A total of 42 Varnum attorneys have been recognized by Michigan Super Lawyers for 2017, including 11 honored as Michigan Rising Stars. All will be listed in the 2017 publication of Michigan Super Lawyers Magazine.
Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The Super Lawyers list recognizes no more than five percent of attorneys in each state. Varnum attorneys who have been recognized as 2017 Michigan Super Lawyers include:
Ann Arbor
- Christopher A. Ballard, Estate & Probate
- Thomas W. Forster II, Real Estate
Detroit
- Brendan G. Best, Bankruptcy: Business
- Richard A. Hooker, Employment & Labor
- Terrence J. Miglio, Employment & Labor
Grand Rapids
- Adam J. Brody, Business Litigation
- Lawrence P. Burns, Health Care
- Jon M. Bylsma, Business Litigation
- Nyal Deems, Real Estate
- Ronald G. DeWaard, Criminal Defense: White Collar
- Elizabeth J. Fossel, Business Litigation
- Dirk C. Hoffius, Estate & Probate
- John M. Huff, State/Local/Municipal
- David E. Khorey, Employment & Labor
- Thomas G. Kyros, Estate & Probate
- Marilyn A. Lankfer, Estate & Probate
- Lawrence J. Murphy, Employment Litigation: Defense
- Wayne D. Roberts, Tax
- William E. Rohn, Business Litigation
- Michael Roth, Business Litigation
- Perrin Rynders, Business Litigation
- Elizabeth Wells Skaggs, Employment & Labor
- Fredric A. Sytsma, Estate & Probate
- Susan M. Wyngaarden, Government Finance
Kalamazoo
- John W. Allen, Family Law
- Bonnie Y. Sawusch, PI General: Plaintiff
- Steven H. Weston, PI General: Plaintiff
Novi
- Thomas H. Bergh, Estate & Probate
- Dennis Devaney, Employment & Labor
- Richard T. Hewlett, Construction Litigation
- Eric M. Nemeth, Tax
The Rising Stars list recognizes no more than 2.5 percent of attorneys in each state. To be eligible for inclusion in Rising Stars, a candidate must be either 40 years old or younger, or in practice for 10 years or less. Varnum attorneys who have been recognized as 2017 Michigan Rising Stars include:
- Seth W. Ashby, Mergers & Acquisitions (Grand Rapids)
- Luis E. Avila, Employment & Labor (Grand Rapids)
- Linsey A. Gleason, Estate & Probate (Grand Rapids)
- Bradley S. Defoe, Business Litigation (Novi)
- Mallory A. Field, Business/Corporate (Detroit)
- Erin Klug, Intellectual Property (Novi)
- Timothy P. Monsma, Business Litigation
- John J. Rolecki, Business Litigation (Grand Rapids)
- Michael J. Romaya, Securities and Corporate Finance (Novi)
- Peter A. Schmidt, Real Estate (Grand Rapids)
- Salvatore (Sam) J. Vitale, Business Litigation (Novi)
Recognition in Super Lawyers is a result of nominations by lawyers and judges and after research by Super Lawyers, an independent lawyer evaluation service. The selection process is multi-phased and includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations.