PHOTO COURESY OF WARNER NORCROSS AND JUDD
by Cynthia Price
Legal News
Outstanding professional success and an honest commitment to being of good character make it no wonder that the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce (GRACC) has elected Warner Norcross and Judd’s Douglas Dozeman its chair for 2014.
As a litigator, Dozeman has had more than his fair share of verdicts favoring his clients and a lot of recognition for his skills.
His most famous case was a David and Goliath situation where he won a substantial settlement for his client, Wrench LLC, against Taco Bell. Wrench had originated the talking chihuahua concept that later became the widely-known “Yo Quiero” advertisements, and pitched the idea to Taco Bell, which “gave them the cold shoulder,” according to Dozeman. When the ads started appearing, Wrench sued and Dozeman won a $30 million settlement for them. About the case, Dozeman comments modestly, “Yes, people still remember it.”
Based on that, Dozeman was named the Michigan Lawyers Weekly Lawyer of the Year for 2003.
But that is only one among many complex civil cases in which Dozeman has prevailed, whether that has meant leading parties to settlement, going to trial, or engaging in other forms of dispute resolution. Many of his cases have focused in intellectual property or trade secret misappropriation, and several others on inverse condemnation, where his clients have successfully sued the government for compensation in property cases.
In return, Dozeman has received just about every honor known to the legal profession, including listings in Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA; as a Top Litigator in Michigan by Benchmark Litigation, including a Litigation Star designation in 2013; as one of the Top 100 Michigan Super Lawyers since 2007; and election as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.
But not all of the recognition Dozeman has received has been for legal representation. In 2012, he was named Legal Professional of the Year when his secretary, Carolyn Field, nominated him for the honor bestowed by the West Michigan chapter of the legal assistants association NALS.
At the time, Field’s heartfelt observation was, “A secretary couldn’t ask for a kinder, gentler boss.”
An additional plus is that Dozeman is steeped in the work of the GRACC, having first been asked to serve in 2009 and being elected for a second three-year term in 2012.
Dozeman will bring all of those characteristics to the prestigious job of chairing the Chamber board. But, he points out, the task is made much easier by excellent staff.
In that regard, he mentions Executive Director Rick Baker. “We found him as part of a national search, and I think that he’s the first person from outside of the area to fill that position. It’s interesting, you get some different perspectives. And I think he’s doing a great job,”Dozeman says.
GRACC represents more than 2700 business in the area, ranging in size from mom-and-pop to very large. Represented on the board Dozeman will chair are. among others, Meijer, Inc., Steelcase, Spectrum Health, and lower-profile businesses such as WilliamCharles Search Group and Summit Landscape Management.
According to Dozeman, GRACC serves three broad purposes: to “forge connections for our membership,” as he puts it, connecting area business people with each other and to resources that help them succeed; to be the voice of business advocating for legislative and administrative policies that serve the business world; and to develop a diverse workforce, leadership community and culture where, according to the GRACC?website, “everyone is welcome.”
The Chamber is incredibly active and offers abundant opportunities for diverse members. In terms of networking, these include the New Member Connections, for those who have been GRACC members for under a year; the Business Exchange Luncheon, where showcasing one’s business brings in new leads and contacts; the Business Matters Series of breakfasts which discuss business topics in depth; the CEO and Management Roundtables, discussion groups which require annual sign-up; OutPro, for the LGBT community; and the Multiracial Association of Professionals (MAP), which also serves to assist employers in retaining a rich, diverse workforce.
MAP is just one example of career and community development activities which also include the Cultural Experience Tour, half a day to discover what is wonderful about the Grand Rapids area; the Institute for Healing Racism, a two-day dialogue held in different places around the community; the in-depth Leadership Advantage; and the Emerging Leaders Series.
The Chamber also gives two sets of awards: the Athena Awards, for women leaders, and the EPIC Awards, for entrepreneurs and businesses, focusing on mentoring contributions.
Dozeman points out that the Chamber has also served as an incubator for several well-known community projects, including Leadership Grand Rapids, from which he graduated, and the West Michigan Policy Forum. “The Chamber is really the broadest business based organization here. There are a lot of things that become more focused, and they sometimes break off and do their own thing.”
He says the organization operates under a strategic plan, and his role will be to facilitate the board in support of staff’s implementation of that plan.
“There are always challenges in the regulatory and legislative areas. We focus on that a lot, so the strategic plan does too,” Dozeman says. He mentions the excellent work of Andy Johnson, Vice President, Government and Corporate Affairs at GRACC. “He keeps us abreast at the state and local level, and some of the time the Federal,” he adds.
Legislative breakfasts and “Politics and Pints” connect Chamber members with decision makers.
Dozeman, who went to Calvin College followed by Wayne State University for his J.D., graduating magna cum laude, also has served on the Hope Housing Commission board and on the faculty of the Hillman Advocacy Program.
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