwest real estate, Corporate Board Member Magazine has recognized the firm as the best corporate law firm in Detroit, and the National Law Journal and American Lawyer have ranked Dykema as one of the top 150 law firms in the U.S.

A Great Place to Learn

Dykema takes the professional development of its attorneys seriously. With a plethora of formal training and mentoring opportunities, associates of all levels are able to get the support and experience they need to succeed. The firm hosts retreats for both junior and mid-level associates. While the former focuses on integrating new associates, the retreat for more senior attorneys deals with managing juniors, the promotion process and business development skills.

Growing to New Heights

In May 2015 Dykema Gossett PLLC and Cox Smith Matthews announced a merger under the Dykema name. The combination between Dykema and Cox Smith—a Texas law firm with deep history and more than 100 attorneys—gives the firm a significantly expanded presence in Texas and the American Southwest. In addition to San Antonio, which is now one of the firm’s largest offices, the combination added locations in El Paso and McAllen, effectively doubled the number of attorneys in Dallas, and significantly increased the firm’s presence in Austin.