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Lawyers.com > Find a Lawyer > Wheeler Upham, A Professional Corporation
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Address
Trust Building, Second Floor
40 Pearl Street, N.W.
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503-3001 (Kent Co.)
Average Client Review Rating
Rating not available
Average Peer Review Rating
4.7
out of 5
(Main Office) Statement of PracticeGeneral Civil Practice in all State and Federal Courts. Trial and Appellate Work, Corporation and Business Law, Personal Injury Defense including Product Liability, General Liability and Motor Vehicle Liability, Transportation Law including Railroad, Trucking and Aviation, Primary and Excess Insurance Coverage, Real Estate Law, Employment Law, Probate and Estate Planning, Immigration Law, International Law, ERISA Plan Design, Administration and Litigation, Taxation, Administrative Practice, ADR, Creditor Bankruptcy, Family Law, Church, Foundation and Non-Profit Organization Law, Environmental Law, Federal Government Contracts, Postal Law, Federal Sector Employment Law. Year Established: 1883
Firm Size: 13
Representative Clients:St. Paul Travelers Insurance Co.
Farmers Insurance Group
Auto Owners Insurance Co.
Farm Bureau Insurance Co.
Progressive Michigan Insurance Co.
Bristol West Insurance Co.
Criterion Claims Solutions
Baldwin & Lyons
Metropolitan Life Insurance Co.
Werner Co.
Global Claims Services, CUMIS
Michigan Credit Union League
International Managers, Inc.
CSX Transportation, Inc.
Norfolk Southern
Delta Properties
Gospel Communications International
Artic Cat
Citibank.
AddressTrust Building, Second Floor
40 Pearl Street, N.W.
Grand Rapids, MI 49503-3001, (Kent Co.)
PhonePhone: 616-459-7100
Fax: 616-459-6366
Website
http://www.wheelerupham.com
Gordon B. Wheeler (1904-1986).
Buford A. Upham (1910-1996).
Robert H. Gillette (Attorney) born Grand Rapids, Michigan, January 21, 1941; admitted to bar, 1966, Michigan. Education: University of Michigan (B.S.M.E., 1963; J.D., 1966). Certified Civil Mediator. Member: Grand Rapids and American Bar Associations; State Bar of Michigan. Practice Areas: Civil Litigation; Corporate Law; Business Law; Condemnation Law.Email: Robert H. Gillette
Geoffrey L. Gillis (Shareholder) born Grand Rapids, Michigan, July 23, 1944; admitted to bar, 1969, Michigan. Education: University of Michigan (A.B., 1966; J.D., 1969). Member: Grand Rapids Bar Association; State Bar of Michigan; National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel; Michigan Defense Trial Counsel. Practice Areas: Railroad Law; Transportation Law; Civil Litigation; Personal Injury Litigation.Email: Geoffrey L. Gillis
John M. Roels (Shareholder) born Holland, Michigan; admitted to bar, 1976, Michigan; 1977, U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan; 1997, U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit. Education: Hope College and Calvin College (B.A., 1972); University of Michigan (J.D., 1975). Certified Mediator. Member: Grand Rapids Bar Association; Federal Bar Association of West Michigan; State Bar of Michigan. Special Agencies: Michigan State Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules; Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency; Michigan Employment Security Board of Review. Practice Areas: Administrative Law; Administrative Adjudications; Administrative Agency Practice; Administrative Hearings and Appeals; Administrative Litigation; Judicial Review; Alternative Dispute Resolution; Arbitration; Mediation; Appellate Practice; Civil Appeals; Bankruptcy; Creditor Bankruptcy; Business Law; Business Arbitration; Business Litigation; Business Mediation; Business Torts; Civil Practice; Federal Civil Practice; Collections; Commercial Collections; Garnishments; Post Judgment Collections; Commercial Law; Commercial Arbitration; Commercial Litigation; Commercial Mediation; Construction Law; Construction Accidents; Construction Arbitration; Construction Contracts; Construction Defects; Construction