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Firm

For 130 years, clients have trusted Varnum for excellence, innovation and superior results in the delivery of legal services. Over the years, as the needs of our clients have become more complex, we have kept pace by constantly expanding our areas of practice, our understanding of evolving trends and issues, and our ability to harness technology effectively.

Today, Varnum is firmly established as one of Michigan's premier law firms. A full-service provider of legal counsel, Varnum has a strong core of experience.

Varnum clients represent a diverse range of business and legal interests: manufacturers, financial institutions, health care providers, professional groups, municipalities, colleges and universities, school districts, developers, publishers, retailers, governmental units, transportation, trade associations and charitable organizations.

Our team approach to client service provides an outstanding model for maintaining the close personal relationship that traditionally exists between lawyer and client, while ensuring the client also has available to them the full resources of the firm. One of our lawyers will assume primary responsibility for the client relationship, and he or she will be assisted as needed by other lawyers within the firm who can offer their experience on a particular matter.

Recognitions

For more than 130 years, a guiding principle at Varnum has been our commitment to excellence. We are pleased to occasionally be recognized for this commitment. Recent recognitions includes:

U.S. News & World Report – Best Lawyers^®ranks Varnum in more than 60 practice areas in the latest (2019) “Best Law Firms” list.
Chambers USA^©, a national directory that ranks leading law firms and lawyers based almost entirely on client feedback, recognized Varnum in four of the practice areas available to Michigan law firms (2018).
The 2019 edition of The Best Lawyers in America^® recognizes 83 Varnum attorneys, including eight who received “Lawyer of the Year” recognition in their respective areas of practice.
Varnum's Estate Planning practice received the highest possible ranking in the 2018 edition of Chambers HNW, which rates service providers to the private wealth market.
Varnum was named a "Top Ranked Firm" based on our large percentage of attorneys with a Martindale-Hubbell AV^®Preeminent™ rating—the highest possible.
Varnum is recognized as a "Go-To Law Firm for the Top 500 Companies" by integrated media company ALM, based on "delivery of exceptional work for the Fortune 500."
A total of 44 Varnum attorneys are recognized by Super Lawyers^® including 11 recognized as “Rising Stars.”

Firm History

About the Art

Varnum has been a supporter of the arts for many years, and our offices are virtual galleries of fine art by local and regional artists. Recently we began incorporating the works of some of these artists into our marketing materials, including this website.

Throughout the site, you will see portions of works by the following artists:

John Baughman	Born in Grand Rapids, Baughman was interested in drawing at an early age. Talented in many areas, he was a successful advertising company owner but decided to pursue his career as an artist full time when he was approached by Rosenbaum Fine Art. Oils play a very important part in John's art, but he is continually experimenting using new mediums. He and his artist wife, Janet Richardson Baughman, have a studio in Ada and find inspiration all around them. Fishing, sports and raising horses are some of John's other pursuits, but "Art is the core of my life." His work is featured in collections around the country including IBM Corporation in New York and Pillsbury Corporation in Minneapolis
Linda LaFontsee	Using a variety of media including encaustic, oil and gouache, LaFontsee conveys the dance of life with an organic freedom, independent of representation. LaFontsee is inspired by color, movement and line, all of which she is continuously constructing and deconstructing through tones, varnishes, burns, molds, melts, and scratches into the surface of her paintings. "I am in love with the eloquence of sparseness and everything to do with the act of painting: the smell, the lushness of oil paint, color." LaFontsee attended Kendall College of Art and Design and has years of independent study and workshop experience.
Gretchen Minnhaar	A native of Argentina, Minnhaar is an architect and artist living in West Michigan. Her painting subjects are often a reflection of her architectural training. "It's the images of cities, roads, people and buildings that form my everyday vocabulary. This is what I paint." Minnhaar's work is featured in private collections in Argentina, Spain and Netherlands and at several corporate offices including Steelcase Corporation in Grand Rapids and Saks Fifth Avenue in New York. A proponent of cultural activities, Minnhaar is also a founder of the film series, Chiaroscuro, featuring diverse, international films. A recently-published book of her art is available through her website, GretchenMinnhaar.com.
Michael Schaeffer	Schaeffer sees creative expression as translating feelings into color texture, and form. With emphasis on these elements, he infuses intuitive and improvisational marking with order, balance and harmony. "Creating a balance between logic and feeling is essential to creating a successful work of art." Schaeffer attended the Royal college of Art in London and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Kendall College of Art & Design. His work is included in the collections of several prestigious museums and corporations, as well as hundreds of personal collections through the United States and Europe.