When the Dykema law firm was founded in June 1926 in the Penobscot Building in downtown Detroit, its attorneys focused primarily on clients in the automotive industry. A century later, the firm’s practice is much more diverse and spans the nation.
The law firm’s founders included Raymond K. Dykema, Elroy O. Jones, and Renville Wheat. With a headcount of five, they engaged their first client — the Great Lakes Engineering Co.
“(It) was always a practical application of the firm to provide the best service for a fair and reasonable price,” says Leonard Wolfe, chair and CEO of Dykema. “That really helped the firm create a client base with a lot of trust and respect, and very good partnerships.
“Some of these clients have been clients for decades. That transcends lawyers, partially because of the way we practice and the way we view our relationships with our clients.”
One example is General Motors, which Dykema has been representing in one way or another since 1941. From there, according to Wolfe, the firm steadily built a reputation in automotive, product liability, and complex commercial litigation. Over time, Dykema became a legal partner to major automakers and suppliers, with work spanning litigation, regulatory, transactional, and compliance matters.
In 1956, Dykema diversified with its involvement in the planning, building, and development of the Illinois and Indiana toll road systems.
While the firm was growing and spreading beyond the auto industry, it was creating a culture that was being passed down to younger attorneys. In fact, some of the longest-tenured Dykema lawyers actually worked with some of the founders.
“What you get with that is continuity in the way in which we practice,” says Wolfe, himself a 34-year veteran of the firm. “I never worked with Ray Dykema or Bill Gossett, but I worked with people who did.”
Dykema began expanding in earnest in the 1970s when it became one of the first tenants of Detroit’s Renaissance Center. The firm opened offices in Bloomfield Hills in 1970, Ann Arbor the following year, and Lansing in 1973, followed by its first out-of-state office in Washington, D.C., in 1978.
In the 1990s and 2000s, Dykema pursued a deliberate national expansion strategy, opening offices in Chicago in 1991, Los Angeles in 2003, Dallas in 2007, Austin, Texas, in 2013, and Minneapolis in 2013. It also joined forces with established firms in Chicago, Texas, and the nation’s capital.
In 2022, the firm expanded in Texas, opening an office in Houston. It also opened its first Wisconsin office in Milwaukee. During this period, Dykema had grown into a 400-plus attorney firm with a true coast-to-coast presence.
How has the firm lasted so long?
“It’s a reflection of many of the ideals that started the firm, like just being excellent lawyers with a deep understanding of their clients’ interests and priorities, (and being) part of the culture and the way in which we practice and treat one another,” Wolfe says.
After more than 50 years at the Renaissance Center — roughly half of its time in business — in 2025 Dykema relocated to One Kennedy Square. The new space is just across the street from its original Penobscot Building location.
Dykema currently operates from 13 offices nationwide, and serves Fortune 1,000 and middle-market clients across multiple industries.
According to Wolfe, the future looks bright for one of Detroit’s oldest and most successful law firms, and he confidently proclaims it won’t be resting on its laurels.
“There are a lot of things we need to continue to do, which we did the first 100 years; (we will continue) to listen to clients and adapt to their needs,” he says. “Technology plays a big role. All parts of the firm spend a significant amount of time looking at ways to take advantage of technology and AI, both in the practice and on the administrative side.
“We’ll continue to look for opportunities — in some cases working with our clients — to do things faster, and more efficient, and better.”
