Joe Gavin is vice-chair of the firm’s Litigation Section and has been practicing law since 2005. He is a litigator, and has extensive experience in both federal and state courts. He has represented both Fortune 500 companies and family owned businesses, and Mr. Gavin has handled complex cases involving myriad issues.

General Commercial Litigation

Mr. Gavin has handled a wide variety of complicated commercial cases. His clients have included healthcare providers, national retailers, national information technology companies, West-Michigan based companies and individuals.

Healthcare Reimbursement Litigation

Mr. Gavin a member of the firm’s healthcare reimbursement practice group. He has provided litigation and counseling to medical providers seeking insurance reimbursement on patient accounts. He also pursues wrongful denials of hospital claims by third-party payers, including ERISA health plans, no-fault carriers, health insurance plans and government plans.

Appellate Litigation

As a former Prehearing Research Attorney with the Michigan Court of Appeals , Mr. Gavin has seen the inside and outside of appellate process. He has handled appeals in the Sixth Circuit, the Michigan Court of Appeals and the Michigan Supreme Court. These cases have covered diverse topics, including business disputes, banking and real estate disputes, and family law disputes. Some of Mr. Gavin’s appeals include:

DuRay Development v. Perrin, 288 Mich. App. 143 (2010) (reversing reversing entry of judgment against the client based on the de facto corporation doctrine).

Cheff v. Cheff, unpublished opinion of the Court of Appeals, issued April 24, 2012 (Docket No. 300231) (affirming the trial court’s holding favoring the client voiding a postnuptial agreement).

Greenville Layfayette v. Elgin State Bank, 296 Mich. App. 284 (2012) (reversing summary disposition granted against the client in a banking dispute).

Hillsdale Community Health Center v. Pioneer State Mutual Insurance Company, unpublished opinion per curiam of the Court of Appeals, issued September 8, 2009 (Docket No. 285681) (affirming trial court’s award of summary disposition and attorneys’ fees in ERISA litigation).

Professional Affiliations, Community Activities and Honors

Mr. Gavin is a member of the Grand Rapids Bar Association, Federal Bar Association, American Bar Association and State Bar of Michigan. He is a former member of  the Board of Trustees for the GRBA and was chair of the Justice Foundation of West Michigan.  Mr. Gavin also serves on the board for Alternative Directions, a local nonprofit, and is a former board member and officer of the Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan. He is a member of Leadership Grand Rapids, Class of 2014.

Mr. Gavin was also selected for inclusion in “Super Lawyers–Rising Stars” for Business Litigation in 2014.

Education

Mr. Gavin earned his law degree, summa cum laude, from Michigan State University College of Law. He earned his bachelor’s degree, cum laude, from Hope College. He is admitted to practice in Michigan.