The recently-released edition of The Best Lawyers in America® includes 98 Varnum attorneys in 48 practice areas, with 21 additional attorneys named in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch and several named “Lawyer of the Year” in their respective practice areas.
Best Lawyers® is one of the most respected peer-review publications in the legal profession. A listing in Best Lawyers® is widely regarded by both clients and legal professionals as a significant honor, conferred on a lawyer by his or her peers.
Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch
Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch is a recognition of attorneys who are earlier in their careers, in acknowledgment of their outstanding professional excellence in private practice. Varnum attorneys who have earned this distinction are:
- Seth B. Arthur: Litigation – Environmental
- Elliott M. Berlin: Corporate Law, Real Estate Law
- Alexander K. Campbell: Corporate Law
- Kathleen A. Cieslik: Trusts and Estates
- Ashleigh E. Draft: Labor and Employment Law – Management
- Jacob A. Droppers: Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Mallory A. Field: Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Christopher M. George: Corporate Law
- Yvonne George: Immigration Law
- Regan A. Gibson: Commercial Litigation
- Janelle G. Haggadone: Trusts and Estates
- Christopher M. Hiller: Corporate Law
- Herman D. Hofman: Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation
- Robert M. Huff: Trusts and Estates
- Lauren E. Potocsky: Construction Law, Real Estate Law
- Louis Ronayne: Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation, Construction Law
- John W. Sturgis: Construction Law, Real Estate Law
- Katherine Szymanski: Trusts and Estates
- Sarah L. Wixson: Construction Law, Health Care Law, Real Estate Law
- Rebecca Wrock: Nonprofit / Charities Law, Trusts and Estates
“Lawyer of the Year”
“Lawyer of the Year” is a recognition awarded to individual lawyers with the highest overall peer feedback for a specific practice area and geographic region. Only one lawyer is recognized as the “Lawyer of the Year” for each specialty and location. Among the Varnum attorneys who received this additional recognition in the 2025 Best Lawyers guide are:
- John W. Allen: Litigation – Trusts and Estates
- Jeffrey W. Beswick: Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law
- William A. Dornbos: Real Estate Law
- David E. Khorey: Employment Law – Management
- Harvey Koning: Banking and Finance Law
- Perrin Rynders: Bet-the-Company Litigation, Litigation – ERISA
- Matthew D. Zimmerman: Water Law
The Best Lawyers in America® 2025
Varnum attorneys included in The Best Lawyers in America® 2025 edition are:
- Steve Adamczyk: Real Estate Law
- Stephen P. Afendoulis: Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Real Estate
- Scott D. Alfree: Corporate Law, Health Care Law
- Mark S. Allard: Commercial Litigation, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Litigation – ERISA
- John W. Allen: Family Law, Legal Malpractice Law – Defendants, Litigation – Banking and Finance, Litigation – Trusts and Estates
- Jonathan W. Anderson: Real Estate Law
- John D. Arendshorst: Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
- Luis E. Avila: Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management
- Kimberly A. Baber: Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Law
- Thomas H. Bergh: Litigation – Trusts and Estates, Trusts and Estates
- Brendan G. Best: Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
- Jeffrey W. Beswick: Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Corporate Law, Trusts and Estates
- Adam J. Brody: Commercial Litigation
- Robert A. Buchanan: Municipal Law
- Jon M. Bylsma: Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Banking and Finance, Litigation – Mergers and Acquisitions, Litigation – Securities
- David T. Caldon: Land Use and Zoning Law, Municipal Law, Real Estate Law
- Christopher J. Caldwell: Trusts and Estates
- Kimberly A. Clarke: Immigration Law
- Timothy J. Curtin: Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
- Nyal D. Deems: Real Estate Law
- Bradley Defoe: Commercial Litigation, Real Estate Law
- Jeffrey A. DeVree: Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Litigation and Controversy – Tax, Tax Law
- Ronald G. DeWaard: Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Banking and Finance
- William A. Dornbos: Banking and Finance Law, Native American Law, Real Estate Law
- Brion Doyle: Commercial Litigation
- Timothy E. Eagle: Trademark Law
- James Eardley: Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Gabriel Edelson: Corporate Law
- Matthew B. Eugster: Environmental Law
- Richard D. Fries: Employment Law – Management
