In the News

New Hires, Promotions, Partners

Thomas Arnon Allen, U.W 1992 cum laude, has been promoted to senior counsel for RMT Inc., in its corporate headquarters in Madison. He is a registered patent attorney, responsible for the legal aspects of RMT's technology development. RMT Inc. is an environmental engineering and consulting firm with 21 offices throughout the U.S. and Europe.

Michael E. Banks, Emory 1993, has been made partner in Haus, Resnick and Roman LLP, Madison. He will continue to practice in business, commercial, and intellectual property transactions, general business and commercial law, commercial and general litigation, and employment law.

Donna C. Becker, U.W. 1988, has joined Catholic Charities Diocese of Arlington, as the supervisor of legal services at Hogar Hispano. She previously practiced immigration and naturalization law in Washington, D.C.

Nicholas J. Bertha III, Marquette 1975, has joined the investment banking firm of Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette, Manhattan. A senior vice president, he helps coordinate investment banking and asset management activities. Bertha previously was with Salomon Smith Barney, New York City.

Michael Buxton Devine, Drake 1980, Exeter LL.M. 1988, has joined the chambers of Donald Gordon, Barristers-at-Law, London, as a tenant. He also is of counsel to Pavelic & Levites P.C., Attorneys-at-Law, New York City, and teaches in the LL.M. programs at Kent Law School, University of Kent at Canterbury, England.

Jerry Drabiak, John Marshall 1981, has joined Nilles & Nilles, Milwaukee, concentrating in intellectual property law.

Charles I. Henderson, UCLA 1973, Bonnie A. Wendorff, U.W. 1987, and Alyson K. Zierdt, Marquette 1981, have joined Davis & Kuelthau S.C. as shareholders. Henderson will be at the Milwaukee office continuing to practice in corporate law, real estate, sports law, and construction matters. He previously was a shareholder with Cook & Franke S.C. Wendorff will practice labor and employment law and employment discrimination litigation in the Madison office. She previously was a partner with Boardman, Suhr, Curry & Field LLP, in the labor and employment law group. Zierdt is a member of the litigation and labor and employment sections. Her practice focuses on litigation matters including general business disputes, contract, and employment law. She also serves as a mediator and arbitrator in civil disputes.

Kimberly Epstein, U.W. 1996, has joined Boston Community Capital, a community development financial institution, as loan program manager. She previously was a commercial litigator with Calotta Levine Samuel LLP, New York City.

Kristin K. Frye, Marquette 1996, has joined Sneed, Vine & Perry P.C., Austin, Tex., as an associate practicing in corporate law, securities, and commercial real estate. She previously was associate general counsel at Empire Funding Corp.

Michael A. Faust, Drake 1994, has joined Consigny, Andrews, Hemming & Grant S.C., Janesville, as an associate practicing in business, corporate, and real estate law and estate planning.

Timothy S. Trecek, Marquette 1993, Jodi L. Habush, Harvard 1992, Douglas E. Swanson, Iowa 1990, and Nicholas J. McNamara, U.W. 1993, have become shareholders in Habush, Habush, Davis & Rottier S.C. Trecek and Habush practice out of the Milwaukee office, Swanson at the Waukesha office, and McNamara in the Madison office.

Katherine Stadler, Northwestern 1997, Denise L. Stoker, U.W. 1997, and Carol Muratore Dehler, U.W. 1989, have joined Godfrey & Kahn S.C. Stadler joins the litigation practice group in the Madison office. She previously was an associate at Foley & Lardner, Madison. Stoker joins the intellectual property practice group in the Milwaukee office. She previously was with Andrus, Sceales, Starke & Sawall LLP, Milwaukee. Dehler joins the real estate practice team in the Milwaukee office. She previously was a senior attorney with Firstar Corp. and an associate at Michael, Best & Friedrich.

Randy C. Rucinski, U.W. 1991, has been made partner in Jaeckle Fleischmann & Mugel LLP, with offices in Buffalo and Rochester, New York. Rucinski is a member of the litigation practice area, concentrating in complex commercial, contract, products liability, medical malpractice, real property, and civil rights litigation.

Tracy K. Kuczenski, U. W. 1999 cum laude, has joined Michael Best & Friedrich LLP, in the Madison office, as an associate. Kuczenski focuses on land use, environmental, and local government law.

Terence P. McElwee, S.M.U. 1978, has been named intellectual property counsel for the University of Illinois-Chicago. McElwee has been director of technology transfer at Marquette University since 1995, where he started the technology licensing program.

Karl A. Meyer Jr., Marquette 1997, has joined Niebler, Pyzyk, Klaver & Wagner LLP, Menomonee Falls, as an associate. He previously was an associate at Stupar, Schuster & Cooper S.C., Milwaukee.

