Dennis J. Levasseur, Partner

• Intellectual Property Practice Group
• Labor and Employment Practice Group
• Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Practice Group

Expertise

• Commercial Litigation and Arbitration
• Securities Litigation
• First Amendment Law
• Intellectual Property Litigation
• Corporate Litigation
• Employment Litigation
• Franchise Litigation

Bar Admissions

• 1985, Michigan

Education

• B.A., Wayne State University, 1982
• J.D., Wayne State University Law School, 1985

Professional Affiliations

• State Bar of Michigan
• Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association
• Executive Board Member, Eastern District of Michigan Chapter, Federal Bar Association
• Co-Chair, Younger Lawyers Mentoring Program, Federal Bar Association
• Co-Chair, Summer Associate Courthouse Program, Federal Bar Association
• Member, Newsletter Committee, Federal Bar Association
• American Bar Association (Member, Forum on Franchising)
• International Franchise Association
• Commercial Mediator, Wayne County Mediation Tribunal
• Industry Arbitrator, FINRA Dispute Resolution, Inc.
• Securities Industry Association (Member, Compliance and Legal Division)
• Admitted to practice before the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan

Civic and Community Involvement

• Founder, Historical Society of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
• Member, Board of Trustees, Detroit Historical Society
• City Attorney, City of Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan

Honors

• Listed in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2008, Litigation
• Listed in Michigan Super Lawyers 2007, Securities Litigation
• Listed in Benchmark: The Definitive Guide to America’s Leading Litigation Firms & Attorneys 2008
• AV® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell

Representative Reported Cases

• Columbia Pictures Inc. v Ben Fysh, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11234 (2007)
• International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America and United Broadcasting Network, Inc. v Helen Dorsey et al., 273 Mich App 26 (2006)
• Raymond James & Associates, Inc. v Leonard & Company, 411 F. Supp. 2d 689(2006)
• Entertainment Software Association v Granholm, 404 F. Supp. 2d 978(2005)
• La-Van Hawkins Urban City Foods v Burger King Corp., 2003 U.S. App. LEXIS 20243 (2003)
• Nehls v Hillsdale College, 178 F Supp 2d 771 (2001)
• Hilgraeve Corp. v Symantec Corp., 265 F 3d 1336 (2001)
• McDonald’s Corp. v Burger King Corp., 107 F Supp. 2d 787 (2000)
• Relume Corp. v Dialight Corp., 63 F Supp 2d 788 (1999)
• Greer v Norfolk & W. Railway, 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15875(1998)
• Chubb Sec. Corp. v Manning, 224 Mich App 702; 569 NW2d 886 (1997)
• ATD Corp. v Lydall Inc., 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2527 (1997)
• Tannian v City of Grosse Pointe Park, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12084 (1995)
• Norfolk & W. Railway v United States, 842 F. Supp. 728 (1994)
• Rodgers v Flint Journal, 779 F Supp. 70 (1991)
• Michigan Consolidated Gas Co. v Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Co., 887 F Supp 2d 1295 (1989)

Biography

Mr. Levasseur practices intellectual property litigation, franchise/dealer litigation, complex commercial litigation, securities litigation and arbitration, primarily for securities broker-dealers, in proceedings throughout the United States. He has successfully defended securities broker-dealers and their registered representatives in unsuitability, fraud, churning, and “selling-away” cases. He also practices in the area of trade secret protection and arbitration proceedings in state and federal courts.

Mr. Levasseur has lectured on broker-dealer and securities litigation to trade groups. Before joining the Firm, Mr. Levasseur clerked for the Honorable Stewart A. Newblatt of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

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