Richard A. Hooker

Labor and Employment Attorney

Dick’s career as a labor and employment attorney included traditional labor relations, state/federal agency work, employment litigation, unemployment insurance taxation matters and arbitration of employment disputes. He also served as a facilitative mediator for the U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan, and the Michigan courts.

Chambers USA, which ranks top lawyers and law firms, notes Dick’s 40+ years of practice and declares he “continues to provide the Varnum team with the benefit of his many years’ experience, and is especially well versed in the automotive sector.”

Dick was named “Lawyer of the Year” in the area of Employment Law – Management in 2021 and 2022 by Best Lawyers in America^®.

He became Of Counsel in 2020 and is living in Spring Hill, Tennessee.

Experience

Represented Fabco Holdings, Inc. in sale of product portfolio and related technologies to Meritor. Negotiated transaction documents and advised on employee benefit, union, intellectual property and financing-related matters.

Representation of significant transportation industry company in labor relations matters, including collective bargaining and labor arbitration with the American Postal Workers.

Representation of multi-employer construction industry associations in labor relations matters, including collective bargaining, fringe benefit fund issues and labor dispute resolution.

Representation of professional employer organizations, staffing firms, consumer products manufacturers, agricultural employers and automobile dealerships in multimillion dollar unemployment insurance tax appeals.

Representation of multistate environmental contracting company in labor and employment relations matters, including worksite picketing, out-of-area labor contracting, multi-employer fringe benefit fund issues, employment litigation and employment arbitration.

Representation of manufacturing employers in general labor and employment relations matters.

Honors and Recognitions

Best Lawyers in America^® since 2005

Best Lawyers in America^®, Lawyer of the Year, Employment Law – Management, 2021 and 2022

Best Lawyers in America^®, Lawyer of the Year, Labor Law – Management, 2024

Best Lawyers in America^®, Lawyer of the Year, Litigation – Labor and Employment, 2020

Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business as a Leader in the field of Labor & Employment

College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, fellow

DBusiness^© magazine, Top Lawyers, Labor and Employment Law, 2019 – 2022

Leading Lawyers: ADR Law – Employment; Employment Law – Management; Labor Law – Management

Martindale Hubbell^®  AV Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated

Michigan Lawyers Weekly^® Hall of Fame Honoree, 2020

Michigan Super Lawyers^® since 2006

Professional Affiliations

Alliance for Education in Dispute Resolution

American Employment Law Council

American Bar Association: Labor and Employment Section; Committee on Unemployment Insurance Law, past co-chair; Committee on State Labor and Employment Laws, past co-chair; Committee on Employment Rights and Responsibilities

Center for Public Responsibility

Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE): Michigan Labor and Employment Law, “Unemployment Insurance Law,” Chapter Editor; Annual Labor and Employment Law Institute, speaker

Labor and Employment Relations Association, Detroit Chapter

National Arbitration & Mediation, Inc.

National Arbitration Forum

National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO)

Oakland County Bar Association: ADR Committee, chair

Oakland County Business Court’s Advisory Group

State Bar of Michigan, Labor and Employment Section

State Bar of Wisconsin, Labor and Employment Section

Community Involvement

Cooley Lake Association

Detroit Orientation Institute

Hands On Nashville, volunteer

Kent County Chapter of the American Cancer Society

Leadership Kalamazoo

The Center for Michigan, volunteer

The Well Outreach of Spring Hill, volunteer