Dirk A. Beamer

Top rated Business Litigation attorney in Farmington Hills, Michigan

Wright Beamer, PLC
Dirk A. Beamer
Wright Beamer, PLC

Practice Areas: Business Litigation, Business & Corporate, Employment & Labor; view more

Licensed in Michigan since: 1995

Education: The University of Michigan Law School

Selected to Super Lawyers: 2013 - 2024

Wright Beamer, PLC

31500 Northwestern Highway
Suite 140
Farmington Hills, MI 48334 Visit website

Details

If you’re in business, you need a lawyer who understands the complexity of managing relations with employees, customers and vendors all at the same time.  You need someone you can trust not only to tell you the law, but what to do in the face of it.  Having exceled in both the courtroom and the boardroom, Dirk Beamer is uniquely situated to answer your questions and find your solutions.

Dirk spearheads the firm’s efforts in insurance law, unfair competition, employment claims and contract disputes. In addition to his trial work, he has successfully handled numerous appeals.  In April of 2020, following a lengthy arbitration proceeding and hearing, a retired Oakland County judge ruled that Dirk’s clients (an automotive supplier and its key employees) had not misappropriated trade secrets or breached their contractual commitments as alleged.  Other recent victories of note include a summary judgment award in favor of an employer facing a sexual harassment lawsuit in Wayne County Circuit Court and an appellate decision reversing a trial judgment against an Indiana manufacturer.

When not in the courtroom, Dirk can be found in meetings and on the phone counseling clients on management strategies, commercial transactions and employment practices. He works to develop and implement sound employment policies, handles terminations and reductions in force and negotiates employment packages and severance arrangements. When necessary, he appears before the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Michigan Department of Civil Rights to defend employers facing discrimination and related claims filed by dissatisfied employees. In 2018, he was asked to provide a training session on workplace harassment to the staff of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights.

Dirk serves as general counsel for several national professional trade associations, including the National Association of Professional Allstate Agents (NAPAA) and the United Farmers Agents Association (UFAA). Through the latter two relationships in particular, Dirk has acquired expertise counseling insurance agents in management, corporate discipline and buying and selling agencies, handling over 200 such transactions.

Practice areas

Business Litigation, Business/Corporate, Employment & Labor: Employer

Focus areas

Business Formation and Planning, Business Organizations, Contracts, Limited Liability Companies, Non-Compete Agreements, Sub-chapter S Corporations, Trade Secret, Wage & Hour Laws, Whistleblower

  • 40% Business Litigation
  • 30% Business/Corporate
  • 30% Employment & Labor: Employer

