David W. Charron

Chris works intimately with clients and their advisors to create estate plans that enable families to plan for today as well as for future generations. Chris regularly prepares sophisticated estate plans, emphasizing probate avoidance, estate tax planning, and business succession planning. In addition, Chris has an emphasis on helping families with cottage succession planning. Chris's practice also includes a significant focus on post-death planning and estate and trust administration. Chris ...

Lauretta K. Murphy is a Member of the firm and has been practicing law since 1988. Her practice areas include elder law and disability planning, and probate and estate planning. She knows how to explain things in plain English and puts people at ease even in complex estate planning or elder law situations. She recently edited Advising the Older Client or Client with A Disability for the Institute for Continuing Legal Education. Wills and Trusts Trust and Estate administration Estate and gift ...

Ron has accumulated a vast amount of first chair trial experience. As an Assistant United States Attorney in Miami for seven years, he tried several large criminal cases. In his final year as a federal prosecutor, he served as Deputy Chief of the Major Crimes Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Ron’s broad trial and litigation skills allow him to represent clients in diverse types of disputes in nearly any locale in the country. Since joining Varnum, Ron has tried and litigate...

Katie has a broad practice that allows her to serve many different individuals and families. She creates estate plans of all types – from those with estate tax issues and succession planning for business owners to young families planning to protect their young children. Katie helps families determine what steps to take after the loss or incapacity of a loved one and works through any probate, guardianship and conservatorship, or trust administration that may be required. She has signifi...

Scott R. Murphy is a partner in the Grand Rapids, Michigan, office of Barnes & Thornburg, where he serves as vice chair of the firm's Construction Law Practice Group.Scott is also a member of the firm's Commercial Litigation practice group, where he concentrates his practice on business torts, contract disputes and securities fraud as well as shareholder oppression claims. A seasoned litigator, Scott has experience in numerous forums, including state and federal courts, arbitration tribun...

Dave’s “client-centered” practice involves a variety of labor and employment issues. He provides practical and confidential ongoing advice and consulting on a number of sensitive and complex labor and employment matters, from problem employee situations to multi-facility collective bargaining negotiations. His representative clients include diverse industries (such as automotive, printing, transportation and hospitals) throughout the nation.

Suanne's clients are West Michigan families that are looking to navigate separation, divorce, and co-parenting. She represents and mediates all matters relating to divorce including custody, complex business assets, support, parenting time, adoption, guardianship, paternity, and prenuptial agreements.

Conor is a skilled litigator who draws on his years of experience with the Department of Justice and in private practice to help navigate clients from a lawsuit’s inception through its successful completion. Conor expertly tries cases, frames the issues in the trial court for potential appeal, and develops a successful appellate strategy. Conor has a varied litigation practice. He has tried multiple federal cases and handled significant pre-trial discovery and motions practice. In one f...

Rick is a partner in the Kalamazoo office. Since 1981, he has represented employers exclusively in solving labor and employment law problems in the workplace. He devotes most of his time to advising employers about how to avoid workplace crises, comply with state and federal labor and employment laws and regulations, and prevent litigation. He has significant experience counseling employers on how to stay union-free, and routinely works with clients in the application and enforcement of colle...

A former attorney for the Internal Revenue Service, Terry concentrates his practice helping individuals and businesses to make informed decisions regarding transactions to receive tax benefits and advantages. If an individual or business is audited by a tax authority, he also provides representation to ensure that the merit of their position is properly advocated to the tax authority and if necessary to the appellate or adjudication levels. Learn more on the firm website.