What Dickinson Wright does

Dickinson Wright is a full-service international law firm founded in 1878 in Detroit, Michigan, and headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The firm operates as a Professional Limited Liability Company (PLLC) in the United States and as a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) in Ontario, Canada, and is privately held by its partners. It employs 500+ attorneys across 23 offices spanning the Midwest, South, Southwest, West, and Canada, plus affiliate relationships in Mexico, South Korea, China, Japan, and India. The firm organizes its work across 40+ practice areas, with particular depth in cross-border transactions, USMCA/trade compliance, automotive and electric vehicles, intellectual property, immigration, corporate law, and emerging East Asia–North America investment flows. It represents 90 companies on the Fortune 500 list and has served 150 investors from China and the ASEAN region, and ranks among the Am Law 200 by revenue.

The firm's revenue model is built on professional legal services billed through hourly rates, fixed fees, and contingency arrangements, with engagements structured as multi-year client relationships. Distribution is office-based and direct, with the firm leveraging physical presence in key North American trade and manufacturing corridors to deliver integrated cross-border representation. Marketing is multi-channel, including industry-specific blogs, webinars, conferences, PR in major outlets, and email newsletters. The firm holds ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO/IEC 27701:2019 privacy management certifications, has achieved a Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index Perfect 100 for seven consecutive years, and has been recognized in Chambers USA, Chambers Canada, Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and IP Stars. Recent strategic actions include launching dedicated Electric Vehicles and Artificial Intelligence practices, relocating and expanding offices, and continuing USMCA advisory work with testimony before USTR and the Parliament of Canada.

Name

Dickinson Wright

Legal name

Dickinson Wright PLLC

Website

https://dwlaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1878

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Dickinson Wright is a full-service international law firm founded in 1878, employing 500+ attorneys across 23 U.S. and Canadian offices. It serves Fortune 500 companies and East Asian investors with cross-border legal services spanning 40+ practice areas, particularly USMCA/trade, automotive, IP, and corporate law.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bloomfield Hills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices24 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services: Professional legal services billed primarily through hourly rates, fixed fees for specific matters, and contingency arrangements where appropriate. Services span 40+ practice areas including corporate, litigation, intellectual property, immigration, tax, and international trade.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Dickinson Wright is a full-service law firm providing comprehensive legal services across 40+ practice areas, delivered through 23 offices across the United States and Canada by 500+ attorneys. The firm specializes in business, regulatory, litigation, and intellectual property legal services, with particular depth in cross-border transactions, USMCA/trade compliance, automotive, and East Asia (China, Japan, South Korea, India, ASEAN) cross-border investment matters. Revenue is generated through hourly rates, fixed fees, and contingency arrangements for professional legal engagements.

Product overview

Dickinson Wright is a full-service international law firm founded in 1878 in Detroit, Michigan. The firm operates as a platform of legal services organized across 40+ practice areas, serving clients from 23 offices across the United States and Canada. The firm ranks among the Top 200 law firms by revenue (The Am Law 200) and represents 90 Fortune 500 companies. Key practice areas include corporate law, intellectual property, immigration, taxation, litigation, international trade (USMCA/NAFTA), automotive, real estate, and specialized practices in East Asia (China, Japan, South Korea, India, ASEAN). The firm also offers client-facing digital services including an online invoice payment portal integrated with LawPay and a collaboration portal (Dickinson Wright Collaborate) for deal management. The firm's services are delivered through geographically distributed offices rather than a unified software platform architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dickinson Wright Legal Services Full-service law firm providing comprehensive legal services across 40+ practice areas including corporate law, intellectual property, immigration, taxation, litigation, automotive, real estate, and international trade, delivered from 23 offices in the United States and Canada.
• International Trade & Customs Practice Cross-border legal services covering USMCA/NAFTA compliance, tariff advisory, customs classification, Rules of Origin certification, and international trade dispute resolution for North American trade clients.
• Canada-U.S. Platform (CUSP) Unified cross-border legal representation combining U.S. and Canadian counsel into a single engagement team for cross-border legal and regulatory issues.
• China & ASEAN Region Practice Cross-border legal services for inbound and outbound investments between East Asia (China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, ASEAN) and North America, covering supply chain, Section 301 and 232 tariff matters, and USMCA compliance.
• Japan Practice Legal services for Japanese corporations establishing operations in the U.S. market, covering automotive, corporate, intellectual property, immigration, employment, real estate, and litigation.
• South Korea Practice Legal counsel for Korean companies on automotive, intellectual property, corporate governance, mergers & acquisitions, real estate, environmental law, and international trade matters.
• India Law Practice Legal counsel for U.S. and Canadian clients on foreign direct investments, wholly foreign-owned enterprises, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, and regulatory compliance in India.
• Automotive & Mobility Practice Legal services for automotive industry stakeholders including regulatory compliance, partnerships, mergers, market expansion, and electric vehicle/transformation matters.
• Electric Vehicles Practice Specialized legal counsel on EV industry matters including trade policy, tariffs, supply chain issues, cybersecurity for connected vehicles, and federal regulations for EV manufacturers.
• Telecommunications Practice Regulatory counsel for FCC, broadcast and wireless matters, equipment authorization, and telecommunications transactions.
• Artificial Intelligence Practice Strategic advice on generative AI technologies adoption, including state and federal regulatory and legislative efforts, regulatory compliance, transactional guidance, and intellectual property matters.
• Dickinson Wright Collaborate Online client portal for deal management and collaboration with the firm on transactional matters.
• Online Invoice Payment Portal Electronic payment portal allowing clients to submit invoice payments online via secure forms, with separate portals for U.S.-based and Canadian-based clients, integrated with LawPay.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90 Fortune 500 companies represented
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Local Law Firms in South KoreacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliations with local law firms in South Korea to provide domestic and in-country support for clients doing business in Korea
• Local Law Firms in ChinacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliations with local law firms in China to provide domestic and in-country support for clients doing business in China
• Local Law Firms in JapancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliations with local law firms in Japan to provide domestic and in-country support for clients doing business in Japan
• Local Law Firms in IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliations with local law firms in India to provide domestic and in-country support for clients doing business in India
• Network Partners in MexicocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork partners in Mexico supporting cross-border legal matters since the 1960s and 1970s
• U.S. Federal Government and AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative relations with U.S. federal government and its subordinate agencies, providing unmatched business opportunities for clients
• State GovernmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative relations with state governments, providing strategic advantages for clients
• Industry Associations and LeadersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey advisor to multiple industry associations during USMCA negotiations
• Consulate General of Canada in DetroitminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted NAFTA Day training seminar with consulate for companies and mentors
• ProMexicominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted training seminar with ProMexico for cross-border business development

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Dykema Gossett PLLC: Michigan-based full-service firm with comparable automotive, financial services, and corporate practices; direct peer in size, geography, and client base to Dickinson Wright.
• Frost Brown Todd: Full-service law firm headquartered in the Midwest with comparable cross-border capabilities and Fortune 500 client roster, similar in scale to Dickinson Wright.
• Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP: Full-service international law firm of comparable size and cross-border practice mix, including strong U.S.-European and industry-focused practices.
• Clark Hill PLC: Multi-office full-service law firm with comparable Midwest roots and international reach, similar in size and practice breadth to Dickinson Wright.
• Squire Patton Boggs: Internationally focused full-service law firm with comparable cross-border practice and Am Law 200 positioning; comparable business model and global client reach.
• Baker & Hostetler LLP: Full-service law firm of similar size and practice breadth with comparable cross-border capabilities and Fortune 500 client base.
• Bodman PLC: Detroit-based full-service business law firm with strong automotive, banking, and corporate practices; comparable to Dickinson Wright in size, location, and client base.
• Honigman LLP: Michigan-headquartered full-service law firm with similar cross-border and corporate practices serving Midwest-based Fortune 500 clients; comparable in size and geographic footprint to Dickinson Wright.

Broad incumbents

• Dentons: Largest global law firm by headcount with extensive cross-border capabilities including in Canada and East Asia; competes with Dickinson Wright on USMCA and East Asia corridor work at significantly larger scale.
• DLA Piper: One of the largest global law firms with extensive cross-border and corporate practices; competes with Dickinson Wright for the same Fortune 500 mandates but at materially greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dickinson Wright