Harold Decker

Harold Decker has had a long and successful career. Harold began working in 1980 as Vice President of Corporate Litigation and Product Stewardship at Pharmacia & Upjohn. In this role, they were responsible for business counseling and the management of legal issues, including dispute resolution and cost recovery, structuring corporate transactions, contracts, intellectual property and patent protection and corporate/regulatory affairs. Harold also had experience with complex litigation, including product liability claims, mass torts, environmental claims, labor and employment disputes, commercial contracts, licensing, purchasing and supply agreements, patent and trademark litigation, Proposition 65, and other Business and Professions Code litigation in California.

In 2001, Decker was unanimously elected Interim President and Chief Executive Officer of The American National Red Cross. During this time, they suggested changes in policy that were approved by the Board and had the effect of ending the crisis that had overwhelmed the organization. Harold also consulted with members of the US Government, including the President of the United States, the Secretary of health and Human Services, Chief Counsel to the FDA, the Director of FEMA, the Deputy Secretary of State and members of Congress concerning the nation's blood supply, weapons of mass destruction, and disaster preparedness.

In 2003, Decker joined Miller Canfield Paddock & Stone, PLC as Of Counsel. Harold was the former leader of the firm's IP Group and litigated many types of litigation, including, product liability cases, the defense of purported personal injury class actions as well as shareholder and derivative litigation. Products defended included agronomic seeds, analgesics, antibiotics, anticoagulants, anxiolytics, biologics, chemotherapeutics, corticosteroids, cough/cold remedies, synthetic estrogen, erectile dysfunction medication, hormone replacements, hypnotics, medical devices, monoclonal antibodies, synthetic progesterone and veterinary products.

Harold Decker attended Southwestern Law School from 1970 to 1973, where they obtained their J.D. in Law. Prior to that, they attended Kalamazoo College from 1963 to 1967, where they obtained their B.A. in Political Science.