James A. Plemmons

James Plemmons has been a trusted advisor and counsel to numerous automotive OEMs and suppliers for many years in supply chain, troubled supplier, bankruptcy, and other commercial matters. He has in-depth knowledge of the automotive industry and is a former chair of Dickinson Wright’s Automotive Industry Team. He has represented numerous insurance companies with regard to workout, foreclosure and bankruptcy matters and have been counsel to numerous secured lenders, unsecured lenders, bankruptcy trustees, debtors, shareholders, and investor groups in all nature of bankruptcy, restructuring, and workout proceedings, including corporate and individual reorganization and liquidation proceedings. Jim is a current member of the firm’s Management Group.

• Counsel to FCA US LLC f/k/a Chrysler Group LLC in supplier and bankruptcy matters.
• Counsel to Adient in supplier and bankruptcy matters.
• Counsel to Yanfeng in supplier and bankruptcy matters.
• Counsel to Magna International Inc. and its affiliates in supplier and bankruptcy matters.
• Counsel to Visteon Corporation in supplier and bankruptcy matters.
• Represented more than 15 suppliers in General Motors’ bankruptcy.
• Represented numerous suppliers in Lear Corporation’s bankruptcy.
• Represented the Piston Group, a private investment platform, in the acquisition of Irvin Automotive, formerly part of Takata Corporation.
• Represented FCA US LLC f/k/a Chrysler Group LLC in all aspects of the Metaldyne Corporation matter.
• Represented FCA US LLC f/k/a Chrysler Group LLC in the Collins & Aikman bankruptcy.
• Represented FCA US LLC f/k/a Chrysler Group LLC in the Chassix, Inc. bankruptcy.
• Represented Apotex Inc. in the PRACS Institute, LLC bankruptcy.
• Represented Callidus Capital Corporation, an all asset secured lender, in the Esco Marine, Inc. bankruptcy in Houston, Texas.
• Represented Callidus Capital Corporation, an all asset secured lender, in the Fortress, Inc. bankruptcy in Lexington, Kentucky.
• Represented Callidus Capital Corporation, an all asset secured lender, in the Harvey Industries Federal Court Receivership in Detroit, Michigan
• Represented Meadville Forgings Co. in the Iverson Industries, Inc. liquidation.
• Counsel to Bristol Myers Squibb in the Dow Corning bankruptcy.
• Counsel to the Unsecured Creditors Committees in Windward Industries, Inc. (Micro Manufacturing), Caribbean Telephone & Telegraph, Inc., D&C Industries, Inc., and Global Technovations, Inc. bankruptcies.
• Have represented numerous insurance companies with regard to workout, foreclosure and bankruptcy matters such as Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, Travelers Insurance Company, and Nationwide Insurance Company.
• Counsel to numerous secured lenders, unsecured lenders, bankruptcy trustees, debtors, shareholders, and investor groups in all nature of bankruptcy, restructuring, and workout proceedings, including corporate and individual reorganization and liquidation proceedings.

• Featured, “Law Firms ‘Pull Back’ on Hiring Fired Government Lawyers,” The American Lawyer, February 2025
• Co-Author, “Managing Uncertainty Through Financial Crisis Requires Proactive Guidance,” Dickinson Wright Client Alert, March 2020
• Author, “Distressed Suppliers: How Your Company Can Deal with the Problem” Equipment Leasing Newsletter, December 2016
• Co-Author, “A Tale of Two Industries and the Bankruptcy Code,” American Bankruptcy Institute Journal, August 2016
• Author, “Business Triage: Can Your Company Survive?” The Bankruptcy Strategist, August 2016
• Closing, Reorganizing or Selling the Business (ICLE), co-author, November 1993
• Strategies for Secured Creditors in Workouts and Foreclosures, 2004