ATTORNEYS
John R. Foley
Founding Partner
BIO
Mr. Foley’s practice concentrates primarily on Family Law, with a focus on high conflict cases and those with significant property at issue. Over the course of his practice, Mr. Foley has developed a wealth of practical experience and insight into the emotional, psychological and financial aspects of settling complex custody, parenting time, spousal support and property issues. Mr. Foley is committed to helping men and women resolve their Family Law related issues in a fair and honorable manner, avoiding when possible the emotionally destructive and financially debilitating consequences of litigation.
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In addition to representing individual clients, Mr. Foley has served as both a mediator and an arbitrator since 1995. He is widely known for his ability to bring complex and contentious cases to resolution through his alternative dispute resolution practice. Mr. Foley has been a part of family law mediation in this region since its beginnings when he served as a volunteer mediator in the Wayne County Circuit Family Court mediation pilot project at the invitation of the Honorable William Callahan.
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Despite his commitments, Mr. Foley still provides pro bono legal services on referral from religious leaders, including priests and imams, in the Dearborn area. He is a past member of the Wayne County Bench/Bar Committee and has served by invitation as a mediator for the Michigan Court of Appeals in Family Law cases.
EDUCATION
Detroit College of Law, 1980
Juris Doctor
Oakland University, 1977
B.A., English & Political Science
Representative Matters
• Skelly v. Skelly, 286 Mich. App 578 (2009).
Admissions
State Bar of Michigan
Eastern District of Michigan
Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
Patrick A. Foley
Managing Partner
Managing Partner, John R. Foley, P.C.
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ADMISSIONS
• State Bar of Michigan
• State Bar of Alabama (inactive)
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan
EDUCATION
• J.D., University of Alabama School of Law, 2010
• B.A. in Economics & Management, Albion College, 2007
– Carl A. Gerstacker Institute for Professional Management
– Presidential Scholar
• Detroit Catholic Central High School, 2003
BIOGRAPHY
Patrick A. Foley is a seasoned business litigator and legal strategist who leads the business law and litigation division at John R. Foley, P.C., a Detroit-based firm known for its decades-long legacy in complex, high-conflict matters. Patrick represents business owners, professionals, investors, and fiduciaries in corporate bankruptcy, commercial litigation, real estate disputes, and financial reorganizations—often stepping in when the financial or legal stakes are at their highest.
Patrick launched his legal career by serving as lead counsel to the Chapter 7 Trustee in the national liquidation of a 70+ location franchise operation, a fast-paced, high-liability case that required immediate command of operational wind-downs, lease negotiations, claims resolution, and the preservation of estate assets across multiple jurisdictions. That experience became the cornerstone of a career built on navigating legal and financial complexity under pressure.
Patrick represents a wide range of clients—including professionals, real estate developers, closely held businesses, and individuals in high-liability industries such as film, media, and entertainment. His practice spans complex business litigation and transactional matters, including partnership and shareholder disputes, breach of fiduciary duty claims, commercial contract actions, and real estate development conflicts. He advises clients on business structuring, deal negotiations, and risk management, and regularly handles trademark registration, brand protection, and federal trademark litigation. Whether he’s guiding a client through an acquisition, defending a company in a multi-million-dollar dispute, or securing intellectual property rights,
Patrick is known for strategic judgment, tireless preparation, and clear, practical guidance at every stage. In addition to running the firm’s business side, Patrick actively collaborates with the firm’s family law and probate team—founded by his father, John R. Foley—to provide high-level insight in cases involving business ownership, asset tracing, trust and estate disputes, and complex divorce proceedings. Whether advising clients on business succession planning, resolving intra-family conflicts over property, or litigating the division of marital assets, Patrick brings the same rigor and financial sophistication that define his commercial work.
Patrick has been recognized by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star every year since 2020 and was profiled in Marquis Who’s Who in 2021 for leadership in legal practice. He is known for his precise preparation, forthright communication, and calm under pressure.
REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS
• Represented multiple trustees and corporate creditors in adversary litigation and fraudulent transfer actions.
• Recovered substantial judgments in partnership and breach of fiduciary duty disputes.
• Defended businesses in contested commercial lease, title, and construction defect cases.
• Structured private reorganizations and debt workouts for high-net-worth individuals and small businesses.
• Guided distressed business acquisitions and wind-downs in and outside of court.
• Multiple successful jury verdicts in business litigation cases.
• In family law, has prevailed in several multi-million dollar divorce estate cases, discovering assets and obtaining for the client high dollar settlements or judgments despite evasion efforts by the spouse.
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PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
• American Bankruptcy Institute
• American Bar Association
• Federal Bar Association
• Michigan Association for Justice
• Detroit Bar Association
• Oakland County Bar Association
• Wayne County Family Law Bar Association
• Incorporated Society of Irish American Lawyers (ISIAL)
CIVIC & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
• Detroit Athletic Club (DAC)
• Gaelic League of Detroit
• Ferndale Elks
HONORS & RECOGNITIONS
• Super Lawyers – Rising Stars, 2020–2025
• Marquis Who’s Who, 2021
• Lawyers of Distinction – Corporate & Financial Law, 2019
PERSONAL INTERESTS
Outside of his legal work, Patrick is an avid sailor who keeps a 26-foot C&C on the Detroit River. He also enjoys playing racquetball and tennis, spending time on the golf course, and occasionally pretending that law and sport require different skill sets.
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Jesse R. Stec
Senior Associate, John R. Foley, P.C.
