Jack Buchanan
By Tom Kirvan
Legal News
Attorney Jack Buchanan, a seminal figure in the state’s legal community for more than six decades, died May 21, less than two months short of what would have been his 90th birthday.
The news of his passing was announced by his son, Rob Buchanan, an attorney in Grand Rapids and a past-president of the State Bar of Michigan. The founder and longtime president and CEO of the international Society of Primerus Law Firms, Buchanan died of complications from a stroke he suffered May 15 at his winter home in Scottsdale, Ariz., according to his son.
“He had suffered from pulmonary fibrosis for much of his life after surviving Stage 4 melanoma when he was in his 30s,” said Rob Buchanan. “The chemotherapy and radiation treatments he underwent at the time caused the damage to his lungs, resulting in the pulmonary fibrosis.”
Despite a series of other health challenges that included atrial fibrillation, Buchanan enjoyed a remarkable legal career as a trial attorney, successfully trying more than 200 cases while also making a mark as an innovator and entrepreneur by launching Primerus nearly 35 years ago.
The oldest of four sons, Buchanan was raised on a “gentleman’s farm” near Plymouth. His mother, Betty, was a Wayne State University Law School alumna, while his father, William, was a partner in a Grand Rapids law firm who also carved out a sterling reputation as a trial lawyer.
After earning his law degree from the University of Michigan, Buchanan went to work in his father’s firm, trying cases “big and small” before 12-member juries for many years. He eventually formed his own firm, which at one time included his son, Rob, and his daughter, Jane Beckering, now a U.S. District Court judge in the Western District of Michigan.
When Buchanan launched Primerus in 1992, he did so in part to help counter much of the negativity that was aimed at the legal profession. Little did he expect that it would grow into an international society of boutique law firms that now has members in more than 40 countries around the globe. He was always quick to credit his wife, Sheila, who has served as Executive Vice President and Meeting Planner, for much of the organization’s success.
Funeral services are pending, although they are expected to take place sometime during the week of June 8 in the Grand Rapids area, according to family members.
Legal News
Attorney Jack Buchanan, a seminal figure in the state’s legal community for more than six decades, died May 21, less than two months short of what would have been his 90th birthday.
The news of his passing was announced by his son, Rob Buchanan, an attorney in Grand Rapids and a past-president of the State Bar of Michigan. The founder and longtime president and CEO of the international Society of Primerus Law Firms, Buchanan died of complications from a stroke he suffered May 15 at his winter home in Scottsdale, Ariz., according to his son.
“He had suffered from pulmonary fibrosis for much of his life after surviving Stage 4 melanoma when he was in his 30s,” said Rob Buchanan. “The chemotherapy and radiation treatments he underwent at the time caused the damage to his lungs, resulting in the pulmonary fibrosis.”
Despite a series of other health challenges that included atrial fibrillation, Buchanan enjoyed a remarkable legal career as a trial attorney, successfully trying more than 200 cases while also making a mark as an innovator and entrepreneur by launching Primerus nearly 35 years ago.
The oldest of four sons, Buchanan was raised on a “gentleman’s farm” near Plymouth. His mother, Betty, was a Wayne State University Law School alumna, while his father, William, was a partner in a Grand Rapids law firm who also carved out a sterling reputation as a trial lawyer.
After earning his law degree from the University of Michigan, Buchanan went to work in his father’s firm, trying cases “big and small” before 12-member juries for many years. He eventually formed his own firm, which at one time included his son, Rob, and his daughter, Jane Beckering, now a U.S. District Court judge in the Western District of Michigan.
When Buchanan launched Primerus in 1992, he did so in part to help counter much of the negativity that was aimed at the legal profession. Little did he expect that it would grow into an international society of boutique law firms that now has members in more than 40 countries around the globe. He was always quick to credit his wife, Sheila, who has served as Executive Vice President and Meeting Planner, for much of the organization’s success.
Funeral services are pending, although they are expected to take place sometime during the week of June 8 in the Grand Rapids area, according to family members.
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