Adam M. Wenner

Adam Wenner is a litigation partner and former career law clerk for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, serving two highly-respected judges. Adam leans heavily on his experience at the EDMI to effectively navigate the federal courts and approach every phase of litigation from an insider’s perspective.

Adam principally represents publicly-traded companies in high-stakes disputes, investigations, and regulatory matters, and is frequently asked to evaluate and help mitigate M&A and commercial contracting risks. His experience crosses a number of industries (banking, real estate, manufacturing, automotive, private equity), and subject matters—corporate governance, securities, class actions, trade secrets, and supply chain—and often involves massive exposure. Adam has appeared in federal courts around the country, and frequently assists national law firms with highly-publicized matters in the Eastern District of Michigan.

In addition to his practice, Adam is actively engaged in the legal community, serving on the Executive Board for the Eastern District of Michigan’s Federal Bar Association; working with the judiciary to help establish the Eastern District of Michigan’s Pro Se Civil Rights Mediation Program; teaching an opinion writing seminar at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law; and serving as a legal advisor to Cass Technical High School in Detroit to facilitate the “Street Law” program.

Adam served a three-year term on Honigman’s Attorney Development Committee.

Representative Matters

M&A and Securities

• Advised a publicly-traded REIT in connection with a $9.8 billion merger, and later represented the company in all phases of litigation seeking to terminate the parties’ agreement due to a so-called material adverse effect from COVID-19. The case was litigated in five months and included over 40 depositions, one million pages of discovery, and robust motion practice. The transaction ultimately closed on amended terms following a settlement on the eve of trial.
• Represent a publicly-traded REIT against shareholder and derivative class actions filed in multiple jurisdictions asserting that the company violated federal securities laws by failing to adequately disclose certain information in its proxy materials.
• Represented a non-traded REIT with over $1.4 billion under management against allegations of fraud and civil RICO in mass actions filed in multiple jurisdictions; successfully defeated federal claims in early motion, and settled remaining claims on highly-favorable terms.
• Regularly advise private equity firms and public companies in post-closing disputes seeking indemnification or damages related to fraud and breach of contract.
• Represent multinational investment firms in FINRA arbitrations involving fraud, suitability, and breach of fiduciary duty claims; successfully first-chaired multiple evidentiary hearings related to CRD expungements.

Investigations, Class Actions, and Other Significant Litigation

• Successfully counseled a multinational investment back through a complex investigation initiated by the Office of Foreign Asset Control and Michigan Department of Treasury related to lending in counties subject to active sanctions programs.
• Assisted OEM with internal investigation and FBI referral related to foreign supplier accused of misappropriating highly-sensitive intellectual property.
• Successfully counseled a major hospital system through a multi-year internal investigation lodged by the U.S. Department of Justice related to billing practices.
• Represent large retailer in multi-jurisdiction nationwide class action asserting consumer protection and fraud claims under all 50 states and the District of Columbia; all federal claims dismissed.
• Represented class of indirect purchasers in multi-district antitrust litigation asserting claims related to price-fixing conspiracy and collusion; alleged damages over $1 billion.
• Represented a large Michigan county in a major antitrust action alleging conspiracy, unfair trade practices, and bid-rigging under the Sherman Act; all claims dismissed on pre-answer motion.

Automotive Industry

• Represent OEM in novel RICO and breach of fiduciary duty litigation filed in multiple jurisdictions related to a criminal bribery scheme between a major competitor and the United Auto Workers.
• Represented OEM in complex trade secrets and breach of contract action filed by supplier related to the joint development of a prototype; all claims settled favorably after mediation.
• Represented OEM in three-year dispute with aftermarket parts manufacturer seeking to expand the free use doctrine to permit the unauthorized copying of highly-sensitive vehicle software code.
• Advise OEM in trade secrets litigation, supplier disputes, and internal investigations related to IP misappropriation and supplier misconduct.

*Some representations occurred prior to joining Honigman

Prior Experience

• Dickinson Wright PLLC, 2011-2013

Clerkships

• Honorable Nancy G. Edmunds, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, 2014 - 2017
• Honorable  Julian Abele Cook, Jr., U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, 2013 - 2014

Awards

• Michigan Super Lawyers, Rising Star, 2013, 2018-2021
• University of Detroit Mercy School of Law Rising Star, 2020
• Honigman, Emerging Mentor Award, 2019
• 313 Project, Pro Bono Attorney of the Year, 2013

Professional & Community Involvement

Federal Bar Association

• Executive Board, 2020-Present
• Co-Chair, Civil Rules Committee, 2019-2021
• Law Clerk Committee, 2016-Present

State Bar of Michigan

• Antitrust, Franchising and Trade Regulation Section, At-Large Council Member,  2012-2015

Defense Research Institute

• Antitrust/Consumer Protection Group, Publications Chair, 2013

PRO BONO

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Pro Se Civil Rights Mediator, 2019-Present

General Motors Street Law Program, Legal Advisor to Cass Technical High School, 2020-Present

Academic Appointments

University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, Adjunct Professor, 2015 - present