First Admitted: 1993, Ohio

Professional Webpage: https://www.wrightbeamer.com/attorneys/dirk-a-beamer/

Bar/Professional Activity:
  • State Bar of Michigan
  • Oakland County Bar Association
  • Numerous U.S. Federal Courts
  • State Bar of Ohio
  • Ohio State Bar Association
Verdicts/Settlements (Case Results):
  • Dirk brought suit in Wayne County Circuit Court on behalf of an automotive supplier against a competitor and a former employee alleging violation of a non-competition agreement, trade secret violations, and related claims.  The court entered a permanent injunction favorable to Dirk's client., 2021
  • Dirk defended an automotive supplier and its key employees against claims of misappropriating trade secrets and breach of contract, among others, brought by a competitor/former employer.  In April of 2020, after a multi-day hearing, an arbitrator ruled in favor of Dirk's clients on all five of the claims against them., 2020
  • Other victories of note include a summary judgment award in favor of an employer facing a sexual harassment lawsuit in Wayne County Circuit Court and an appellate decision reversing a trial judgment against an Indiana manufacturer.
Videos:
  • Dirk discusses key legal and practical considerations for Michigan businesses bringing employees back to work following a layoff or shutdown caused by COVID-19, Where Do We (Re)Start?: Employer Considerations Post-Shutdown, Dental, Manufacturing, Medical, Personal Services, Professional Services, 2020
  • Dirk provided a Facebook livestream presentation of significant legal issues, including FFCRA and CARES Act leave, facing employers during the Coronavirus pandemic, Coronavirus Response & Business Shutdown: an Employer's Guide, Dental, Medical, Personal Services, Professional Services, Manufacturing, 2020
Representative Clients:
  • Clients I am privileged to serve routinely include Sysco Detroit, LLC; Ross Education Holdings, Inc.; Team Rehabilitation, LLC; Trijicon, Inc.; Die Services International, LLC; TNT Drives; and Glass and Mirror Craft, LLC.  I also serve as general counsel to the National Association of Professional Allstate Agents (NAPAA) and to the United Farmers Agents Association (UFAA)., 2023
Transactions:
  • Dirk represented the Seller of a regional automobile repair facility in a significant asset sale., 2023
  • Dirk handled several multi-million dollar sales of regional independent insurance agencies in Southeast Michigan., 2022
  • In 2019, Dirk represented the seller/stockholder in a 12 million dollar stock sale of a closely held technology services company., 2019
Special Licenses/Certifications:
  • Licenses to practice in Michigan and Ohio
Pro bono/Community Service:
  • Director of Finance, Hope Lutheran Church, Farmington Hills, MI, 2023
  • City of Farmington's Master Plan Steering Committee Member, 2019
  • Member, Greater Farmington Area Chamber of Commerce, 2020
  • Former President, Farmington Downtown Development Authority
  • Former Member, Farmington Board of Tax Review
  • Former President, Hope Lutheran Church, Farmington Hills
  • Former President, Huron River Hunting and Fishing Club
Honors/Awards:
  • Business Law, Business & Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law, Labor & Employment Law, Real Estate Law; Michigan Top Lawyers;  2010, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, Top Lawyer, DBusiness, 2023
  • Leaders in the Law, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, 2022
  • The Litigation Counsel of America is a trial lawyer honorary society representing less than one-half of one percent of American lawyers. Membership in the LCA is highly selective and by invitation only. Fellows are chosen based upon excellence and accomplishment in litigation, both at the trial and appellate levels, and superior ethical reputation., Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America, 2021
  • Fellow, Oakland County Bar Foundation
  • Greater Farmington Area Chamber of Commerce, Make a Difference Award
  • Business Litigation; Michigan Super Lawyers; 2013-209, Thomson Reuters, 2019
  • Fellow, Michigan State Bar Foundation
  • National Association of Professional Allstate Agents President's Award
  • Martindale-Hubbell’s Highest Peer Review Rating (AV)
Educational Background:
  • University of Michigan Law School, J.D., with honors, 1993
  • Kenyon College, B.A., Phi Beta Kappa and highest honors, 1990
Scholarly Lectures/Writings:
  • Proposed federal vaccine mandates spawned a rash of requests for accommodations based on disability or religious belief.  The article discusses more generally what insurance agency employers need to consider when facing employees' requests for an accommodation in the workplace., Author, Workplace Accommodations: What Every Agency Owner Should Know, Exclusivefocus, 2021
  • President Biden issued an Executive Order directing federal agencies to curb perceived overuse of non-competition agreements by corporate America.  Captive insurance agents must sign non-competition or non-solicitation commitments with their carriers.  The article considers whether the recent Executive Order will impact those commitments., Author, Will White House Executive Order Limiting Non-Competition Agreements Provide Relief to Captive Insurance Agents?, Exclusivefocus, 2021
  • This article outlines key considerations for Michigan attorneys drafting release and settlement agreements., Author, Best practices for drafting settlement agreements, Michigan Bar Journal, 2021
  • The National Association of Professional Allstate Agents (NAPAA) filed a lawsuit in Illinois against Allstate Insurance Company on behalf of the Association's members.  The lawsuit challenges various Allstate practices and their impact on Allstate agency owners.  The article provides an overview of the claims alleged., Author, Agents’ Association Sues Allstate, The Voice, 2021
  • This article compares the pros and cons of accepting a contract termination payment versus selling an agency to a third party buyer, all in the context of a Farmers Insurance Agency., Author, Why Selling Your Agency May Be Smarter Than Taking Contract Value, The Voice, 2021
  • As the Biden administration takes the helm of the executive branch, it will pursue more labor-friendly practices and priorities at the Department of Labor.  This article considers the potential impact on Farmers agency owners., Author, A New Administration Means New Priorities at the Department of Labor, The Voice, 2021
  • The article outlines the basic wage and hour rules applicable to most employers under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and how those rules impact insurance agency operations., Author, Overtime Rules and Your Agency, The Voice, 2020
  • The early months of the Coronavirus Pandemic brought with them a slew of new legislation and regulations at the federal, state and local level.  In this article, the author provides guidance to employers on how those new laws impact the workplace., Author, Key Points for Business Owners: Responding to the Coronavirus Pandemic, The Voice, 2020
  • Dirk published an article addressing the challenges faced by employers managing marijuana in the workplace in response to the legalization of recreational marijuana, Author, Marijuana in the Workplace, The Voice, a publication of the United Farmers Agents Association, Insurance, General Business, 2019
  • This article considers whether the California Supreme Court’s recent Dynamex decision changes the independent contractor status of captive insurance agents in California, Author, California Supreme Court Narrows Scope of Independent Contractor Status, Exclusivefocus Magazine, Insurance Agents, 2018
  • This magazine article highlights key Wage and Hour laws that impact small employers and their employees, Author, Watch the Clock: Wage and Hour Rules for Small Employers, Exclusivefocus Magazine, Insurance Agents, 2013
  • This piece describes the practice by which a selling insurance agent accepts a promissory note and payments over time from the purchasing agent when conventional bank financing is unavailable, Author, Seller Financing -- What Does it Mean?, Exclusivefocus Magazine, Insurance Agents, 2012
  • This article provides an overview of the provisions of the Uniform Trade Secrets Act permitting the recovery of attorney fees in the event of willful and malicious misconduct by the defendant, Author, Assessing the Risk of Paying Your Opponent's Fees in Non-Compete Cases, Midwest In-House, 2004
Other Outstanding Achievements:
  • Farmington Downtown Development Authority Make A Difference Award, 2007
Firm News (Newsletters):
  • Now You Know It, published weekly by Wright Beamer, www.wrightbeamer.com
Industry Groups:
  • American Association Of Insurance Management Consultants
  • Chamber Of Commerce
  • National Association Of Professional Allstate Agents
  • SHRM
  • United Farmers Agents Assocation

These comments were made by fellow attorneys during the annual nomination process.

“Dirk is a very detail oriented and thorough attorney.”

“Always professional, polite, and takes control of difficult situations for the client.”

Office location for Dirk A. Beamer

31500 Northwestern Highway
Suite 140
Farmington Hills, MI 48334

Phone: 248-893-1401

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