MCSHANE & BOWIE - Key Persons
Aaron Smith provides practical counsel in all phases of commercial real estate development, guiding clients through both legal and business issues to help them achieve their objectives.
His areas of expertise include complex commercial real estate acquisitions, dispositions and developments. Aaron also has extensive experience negotiating office, retail and industrial leases and recreational land use agreements.
Outside of the office, Aaron enjoys spending time with his family, mountain biking, downhill skiing, and rooting for his beloved St. Louis Cardinals.
Dan Challa provides comprehensive counsel in real estate matters, representing banks, institutional lenders, developers, builders, and others across a range of transactions - a practice he's built since joining McShane & Bowie after graduating from law school in 1981.
On any given day, Dan works on real estate purchases, sales, leases, financing, title questions, and transfers of interest. For development and construction projects, he is involved with property acquisition and disposition, contracting, and environmental site assessments. He finds each matter challenging and enjoys every phase, from due diligence to drafting to closing.
Dan is particularly adept at real estate financing and represents both borrowers and lenders in deals involving office, shopping center and retail, industrial, multi-family, multi-use, and special use properties. In addition to local and national banks, he counsels insurance lenders looking to invest in residential and commercial ventures.
Dan has advised several churches and non-profit organizations, too, assisting them with zoning, acquisition, and disposition, work he has found especially gratifying because of his belief in their causes and missions. Beyond his law practice, he serves on advisory boards for Cornerstone University Enactus, and West Michigan Youth for Christ, and he has served multiple terms on the Elder board of Calvary Church in Grand Rapids.
Clients count on Dan to see each deal through to the end and guide them through often complicated procedures. His meticulous attention to detail not only ensures that all collateral documentation is executed, but that clients can rest assured he has identified and addressed potential exposure and risk.
Anyone who knows Dan knows of his passion for fishing. When he's not at his desk or with a client, there's a good chance of finding him on a boat or kayak on Michigan's lakes and rivers, bonefishing in the Bahamas, or tarpon fishing along Florida's Tamiami Trail.
David Smith has been with McShane & Bowie for more than 50 years and during that lifetime of experience, he has focused his practice exclusively on commercial real estate and development. He is now Of Counsel to the Firm and is no longer accepting new client assignments.
For the property owners, builders, contractors, tenants, non-profits, and other clients he has represented, David offered a wealth of expertise. As Of Counsel, he will provide advice and wisdom to others in the Firm dealing with such matters.
David has earned the respect of his peers, as demonstrated by his appearance on the list of Best Lawyers© in Real Estate Law each year since 1993, and his AV Preeminent Lawyer rating, placing David in the highest echelon of the legal profession.
David has given back to the community as a past member of the East Grand Rapids School Board, the East Grand Rapids Planning Commission, Rotary Club of Grand Rapids, and Mayflower Congregational Church. He also served his country as an officer in the U.S. Army
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate at McShane & Bowie, PLC
Evan Malady is an associate at McShane & Bowie, PLC practicing in our real estate, commercial litigation, and estate planning groups.
Evan received his undergraduate degree from Michigan State University and his law degree from the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. While in law school, an externship at the United States Attorney's Office steered him toward beginning his career in public service.
Evan began his legal career as a prosecutor for the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, where he prosecuted Fraud and Identity Theft cases. Before joining the firm, Evan worked as an Assistant Attorney General at the Arizona Attorney General's Office in the Fraud and Special Prosecution section where he prosecuted financial crimes and internet crimes against children.
Originally from Muskegon, Evan returned home to West Michigan and lives in Grand Rapids. When not in the office, Evan enjoys spending time with his family, golfing, and on Lake Michigan.
Jim Bruinsma focuses on commercial, financial services, and real estate litigation, as well as business and corporate representation that includes contract negotiation, land use and real estate development, governance, and financial transactions.
As a litigator, he regularly represents clients involved in commercial disputes in state and federal courts. For many years, he has also represented automotive finance companies in complex consumer class action and commercial finance litigation, including related appeals.
