Joe is a business, real estate, and estate planning attorney in the Grand Rapids office of Smith Haughey. He serves as outside general counsel for small and medium-sized private and family-owned companies, non profits, and other businesses throughout Michigan in many different industries including technology, food, and healthcare.

As outside general counsel, Joe is regularly called upon by companies to handle business transactions, traditional and non-traditional financing arrangements, employment, software licensing, contracts, real estate transactions, leases, easements, trademark registration, franchising, risk assessment, and business transition planning. He has special experience in obtaining liquor licenses for businesses from the Michigan Liquor Control Commission and local governments.

For business owners and other individual clients, Joe offers guidance on wills, trusts, estate administration, guardianships, conservatorships, and probate litigation.
Joe holds a Certificate of Completion in the areas of probate and estate planning from the Institute of Continuing Legal Education and the Probate and Estate Planning Section of the State Bar of Michigan.

Joe lives in Grand Rapids with his wife Gretchen and their two children.

Noteworthy

• Listed as a "Rising Star" in Michigan Super Lawyers (2009) -- Estate Planning & Probate

Education

• Miami University (B.A., 2002)
• Michigan State University College of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 2005), Law Review – Managing Editor

Admitted to Practice

• State Bar of Michigan, 2005
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan, 2005
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 2007

Presentations

• "Establish Your Business: LLC's, S-corps, and C-corps -- An Overview," Making the Grade: Basic Legal Know-how for Business Owners seminar, sponsored by Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge, August 9, 2011 
• Panelist, "Addressing the Cloud From a Legal Perspective", Embracing the Cloud, sponsored by CPR a Division of Corporate Technologies, LLC, May 25, 2011
• Presenter, "Basics of Starting a Business," Executive Series UpClose Workshop, sponsored by Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women, March 24, 2011
• Panelist, "The Art of Valuation: Appraisal Law Updates," Donor Tax Breaks: A Keeler Legacy Society Series seminar, sponsored by the Grand Rapids Art Museum, October 21, 2010
• Presenter, "Protecting Your Wealth," The Building Blocks of Wealth Management seminar, co-sponsored by Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge, December 14, 2009
• Presenter, "Getting Your Medical Device Approved," WMSTI seminar, sponsored by Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge, April 1, 2007

Smith Haughey Articles

• "What's In a Name?", Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge Business Law Update, November 2009.
• "Landowner's Guide to Cell Tower Leases," Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge Legal Ease Newsletter, Fall 2009.
• "Collecting on a Debt," Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge Legal Ease Newsletter, Spring 2009.
• "Do You Need to Change Your Beneficiary Designations?", Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge Legal Alert, March 2009.
• "'S' Corporations: Navigating the Curves," Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge Business Law Update, November 2008.
• "The ABCs of FDIC: How to Get the Most Coverage Possible For Your Deposits," Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge Legal Ease Newsletter, Spring 2008.
• "Purchase Orders: Protecting Your Interests," Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge Legal Alert, February 2008.
• "Litigating Your Business Disputes in Federal Court," Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge Legal Alert, November 2007.
• "The Unique Challenges to Litigating Claims Involving Children: The Defense Attorney's Perspective," Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge Medical Malpractice Update, January 2007.
• “Michigan Federal District Court Re-Affirms Defense Counsel’s Ability to Meet Ex-Parte with Plaintiff’s Treating Physician,” Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge Medical Malpractice Newsletter, February 2006.

External Publications

• “New & Exciting Improvements in Healthcare & Medicine Mean Keeping the FDA on Speed Dial,” The Grand Rapids Lawyer, November/December 2006. 
• “Parental Fair-Procedure Interests in Child Custody Disputes: A Criticism of Michigan’s Established Custodial Environment Analysis and the Temporary Custody Order,” Holy Cross Journal of Law and Public Policy, 2005.

Smith Haughey Publications

News for Joseph E. Belsito

1/13/2012
Smith Haughey Announces New Shareholder and Board Members

9/17/2009
Smith Haughey Lawyers Named "Super Lawyers"

11/19/2005
SHRR Welcomes New Associate

5/19/2004
Summer Associates Join SHRR

Professional Affiliations

• State Bar of Michigan (Member, Business Law and Probate & Estate Planning Sections)
• Grand Rapids Bar Association (Member, Business & Taxation and Real Estate Sections)
• Association for Corporate Growth, Member

Community Affiliations

• G.R.O.W. (Executive Committee, Board of Directors)
• Van Andel Institute (Member, J-Board)