Scoring an impressive series of victories for different clients, including two "hat tricks" for a triad of wins for two different clients in different industries, and also making legal history for another client by winning the first ever award in a particular type of labor arbitration, Bonnie Mayfield has earned her designation as a seasoned and business savvy trial and appellate lawyer. She also has received client recognition for building a diverse and inclusive team. As a member of the Litigation and Labor & Employment Law practice groups, Ms. Mayfield has successfully litigated employment discrimination, labor, hybrid §301, retaliation, wage and hour, whistleblower, tort, product liability (automotive, pharmaceutical, medical device, chemical and toxic tort), and commercial matters. She regularly advises and counsels clients about administrative, internal and labor matters. Ms. Mayfield’s skills in settling matters also have resulted in her being brought in as a settlement strategist, ensuring a successful, effective and “win-win” resolution. As the designated emergency responder for a petroleum manufacturer, Ms. Mayfield is available on a 24/7 basis for emergent services in the State of Michigan.

Ms. Mayfield has tried product liability, pharmaceutical, commercial, medical malpractice, labor and employment cases. She also has been selected by several major clients to defend their labor, employment, pharmaceutical and commercial matters and also to be the Responsible Partner managing the client/law firm relationships. As a Responsible Partner, Bonnie assists in the management of the client/law firm relationships and also performs substantive work for those clients. She enhances the client/law firm relationships, facilitates constructive feedback and provides a common focal point and conduit for both our lawyers and client contacts, in addition to defending legal matters.

A frequent lecturer, she has spoken to groups such as the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC), and the State Bars of Michigan and Wisconsin, and was a panelist at the American Bar Association's mid-year products liability meetings. Prior to joining Dykema, she served as a Council on Legal Education Opportunity teaching assistant for Ralph Smith (former law professor, University of Pennsylvania) and clerked for the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund. She also clerked for the Honorable Julian Cook (former Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan) and for the Honorable Nathaniel R. Jones (former Circuit Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit). Ms. Mayfield interned for the Honorable Harold Baer, Jr. (former New York Supreme Court Justice) and the Honorable Caleb Wright, Jr. (former Delaware Federal District Court Judge). In law school, she was a member of New York University's Law Review.

Bar Admissions

Michigan

Education
New York University, J.D. Dillard University, B.A.

• Delta Sigma Theta Sorority (Member)
• State Bar of Michigan''s Open Justice Commission (Commissioner)
• International Association of Defense Counsel (State Membership Chair)
• United Negro College Fund (Women's Committee)
• Defense Research Institute
• Women Lawyers Association of Michigan (former President, Vice President, Program Chairperson, and Treasurer for the Wayne Region)
• State Bar of Michigan (former Judicial Qualifications--Co-chair and member of Professional and Judicial Ethics, Continuing Legal Education, Character and Fitness Committees)
• American Bar Association (former Diversity Chairperson, General Practice Section's Urban, State and Local Government Subcommittee) (Civil Justice Institute) (Section of Litigation, Products Liability Committee, Leadership)
• National Bar Association
• Wolverine Bar Association
• Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association

• The CDC’s New Definition of “Close Contact”: What You Need To Know

  By Bonnie Mayfield |November 2020

• Practical Tips to Minimize Labor & Employment Risks Arising From Coronavirus Concerns in the Workplace and Workforce [Part II]

  By Bonnie Mayfield |March 2020

• Practical Tips to Minimize Labor and Employment Risks Arising From the Coronavirus in the Workplace and Workforce

  By Bonnie Mayfield |March 2020

• "Rainmaking: Business Development And Retention Techniques", American Bar Association
  
• "Chinese Law", China MOR Letter
• "Batson and Groups Other than Blacks: A Strict Scrutiny Analysis", American Journal of Trial Advocacy
• "Prima Facie Design Defect Case & Expert Testimony", Michigan Bar Journal
• "Preventing Manufacturer Compelled Disclosure of Confidential Information Contained in Voluntarily Submitted Adverse Event Reports", American Journal of Trial Advocacy and the IADC's Defense Counsel Journal
• "Post-Daubert Decisions Digest", American Bar Association
• "Franchisor Liability Under an Apparent Authority Theory", Principal Co-Author, American Journal of Trial Advocacy
• "Practical Considerations for the Successful Defense of International and Foreign Corporations in Domestic Product Liability Litigation", Principal Co-Author, American Bar Association