In the real estate arena, Jim represents developers regarding a variety of land use issues, including state and local regulatory approvals, easements and access rights, construction contracts, public access, and disputes involving permitting decisions by local zoning officials or by Michigan's Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. He also shares his knowledge of real estate litigation as a contributing author on adverse possession, trespass, and nuisance litigation issues in Michigan Real Estate Litigation, an authoritative practice guide for attorneys in the state.
Jim manages a variety of business and legal needs for closely-held companies, including facilitating supplier and vendor contracts, production agreements, real estate acquisition and disposition, financing, and related matters.
Jim appreciates the unique challenges that each new matter poses. Clients appreciate his keen judgment, and because he is a quick study, they value his ability to make insightful, decisions. Highly regarded by his colleagues in the legal profession, Jim has repeatedly been selected to the annual lists of Super Lawyers and Leading Lawyers, and he has earned an AV Preeminent Lawyer ranking from Martindale-Hubbell, a symbol of professional excellence.
Jennie Boldish Bryan is one of the most respected and accomplished family law attorneys in Western Michigan.
Jennie represents both men and women in complex divorce litigation including property issues, business valuations, prenuptial agreements, support issues, custody and parenting time. Known for her preparation, diligence, and responsiveness, she is an effective advocate and skilled negotiator.
In advising clients, Jennie draws from her significant trial and appellate experience in Michigan state and federal courts to pursue and preserve her clients' interests. In addition to representing parties, she is frequently retained on a private basis to serve as a mediator or arbitrator on family law matters including complicated matters.
In many instances, particularly high net-worth cases, valuation and division of property can be complicated and may include hidden, inherited, or gifted assets. Jennie collaborates with valuation experts, CPA's, as well as tax, estate planning, business, and real estate colleagues at McShane & Bowie, to identify and protect those assets. Jennie has established important relationships with other professionals to develop the best team to represent her client.
Jennie is highly respected by both her professional colleagues, as well as by judges. Such respect reflects her knowledge of the law, her substantial experience, her professional reputation, and the results of her cases. Jennie is direct with her clients, develops a plan of action, and offers solid legal advice based on her extraordinary experience in family law.
As testament to her skills and standing, Jennie was recently identified as one of only three Michigan leading matrimonial lawyers by Chambers and Partners, an independent research company operating across 200 jurisdictions which delivers detailed rankings and insight in the world's leading lawyers. In 2019 Jennie was selected by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as a "Leader in the Law". Jennie is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a prestigious and highly selective group of lawyers considered experts in family law. She served as President of the Michigan Chapter of the AAML in 2021-2022, and has, for years, served as the Chair of the Michigan AAML annual seminar, a hugely successful event which educates both lawyers and judges throughout Michigan.
Jennie also regularly writes about and teaches a variety of family law topics through the Institute of Continuing Legal Education. She has held leadership roles in the Grand Rapids Bar Association. In 2013, Legal Aid of Western Michigan honored Jennie with the Michael Barnes Award for Pro Bono Service. West Michigan Woman Magazine featured her on its cover as a recognized leader and professional within the Greater Grand Rapids community.
Outside the practice, Jennie enjoys golf, plays piano, and is active with the Grand Rapids International Fellowship Church as a member of the worship team.
In and out of the courtroom, Jennifer Brougham is a strategist and a tactician, achieving favorable outcomes for clients in a variety of business and employment disputes and commercial transactions.
Although she always wanted to be an attorney, Jennifer took a different path before beginning her legal career. After receiving her bachelor's degree from Duke University, she served as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Air Force before leaving the service with the rank of captain. She credits much of her discipline, analytical skills, and focus as a lawyer to her military experience.
Jennifer then entered the private sector, where she began to cultivate her business savvy by managing multi-million dollar contracts and vendor relationships in the oil and gas industry. She later moved into the medical device field, where she oversaw supplier development and participated in regulatory compliance with federal, state, and local laws including the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, HIPAA, and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. True to her dream, she went on to earn her law degree at the University of Notre Dame, graduating with honors.