Equipment Liability; Construction Insurance; Construction Insurance Defense; Construction Liability; Construction Litigation; Construction Mediation; Construction Products Liability; Consumer Law; Consumer Arbitration; Consumer Collections; Consumer Litigation; Contracts; Breach of Contract; Commercial Contracts; Contract Litigation; Corporate Law; Corporate Insurance; Corporate Insurance Defense; Corporate Litigation; Debtor and Creditor; Creditors Rights; Creditors Rights in Bankruptcy; Debtor and Creditor Collections; Debtor and Creditor Remedies; General Practice; Federal Practice; Insurance; Accident Insurance; Automobile Insurance; Automobile Insurance Coverage; Automobile Liability; Casualty Insurance; Casualty Insurance Subrogation; Commercial Insurance; Commercial Property Insurance; Excess and Reinsurance; Fire Insurance; Fire Insurance Subrogation; First and Third Party Insurance; First Party Insurance; General Liability; Indemnity; Fire Loss; Insurance Arbitration; Insurance Bad Faith; Insurance Contracts; Insurance Investigations; Insurance Litigation; Insurance Mediation; No Fault Automobile Insurance; Personal Liability; Property Damage; Property Insurance; Property Insurance Coverage; Property Loss; Property Subrogation; Subrogation; Insurance Defense; Arson and Insurance Fraud; Automobile Insurance Defense; Automobile Insurance Fraud Defense; Automobile Liability Defense; Casualty Insurance Defense; Commercial Insurance Defense; Disability Insurance Defense; Fire Insurance Defense; First and Third Party Insurance Defense; First Party Insurance Defense; General Liability Defense; Insurance Bad Faith Defense; Insurance Coverage Defense; Insurance Defense Subrogation; Insurance Fraud Defense; Life Insurance Defense; No Fault Auto Insurance Defense; Personal Liability Defense; Property Damage Defense; Property Insurance Defense; Libel, Slander and Defamation; Defamation; Libel and Slander; Libel Defense; Media Libel; Litigation; Trial Practice; Civil Litigation; Complex Litigation; Defense Litigation; Federal Civil Litigation; Federal Litigation; Long-Arm Litigation; Mortgages; Mortgage Foreclosure; Negligence; Negligence Defense; Personal Injury; Accidents; Automobile Accidents and Injuries; Automobile Negligence; Bicycle Accidents; Boating Accidents; Bodily Injury; Personal Injury Arbitration; Personal Injury Defense; Personal Injury Mediation; Plaintiffs Personal Injury; Slip and Fall; Wrongful Death; Premises Liability; Inadequate Security; Negligent Security; Premises Liability Defense; Premises Security; Private Security Litigation; Products Liability; Drug and Medical Device Defense; Drug and Medical Device Litigation; All Terrain Vehicle Products Liability; Automotive Crashworthiness; Automotive Design Liability; Automotive Products Liability; Automotive Restraints; Bicycle Products Liability; Biomedical Products Liability; Breach of Warranty; Elevator Liability; Engineering Products Liability; Escalator Liability; Food Products Liability; Heart Device Litigation; Heavy Equipment Products Liability; Industrial Products Liability; Manufacturers Liability; Product Defects; Product Warning Labels; Products Liability Arbitration; Products Liability Defense; Products Liability Mediation; Propane Products Liability; Recreational Products Liability; Recreational Vehicle Products Liability; Seat Belt Injury; Tire Defect Litigation; Tire/Rim Mismatch; Warranty Law; Property Law; Real Estate; Real Estate Foreclosure; Real Estate Mediation; Religious Institutions; Canon Law; Church Law; Ecclesiastical Law; Torts; Civil Liability; Intentional Torts; Tort Defense; Tort Liability.Email: John M. Roels
