Mark Heusel is an experienced commercial business attorney and serves as Chair of the Firm’s East Asia Practice Group, (China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, ASEAN Region). He has more than 25 years of experience in representing multi-national companies in a variety of industries, including automotive, retail, technology, industrial and manufacturing. Mr. Heusel’s experience includes advising foreign companies in the areas of foreign direct investment in the United States, business formation, Greenfield investment, international trade, commercial transactional matters, and dispute resolution. In his role as International Practice Group Chair, he serves as general counsel to companies throughout East Asia and Europe, directing the Firm’s resources to better assist his clients.
Mr. Heusel began his legal career by representing clients in a variety of litigation matters in state and federal courts and in various domestic and international arbitral forums. With more than 20 years of litigation experience, particularly in the areas of contract disputes, supply chain litigation, employment matters (including discrimination and wrongful discharge litigation), commission disputes, personal injury, and real estate and land use litigation, he gained invaluable first-chair experience in understanding and recognizing how a company’s success may be impacted by business disputes.
Leveraging this experience, Mr. Heusel now focuses his services on advising foreign companies entering the North American market. His interests and passion for helping companies in a proactive manner led to his current position as International Practice Group Chair, where he now has the opportunity to advise and counsel clients entering or expanding their businesses in North America.
Education & Credentials
Education
The University of Michigan
B.A., 1989- High Honors
- Student Judiciary
- Track and Cross-Country Teams
- Honors Program, High Distinction
Wayne State University
J.D., 1992- Moot Court Team, Oralist
- American Bar Association, Mendes Hershman Scholarship
- Research Assistant, Professor Katherine Heidt
Bar Admission
Acknowledgements
- Michigan Super Lawyers®
- International Law, 2010-2023
- Best Lawyers in America®
- Commercial Litigation, 2013-2022, 2024
- Litigation Labor and Employment,2011-2022, 2024
- "Lawyer of the Year," Litigation - Labor and Employment, 2022-2023
- Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent® Rating
- Corporate INTL Magazine
- Automotive Litigation Attorney of the Year in Michigan
- Dbusiness Magazine
- "Top Lawyers," 2015
Prominent Assignments
Recent Litigation Experience
- Successfully represented clients before courts and arbitral bodies in Michigan, Ohio, New York, Illinois, California, Tennessee, Indiana, Kentucky, Canada, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, the International Centre for Dispute Resolution, American Arbitration Association, NASD, FINRA, TTAB, and other dispute resolution centers.
- Obtained multi-million dollar judgments on behalf of Asian manufacturer in international arbitration.
- Obtained million dollar judgment on behalf of international tier 1 supplier.
- Over 20 years of experience successfully representing and defending manufacturers in a broad range of litigation involving contracts, purchase orders, intellectual property, trade secrets, defective products, tortuous acts, discrimination and wrongful termination cases, commission disputes, non-compete litigation, commercial transactions and embezzlement.
- Successfully defended significant personal injury cases on behalf of service businesses, including claims for wrongful death, serious physical and emotional injury, and property damage.
Recent Business Experience
- Serves as General Counsel and advisor to numerous companies doing business in North America and Japan, Korea, the Peoples Republic of China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the ASEAN Region and Europe.
- Advises clients on matters involving real estate acquisitions, state and local incentives, site selection, zoning and land use, regulatory issues affecting proposed properties, and environmental issues.
- Recently advised OEMs from both China and Japan on multi-million dollar projects involving the development of their North American headquarters, including site selection, site development, acquisition, and construction of the facilities.
- Frequently advises on matters related to inbound U.S. investment and the transaction of business between East Asia and the United States, including tariffs, anti-dumping duties, export controls, regulations under the Export Control Reform Act, the Export Administration Act, the Trade Expansion Act, the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, and the United States Mexico Canada Agreement, as well as many other treaty and trade regimes.
- Led Team in closing asset acquisition of non-ferrous metal processing facilities in Ohio.
- Led Team in closing stock acquisition of an electric motor technology company in California.
- Led Team in closing stock acquisition of vehicle supplier in Illinois.
- Led Team in negotiations of joint ventures involving automotive companies, with manufacturing facilities throughout North America.
