The way Daniel D. Quick tells it, his career is one of happenstance and luck. Ask anyone else, however, and you will hear about an attorney known for his formidable intelligence, intense scrutiny, unparalleled research, and persuasive savvy who also happens to be a guy with a hell of a sense of humor, deep sense of conviction, and a genuine commitment to giving back.
He is a jurist, a legal scholar, one of the top trial attorneys in the state, and the 89th president of the State Bar of Michigan.
Dan Quick grew up in Farmington Hills, less than 20 miles from his office at Dickinson Wright in Troy, where it is easy to see he is not one for formalities. His awards and framed recognitions are lined, unhung, along the baseboards. His desks are stacked with folders, files, and notes. He says he knows exactly what is in each of the dozen or so piles, and because it’s Dan, that seems entirely plausible.
He’s spent an astonishing 31 years with Dickinson Wright. Now a senior partner, Dickinson Wright was his first job out of law school. Quick earned both his bachelor’s degree and law degree from the University of Michigan. He chose a career in law even though he didn’t know a single attorney or anything about what it meant to be a lawyer. Law just seemed like it would be intellectually engaging, he said. Plus, he appreciated the ability to enjoy a true undergrad liberal arts education (and the other not-so-studious collegiate activities).
He graduated in 1992 with an interest in public international law, but found job opportunities scarce, especially with such a narrow focus. He switched gears, started looking for work closer to home, and somewhere along the line noticed firms were actively recruiting for litigation attorneys. Looking back, Quick said he was lucky to land at an excellent firm and to have great mentors, most notably top-notch business attorneys Lawrence G. Campbell and Edward H. Pappas, who also served as the 74th SBM president in 2008-2009.
“I just sort of ended up here,” Dan says self-deprecatingly. It’s clearly evident that he gets uncomfortable with fanfare. He cringes at getting photos taken and couldn’t help but strike an occasional silly pose during his photo shoot for this article.
It’s also clearly evident that he, in fact, did not just sort of end up here.
Quick’s cases include highly complex shareholder, intellectual property, trade secret, non-compete, and copyright disputes. His clients have included Apple, Universal Music, Aveda, Harley-Davidson, and JPMorgan Chase. He successfully litigated a landmark case that established the inevitable disclosure doctrine in Michigan. He litigated for three years in federal court and obtained a $16 million judgment against a borrower for defrauding a bank in Virginia. He is author or co-author of three, must-have business law books “Courtroom Handbook on Michigan Civil Procedure,” “Michigan Court Rules Practice,” and “Michigan Business Torts" and more than 35 articles in state and national publications.
He also throws in his fair share of pro bono service, including some ACLU work on free speech issues, defending a journalist who was sued after an expose on Project Veritas, and winning a lawsuit forcing the Michigan Department of Corrections to provide Muslim inmates with halal meals and the opportunity to celebrate Eid.
Then, of course, there is his bar work: He has been a member of the Board of Commissioners since 2013 and served in every officer position. He also served in the Representative Assembly, including as its chair, and is active in the American Bar Association Litigation Section. He is past president of the Oakland County Bar Association and Oakland County Bar Foundation.
“I don’t know how he balances his time with his work, his bar service, and his family. He’s committed to all of them and he’s not sacrificing any of them,” said his wife, Jennifer, who is executive director of the Oakland County Bar Association. “I don’t know how he does it, but he does it.”
Dan Quick explained with characteristic bluntness: “If you are going to do it, do it right. If you are going to serve, serve.”
Yes, Dan is blunt. It is, in part, a reflection of his efficiency. He is a fast thinker, organized, and able to quickly develop solutions. He answers emails unnervingly fast. By his own admission, he can also be impatient and unintentionally intense. He also is the guy who can get everyone laughing, who always seems to be at the center of everything, and who is most likely to organize the afterparty.
His charm combined with his commitment drives others to want to be their best versions of themselves, Jennifer said.
Dan and Jennifer wed earlier this year, combining their families to include children Rachel, Hannah, Isaiah, and Ileana. For a long time, Dan said, he focused exclusively on his career and his children. As his children grew into young adults, he was able to spend more time getting involved in the bar world.
He even ended up combining his courtroom and fatherhood experiences to develop an elementary school mock trial program with the Oakland County Bar Association. Quick helped at every stage of its creation even writing the script acted out by third- through sixth-graders. Not surprisingly, the courtroom drama featured an intellectual property dispute. More surprisingly to those who know Quick only as a tough-as-nails attorney, the case featured a SpongeBob SquarePants dispute.
The program launched in 2013 and introduced more than 4,000 Oakland County children to the legal profession. It was poised to expand to middle school students with a Marvel-inspired script also penned by Quick before the pandemic slowed progress.
“Once he steps into something, he is committed to it 100%., “Jennifer said. “As busy as he is, he always makes himself available. He takes those commitments incredibly seriously.
“He has this ability to sit back, listen and assess the entire situation. He is a tremendous leader in that way.”
More recently, Dan has worked with the Michigan Supreme Court’s Justice for All Committee to grapple with the broader impact of and possible solutions to the lack of legal representation in civil cases, particularly among low-income and disadvantaged Michigan residents.
Janet Welch, former SBM executive director and co-chair of the JFA Regulatory and Practice Reform Committee, said she has long respected Dan for his ability to logically examine every premise and willingness to change his mind based on good data. He is a champion of the legal profession and committed to protecting the integrity of the rule of law, she said.
“Dan will also absolutely persevere with what he believes is right and is determined to really do the right thing no matter the circumstances,” Welch said.
As president, one of Dan’s key focus areas is pipeline programs, inspired in part by the ABA Litigation Section’s Judicial Internship Opportunity Program.
“There are a number of organizations that have some form of internship or pipeline program. The role of the State Bar is to convene and collaborate. A big part of what we are doing right now is surveying the field,” Quick said. “We are asking: How we can help? We are not looking to compete with anyone, but instead create a synergistic atmosphere in which more pipeline programs can flourish.”
Quick also is working with the Board of Commissioners to create multi-year initiatives to ensure long-term success and continue development of metrics to guide strategic planning.
Meanwhile, others continue to look at what he has done and is doing with a bit of awe.
“I’ve often thought, ‘How does he manage to do all that he does?’” Welch said.
Dan remains nonchalant, even occasionally slightly uncomfortable, when asked about his achievements and willingness to volunteer again and again and again. It is just part of who he is.
“Being part of the law is important and valuable to me. It’s not just a job,” Quick said. “As officers of the court, all attorneys work to improve our justice system and, ultimately, to make our world a better place.
“It is both an honor and an obligation. I am just doing my part.”