Douglas E. Wagner has been re-elected managing partner of Warner Norcross & Judd LLP for a fifth term, making him the longest-serving managing partner in the firm’s history.
As chair of the firm’s Management Committee, Wagner guides the strategic direction and growth of the law firm, which has nearly 230 attorneys and 190 professional staff in seven offices across Michigan. Warner Norcross is one of the largest law firms in Michigan and the largest headquartered in West Michigan. Wagner’s new two-year leadership term begins on Jan. 1, 2014.
Under his leadership, Warner Norcross has:
- Expanded its Michigan footprint, opening new offices in Macomb County and Midland
- Grown steadily, adding more than 50 new attorneys since 2006, an overall increase of 28 percent
- Established more than a dozen new practice areas to meet the changing needs of clients in fields such as economic incentives, sustainability and climate change, emergency manager law, energy law, privacy and concierge medicine
- Secured numerous awards for workplace excellence, diversity programming, and overall leadership in the legal profession
- Encouraged attorneys and staff to volunteer in leadership positions at non-profit organizations, making the local communities across Michigan better places to work and live
- Supported dozens of scholarships and programs designed to encourage minority students to pursue a career in the field of law
Douglas E. Wagner
Wagner joined Warner Norcross in 1977 and is the past chair of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group. He teaches and lectures widely on trial techniques and advocacy issues for organizations such as the Institute of Continuing Legal Education, the National Institute of Trial Advocacy, Emory University School of Law and the Hillman Advocacy Program.
Wagner has also been elected as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow of the Litigation Council of America, Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, and certified as a Fellow of the Michigan State Bar Association. He is recognized in The Best Lawyers in America in the fields of commercial and bet-the-company litigation, as well as Michigan Super Lawyers and Benchmark Litigation.
He is a member of the Federal Bar Association and a past president of the chapter for the Western District of Michigan. He is also a member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Michigan and the Grand Rapids Bar Association, and was a founding master of the Grand Rapids Inns of Court.
Active in the community, Wagner serves on the board of The Right Place, the advisory board of D.A. Blodgett-St. John’s Home for Children and on the West Michigan Honorary Committee of Inforum. He is a graduate of Leadership West Michigan.
Wagner received his doctor of jurisprudence magna cum laude from Wayne State University Law School and his undergraduate degree from Albion College cum laude.
About Warner Norcross & Judd
Warner Norcross & Judd is a corporate law firm with 230 attorneys practicing in eight offices throughout Michigan: Grand Rapids, Holland, Lansing, Macomb County, Midland, Muskegon and Southfield. By providing discerning and proactive legal advice, Warner Norcross & Judd forges a better partnership with its clients. To learn more, visit www.wnj.com.
