Erik VanderWeyden joins Mika Meyers 

Erik J. VanderWeyden has joined Mika Meyers PLC, as  memberm based out of the  Grand Rapids office.

VanderWeyden, who concentrates his practice on commercial litigation, municipal law, and cybersecurity and privacy, earned a B.A. from Michigan State University and  JD from MSU College of Law.

VanderWeyden previously  practiced with a Chicago law firm, where he represented clients in municipal law, property tax, litigation, cybersecurity, privacy, and regulatory compliance matters.

Economics of Law Short Report is available 

 
The recently released summary of the State Bar of Michigan’s 2026 Economics of Law Report shows increases in both attorney income and hourly billing rates in Michigan. 

Median hourly billing rates also increased across the board for all attorneys, regardless of years of service. The median hourly billing rate for all practice types is $350 and remains highest for attorneys  in Detroit’s downtown and New Center areas. 

Securities Law came in as the area of practice with the highest hourly billing rate at $625, usurping Medical Malpractice, which dropped to second place with a rate of $550. Consumer Law ranks third highest at $525.  

Veteran attorneys (26 to 35 years of experience) posted the highest average billing rates at $384, an increase from $346 in 2023. The median hourly billing rate for new attorneys with one to two years of experience is $283, up from $250. 

Since the last report in 2023, the median gross income of state’s attorneys rose from $165,000 to $185,000 (12%) for full-time private practitioners, and from $115,000 to $130,000 (13%) for full-time non-private practitioners. 

The 2026 report is based on 2025 data collected from Michigan attorneys. 

A report with additional detail  will be released later this year. 

For additional information, visit www.michbar.org/opinions/content. 

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