To Jennifer, being a good lawyer means not only being attentive to clients' needs and goals, but also being resourceful, responsive, and in constant communication over the course of a matter. She believes the best way to get rid of a problem - simple or complex - is to solve it. This requires her to thoroughly investigate the law and facts and evaluate the risks before determining the best possible solution, and making a positive impact on her clients' lives through her advocacy.
Jennifer and her husband, also a military veteran, are active parents, spending much of their free time cheering on their teenage son and daughter in their travel hockey and soccer adventures across the Midwest and beyond.
Prior to joining McShane & Bowie, Kathleen practiced in the Chicago office of a London law firm, where, in addition to commercial and class action defense work, she handled contract and treaty matters for French-speaking clients. Before earning her law degree at the University of Notre Dame Law School, Kathleen served as a legislative director for the Boston Mayor's Commission on Elder Affairs.
Keith Walker moved to Grand Rapids from Los Angeles in 1977 to join McShane & Bowie after graduation from the UCLA Law School. His areas of practice include real estate development, zoning, condominium, and other aspects of real estate law; general business, and tax and estate planning. Keith has helped a variety of clients in the real estate industry survive and prosper through several economic cycles.
Kyle Quinn concentrates exclusively on family law matters, helping people at some of the most emotionally difficult and financially uncertain points in their lives. These matters include but are not limited to prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, divorce, separate maintenance, property division, child support, spousal support (alimony), custody, and parenting time.
Clients not only value Kyle's knowledge and integrity but also value his clear, straight-shooting advice and communication. He translates legal complexities into language that clients understand. Every matter is factually distinct, and Kyle listens carefully to his clients to help identify what is most important to them and provides practical and creative solutions to achieve their goals.
Kyle regularly utilizes negotiation and dispute resolution techniques to obtain favorable resolutions for his clients' often complex legal matters. However, when trial advocacy is needed, he is an aggressive and skilled litigator with significant experience in the courtroom.
Kyle regularly writes and presents on family law topics and trends, and actively participates in the family law sections of the State Bar of Michigan and Grand Rapids Bar Association. He is highly regarded and respected by his peers and the judges before whom he appears.
For the past 20 years, Laura Kane has enjoyed helping clients to solve problems efficiently and to achieve their goals. Laura knows that good client service requires active listening, hard work, dedication, creativity, and resourcefulness.
Before becoming a lawyer, Laura worked for many years as a litigation and corporate paralegal for a range of employers-a national law firm, in-house legal departments, and state government. Laura gained valuable experience in complex litigation and commercial and real estate transactions while assisting a variety of clients. Her background provides a unique perspective and pragmatic approach to legal matters.
As a lawyer, Laura has focused on civil litigation matters and enjoys courtroom advocacy. With a keen awareness of the effort and cost involved in protracted litigation, Laura has also counseled clients on early dispute resolution and litigation avoidance.
Laura is passionate about defensible e-discovery practices, effective oral advocacy, and innovative trial techniques.
Outside of the office, Laura plays piano and enjoys hiking, fishing, and travel with her husband and two children. Laura serves on the Advisory Board of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) of Michigan and cares deeply about ADL's Mission.
After 30 years of experience in federal and state court jury and non-jury trials, international, federal and state-level arbitrations and facilitative mediations, I am a highly respected, skilled and effective trial attorney with concentrations in all aspects of loan defaults, workouts, and lender liability, commercial, non-competition, and supplier disputes, property ownership, easement, boundary and riparian rights matters, construction payment and design/construction defect disputes, and complex family law matters, including high net-worth divorce cases. I am also a proven contributor to my community as a civic leader and a volunteer.
In addition to leading McShane & Bowie as our Managing Partner, Michelle Anthes concentrates her practice in estate planning, trust and probate administration, as well as corporate law, with a focus on physician practices and farming - an important constituency and backbone of the Michigan economy within which different legal needs often intertwine.
