The recently-released edition of The Best Lawyers in America® includes 86 Varnum attorneys in 47 practice areas, with eight additional attorneys named in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch and eight 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 is a recognition of attorneys who are earlier in their careers, in acknowledgment of their outstanding professional excellence in private practice. Recipients typically have been in practice for five to nine years. Varnum attorneys who have earned this distinction are:
- Paul A. Albarrán: Commercial Litigation, Communications Law
- Jacob A. Droppers: Corporate Law
- Janelle G. Haggadone: Trusts and Estates
- Herman D. Hofman: Commercial Litigation
- Robert M. Huff: Trusts and Estates
- Lauren E. Potocsky: Construction Law, Real Estate Law
- Sarah L. Wixson: Construction Law, Health Care Law, Real Estate Law
- Rebecca Wrock: Nonprofit/Charities Law, Trusts and Estates
“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. Varnum attorneys who received this additional recognition in the 2023 Best Lawyers guide are:
- Mark S. Allard: Litigation – ERISA
- Thomas H. Bergh: Litigation – Trusts and Estates
- Jeffrey W. Beswick: Closely-Held Companies and Family Business Law
- Jon M. Bylsma: Litigation – Banking and Finance
- Christopher J. Caldwell: Trusts and Estates
- William A. Dornbos: Real Estate Law
- Randall W. Kraker: Land Use and Zoning Law
- Mary Kay Shaver: Banking and Finance Law
Varnum attorneys included in The Best Lawyers in America® 2023 edition are:
Ann Arbor
- Christopher A. Ballard: Non-Profit/Charities Law, Trusts and Estates
- Thomas W. Forster II: Real Estate Law
- Shalini Nangia: Collaborative Law: Family Law, Family Law Mediation
Birmingham
- Thomas H. Bergh: Litigation – Trusts and Estates, Trusts and Estates
- Michael J. Romaya: Banking and Finance Law
Detroit
- Brendan G. Best: Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law
- Eric M. Nemeth: Litigation and Controversy – Tax, Tax Law
- Maureen Rouse-Ayoub: Litigation – Labor and Employment
- William L. Thompson: Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Grand Haven
- Jeffrey W. Beswick: Closely-Held Companies and Family Business Law, Corporate Law, Trusts and Estates
- Mark E. Hills: Commercial Litigation
Grand Rapids
- Stephen P. Afendoulis: Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Real Estate
- Scott D. Alfree: Corporate Law, Health Care Law
- Mark S. Allard: Commercial Litigation, Litigation – ERISA
- Jonathan W. Anderson: Real Estate Law
- Luis E. Avila: Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management
- Kimberly A. Baber: Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Law
- Robert A. Buchanan: Municipal Law
- Lawrence P. Burns: Health Care Law
- Jon M. Bylsma: Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Banking & Finance, Litigation – Mergers and Acquisitions
- David T. Caldon: 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
- Jeffrey A. DeVree: Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Litigation and Controversy – Tax, Tax Law
- Ronald G. DeWaard: Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Banking & Finance
- Timothy E. Eagle: Trademark Law
- Matthew B. Eugster: Environmental Law
- Richard D. Fries: Employment Law – Management
- Linsey Gleason: Trusts and Estates
- Bruce Goodman: Environmental Law
- Charyn K. Hain: Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Trusts and Estates
- William R. Hineline: Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
- Dirk C. Hoffius: Trusts and Estates
- John M. Huff: Trusts and Estates
- Scott A. Huizenga: Corporate Law
- Kaplin S. Jones: Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Tax Law
- 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: Trusts and Estates, Litigation – Trusts and Estates
- Marilyn Lankfer: Trusts and Estates
- Joseph B. Levan: Corporate Law
- Michael S. Mc Elwee: Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation – Bankruptcy
- 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
- Lawrence J. Murphy: Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment, Commercial Litigation
- Melissa B. Papke: Real Estate Law, Commercial Finance Law
- Eric R. Post: Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Laura E. Radle: Trusts and Estates, Closely-Held Companies and Family Businesses Law
- William E. Rohn: Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Construction, Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Michael J. Roth: Commercial Litigation
- Peter G. Roth: Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Perrin Rynders: Commercial Litigation, Litigation – ERISA, Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Jeffrey L. Schad: Banking and Finance Law
- Joan Schleef: Banking and Finance Law
- Stephanie R. Setterington: Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Mary Kay Shaver: Banking and 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
- Richard R. Symons: Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers
- Fredric A. Sytsma: Trusts and Estates
- John N. Titley: Corporate 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
- 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
- Matthew D. Zimmerman: Administrative/Regulatory Law, Energy Law, Environmental Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, Municipal Law
Kalamazoo
- John W. Allen: Legal Malpractice Law – Defendants, Litigation – Antitrust, Litigation – Banking and Finance, Litigation – Trusts and Estates
- William A. Dornbos: Banking and Finance Law, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Native American Law, Real Estate Law
- Erika Salerno Shadowens: Family Law
- Fred L. Schubkegel: Corporate Law
- David M. Thoms: Litigation – Trusts and Estates, Nonprofit/Charities Law, Tax Law, Trusts and Estates
Novi
- Richard T. Hewlett: Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, Litigation – Construction
- Richard A. Hooker: Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Paul L.B. McKenney: Litigation and Controversy – Tax, Tax Law
- Julia A. Perkins: Family Law
- Kristen M. Veresh: Banking and Finance 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.