New Hires, Promotions, Partners

Matthew D. Brown, Iowa 2009 with distinction, has rejoined the intellectual property practice group of Michael Best & Friedrich LLC in the Waukesha office and focuses on preparation of patent applications and clearance, patentability, and validity opinions in various technologies. Before returning to the firm, he spent three years volunteering and traveling in 40 countries across six continents.

Scott M. Butler, Marquette 2010, has been promoted to partner and shareholder of Fitzpatrick, Skemp & Associates LLC, La Crosse. His practice is concentrated in personal injury, automobile accidents, premises liability, and worker’s compensation.

Joseph Campbell, Michigan 2014, has joined the Milwaukee office of Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart PC as an associate. He represents management in a full range of employment law matters.

Abigail Churchill, U.W. 2015, has joined Koritzinsky & Karls, Madison, as an associate.

Susan M. Fisher, St. Thomas 2006, has joined the Columbia County Corporation Counsel Office, Portage, as an assistant corporation counsel. She previously was the managing attorney of the Wisconsin Guardianship Support Center with the Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources (GWAAR), Madison.

State Bar Immediate Past President Robert R. Gagan, Marquette 2000, is now a partner in the Green Bay office of O’Neil Cannon Hollman De Jong & Laing S.C. He previously was a partner at Calewarts, Duffy, Gagan & Erdman, Green Bay, practicing primarily in civil litigation and municipal law.

Nathan Ganfield, U.W. 2001, has been named general counsel at Johnsonville Sausage LLC, Sheboygan Falls.

Dan Gartzke, U.W. 1986, has joined Boardman & Clark LLP, Madison, with the family law practice group. Before joining the firm, he built a state-wide practice as a solo practitioner, with wide-ranging trial experience in civil matters before trial courts and administrative agencies.

Gail Groy, Kingston University (U.K.) 1994, has joined the Madison office of Axley Brynelson LLP and concentrates her practice on personal injury law and civil litigation, including nursing home abuse, bicycle accidents, motorcycle and car accidents, construction accidents, slip and fall accidents, dog bites, and wrongful death. She also is an associate member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Kathryn P. Heyer, Marquette 2000, has joined Sperling Law Offices LLC, Milwaukee, and focuses on plaintiff’s personal injury and nursing home litigation. She previously worked in house for Farmers Insurance Exchange and Badger Mutual Insurance Co.

Julie Lewis, Minnesota 1988, has joined the Madison office of Strang, Patteson, Renning, Lewis & Lacy s.c. and continues to serve clients in Rock County and southern Wisconsin. She represents public, private, and nonprofit employers on employee benefits, labor relations, employment law, and general civil law matters, focusing on Affordable Care Act and ERISA compliance issues. Lewis formerly was with Nowlan & Mouat, Janesville.

William P. Scott, U.W. 1988, has joinedMallery & Zimmerman S.C., Milwaukee, as a shareholder, primarily focusing on environmental and natural resources law as applied to real estate development, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory compliance, permitting, and enforcement defense. 

Adam A. Bardosy, Marquette 2005, and Michael A. Marx, Marquette 2008, have been elected shareholders. Bardosy provides counsel to clients in real estate, finance, and corporate transactions, and litigation. Marx represents financial institutions, developers, franchisees, and small businesses in various corporate and commercial real estate transactions.

Joe Newbold, Washington Univ. 2006, has been elected a shareholder with O’Neil, Cannon, Hollman, DeJong & Laing, Milwaukee. He is a member of the litigation practice group and manages a variety of complex cases involving class actions, commercial real estate, franchise litigation, and intellectual property matters.

Christopher M. Scherer, John Marshall 1999, has joined the Brookfield office of DeWitt Ross & Stevens S.C., and its affiliate DeWitt Mackall Crounse & Moore S.C., as a member of the intellectual property group, concentrating on domestic and international patent prosecution, particularly for electrical and electronic circuits and systems, computer software, medical devices, medical patient monitoring and treatment technology, device fabrication, optical devices and systems, and mechanical devices. In May, he spoke on a panel at the AIPLA Spring Meeting, on the topic of added matter in U.S., European, and Chinese patent prosecution.