Head of the Family Law, Estate Planning & Probate Practice Groups
ADMISSIONS
• State Bar of Michigan
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
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EDUCATION
• J.D., cum laude, Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School, 2017
• B.A., Criminal Justice, Grand Valley State University, 2013
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BIOGRAPHY
Jesse R. Stec is a senior associate at John R. Foley, P.C. and head of the firm’s family law, estate planning, and probate divisions—practices founded and built by the firm’s namesake, John R. Foley, and now carried forward under Jesse’s leadership. With a decade of experience inside the firm and direct mentorship from Mr. Foley himself, Jesse has developed a reputation for calm, calculated advocacy in high-conflict divorce litigation, fiduciary disputes, and wealth-preserving estate plans.
Jesse’s practice focuses on helping families and fiduciaries navigate the most sensitive and complex legal issues with strategic clarity and discretion. He represents clients in contested divorce and custody matters, guardianship and conservatorship proceedings, trust and estate disputes, and multi-generational estate planning. He regularly advises business owners, professionals, and trustees on asset protection, succession planning, and probate litigation involving substantial estates or intra-family conflict.
In the courtroom, Jesse is a highly capable litigator with an unflappable demeanor and deep command of family and probate procedure. He is particularly skilled at simplifying emotionally and financially complex cases, helping clients achieve durable results while minimizing disruption to their lives and relationships. His experience spans bench trials, evidentiary hearings, and contested motions in probate, family, and circuit courts across Southeast Michigan.
Jesse also maintains a civil practice portfolio, including commercial landlord-tenant disputes, creditor-debtor litigation, and quiet title actions—making him uniquely suited to handle divorces and fiduciary disputes involving real estate, business assets, or overlapping financial claims.
Jesse has lived in Detroit since 2015. He joined John R. Foley, P.C. in 2015 as a law clerk and became a full associate upon passing the bar in 2017. Since then, he has grown into a trusted leader of the firm and the go-to counsel for clients seeking clarity, strategy, and results in life’s most personal and consequential matters.
REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS
• Secured full parenting time rights for a father who had been denied contact with his daughter for more than two years.
• Won guardianship and conservatorship over a mentally ill adult parent in a highly contested family proceeding.
• Obtained full guardianship of three minor children for grandparents in a complex neglect and abandonment case.
• Resolved a high-stakes commercial eviction dispute with no damages paid and the tenant remaining in possession.
• Litigated contested trust and estate claims on behalf of heirs and beneficiaries, resulting in court-ordered fiduciary accountings and financial recovery.
• Structured and implemented comprehensive estate plans for high-net-worth individuals, including blended families and business owners with multi-generational wealth.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
• Wayne County Family Law Bar Association
• Wayne County Probate Bar Association
• American Bar Association
• Detroit Bar Association
• Incorporated Society of Irish American Lawyers (ISIAL)
CIVIC & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
• Pucks for Autism – Michigan
• Ferndale Elks
PERSONAL INTERESTS
Jesse lives in Detroit’s historic Boston-Edison neighborhood—just a few doors down from managing partner Patrick Foley—where he and his wife are proudly raising their twin boys. A lifelong athlete and fierce competitor, Jesse plays ice hockey regularly. He’s also a devoted racquetball and tennis player, and can occasionally be found hacking his way through a weekend round of golf.
Outside of sports, Jesse is a voracious reader of history, legal nonfiction, and fiction ranging from epic fantasy to literary classics. He’s known around the firm not only for his steady courtroom presence, but for his dry wit and calm under pressure. At home, he’s most often found chasing toddlers, outwitted by them, or finding increasingly creative ways to tease his loving wife.
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J. Ryan Glavin
Associate Attorney, John R. Foley, P.C.
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BIO
Ryan is a civil litigator with a passion for advocacy and a deep intellectual foundation in ethics, logic, and critical analysis. He represents individuals, families, and businesses in complex litigation, including commercial disputes, real estate matters, and high-conflict family law cases. His reputation for thoughtful analysis, clear writing, and calm under pressure makes him a trusted advocate and an essential member of the firm’s litigation team.
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A native of Birmingham, Michigan, Ryan moved to Detroit in 2014 to attend Wayne State University and has made the city his permanent home. Like the other attorneys at John R. Foley, P.C., he is a proud and engaged Detroiter, deeply committed to the city’s future both professionally and personally. He owns and is actively renovating his home in the historic Fitzgerald-Marygrove neighborhood and contributes to his community through pro bono legal work and direct charitable giving.
Ryan began his career at John R. Foley, P.C. as a law clerk, where he quickly distinguished himself through his analytical skill, work ethic, and ability to thrive in the high-stakes environment of trial litigation. His seamless transition to the role of associate attorney followed his successful passage of the Michigan Bar Exam in 2024. His trajectory at the firm reflects a steady commitment to the practice of law and the values that define the firm’s litigation philosophy.
Before joining the firm, Ryan served as a summer associate at Haque Legal (2021–2022) and as a law clerk at Bodman PLC (2014–2015). He also holds a Master’s degree in Philosophy from Wayne State, where he taught undergraduate philosophy courses as a graduate assistant — experience that honed his clarity in communication and depth of reasoning, both vital to his litigation practice.
EDUCATION
• J.D., Wayne State University Law School, 2023
• M.A. in Philosophy, Wayne State University, 2020
• B.A. in Philosophy, University of Michigan–Dearborn, 2018
ADMISSIONS
• State Bar of Michigan
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PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
• Detroit Bar Association
• Oakland County Bar Association
• Wayne County Family Law Bar Association
• Ferndale Elks
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PERSONAL INTERESTS
Outside of his legal work, Ryan enjoys racquetball, bowling, and baseball, and is an avid reader of history, philosophy, and literature. He is passionate about the intellectual and civic life of Detroit and remains deeply engaged in the community he now calls home.
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