From the day they obtain their professional licenses, physicians encounter numerous legal issues, from entering into employment arrangements to starting into their own practices and forming business relationships. Michelle counsels doctors and physician groups at every stage, including employment agreements and restrictions, business entity selection and formation, leases and purchases of office space and equipment, vendor contracts, and dissolution. Physician clients also look to her for their estate planning, wealth transfer, and asset protection needs.
Farmers are an important constituency and backbone of the Michigan economy within which different legal needs often intertwine. Along with agribusinesses and other companies, they face complicated business and succession planning issues. Michelle acts as outside general counsel to these clients, serving as a trusted advisor to multiple generations and owners. This requires a broad perspective and familiarity with an even broader array of legal concerns, including labor and employment, immigration, insurance, financing, and real property matters.
Along with her wise counsel and business savvy clients value Michelle's attentiveness and responsiveness - she is "on call" 24 hours a day. Most importantly, she not only listens to her clients, but she also makes them feel heard.
Equally dedicated to the community in which she lives and works, Michelle, sits on the Professional Advisory Committee for the Grand Rapids Community Foundation.
Michelle is on the board of directors for the Ottawa County Chapter of the Children's Advocacy Center (CAC), a consortium of agencies devoted to addressing the needs of sexually abused children and their families. She is also Vice President of Mulligan's Hollow Ski Bowl, a staple in the Grand Haven community where families can learn to ski and snowboard.
Nicholas Smith concentrates his practice in commercial real estate, working with individuals, small businesses, developers, real estate investors, and financial institutions throughout Michigan. Primarily, he focuses on property acquisition, disposition, and leasing.
Before joining McShane & Bowie, Nicholas worked for a major national firm in its Pittsburgh, PA offices, practicing in commercial, mineral, and energy real estate law. Primarily, he focused on conducting due diligence transaction review, oil and gas title analysis, and drafting title opinions and division orders for oil and gas exploration and development companies throughout the Appalachian Basin states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Additionally, he aided in the management and review of due diligence projects for mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures by various major energy companies, including oil and gas, coal, mineral stone, and surface assets.
In additional to Energy and Commercial real estate practices, Nicholas has previously helped clients with general business counseling and management, including advising corporate borrowers under the Paycheck Protection loan applications under the CARES Act of 2020.
When not in the office, Nicholas enjoys spending time golfing, traveling, and pursuing a passion for American history and the preservation of important sites as well as a great admiration for the rehabilitation and re-purposing of historic buildings as a means for revitalizing our urban centers, small and large.
As a partner in the firm's business and corporate practice group, Nick Heinz represents clients in a wide array of business transactions. He has a particular focus on mid-market mergers and acquisitions.
Before joining McShane & Bowie, Nick served as deputy general counsel for a top ten global insurance brokerage. There, he worked closely with the chief legal officer to build and mature the legal function. He worked on matters ranging from insurance regulatory compliance, to privacy, to mergers, acquisitions, financing, and related due diligence.
Steve Price advises and represents clients on a broad range of real estate and business matters, including:
Structuring, documenting, negotiating and coordinating commercial, office, industrial, residential, hotel and educational real estate transactions, including acquisitions, sales, development and financing
Negotiating and drafting commercial, office and industrial leases, licenses and use agreements
Residential, commercial and industrial condominium projects, including multi-use and layered condominiums
Construction contracting
Zoning and land use permitting, approvals and planned use developments
Municipal service and infrastructure agreements and districts
Due diligence review, including title, survey and environmental assessments
Entity structuring, formation and operations
Property tax appeals
Todd Neckers decided he was going to be a lawyer as soon as his dreams of playing professional baseball died - which happened to be in the 6th grade - so you could say he has prepared for a legal career since the early 1990s. And with seven lawyers in his family, including his father, he had plenty of opportunities to observe and ask questions from a very young age.
In his business and corporate practice, Todd is an outside general counsel for sole proprietorships as well as family-owned and multi-owner closely-held companies in Western Michigan, ranging from startups to non-profits to established enterprises. He advises on a full spectrum of legal, organizational, and operational issues, including formation, corporate governance, employer-employee relations, contract drafting and negotiation, acquisitions and divestitures, franchising, succession planning, and protection of trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and other intellectual property.