Janet G. Stellpflug, Hamline 1986, has joined the Minneapolis office of DeWitt Mackall Crounse & Moore S.C., an affiliate of the Wisconsin-based firm DeWitt Ross & Stevens S.C. Stellpflug’s practice focuses on complex construction litigation and products liability. She regularly represents contractors, engineers, and manufacturers in all types of disputes.

Paul Stenzel, U.W. 1995 cum laude, has joined Hansen & Hildebrand S.C., Milwaukee, in an of counsel capacity, providing representation in all areas of family law. He has experience in mediation, federal Indian law, tribal law, and tribal court development and previously was a part-time deputy family court commissioner in Racine County.

Ralph Topinka, U.W. 1980, has been named chief legal officer at ProHealth Care Inc., Waukesha.

Samantha J. (Sam) Wood, U.W. 2013 cum laude, has joined the Milwaukee office of Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c. with the labor and employment practice, focusing on areas including employment discrimination, wage and hour, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disability Act, unemployment insurance, employment-related immigration, and disputes arising under the National Labor Relations Act.

Mergers, Relocations, New Offices

Minneapolis-based Thomsen & Nybeck P.A. is combining its practice with DeWitt Mackall Crounse & Moore S.C., an affiliate of the Wisconsin-based firm DeWitt Ross & Stevens S.C. (DeWitt). With the addition of seven new attorneys, DeWitt now has more than 115 attorneys with expertise in more than 30 areas of law and offices in Madison, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis.

Michael D. Greiber, U.W. 1999, has opened Greiber Law S.C., Portage. Greiber, formerly with Kammer & Greiber S.C., is a general practitioner who focuses on civil litigation, wills and probate, landlord/tenant, and real estate transactions. He also opened Badgerland Title Services Inc.

Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek, with offices in Milwaukee, Waukesha County, Madison, and Chicago, and Husch Blackwell, headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., have merged, effective July 1, 2016. The combined firm, to be known as Husch Blackwell, will have more than 700 lawyers and offices in 19 cities.

Appointments, Elections

Amy O. Bruchs, U.W. 1993 with honors, has been named office managing partner for the Madison office of Michael Best & Friedrich LLP. She is with the labor and employment relations practice group and focuses primarily on employment law, labor law, and litigation.

Michael D. Hayes, DePaul 1984, is coleader of the new class-action-
litigation multidisciplinary team at Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C. Hayes, a principal in the Chicago office, is a trial lawyer with extensive experience litigating a broad range of complex civil and criminal matters in state and federal trial and appellate courts and before regulatory agencies.

Timothy T. Kay, Marquette 1984, has been elected to a second term as Lake Country Municipal Court judge. Lake Country Municipal Court is comprised of 18 municipalities in western Waukesha County and is the largest joint municipal court in the state.

Steven B. Novy, Notre Dame 1973, was elected president of the Transportation Lawyers Association for 2015-16. He is a partner with Chilton Yambert & Porter LLP, Chicago, and licensed to practice in Illinois and Wisconsin. He concentrates his practice in the areas of transportation and construction. Richard A. Westley, U.W. 1975, is immediate past president of the association.

Authors, Speakers

Authors of the recently revised volume I of Advising Older Clients and Their Families (State Bar of Wisconsin PINNACLE^®, 3d ed. 2016) are the following: Nicholas E. Fairweather, Case Western Reserve 2000, and Colin B. Good, Montana 2004, Hawks Quindel S.C., Madison; April Hartman, U.W. 2007, Legal Action of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; Mark T. Johnson, U.W. 2008, Christenson Johnson LLC, Fitchburg; Greg W. Renz, Chicago 1975, Foley & Lardner LLP, Milwaukee; Theresa L. Roetter, Marquette 1993, Annen Roetter LLC, Madison; Kate Schilling, Detroit 2008, Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources Inc., Madison; Paul M. Schmidt, Kansas 1990, Boardman & Clark LLP, Madison; Bruce A. Tammi, Marquette 1976, Law Office of Bruce A. Tammi, West Allis; and Heidi Wegleitner, St. Thomas 2005, Legal Action of Wisconsin, Madison.

