John C. O'Loughlin

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...

Jeff chairs Varnum's employee benefits practice group. He has 25 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 activit...

Michael E. Wooley is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Immigration Law. Michael E., who practices law in Grand Rapids, Michigan, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Michael E. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Jeff’s practice is focused on financing transactions, from tax-exempt and taxable bond issues to commercial loans. He has served as bond counsel to State of Michigan departments and agencies as well as to local bond issuers. Jeff also represents letter of credit providers and underwriters in bond transactions.

Marilyn is a partner in the Estate Planning Practice Group. Her practice includes estate planning, estate and trust administration, estate taxation and charitable giving. She was elected by her peers to be a Fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. Marilyn was recently honored by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as one of the 2012 Women in the Law.

Jon is a commercial litigator with experience in litigation of supply chain disputes, asset purchase agreements, franchise agreements, and other business related litigation. Jon also has a substantial practice in securities dispute, including litigation and arbitration of securities and investor disputes, in which he has successfully represented investors and broker-dealers. His experience on sophisticated matters includes bringing cases to summary judgment, trial, and courts of appeal. Jon i...

With numerous multi-million dollar deals to his credit, Jeffrey G. York focuses his practice on corporate, mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, succession planning, finance, construction, entrepreneurial, manufacturing, and real estate. He represents corporations, limited liability companies and partnerships in the acquisition or sale of a wide range of businesses, including automotive component manufacturers, tool-and-die businesses, food and equipment manufacturers, automobile dealership...

Michael D. Almassian is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation. Michael D., who practices law in Grand Rapids, Michigan, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Michael D. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

William J. Leeder III is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation. William J., who practices law in Grand Rapids, Michigan, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which William J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Rick is a member of Varnum's Labor and Employment Practice Group. He focuses on the defense of employers in workers’ compensation litigation, from managing contested cases in an aggressive and efficient manner to assessing cost-containment methods. He represents employers at all levels of the court system, including the Workers’ Compensation Appellate Court, the Michigan Court of Appeals, and Michigan Supreme Court. Rick has handled multiple Michigan Occupational Safety and Health...