John Allen

John W. Allen is a Senior Counsel at the firm of Varnum LLP in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and in Naples, Florida. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan, A.B. (1969) and J.D. (1972). He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America® (Litigation Banking & Finance and Trusts & Estates, Legal Malpractice, Family Law; and "Lawyer of the Year- Trusts & Estates Litigation in Kalamazoo), the Top 100 Michigan Super Lawyers, and has been named by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as one of Michigan's 25 Top Leaders in the Law. He is an Expert Witness on Ethics, Conflicts, and Attorney Fees. (See EXPERT BIO in Posts.) He is a Board Certified Civil Trial Advocate (National Board of Trial Advocacy) and member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). His practice areas are Commercial Law, Litigation, Family Law and Professional Responsibility- Ethics. John is admitted in Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, and all Federal Courts in those jurisdictions, as well as the US Tax Court, the US Court of Claims, and the Supreme Court of the United States. He served 8 years in the US Army/ USAR as a Captain in the Judge Advocate General Corps (JAGC), and attached to the 82d Airborne HQ and 7th Special Forces Group, and at the University of Virginia JAGC Law School for courses in Environmental Law and the Law of War. He has served on the ABA Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section (TIPS) Governing Council of the and chaired the TIPS Ethics and Professionalism Committee. He served as the TIPS liaison to the ABA Special Task Force on Attorney-Client Privilege; the ABA Standing Committee on Lawyer Professional Liability (LPL); and to the ABA Standing Committees on Ethics and Professionalism. He served as a member of the ABA Ethics 2000 Advisory Group, and on the faculty of the ABA-TIPS National Trial Academy. John has served as President of the Western Michigan Federal Bar Association, and on the Governing Council of the Florida Bar Association Out-of-State Practitioners Division (OOSPD). He has served as Chair of the State Bar of Michigan Ethics Committee and Discipline Committee, and for 20 years has chaired the Annual Ethics Update for the Michigan Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE). For over 30 years, John has also been a Governor for the Golf Association of Michigan (GAM), and a Rules Official and Tournament Administrator for the USGA & PGA, officiating at 7 National Championships and countless State and Local Golf Tournaments. Hobby -1963 Corvette Sting Ray restoration. Three children- all lawyers.