Press Release

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that its Executive Board elected six new members to the firm effective January 1, 2017. Dykema’s new partners, and descriptions of their practices, are listed below.

Jennifer Boueri Chilson is a member of Dykema’s Business Litigation Practice Group and is based in the firm’s Detroit office. Her practice focuses on business, commercial, and contract litigation. Her primary emphasis is in the area of complex business and commercial disputes, privately-owned business disputes, shareholder disputes, business torts, recall and warranty cost-recovery matters, automotive supplier disputes, government investigations, construction lien disputes, financial services, commercial real estate, and lending litigation, in which she represents some of the nation’s largest financial institutions.

Chilson earned a J.D., cum laude, from the Wayne State University, and a B.A. from the University of Michigan.

Robert Hugh Ellis is a member of Dykema’s Financial Services Litigation Practice Group and is based in the firm’s Detroit office. His practice focuses on business and commercial litigation in the areas of privately-held business disputes, insurance litigation, complex contract and management disputes, commercial real estate, business torts, trade secret claims, recall and warranty cost-recovery matters, automotive supplier disputes, as well as matters concerning bankruptcy litigation, insurance company insolvencies, and product liability defense.

Ellis earned a J.D., cum laude, from the University of Wisconsin Law School, and a B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Southern California.

Cale A. Johnson is a member of Dykema’s Business Litigation Practice Group and is based in the firm’s Bloomfield Hills office. He focuses on all aspects of antitrust and competition law and has extensive experience representing corporations in government investigations, including civil merger defense and criminal investigations into allegations of price fixing, bid rigging, and market allocation. Johnson has also represented a number of U.S. and international Fortune 500 companies in high-profile civil litigation, including class action defense.

Johnson earned a J.D. and a B.A. from the University of Michigan.

Rochelle E. Lento is a member of Dykema’s Real Estate Practice Group and is based in the firm’s Detroit office. Her practice focuses on affordable housing development, mixed-use and economic development representing nonprofit and for profit developers throughout the Midwest in complex transactions involving Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Federal and State Historic Tax Credits, federal HOME and other HUD Financing Tools, and New Market Tax Credits; and general real estate. Lento has also been active in the ABA Forum on Affordable Housing & Community Development Law.

Lento earned a J.D. from the University of Detroit, and a B.A., cum laude, from the State University of New York at Potsdam.

David A. Vanderhider is a member of Dykema’s Commercial Litigation Practice Group and is based in the firm’s San Antonio office. His practice focuses on business litigation and arbitrations related primarily to construction, real estate, products liability, energy, and other complex business disputes typically involving contracts and business management. In addition to representing manufacturers and distributors in products liability cases, Vanderhider also has extensive experience drafting and negotiating contracts, lien documents and lien releases for clients acting as an owner, general contractor, subcontractor, architect and engineer in both public and private construction projects.

Vanderhider earned a J.D., summa cum laude, from the St. Mary’s University School of Law, and a B.A. from Baylor University.

Harry W. Wolff III is a member of Dykema’s Taxation Practice Group and is based in the firm’s San Antonio office. He counsels clients on a full range of legal issues related to taxation, estate planning and probate law. Wolff has experience in the creation and implementation of sophisticated estate plans, the preparation and filing of transfer tax returns and filings and the formation, operation and governance of closely held businesses and nonprofit organizations. He also advises clients on general tax planning, reporting, and compliance matters.

Wolff earned an LL.M. from the Georgetown University Law Center, a J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center, and a B.S. in Public Relations from the University of Texas at Austin. He is Board Certified in Estate Planning and Probate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.