G. Houston Parrish, Kentucky 1995, has joined Kasieta Legal Group LLC, Madison, concentrating in civil trial work, personal injury, employment law, worker's compensation, and product liability.

MaryNell Regan, Marquette 1994, has joined the Milwaukee City Attorney's office as assistant city attorney, continuing in employment litigation. Regan also has accepted a position on the board of directors for SHARE, a nonprofit food distributor and volunteer organization serving the state of Wisconsin.

David P. Ruetz, Montana 1990, has joined the Milwaukee office of Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C., concentrating in environmental and real estate law. Ruetz previously was with Von Briesen, Purtell & Roper S.C., Milwaukee.

Werner E. Scherr, Marquette 1961, has joined the Milwaukee office of Gonzalez, Saggio, Birdsall & Harlan LLP, as a partner in the litigation group. He previously was a senior partner of Kasdorf, Lewis & Swietlik, Milwaukee.

Lynn J. Splitek, U.W. 1991, has joined Haus, Resnick and Roman LLP, Madison, as an associate, focusing on family and school law. She previously was with Foley & Lardner, Madison.

Ronda C. Warren, Hamline 1997, has joined Murray & Cross, Milwaukee, as an associate focusing on employment, labor, and business dispute resolution and litigation. Warren previously was with Wassel Law Offices.

Deborah Smith, U.W. 1980, has been named legal counsel for the Wisconsin Public Defender (WPD). She previously was WPD's director of training and development, Madison trial region first assistant, and staff attorney. Virginia A. Pomeroy, Minnesota 1981, has been named deputy state public defender. She previously was legal counsel, appellate division director, and staff attorney in the trial division and appellate division.

Appointments, Elections

Thomas M. Domer, U.W. 1983, a partner at Shneidman, Myers, Dowling, Blumenfield, Ehlke, Hawks & Domer, Milwaukee, has been elected chair of the worker's compensation and workplace injury section of the American Trial Lawyer's Association for 2000-01. The chair is responsible for section publications and the annual education program.

Thomas J. Gritton, Hamline 1985, has been elected Winnebago County circuit court judge branch 1. Gritton has been deputy district attorney for 10 years and will assume the bench Aug. 1. He previously was in private practice with Kahler, Chiquoine & Krueger, Reedsburg.

Thomas J. Kapusta, Marquette 1979, Loyola 1996 LL.M., was named general counsel for The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society, the largest not-for-profit long term care organization in the country. He was formerly vice president/associate general counsel for the Murer Group, a national healthcare consulting company. He will reside in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Debra Riedel, Marquette 1989, has been appointed court commissioner by Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Jacqueline Schellinger. Riedel is in private practice in Milwaukee, focusing on family law.

Authors, Speakers

Ralph Adam Fine, Columbia 1965, a court of appeals judge, has written The How-to-win Appeal Manual, a sequel to The How-to-win Trial Manual. Both books are published by Juris Publishing Co., New York. He also authored Fine's Wisconsin Evidence. Fine also teaches trial advocacy at state bar and in-house programs around the country.

William C. Gleisner III, Michael K. McChrystal, and Michael J. Kuborn are the 1999 recipients of the Hon. Charles Dunn Author Award, which is presented annually by the State Bar Communications Committee. The award, named after Wisconsin's first chief justice, recognizes writing excellence in Wisconsin Lawyer articles. The attorneys were recognized for their series of articles: "Coping with the Legal Perils of Employee Email," "Regulating Electronic Commerce," and "Laptop Litigation: The Impact of Technology on Litigation." The articles "contributed significantly to a recognition among lawyers of the broad implications of computer technology on the practice of law and law office management," says award committee chair Don Wall. Gleisner, McChrystal, and Kuborn will receive a plaque at the State Bar's June Annual Convention at the Monona Terrace, Madison.

Bruce A. McIlnay and James Joseph Gettel also received certificates of commendation for their September 1999 article, "A New Approach to Employment Administration."

Kenneth Port, U.W. 1989, Terence McElwee, S.M.U. 1978, and Faye Hammersley, Marquette 1998, authored Licensing Intellectual Property in the Digital Age, the first law school text book devoted exclusively to licensing. It's available from Carolina Academic Press.

Carlton D. Stansbury, Iowa 1990 with distinction, delivered a presentation at the American Bar Association Family Law Section's Spring CLE Conference in New Orleans entitled "Once is not Enough: Dissolving a Second Marriage Between the Same Spouses." He is a shareholder in Burbach & Stansbury S.C., Milwaukee, practicing family law.