Gary A. Maximiuk (Shareholder) born Detroit, Michigan, August 4, 1951; admitted to bar, 1976, Michigan; U.S. District Courts for Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan; 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. Education: University of Michigan (A.B., 1972); Wayne State University (J.D., 1976). Co-Editor and Contributing Author: "A Practical Guide to Depositions in Michigan," (1st and 2nd ed.) Contributing Author: Michigan Insurance Law and Practice. Member: Grand Rapids and American Bar Associations; State Bar of Michigan; American Board of Trial Advocates. Reported Cases: Advocacy Organization for Patients & Providers v Auto Club Ins Assn, 472 Mich 91 ( 2005); Harts v Farmers Ins Exchange, 461 Mich 1 (1999); Farrell v Dearborn Mfg Co, 416 Mich 267 (1982); Spectrum Health v Grahl, 270 Mich App 248 (2006); Amerisure Ins Co v Auto-Owners Ins Co, 262 Mich App 10 (2004); Farmers Ins Exchange v Titan Ins Co, 251 Mich App 454 ( 2002); Farmers Ins Exchange v South Lyon Community Schools, 237 Mich App 235 (1999); Kim v Ford Motor Co, 170 Mich App 544 (1988);. Practice Areas: Litigation; Insurance; Accident Insurance; Automobile Insurance; Automobile Insurance Coverage; Automobile Liability; Casualty Insurance; Commercial Insurance; Excess and Reinsurance; Excess Coverage; First and Third Party Insurance; First Party Insurance; General Liability; Indemnity; Insurance Agents and Brokers Defense; Insurance Agents and Brokers Errors and Omissions; Insurance Agents and Brokers; Insurance Arbitration; Insurance Contracts; Insurance Coverage; Insurance Litigation; Insurance Mediation; No Fault Automobile Insurance; Personal Liability; Reinsurance; Self Insured Law; Uninsured and Underinsured Motorists; Uninsured and Underinsured Motorists Arbitration; Insurance Defense; Automobile Insurance Defense; Automobile Liability Defense; Casualty Insurance Defense; Commercial Insurance Defense; First and Third Party Insurance Defense; General Liability Defense; Insurance Coverage Defense; No Fault Auto Insurance Defense; Personal Liability Defense; Reinsurance Defense; Self Insured Defense; Libel, Slander and Defamation; Civil Litigation; Complex Litigation; Defense Litigation; Federal Civil Litigation; Federal Litigation; Trial Practice; Negligence; Negligence Defense; Personal Injury; Automobile Accidents and Injuries; Automobile Negligence; Bicycle Accidents; Boating Accidents; Accidents; Bodily Injury; Brain Injury; Catastrophic Injury; Commercial Vehicle Liability; Cumulative Trauma; Dog Bites; Head Injury; Motor Vehicle Accidents and Injuries; Motorcycle Accidents; Pedestrian Injuries; Personal Injury Defense; Personal Injury Arbitration; Personal Injury Mediation; Psychological Injury; Rental Vehicle Litigation; Slip and Fall; Spinal Injury; Third Party Wrongful Death; Traumatic Brain Injury; Wrongful Death; Whiplash; Premises Liability; Premises Liability Defense; Products Liability; Products Liability Defense; Transportation; Cargo Claims; Common Carrier Law; Common Carrier Liability Law; Motor Carrier Defense; Motor Carrier Liability; Truck Accidents; Trucking Liability; Freight Claims; Motor Carrier Law; Aviation and Aerospace; Airplane Crash Litigation; Aviation Accidents; Aviation Defense; Aviation Insurance; Aviation Liability; Aviation Litigation; Aviation Products Liability; Civil Practice; Federal Civil Practice; Environmental Insurance; Environmental Insurance Claims; Environmental Insurance Coverage; Environmental Insurance Defense.Email: Gary A. Maximiuk
William H. Heritage, Jr. (Shareholder) born Greensboro, North Carolina, August 30, 1944; admitted to bar, 1970, Michigan; 1980, U.S. Supreme Court; 1991, U.S. Tax Court. Education: Duke University (A.B., 1966); University of Virginia (M.A., Foreign Affairs, 1969; J.D., 1970). Delta Theta Phi. Author: "The Plague of Podsnappery," Michigan International Lawyer, Vol. VII, Spring, 1995. Member: Grand Rapids and American (Member, Sections on: Antitrust Law; Corporation, Banking and Business Law; International Law; Taxation Law) Bar Associations; State Bar of Michigan (Member, Sections on: Antitrust Law, Business Law, International Law and Taxation); Inter-American Bar Association; American Immigration Lawyers Association. [Maj., USAR, 1968-1973]. Practice Areas: Corporate; Business; Commercial Law; International Law; Immigration Law; Taxation.Email: William H. Heritage, Jr.
