Miller Canfield Attorney Receives Honorary Degree from Southwestern University School of Law
Harold J. Decker, senior counsel in the Kalamazoo office of the law firm of Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone, P.L.C., recently received an honorary Doctor of Law degree from Southwestern University School of Law of Los Angeles.
As stated by Southwestern, Decker – a 1973 graduate – received the honor for holding “to the highest ethics while addressing complex issues of law, management and policy. As president of the American Red Cross, he enabled Americans from all walks of life to respond effectively to the needs of those in tragic and difficult circumstances. Through leadership, integrity and commitment to the well being of others, he has earned the admiration and appreciation of his colleagues and the nation.”
At Miller Canfield, Decker advises management, directors, and in-house counsel at publicly held companies, government agencies engaging in corporate transactions, and non-profit organizations such as hospitals, colleges, universities and health plans.
Prior to joining Miller Canfield, Decker served as an independent consultant to Stryker Corporation, the Pharmaceutical Education Research Institute, and Microsoft Corporation. From October 2001 to September 2002, Decker was interim CEO and president of the American National Red Cross, a position that placed him at the helm of the Red Cross just a month following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Prior to accepting this position, he was general counsel and corporate secretary.
From 1980-2001, he served in various advisory positions leading to associate general counsel and vice president in corporate litigation and product stewardship at Pharmacia Corporation. He was responsible for, among many tasks, business counseling and managing a range of legal issues, including dispute resolution and cost recovery, structuring corporate transactions, contracts, intellectual property, and patent protection. In 1991, he was awarded the W.E. Upjohn Prize, the company’s highest award.
A native of Kalamazoo, Decker earned his B.A. from Kalamazoo College in 1967. He is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia, states of Michigan and California, as well as five Federal Courts, three Courts of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court.
He is a member of The American Judicature Society, has been inducted in the Interim CEO Hall of Fame, and has received the Paul E. and Phyllis Treusch Lectureship and numerous medals for his service in the U.S. Army.
The 330-attorney law firm of Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone, P.L.C. was established in Detroit in 1852 and has offices in Ann Arbor, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Howell, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Monroe, and Troy, Michigan. Other offices are located in New York City, Pensacola, Florida, Washington, D.C., Windsor, Ontario, and in Gdynia, Katowice, and Warsaw, Poland.
