Joe Gavin has been practicing law since 2005. He is a litigator, and has extensive experience in both federal and state courts. He has represented individuals, Fortune 500 companies and family-owned businesses.  Mr. Gavin has handled complex cases involving myriad issues.

Healthcare Reimbursement Litigation

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

Appellate Litigation

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

• Mecosta Co Medical Center v. Metropolitan Group Property & Cas Ins Co, 509 Mich. 276 (2022) (holding that privity between an assignor and an assignee ceases at the point of assignment).
• Cheff v. Cheff, unpublished opinion of the Court of Appeals, issued April 24, 2012 (Docket No. 300231) (affirming the trial court’s holding favoring the client voiding a postnuptial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).
• DuRay Development v. Perrin, 288 Mich. App. 143 (2010) (reversing entry of judgment against the client based on the de facto corporation doctrine).
• Hillsdale Community Health Center v. Pioneer State Mutual Insurance Company, unpublished opinion per curiam of the Court of Appeals, issued September 8, 2009 (Docket No. 285681) (affirming trial court’s award of summary disposition and attorneys’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 and Community Activities

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 member of the Board of Directors for the Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society, and serves as its Treasurer.  Mr. Gavin also serves on the board for Alternative Directions, a Kent County-based program that serves MDOC Probationers and Parolees in leading successful, crime-free lives in their communities.  He is a former member of the Board of Trustees for the GRBA, former chair of the Justice Foundation of West Michigan, 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.

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.