Fred K. Herrmann, of Detroit, has been sworn in as the chair of the State Bar of Michigan Representative Assembly for 2016-2017. Thirty-seventh District Court Judge John M. Chmura officiated at the Sept. 22 ceremony, held during the SBM Annual Meeting at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids.
The 150-member Representative Assembly is the final policy-making body of the State Bar. The Michigan Supreme Court created it in 1971 at the request of the SBM Board of Commissioners in order to increase geographical representation and member participation in State Bar policy. Herrmann represents the Third Judicial Circuit in the Assembly.
Herrmann maintains a diverse litigation practice focused on class action defense, multidistrict litigation, antitrust, patent and other intellectual property litigation, attorney and other professional liability defense, and contract disputes, as well as supply chain and other disputes implicating the Uniform Commercial Code.
Herrmann is a member of the SBM Board of Commissioners and served on the SBM 21st Century Practice Task Force. He is a member of the Executive Board of the Federal Bar Association, Eastern District of Michigan Chapter and serves as co-chair of its Pro Bono Committee.
He graduated from the United States Naval Academy, and earned his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School, where he served as editor of the Michigan Journal of International Law.