LEGAL NEWS PHOTO BY CYNTHIA PRICE
Two seasoned attorneys are adding their expertise to the already-impressive municipal law practice in the Grand Rapids office of Dickinson Wright.
Both Jessica Wood, who started in June, and Rock Wood, who returned to Dickinson Wright in July, will be Of Counsel.
The two laugh when asked if they are related, saying that they are not and noting that the large firm also has another attorney named Wood in its Troy office.
Both have years of expertise in working with municipalities, including being part of government themselves. Jessica Wood served as the City Attorney for Benton Harbor while it was undergoing financial restructuring under the Emergency Manager Law, and Rock Wood was with the Michigan Attorney General’s office from 2013 to 2018, between a 24-year tenure at Dickinson Wright and his recent return.
“The people here are so great, so familiar and nice to come back to,” he comments. “In fact, it’s like coming back to family.”
The Upper Peninsula native, whose father was a judge, graduated first in his class at Northern Michigan University, before coming downstate to the University of Michigan Law School. After practicing for a few years at a firm in Lansing, he joined Dickinson Wright, doing both litigation and counseling.
During his time at the Attorney General’s office, he says, “I was fortunate to have a lot of high-profile cases. The people in that office work very hard. The five years there went by just like that!” he says. He received a Top Gun legal counsel recognition while there, which is added to years of honors by Best Lawyers in American and Michigan Super Lawyers.
“Dickinson has really grown just in the short time I was gone. They probably added 100 attorneys, “ he says, noting that a lot of the growth has been in the municipal area.
Along with teaching at Davenport University, writing, and keeping up on professional memberships, Rock Wood served for 18 years on the board of Dwelling Place, the non-profit community development corporation. He also has been on the Courtland Township Planning Commission since 2000, and is the current chair – a position that requires both expertise and a high degree of dedication.
Both attorneys joined in the aftermath of Scott Smith leaving to be the attorney for the City of Wyoming. “Actually, that dovetailed with my arrival,” says Jessica Wood. “I’ve worked closely with Dick Wendt, who is absolutely well-respected in municipal law and finance and he, along with Roger Swets, is still here. But Scott’s going to Wyoming definitely left a hole.”
The East Grand Rapids native went to University of Michigan for her undergraduate years, and says, “My father is an attorney here, so that’s what made me want to be a lawyer. After I graduated from University of Oregon Law School, focusing on environmental law and land use, I stayed out there for seven years and practiced,” she says.
Returning to Michigan to be with family, she started her municipal law career at Law Weathers and Richardson, and also worked at the city attorney’s office in Grand Rapids. She focuses on general municipal law as well as on municipal finance, and has been a city/township attorney for a wide range of municipalities and authorities in Michigan.
She too has been recognized by Michigan Super Lawyers, as a Rising Star. She is now on the Board of the Legal Assistance Center.
She adds that she too is happy to work at Dickinson Wright. Talking about the great need for municipal attorneys, she says, “The nice thing about this firm is they can address the most basic issues to the most complicated, so there’s no boredom, and there are so many different clients. The variety is just unmatched.
She is also happy to be in Grand Rapids for personal reasons. “I’m raising two teenagers, a son and a daughter. I also have a herd of old horses I’m supporting through retirement,” she adds, smiling.
The two will work, along with the others on the team, for such municipalities as Mt. Pleasant, Grand Haven, Rockford, and Saline.
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