Along with representing clients in industries such as manufacturing, hospitality, real estate, construction, technology, retail, and professional services, Todd also helps business owners with estate planning. Through a combination of wills, trusts, charitable gifts, and other mechanisms, he assists individuals and families in reducing tax liability while also strategically protecting assets and transferring wealth to spouses, children, grandchildren, and other beneficiaries.
Clients appreciate Todd's business savvy (he previously founded and ran his own law firm) and his thorough understanding of the intersection between important business, professional, family, and personal decisions. He is the lawyer on whom they rely throughout their businesses' lifecycles and personal lives. While Todd enjoys addressing clients' challenges and finding creative solutions to their problems, he is also proactive in making introductions, facilitating connections, and building relationships that help clients prosper.
A native of Grand Rapids and a Michigander through and through, Todd graduated magna cum laude from Hope College before attending the University of Michigan Law School. He and his wife Kate live on the southeast side of Grand Rapids with their three children (who may also be quietly preparing for their legal careers).
In addition to his Juris Doctor, Wayne has a Master of Laws in taxation and is also a CPA, giving him a broad, panoramic view of the wide variety of issues on which he counsels his clients. He generally represents privately-held entities, and his clients span a wide range of industries such as manufacturing, construction and property development, finance, and professional services including accounting and law firms. Wayne strives to develop close working relationships with stakeholders across the organizations he represents, from C-level officers and executives to mid-level managers and frontline employees. He is truly at his best when he's helping people, regardless of the roles they occupy or the responsibilities they carry.
With extensive experience in corporate tax planning, strategic planning, business succession planning, business organizations, and corporate law, Wayne serves as outside general counsel to various clients focusing on long-term vision and goals. He also assists with their day-to-day legal needs. But his mindset is more like a doctor: "tell me where it hurts, and if I can't solve your problem, I will find someone who can." Sometimes this is through consultation with his partners at McShane & Bowie, and sometimes he'll consult with and bring to bear other professional relationships and resources to deliver the best solution.
Bill Bowie focuses his practice on the financial side of business transactions. This includes real estate development, zoning, condominium, taxation, property tax assessments, general business, and estate planning. Bill deals with real estate developers, general contractors, retailers, and automotive dealers; and advises clients who are buying and selling real estate and businesses. He has been involved in numerous commercial and real estate developments, providing both legal services and structuring and financing analysis.
Bill also serves on the firm's management committee.
Bill VanderSluis has an extensive transactional real estate practice that spans agricultural law to zoning law and everything in between.
To Bill, every real estate matter is a puzzle that needs deciphering and solving, a perspective that helps him minimize risk for the banks, developers, investors, farmers, and individuals he represents. Retaining Bill is like buying an insurance policy - if there's a problem, he'll find it and fix it now, saving unnecessary time and expense later.
This is particularly true with the title work and survey reviews Bill performs. On several occasions, he has uncovered unperfected interests and obscure deed restrictions, pitfalls that would have exposed the client to risk and liability had they gone undetected. He has also saved clients thousands of dollars in real estate taxes through the creative use of tax cap exemptions at the time clients purchase appreciated lake front homes and other property.
During both high school and college, Bill worked on residential construction sites where he learned surveying and gained insight into the business of constructing and selling real estate. A college career counselor recommended he pursue cartography and math, but Bill opted for a legal career where he could apply his strong analytical and technical skills. He graduated magna cum laude from law school and was the class valedictorian.
The real estate matters Bill handles include purchases and sales, title transfers, mortgage and loan documentation, all types of leases, easements, cell tower, wind, and solar leases, zoning and land use involving residential, condominium, multi-family, commercial, industrial, and special use properties. He counsels farmers and agribusinesses on issues such as government benefits, subsidies, tax breaks, and incentives.
Bill currently sits on and is the Chairperson of the City of Wyoming Zoning Board of Appeals, and he is an affiliate member of the Commercial Alliance of Realtors, serving on the organization's Forms Committee to standardize transactional documents and practices.