Dykema Announces Additional Management Appointments for 2024

Dykema, a leading national law firm, is pleased to announce three additional management appointments. Earlier this year, the firm announced eight other management appointments that commenced on Jan. 1, 2024. 

The appointed attorneys are listed below with brief bios and descriptions of their practices.

Ashley R. Fickel – Los Angeles

Fickel was named the firm’s Office Managing Member in Los Angeles. He is also a member of the firm’s Professional Personnel Committee and is the immediate past leader of the firm’s Financial Services Litigation Practice Group, a position he held for the past three years. In his practice, Fickel represents financial institutions, manufacturers, and a diverse group of businesses and individuals in complex legal disputes. He leverages his formidable advocacy skills to defend businesses facing individual and class action claims involving consumer financial services, consumer fraud, real estate, privacy, catastrophic injury, and complex business disputes.

Fickel has been named to the Los Angeles Business Journal’s “Thriving in Their 40’s” list and to the Los Angeles Business Journal’s “Leaders in Law” list. He earned a J.D., cum laude, from Pepperdine University School of Law and a B.A. in History from Westmont College.

Melanie L. Fry – San Antonio

Fry was appointed as Leader of the firm’s Commercial Litigation Practice Group. She previously served as Assistant Practice Group Leader for Commercial Litigation. For years, she has led the firm’s appellate practice in San Antonio. Fry spends her days in the courtroom, commonly as embedded appellate counsel on trial teams across the county for a variety of clients in many industries. She has briefed and won cases in state and federal courts all over the nation, including the Supreme Court of the United States. Clients rely on Fry to provide powerful advocacy, superior legal research and drafting, and guidance through the litigation and appellate process. She is an adjunct professor of State Court Pretrial Practice at St. Mary’s University School of  Law.

Fry has been named a Texas Leading Lawyer in Litigation for Appellate law by Chambers USA, recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® in the categories of Appellate Practice and Commercial Litigation, and is the recipient of the Bexar County Women’s Bar Foundation’s Belva Lockwood Outstanding Young Lawyer Award.

Fry earned a J.D., cum laude, from Baylor University School of Law, and a B.A., summa cum laude, in Political Science from Abilene Christian University. She is a former law clerk to the Honorable Don R. Willett at the Supreme Court of Texas.

Ted W. Seitz – Lansing

Seitz was selected to serve as Leader of Dykema’s Financial Services Litigation Practice Group. In his practice, Seitz is a state and national leader in trial, appellate, and class action defense as well as a leading practitioner and published author in consumer finance matters. Seitz has represented clients in consumer finance, commercial, privacy, insurance, social media, entertainment, public finance, and constitutional cases. He also has notable experience representing public bodies and public officials in matters and a history of representing pro bono clients in social justice cases throughout the country.

Seitz has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® in the categories of Commercial Litigation and Litigation - Banking and Finance and by the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System. He also earned Dykema’s Margaret A. Costello Pro Bono Award.

Seitz earned a J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis, a B.S. in Biology from Michigan State University’s Lyman Briggs College, and a B.A. in Political Theory from Michigan State University’s James Madison College.