Varnum attorney and Indiana University Maurer School of Law alum Carl Ver Beek was inducted into his alma mater’s Academy of Law Alumni Fellows. The induction ceremony took place at the Indiana Memorial Union in Bloomington on April 7.
Induction into the academy is the highest honor the Maurer School of Law can bestow on one of its graduates. It recognizes those who have distinguished themselves in their careers through personal achievements and dedication to the highest standards of the profession.
A labor and employment attorney at Varnum for more than 40 years, Ver Beek’s career included representing employers for collective bargaining and arbitration in manufacturing, health care, religious organizations and higher education. As an arbitrator, he served the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), American Arbitration Association, Michigan Employment Relations Commission, and others. He has mediated hundreds of disputes.
Ver Beek’s professional activity includes extensive service to both the American Bar Association and State Bar of Michigan. With the ABA, he served as a member of the governing councils for the Labor and Employment Section and Dispute Resolution Section. He chaired the Arbitration Committee of the Labor and Employment Section and formed the Professional Ethics Committee of the Labor and Employment Section.
At the State Bar, Ver Beek dedicated 22 years to professional ethics matters, including serving as chair of the State Bar Character and Fitness Committee, chair of the Attorney Grievance Commission, and member of the Attorney Discipline Board.
Ver Beek’s service to the local community is extensive, including serving as chair of the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce Board and its Health Care Committee, as a member of the Board of Directors of Michigan Chamber of Commerce and its Health and Human Resources Committee, and as a member of the Right Place Board.
He served for 16 years on Hope College Board of Trustees, and three years as adjunct professor in the School of Labor Relations at Michigan State University. He has chaired the boards of Holland Home, Jellema House (an addiction treatment organization), Faith Hospice, and Health Net of West Michigan. Ver Beek also continues to be very active in the Reformed Church of America, serving both locally and at the national level.
Ver Beek was the 12th lawyer to join the Varnum law firm, which currently numbers more than 160 attorneys.