Professional Involvement
- Board of Directors of the Japan American Society
- Japan Business Society of Detroit
- Chair, East Asia Practice Group, Dickinson Wright PLLC
- EV Advisory Board, Dickinson Wright PLLC
- Michigan State Bar, member in good standing (1992), International Law Section
- Ohio State Bar, member in good standing (2012)
- International Bar Association
- Washtenaw County Bar Association
- Asian Pacific American Chamber of Commerce
- North American Association of Chinese Engine Engineers
- Detroit Chinese Engineers Association
- Council of Asian Pacific Americans, Advisory Board
- North America Society of Chinese Automotive Engineers
- Original Equipment Suppliers Association, member and presenter
- NAATBatt International, Public Policy Committee member
- Global Chambers, member
- Litigation Counsel of America, formerly Fellow
- Original Equipment Suppliers Association, member and lecturer
- Michigan Economic Developers Association, member
Community Involvement
- City of Ann Arbor Retirement Board, formerly Trustee
- Washtenaw County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, formerly Board Member
- Washtenaw County Circuit Court, Neutral Case Evaluator
- Humane Society of Huron Valley, formerly Chairman and volunteer
- Michigan Theater Foundation
- Friends of the Michigan League, volunteer
- Thomas Cooley Law School and Ave Maria Law School, formerly an Adjunct Professor of Law
Court Admissions
- Admitted to practice in Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan, Northern Districts of Illinois and Ohio, Southern District of New York, Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
- Licensed and admitted to practice in the U.S. Court of International Trade
Publications/Presentations
-
Speaker, “Are EVs Losing Their Charge?,” Association for Corporate Growth Detroit, January 2024
- Author, “EV Newsletter Vol. 1 No. 3," Dickinson Wright Newsletter, March 2023
- Author, “EV Newsletter Vol. 1 No. 2," Dickinson Wright Newsletter, February 2023
- Author, " EEOC Releases Updated “Know Your Rights” Poster," Dickinson Wright Client Alert, Nov 2022
- Presenter, “East Asia and its impact on the Automotive Industry,” hosted by the Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA), June 2022
- Presenter, Taiwan SelectUSA EV Delegation, hosted by MEDC and SelectUSA, June 2022
- Co-Author, "DW-China Trade Update (40th Edition)," Dickinson Wright Industry Alert, March 2022
- Presenter, "North America's Drive Towards Electrification: How East Asia Factors into the Equation," Dickinson Wright Webinar, October 2021
- Presenter, "North America’s Drive towards Electrification: How East Asia Factors into the Equation," October 2021
- President Trump Renews Threat of Tariffs Against China in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic | 特朗普总统重申对中国加征关税的威胁应对新冠疫情的大流行, Dickinson Wright Client Alert, May 2020
- CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) PRECAUTIONS FOR EMPLOYERS | 新型冠状病毒疫情雇主需注意事项, Dickinson Wright Client Alert, March 2020
- Dickinson Wright Tariff Alerts, China Group effort, June 2018 – current
- Moderator and Host, “Critical Issues Facing Chinese Companies Today,” hosted by Dickinson Wright, August 2018
- Presenter, “Conducting Business in the US,” hosted by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and China Innovation Center (Michigan-China Week), May 2018
- Presenter, “Importation of Foreign Vehicles for Sale in the United States, Regulatory, IP, and Commercial Issues,” client in-house training, May 2018
- Presenter, “Trade, Tariffs and Technology: The Case for National Security and Huawei,” hosted by Detroit Chinese Engineers Association, April 2018
- Presenter, “CFIUS Under the New Administration: Uncovering Significant Developments,” webinar hosted by the theknowledgegroup.org., November 2017
- Presenter, “Site Development Considerations in the US,” client in-house training, September 2017
- Presenter, “Doing Business in the US,” hosted by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and China Innovation Center (Michigan-China Week), May 2017
- Presenter, “Legal Issues to Consider when doing Business in North America,” hosted by Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Detroit Regional Chamber, China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, Detroit, Michigan, November 2016
- Presenter, “Key Consideration for Doing Business in North America,” hosted by Auto Parts Alliance, Southfield Michigan, November 2016
- Presenter, “How Chinese Auto Companies Enter and Land in North America,” China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, Beijing, China, April 2016
- Panelist, CCPIT/MEDC US-China Auto Forum, Beijing Automotive Exhibition, Beijing, China, April 2016
- Lecturer, Shandong Government delegation, The University of Michigan School of Public Health, Spring 2016
- Interviewed by Voice of America, aired in China on January 4, 2016 - Topic: The growing presence of Chinese automotive companies in Michigan
- Moderator, "The Opportunities and Challenges of a Multi-Cultural Workplace," Asian Pacific American Chamber of Commerce, September 2015
- Panelist, Investor Briefing: China's Evolution - A Changing Market. Detroit Regional Chamber, August 2015
- Presenter, "China Automotive: Doing Business in the U.S.," GlobalBusinessProfessor.com, June 2015
- Presenter, "Chinese Investment Opportunities in North America's Global Forum on Auto Tech Cooperation & Industry Fusion," Jiading, Shanghai, China, April 2015
- Presenter, Ninghai Investment Summit, Ninghai, Ningbo, China, April 2015
- Presenter, China Die & Mould Industry Association Delegation, Detroit, Michigan, March 2015
- Quoted, "Detroit's Plan: Export Cars, Import Chinese Investment," The Wall Street Journal, China Realtime, January 14, 2014
- Quoted, "Chinese Autos Not Ready For Prime Time, Absent From Cobo," The Detroit News, January 26, 2014
- Panelist, "Joint Ventures: Why Cross the Ocean?" Asian Pacific American Chamber of Commerce, April 2014
- Panelist, Sino-US Auto Summit, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Beijing, China, April 2014
- Panelist, Michigan Investment Forum, Beijing and Ningbo, China, April 2014
- Presenter, "Responding to Workplace Harassment," three part webinar hosted by Michigan Chamber of Commerce, April-June 2014
- Presenter, "Doing Business in North America," Gasgoo Global Auto Sources, Dalian and Ningbo, China, September 2013