Overview
Employee Benefits and Tax Attorney
Jeff is a partner and part of the Employee Benefits Team. He has 35 years of experience working with employers, executives and third-party administrators on a wide range of employee benefit, executive compensation and individual retirement matters, including plan design, plan administration, benefit plan disputes and tax planning for retirement.
He also helps solve complex tax issues in business and investment transactions, especially those involving pass-through entities and oil and gas activities.
Chambers USA, which ranks top lawyers and law firms, notes Jeff’s "considerable expertise in tax issues relating to benefit and pension plans". Sources say he is "a very strong lawyer" who is "very thorough in his approach – he will not rush into any matter."
For more information, please contact Jeff DeVree at 616/336-6566 or jadevree@varnumlaw.com
Leadership
Honors & Recognitions
Best Lawyers in America®, Employee Benefits Law and Tax Law since 2008
Best Lawyers in America®, Lawyer of the Year, Litigation and Controversy - Tax, Grand Rapids, 2019
Best Lawyers in America®, Lawyer of the Year, Tax Law, 2018
Chambers USA©: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business
Grand Rapids Magazine's Top Lawyers: Employee Benefits Law; Tax Law; 2019 and 2020
Leading Lawyers: Employee Benefits Law; Tax Law - Business
Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated
Michigan Super Lawyers® since 2006
Professional Affiliations
American Bar Association: Taxation Section; Business Law Section
Grand Rapids Bar Association: Business Section; Tax Section
IRS Great Lakes Area Tax-Exempt and Government Entities Council, member emeritus
Michigan Oil and Gas Association, Taxation and Economics Committee, chair
National Center for Employee Ownership
State Bar of Michigan: Taxation Section; Business Law Section
The ESOP Association
News & Publications
News
Publications
Practice Areas
Industries
Education
University of Michigan Law School
Ann Arbor, Michigan
J.D., cum laude, 1982
Hope College
Holland, Michigan
B.A., Economics, summa cum laude, 1979
Bar Admissions
- Michigan
Court Admissions
- All Michigan state courts
- United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan
- United States Tax Court