Roger H. Cummings is a Consulting Member at Dickinson Wright’s Troy office, offering guidance to clients and attorneys alike on an occasional basis. With over four decades of experience, Roger has been a trusted advisor to numerous major automotive manufacturing companies and international clients seeking counsel on U.S.-based business matters. His wealth of knowledge and track record of success make him an indispensable asset in navigating complex legal landscapes and achieving optimal outcomes.
Education & Credentials
Education
Amherst College
B.A., 1971- summa cum laude
Bar Admission
Acknowledgements
- DBusiness Magazine
- "Top Lawyer," International Trade, 2025
- Best Lawyers in America®
- "Lawyer of the Year," International Trade & Finance Law, Michigan, 2012
- Corporate Law, International Trade and Finance Law, 2023-2025
- Martindale-Hubbell® A/V Rating
- Michigan Super Lawyers®
- Business & Corporate, 2006, 2007 and 2009, 2010
Representative Clients
- Advics North America, Inc.
- Magna International, Inc.
- Lawrence Technological University
- Meiden America / Meiden Technical Center
- Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems, and affiliates
- Tachi-S Engineering U.S.A., Inc.
- Usui International Corporation
Prominent Assignments
Corporate counseling and contract negotiations involving joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers/acquisitions, and related agreements, including, e.g., joint venture relationships involving the design, development and supply of various automotive systems and components, such as seating systems, recliners, and tubing, as well as other technologies such as thin-film solar/photovoltaic cells and nickel-metal-hydride batteries.
Drafting and negotiating broad spectrum of contracts and related documents, with extensive experience concerning automotive supply relationships at all levels, including, e.g., nondisclosure/nonanalysis agreements, product/technology development agreements, quotations, letters of intent/early sourcing agreements, tooling agreements, supply agreements, terms and conditions of purchase/sale, warranty agreements, licenses, data agreements (e.g., with after-market/specialty equipment suppliers/associations), agreements for design/fabrication of prototype vehicles, agreements/software licenses relating to vehicle diagnostic systems, service/testing agreements, usage agreements for testing facilities including test tracks, and related matters.
Antitrust and trade regulation counseling.
Drafting and negotiating intellectual property (IP) licensing agreements and IP provisions in joint venture, asset sale and other agreements, including, e.g., IP provisions in agreement for sale of $1 billion line of business, in troubled supplier/workout situations including accommodation/license agreements, and in agreements with universities, USCAR and certain technology development agreements with the government.
Regularly counsel international and domestic clients concerning wide range of corporate issues regarding U.S.-based business.
Community Involvement
- Member, Board of Trustees, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (Evanston, Illinois) (2006 to date); Member, Board of Directors, Redford Brightmoor Initiative (April 2016 to date); First United Methodist Church, Birmingham, MI (Seminary Relations Committee, 2008-2014)
- Youth Soccer Coach, 1985 - 2002
Experience
- Law Clerk: Honorable J. Edward Lumbard, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 1974-75
Publications/Presentations
- American Bar Association, Section of International Law & Practice, Co-editor (with David Goldsweig, formerly of General Motors and Delphi Automotive Systems), International Joint Ventures: A Practical Approach to Working with Foreign Investors in the U.S. and Abroad (2nd Edition), 1990