Wayne Walker

Partner

p. 248.642.0333 ext. 335
Email

Overview

Wayne Walker has more than 25 years of experience in business and civil litigation, with a focus on employment disputes, compliance, and transactions.

In the litigation arena, Wayne has tried, mediated, and arbitrated dozens of commercial and complex civil cases, including discrimination and employment claims, corporate and business disputes; medical malpractice and healthcare, wrongful death, and other personal injury claims; insurance defense and coverage disputes; construction disputes; commercial property, casualty loss, and commercial landlord-tenant matters. His business and commercial litigation experience includes shareholder and membership disputes, non-competition agreement defense and enforcement and misappropriation of trade secrets. He is admitted to practice in both state and federal courts, and represents employers in hearings and other proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR).

Wayne advises clients in workplace and business matters, including company policies and procedures as well as compliance with state and federal employment laws including ADA, FLSA, FMLA, and HIPAA. He has extensive experience drafting, interpreting and negotiating business contracts, including employment agreements with non-compete and non-solicitation provisions, separation agreements, and commercial property and equipment leases. Wayne also advises individual clients, including high-level executives, in transitioning to new employment opportunities by navigating through non-compete and benefits clawback provisions.

Professional Affiliations

State Bar of Michigan
- Labor and Employment Law Section
- Business Law Section
- Litigation Section
Oakland County Bar Association
Fellow, Oakland County Bar Foundation
Federal Bar Association
American Bar Association
- Litigation Section

Admissions

State Bar of Michigan
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
U.S. Supreme Court

Experience

Representative Matters

Published Cases

Representative Matters

Negotiated a $2 million settlement (after a successful motion for summary judgment) in a case against a global concessionaire over non-competition provisions in a joint venture agreement.
Obtained a no cause jury verdict in an employment discrimination case involving a public accommodation.
Obtained an injunction against a client’s former employee that precluded him from continuing employment within the geographic area proscribed in a non-compete agreement.
Obtained dismissal of an MDCR charge against hotel alleging discrimination in a place of public accommodation.
Successfully defended clients against employment law claims brought under Michigan’s Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act and Title VII of the United States Civil Rights Act of 1964, including a dismissal following a motion for summary judgment in the Eastern District of Michigan.
Assisted a high-level executive subject to non-competition and benefits clawback restrictions to transition between Fortune 500 companies.
Secured $725,000 settlement for a former shareholder in a case involving a lookback provision in the stock redemption agreement and subsequent sale of the corporation.
Negotiated a $450,000 relocation agreement to compensate an out-of-state physicians' group for relocating to Michigan.
Obtained a $495,000 recovery in a first-party automobile benefits claim.
Reviewed and revised employment documents for an international software company in conjunction with a corporate acquisition.