- Stacey George: Real Estate Law
- Linsey Gleason: Trusts and Estates
- Bruce Goodman: Environmental Law
- Rebecca L. Grove: Tax Law
- Charyn K. Hain: Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Trusts and Estates
- Ziyad I. Hermiz: Commercial Litigation
- Richard T. Hewlett: Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, Litigation – Construction
- Scott J. Hill: Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- William R. Hineline: Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
- Richard A. Hooker: Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment
- John M. Huff: Trusts and Estates
- Kaplin S. Jones: Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Tax Law
- Robert E. Kass: Trusts and Estates
- David E. Khorey: Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Harvey Koning: Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Law, Financial Services Regulation Law
- Randall W. Kraker: Land Use and Zoning Law, Litigation – Land Use and Zoning, Litigation – Municipal, Litigation – Real Estate, Municipal Law, Real Estate Law
- Thomas G. Kyros: Litigation – Trusts and Estates, Trusts and Estates
- Marilyn Lankfer: Trusts and Estates
- Joseph B. Levan: Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Michael S. McElwee: Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation – Bankruptcy
- Paul L.B. McKenney: Litigation and Controversy – Tax, Tax Law
- Nicholas B. Missad: Family Law, Family Law Mediation
- Daniel C. Molhoek: Corporate Law, International Trade and Finance Law
- Robert D. Mollhagen: Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
- Timothy P. Monsma: Commercial Litigation
- Steven J. Morren: Real Estate Law
- Gary J. Mouw: Appellate Practice
- Lawrence J. Murphy: Commercial Litigation, Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Shalini Nangia: Family Law, Family Law Mediation, Collaborative Law – Family Law
- Eric M. Nemeth: Litigation and Controversy – Tax, Tax Law
- Melissa B. Papke: Commercial Finance Law, Real Estate Law
- Julia A. Perkins: Family Law, Family Law Mediation
- Aaron M. Phelps: Litigation – ERISA
- Eric R. Post: Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Laura E. Radle: Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Trusts and Estates
- Dean Reisner: Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law
- William E. Rohn: Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Construction, Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Michael Romaya: Banking and Finance Law
- Michael J. Roth: Commercial Litigation
- Peter G. Roth: Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Maureen Rouse-Ayoub: Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Perrin Rynders: Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Litigation – ERISA, Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Charles M. Russman: Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
- Jeff L. Schad: Banking and Finance Law
- Joan E. Schleef: Banking and Finance Law
- Pete Schmidt: Real Estate Law
- Fred Schubkegel, Jr.: Corporate Law
- Stephanie R. Setterington: Employment Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Erika Salerno Shadowens: Family Law, Family Law Mediation
- Mary Kay Shaver: Banking and Finance Law, Public Finance Law
- Elizabeth Wells Skaggs: Employment Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Peter A. Smit: Litigation – Banking and Finance, Litigation – Intellectual Property, Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Jeffrey Stefan: Corporate Law
- Richard R. Symons: Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers
- Fredric A. Sytsma: Trusts and Estates
- John N. Titley: Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Kristen M. Veresh: Banking and Finance Law
- Joseph J. Vogan: Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management
- Bryan R. Walters: Commercial Litigation
- John Patrick White: Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management
- Michael G. Wooldridge: Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Michael E. Wooley: Immigration Law
- Susan M. Wyngaarden: Banking and Finance Law, Public Finance Law
- Kurt G. Yost: Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- L. Jeffrey Zauberman: Banking and Finance Law
- Matthew D. Zimmerman: Administrative / Regulatory Law, Energy Law, Environmental Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, Municipal Law, Water Law
Since its inception in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Because Best Lawyers® is based on a peer-review survey in which leading lawyers cast votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas, and because lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed, inclusion in Best Lawyers® is considered a singular honor.