James M. Shade (Shareholder) born Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania; admitted to bar, 1982, Michigan and U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan. Education: Calvin College (B.A., 1971); University of Michigan (J.D., cum laude, 1981). Member: Grand Rapids Bar Association; State Bar of Michigan. Practice Areas: Estate Planning; Probate; ERISA; Real Estate; Closely Held Business Entities; Employee Benefits; Limited Liability Companies; Corporations; sale and purchase of businesses; Business Succession Planning; family businesses.Email: James M. Shade
Glenn L. Smith (Shareholder) born 1963; admitted to bar, 1989, Michigan; 1990, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth and Eleventh Circuits; 2002, U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan; 2009, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan and U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit. Education: University of Michigan (B.A., 1985; J.D., 1989). Author: "A Trap for the Unwary-Avoiding Mail Disputes," Michigan Bar Journal, March 2002; "Bankruptcy Appeals-Preserving Your Right of Review," Michigan Bar Journal, September 2002. Staff Attorney, U.S. Postal Service, General Administrative Law Division, Washington, DC, 1989-1991. Field Counsel, U.S. Postal Service Atlanta Field Office, 1991-2002. Member: Grand Rapids Bar Association; State Bar of Michigan. Special Agencies: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC); EEOC Office of Federal Operations (OFO); Merit System Protection Board (MSPB); Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP), Division of Federal Employees' Compensation, U.S. Department of Labor; Employees' Compensation Appeals Board (ECAB), U.S. Department of Labor; United States Postal Service (USPS), Judicial Officer; United States Postal Service Board of Contract Appeals (BCA); U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Transportation Security Administration; Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR); Michigan Employment Security Board of Review; Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency. Practice Areas: Employment Law; Federal Sector Employment Law; Business Law; Civil Litigation; Construction Law; Construction Arbitration; Real Estate; Environmental Law; Federal Practice; Postal Law; Bankruptcy Litigation; Family and Medical Leave Act; Employment Discrimination; Employment Litigation; Noncompete Litigation; Personnel Policies; Title VII Discrimination; Uniformed Services Employment; Employment Defense; Race Discrimination; Sex Discrimination; Civil Rights Section 1983; Federal Workers Compensation; Americans with Disabilities Act; Disability Discrimination; Business Formation; Business Transactions; Business Litigation; Postal Contracts; False Claims Act Defense; Postal Revenue Deficiencies Defense; Government Contracts; Federal Contracts; Federal Tort Claims.Email: Glenn L. Smith
——————————Kenneth E. Tiews (Senior Associate) born Wilmington, Delaware, November 8, 1948; admitted to bar, 1976, Michigan; 1979, U.S. Tax Court; 1980, U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan. Education: University of Michigan (B.A., with distinction, with highest honors in Philosophy, 1970; M.A., 1975; Ph.D., 1977); University of Michigan Law School (J.D., 1973). Phi Kappa Phi. Woodrow Wilson Honorary Fellow. Recipient, University of Michigan Law School Case Club Competition, First Prize, 1971. Probate Seminar Speaker, National Business Institute, 1989, 1991 and 1993. Instructor: Philosophy of Law, Aquinas College, 1982; Philosophy of Law, Calvin College, 1991, 1992, 1994 and 1995. Member, Board of Directors, Porter Hills Presbyterian Village, 1990-2008. Member, Grey Center for Social Learning and Understanding, 1998. Attorney, Presbytery of Lake Michigan, PCUSA. Member: Grand Rapids Bar Association; State Bar of Michigan. Special Agencies: Social Security Administration; Permanent Judicial Commission-Presbyterian Church (U.S.A). Practice Areas: Estate Planning; Living Trusts; Estate Planning for Parents of Handicapped Children; Special Needs Trusts; Estate Planning for the Elderly; Estate Planning for Unmarried Couples; Domestic