The following attorneys contributed to the 2016 edition of Annual Survey of Wisconsin Law (State Bar of Wisconsin PINNACLE^® 2016): Administrative Law:Mary Beth Peranteau, U.W. 1996, Wheeler, Van Sickle & Anderson SC, Madison; Business and Securities Law: Alexander (Sandie) Pendleton, Minnesota 1987, Pendleton Legal S.C., Milwaukee; Civil Procedure: Joseph P. Campbell, Michigan 2014, Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart PC, Milwaukee, and Chelsey B. Metcalf, U.W. 2015,Foley & Lardner LLP, Milwaukee; Constitutional Law:Matthew J. Hills, Marquette 2014, DeWitt Ross & Stevens S.C., Brookfield, and Jordan Rohlfing, U.W. 2014, DeWitt Ross & Stevens S.C., Madison; Creditor/Debtor Law: Nancy Johnson, U.W. 1994, and Jason D. Buckner, Marquette 2015,Brennan Steil S.C., Janesville, Edward A. Corcoran, U.W. 1981, Neider & Boucher S.C., Madison, and Eliza M. Reyes, John Marshall 1997, Krekeler Strother S.C., Madison;

Criminal Law: Patrick J. Schott, Marquette 1988, Schott, Bublitz & Engel s.c., Brookfield; Elder Law: Mark T. Johnson, U.W. 2008, Christenson Johnson LLC, Fitchburg, and Jessica A. Liebau, Marquette 2011, Willms S.C., Thiensville; Environmental Law: Leah H. Ziemba, Syracuse 2006, and Cameron F. Field, Vermont 2013, Michael Best & Friedrich LLP, Madison; Ethics and Professional Responsibility: Timothy J. Pierce, U.W. 1992, and Aviva M. Kaiser, SUNY-Buffalo 1979, State Bar of Wisconsin, Madison; Evidence: Dean P. Laing, Marquette 1983, and Patrick G. McBride, Marquette 1995, O’Neil, Cannon, Hollman, DeJong & Laing S.C., Milwaukee;

Family Law: Patricia M. Heim, Marquette 1974, and Jessica T. Kirchner,Minnesota 2003, O’Flaherty Heim Egan & Birnbaum Ltd., La Crosse; Health Law: Alyce Katayama, Maryland 1974, Elizabeth R. Gebarski, Marquette 2013, and Samuel A. Magnuson, Marquette 2015,Quarles & Brady LLP, Milwaukee, and Sarah E. Coyne, U.W. 1995, Quarles & Brady LLP, Madison; Insurance Law: Erik J. Pless, U.W. 1993, Everson, Whitney, Everson & Brehm S.C., Green Bay; Intellectual Property Law: Hillary J. Wucherer, Marquette 2008, and Heather Stutz, Marquette 2014, Quarles & Brady LLP, Milwaukee;

Juvenile Law: Anton S. Jamieson, U.W. 1997, Dane County Circuit Court Commissioner’s Office, Madison; Labor and Employment Law: Steven M. Kruzel, Marquette 2014, Quarles & Brady LLP, Milwaukee; Municipal Law: Christopher B. Hughes, Indiana-Bloomington 1993, S. Bryan Kleinmaier, U.W. 2000, and Holly J. Wilson, U.W. 2014, Stafford Rosenbaum LLP, Madison; Probate and Estate Planning: Vanessa Klemish, U.W. 2010, Klemish & Johnson LLC, Eau Claire; Real Property: Lucas N. Roe, U.W. 2008, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c., Madison, and Adam Jardine, Michigan 2015, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c., Milwaukee; School Law: JoAnn M. Hart, U.W. 1985, and M. Tess O’Brien-Heinzen, U.W. 1993, Boardman & Clark LLP, Madison;

Tax Law: Carl D. Fortner, U.W. 1986, Timothy L. Voigtman, U.W. 1998, and Jordan J. Bergmann, U.W. 2014, Foley & Lardner LLP, Milwaukee, and Theresa Nickels, U.W. 2005, and Eric J. Hatchell, U.W. 2011, Foley & Lardner LLP, Madison; Torts: Amanda J. Kaiser, U.W. 1984, Andrew Hebl, Michigan State 2008, and Evan B. Tenebruso, U.W. 2011, Boardman & Clark LLP, Madison; Trade Regulation: Susan K. Allen, Marquette 2006, Stafford Rosenbaum LLP, Milwaukee, and Jeffrey A. Mandell, Chicago 2006,Stafford Rosenbaum LLP, Madison; Unemployment Insurance: Marilyn Townsend, Potomac 1974, Marilyn Townsend Law Office, Madison; and Worker’s Compensation: Sean M. Spencer, Marquette 2001, Spencer Law S.C., Pewaukee.

