Appellate

Dickinson Wright’s experienced appellate attorneys provide superior yet cost-effective representation to our clients in state and federal appellate courts throughout the country. We work at every level -- from the United States Supreme Court to nearly all of the United States Courts of Appeals, numerous state supreme courts, and specialized appellate tribunals such as bankruptcy appellate panels and zoning boards of appeal. The appeals we have handled have shaped public policy and the development of the law in Michigan and beyond.


In-Depth Insights into Appellate Litigation

Clients from public and private entities across a wide range of industries benefit from our team’s ability to identify and analyze complex questions of law and present them in comprehensible terms, both through written briefs and oral argument. Our team possesses a thorough understanding of standards of review and the specialized rules and procedures under which appellate courts operate. We pride ourselves on being “court watchers” – monitoring legal trends in the appellate courts and studying the jurisprudence of individual judges.

Extensive Experience Benefits our Clients

Whether seeking to overturn a judgment or defend a victory in the trial court, Dickinson Wright’s appellate attorneys know how to brief and argue an appeal in a way that maximizes our clients’ likelihood of success. Many of our appellate attorneys are former law clerks from the Michigan Supreme Court, the Michigan Court of Appeals and the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Our appellate litigation practice also includes Dennis W. Archer, who formerly served as both a Michigan Supreme Court justice and president of the American Bar Association.

Understanding of Clients’ Business Issues

By combining the skills necessary to persuade appellate courts with broader business law and litigation expertise, Dickinson Wright is well-suited to represent clients in appeals spanning a broad range of substantive areas of law. Our appellate attorneys have briefed and argued cases involving a wide variety of complex matters, including zoning and land use, tax issues, commercial contracts, personal injury, constitutional law, product liability, environmental law, insurance, medical malpractice, telecommunications, administrative law, employment law and family law. In addition to direct representation of our clients during the appeals process, Dickinson Wright’s appellate attorneys often are retained to work with trial counsel on dispositive motions, major evidentiary issues, post-judgment motions and preservation of issues for appellate review.