JOSEPH A. AHERN received his Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in both economics and history, from Marquette University in 1980, and his Juris Doctor degree from Marquette University in 1984. After practicing law in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for almost two years, Mr. Ahern accepted a position at Stark Reagan in December of 1985, where he remained until 2009. Mr. Ahern was the managing partner of Stark Reagan for nine years, specializing in advising small businesses, commercial litigation, and corporate restructuring and bankruptcy matters. Mr. Ahern is currently the managing partner of Ahern Fleury.
Mr. Ahern currently devotes much of his practice to bankruptcy, insolvency and litigation matters. Mr. Ahern has represented clients in cases through trial in seven states, plus the District of Columbia, while appearing in state and federal courts in over twenty states. Mr. Ahern has been involved in tax controversies, bankruptcy matters, and the entire gamut of commercial litigation matters. Virtually all of these cases involve complex multi-party matters.
Mr. Ahern is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the State Bar of Wisconsin, and the Oakland County Bar Association. He is admitted to practice in both the Michigan and Wisconsin state courts, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, the United States Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, the United States Tax Court and the United States Supreme Court.
Mr. Ahern has served on several Boards of Directors, including Advance Capital One, Inc., (currently the Chairman) a family of mutual funds; the Advisory Board for the Daughters of Divine Charity (currently as President), a Roman Catholic Convent; the Mutual Fund Directors Forum Advisory Board, a national organization composed of independent mutual fund directors; and the Birmingham Athletic Club (his last year as President of the Athletic Club).