Authors of the recently revised Commercial and Consumer Transactions in Wisconsin (State Bar of Wisconsin PINNACLE^®, 2d ed. 2016) are the following: Ralph C. Anzivino, Case Western Reserve 1972, Marquette University Law School, Milwaukee; David I. Cisar, U.W. 1982, von Briesen & Roper s.c., Milwaukee; Timothy S. Crisp, Duke 1990, Foley & Lardner LLP, Madison; Catherine L. Davies, Michigan 1990, Adam R. Konrad, Cornell 2005, and Robert J. Misey Jr., Vanderbilt 1987,Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c., Milwaukee; Shane Delsman, U.W. 2007, Godfrey & Kahn S.C., Milwaukee; Michael C. Lueder, Indiana 1987, and Andrew J. Wronski, Minnesota 1994,Foley & Lardner LLP, Milwaukee; and Amy M. Salberg, U.W. 1998, Salberg Law Firm LLC, West Bend.

Awards, Degrees, Honors

The Eastern District of Wisconsin Bar Association honored the following individuals at its annual meeting and presentation in Milwaukee in April. The Hon. Margaret Dee McGarity, U.W. 1974, retired from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, received the Myron L. Gordon Lifetime Achievement Award. The Hon. Janine Geske, Marquette 1975, retired from the Wisconsin Supreme Court and Marquette Law School, received the Judge John W. Reynolds Community Building Award. Donald J. Wall, Marquette 1977, counsel to the circuit executive with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, Chicago, received the Nathan A. Fishbach Founder’s Award.

Christopher K. Flowers, Marquette 2014, has been named Small Business Legal Assistance Champion as part of the Small Business Administration Wisconsin Awards. The awards recognize outstanding leaders in the small business community. Flowers is an associate at Godfrey & Kahn S.C., Milwaukee, in the litigation practice group.

Rev. Kathryn C. Jones, Chicago-Kent 1988, has completed a Ph.D. in clinical social work at the Institute for Clinical Social Work in Chicago. She also was recently named the district superintendent for the North West District of the Wisconsin Conference of the United Methodist Church. She supervises 84 United Methodist churches in northwestern Wisconsin.

Colonel John E. Kosobucki (U.S. Army – retired), Marquette 1977, recently received the designation Certified Inspector General Investigator from the Association of Inspectors General. He serves as a Senior Official Investigator for the Department of Defense, Office of the Inspector General, Alexandria, Va.

Retirements

Eckert – Kost LLP, Rhinelander, established in 1985, has closed because of the retirement of partners Michael L. Eckert, U.W. 1975, and Keith K. Kost, Southern Illinois 1981.

In Memoriam

John A. Evans, U.W. 1978, Oconto, Sept. 22, 1946 – March 9, 2016.

Ann E. Fleischli, Illinois 1966, Madison, March 30, 1943 – March 20, 2016.

Arthur F. Lubke Jr., Michigan 1963, Waukesha, Oct. 2, 1936 – Dec. 25, 2015.

William Michael Orth, William Mitchell 1980, Minneapolis, Jan. 11, 1947 – Dec. 12, 2015.

How to Place your Announcement

If you have moved, become a partner or an associate, or received a promotion or an award, let us know. Talks, speeches (unless they are of national stature), honors from other publications, and political announcements are not accepted. Notices about State Bar members in good standing are printed as space is available, and at no cost, must be submitted in writing, and may be edited. Questions: (608) 250-6139.

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Deadline: The first of the month preceding publication. For example, to place an announcement in the May issue, it must be received before April 1. Email to: MembersOnly@wisbar.org. Include your State Bar membership number.