Awards, Degrees, Honors

Kelly Chapek Centofanti, Marquette 1990, has been awarded the 2000 Marquette University Law School Spirit Award. She is a partner in Aiken & Scoptur S.C., Milwaukee, and concentrates in personal injury work. She is secretary of the State Bar of Wisconsin, vice president of the Milwaukee Bar Association, and a past president of the Association for Women Lawyers.

Frank J. Daily, Marquette 1968, has been named the Marquette University Law School Alumnus of the Year. He is a senior partner in the Milwaukee office of Quarles & Brady, practicing in complex product liability cases and heads the firm's national product liability practice. He is a fellow in the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and has been listed in the Best Lawyers in America. He is a past president of the Marquette University Law Alumni Association, serves on the Law School fund-raising committee, and is a lifetime member of the President's Council.

Major Kevin H. Govern, Marquette 1987, was awarded the Major General William F. Garrison Award, which recognizes the special operations judge advocate commissioned, or warrant officer or enlisted soldier who has made the most significant contribution to the rule of law with the special operations community during the previous year. Govern is the legal advisor to the command operations review board, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.

Michael J. Gratz, U.W. 1994, a shareholder at Boyle Fredrickson Ziolkowski S.C., was awarded the U.S. Air Force Meritorious Service Medal for his dedicated service as deputy staff judge advocate for the 115th Fighter Wing, Wisconsin Air National Guard from Jan. 1996-2000.

Jerris Leonard, Marquette 1955, has been awarded the 2000 Marquette University Law School Lifetime Achievement Award. Leonard is chair of the federal legislative practice group of Hopkins & Sutter, Washington, D.C. He served in the Wisconsin Assembly and Senate from 1957 to 1969, and was U.S. Assistant Attorney General from 1969 to 1971. He is active in numerous professional, fraternal, social, and academic organizations. He is a 1998 recipient of the Wisconsin Law Foundation's Outstanding Professional Award.

Kenneth L. Port, U.W. 1989, has been awarded a Fulbright grant to conduct research in trademark law in Japan. Port created and developed Marquette University's Intellectual Property Law Program, including 15 courses, a law review, and numerous conferences and symposia. A professor of law at Marquette, Port teaches trademark law, copyright law, international intellectual property law, and comparative law. He is a frequent author and lecturer on intellectual property-related topics.

Donald B. Rintelman, Michigan 1980, has been elected a fellow of the American College of Investment Counsel. The college studies and educates its members about legal issues related to significant institutional investment financing. Rintelman is a shareholder at Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C., concentrating in business and commercial finance and mergers and acquisitions.

Mergers, Relocations, New Associations

Eric W. Zaeske, Marquette 1989, has joined Harris & Nelson LLP, Wauwatosa, as a partner to create Harris, Nelson & Zaeske LLP. Zaeske, along with attorneys Christine Harris and Teri M. Nelson, will continue to concentrate in all areas of family law.

John H. Pellmann, Marquette 1995 magna cum laude, formerly with Swartzberg & Duggan S.C., Milwaukee, has formed the Law Office of John H. Pellmann, 631 N. Mayfair Rd., Wauwatosa. He will continue to focus on real estate law, business law, and estate planning/probate.

Arthur P. Simpson, U.W. 1980, and Stuart R. Deardorff, Chicago Kent 1987, have formed Simpson & Deardorff S.C., 735 W. Wisconsin Ave., Suite 720, Milwaukee. Andrew J. Schwaba, DePaul 1998, also joins the firm as an associate. The firm concentrates in civil litigation, plaintiff and insurance defense/coverage.

In Memoriam

Roy E. Berg, U.W. 1952, Janesville, March 20, 1924 - April 15, 2000.

Michael A. Clarke, Marquette 1962, Milwaukee, Sept. 15, 1934 - March 6, 2000.

Christine E. Ebert, U.W. 1996, Boston, Mass., Sept. 8, 1965 - April 4, 2000.

Robert H. Flatley, U.W. 1935, Green Bay, July 3, 1908 - Feb. 14, 2000.

Jack J. Gimbel, U.W. 1940, Milwaukee, Sept. 6, 1914 - March 2, 2000.

Richard J. Harrigan, Marquette 1942, Mequon, July 8, 1916 - March 12, 2000.

S. Ted Hitzler, Marquette 1931, Fond du Lac, Jan. 4, 1906 - March 29, 2000.

Romaine D. Thorfinnson, North Dakota 1963, Oshkosh, June 30, 1932 - Nov. 16, 1999.

Bernard C. Westfahl, Marquette 1940, Elm Grove, March 14, 1916 - April 7, 2000.

Wisconsin Lawyer