Partnerships; Nonprofit and Charitable Organizations; Applications for Tax Exempt Status; Church Law; Ecclesiastical Law; Religious Nonprofit Corporation Law; Elder Law; Wills; Contested Trusts and Estates; Contested Wills; Decedents Estates; Estate Administration; Inheritance; Living Wills; Federal Estate and Gift Taxation; Fiduciary Income Tax; Trusts and Estates Taxation; Taxation; Probate; Ancillary Probate; Probate Administration; Probate Litigation; Probate Taxation; Adoptions; Adoption Law; Guardianship and Conservatorship; Adult Guardianship; Advance Directives; Conservatorship; Elder Guardianship; Guardian Ad Litem; Guardianship; Guardianship Administration; Incompetency Proceedings; Mental Disability Law; Medicaid Planning; Social Security Appeals; Social Security Disability; Real Estate; Adverse Possession; Boundary Disputes; Conveyancing; Easements; Quiet Title; Residential Real Estate Sales; Appellate Practice; Independent School Law; Postnuptial Agreements; Premarital Agreements; Fiduciary Liability; Fiduciary Litigation; Trust Litigation; Civil Litigation; Civil Appeals.Email: Kenneth E. Tiews
Hal G. Ostrow (Associate) born Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, July 11, 1974; admitted to bar, 2002, Michigan and U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan; 2006, U.S. Supreme Court and U.S. Court of Federal Claims; 2009, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois. Education: Wittenberg University (B.A., 1996); University of Pittsburgh (J.D., 1999). Member: State Bar of Michigan (Member, Representative Assembly, 2007); The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies. Special Agencies: Petitioner's Counsel, National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP), U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Practice Areas: Litigation; Insurance Defense; Tort Defense; Products Liability Defense; Business Law; Corporate Law; Election and Campaign Finance; Election Law; Internet Law; Internet Intellectual Property; Domain Name Infringement; Cybersquatting; Internet Litigation; Web Site Development; Technology Law; Vaccine Injury; Appellate Practice.Email: Hal G. Ostrow
Nicholas S. Ayoub (Associate) born Peoria, Illinois, August 13, 1977; admitted to bar, 2003, Michigan. Education: Western Michigan University (B.S., 2000); Michigan State University College of Law (J.D., cum laude, 2003). Practice Areas: Civil Litigation; Insurance Defense; Corporate Law.Email: Nicholas S. Ayoub
Kevin Keenan (Associate) born Washington D.C., August 28, 1967; admitted to bar, 2008, Michigan and U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan. Education: Grand Valley State University (B.S., 1992); Thomas M. Cooley Law School (J.D., 2008). SCAO Certified Mediator, General Civil Cases. Member: State Bar of Michigan; Grand Rapids Bar Association. Practice Areas: Business Law; Labor and Employment; Civil Practice; Wills; Contracts; Personal Injury; Criminal Law; Criminal Defense; Drivers License Suspension; Driving While Intoxicated; DUI/DWI; Misdemeanors; General Practice; Alternative Dispute Resolution; Mediation.Email: Kevin Keenan
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The following firm members have been rated by their peersDisclaimer: No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers. The testimonial or endorsement does not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of your legal matter. Any result that the endorsed lawyer or law firm may achieve on behalf of one client in one matter does not necessarily indicate that similar results can be obtained for other clients. Past success cannot be an assurance of future success because each case must be decided on its own merits. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Martindale-Hubbell® does not undertake to develop a Client Review Rating or Peer Review Rating for all firms and/or lawyers. Therefore, the fact that a firm or lawyer has not been reviewed should not be construed as unfavorable. Martindale-Hubbell accepts no responsibility for and will not be liable for the content and accuracy of the individual Reviews and the aggregated Reviews.
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