New Hires, Promotions, Partners

Joseph Bauer, Mitchell Hamline 2018, has joined Gingras, Cates & Wachs as an associate in the Eau Claire office. He focuses on personal injury and civil rights cases.

Julianne Brock, U.W. 2019, has joined Murphy Desmond S.C. as a family lawyer and litigator in the Madison office. She focuses on family law issues, including divorce, collaborative divorce, paternity, marital agreements, post-divorce matters, child support, maintenance and alimony, and grandparent rights.

Kierre Elvington, U.W. 2019, and Kimberly Ripp, U.W. 1995, have joined DeWitt LLP. Elvington, an associate in the litigation and business practice groups, practices in the Brookfield office. Ripp, a family law partner, practices in the Madison office. She serves clients in all matters related to divorce, custody, support, paternity, post-decree issues, and marital property agreements and offers estate planning advice regarding wills and powers of attorney.

Elli A. Ehlen, Marquette 2019, has joined Clair, Thompson & Pollard S.C., Delavan and Lake Geneva, as an associate, and focuses on estate planning, trust and estate administration, and real estate transactions.

Tracy S. Gibson, UC Davis 2000, has joined The Estate Planning Group LLC, Kaukauna, as a life and legacy planning attorney. She is a frequent presenter and adviser to individuals and families on proper estate planning, incapacity planning, and asset protection plans.

Victoria Karcher, U.W. 2011 magna cum laude, has joined the Wausau office of Habush Habush & Rottier S.C. as an associate. She previously worked for another Wausau firm.

Paloma Kennedy, Washington Univ. 2016, has joined the corporate law practice in Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c.’s Milwaukee office. She also is a member of the data privacy and cybersecurity team. She focuses on entity formation, commercial transactions, purchase and lease agreements, license agreements, master service agreements, supply and distribution agreements, corporate governance, and mergers and acquisitions and assists clients with Food and Drug Law regulation and compliance.

Ashley A. Brown, U.W. 2018, and Sarah M. Kidd, Marquette 2013, have joined Leib Knott Gaynor LLC, Milwaukee. Kidd focuses on medical malpractice and civil rights litigation. Brown focuses on professional liability litigation with an emphasis on health-care-related matters.

Shauna Manion, Penn State 2013, has joined Mallery & Zimmerman S.C., Milwaukee, in the litigation department. She represents clients in a wide variety of civil matters, including corporate governance and control, covenants not to compete, shareholder claims, contract disputes, and breach of fiduciary duties.

Dustin McMahon, Michigan State 2011, has joined Chicago-based Markoff Law LLC and practices in the Sussex office, focusing on creditors’ rights, including consumer and commercial debt collection.

Hannah Compton, Marquette 2019, Erica Kolo, Marquette 2019 magna cum laude, Christina Szocka, Marquette 2019, and Nicole M. Ways, Marquette 2016, have joined Meissner Tierney Fisher & Nichols S.C., a Milwaukee-based firm, as associates. Compton and Szocka are with the commercial litigation practice group. Compton focuses on noncompete agreements, business and corporate disputes, construction defects, and insurance coverage litigation. Szocka primarily advises companies in insurance coverage, extra-contractual liability, and professional liability.

Kolo is a member of the firm’s transactional practice group and focuses in business formation, taxation, and mergers and acquisitions. Ways is with the litigation practice group, primarily focusing in complex commercial and insurance coverage litigation. She previously was an associate with SmithAmundsen LLC, Milwaukee.

Three lawyers have joined Michael Best & Friedrich LLP. Elizabeth “Beth” Odian, Marquette 2011 cum laude, and Carrie Ziegler Thomas, Marquette 2006, have joined the labor and employment relations practice group in Milwaukee as senior counsel. Odian defends and advises employers in matters arising under the Wisconsin Fair Employment Act, Title VII, the American with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act. She previously was with Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP. Ziegler Thomas is an immigration attorney and counsels employers throughout all aspects of hiring a foreign employee, such as drafting immigrant and nonimmigrant petitions and permanent resident petitions. She previously was with Grzeca Law Group. Kurt Ellison, Marquette 2013, has joined the labor and employment relations practice group as an associate, also in the Milwaukee office.

Helaina Metcalf, Loyola Chicago 2018, has joined Godfrey & Kahn’s estate planning, estate and trust administration practice group as an associate in the Milwaukee office. Her areas of practice include wills and trusts, business succession planning, estate tax gifting strategies, fiduciary income taxation, estate and trust administration, and probate administration. Previously she worked at Northwestern Mutual.

Amanda Michelle Postel, U.W. 2017, has joined Hawks Quindel S.C., Madison, as an associate. She practices in worker’s compensation, personal injury, and family law and concentrates in working with Spanish-speaking clients.

Daniel D. Daubert, Marquette 1980, Kristi J. French, Univ. of Denver 2011, and W. Craig Olafsson, Marquette 1972, have joined Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c. as members of the firm’s new consumer finance practice, all in the Wausau office.

Daubert, a shareholder in the corporate law practice, focuses on assisting finance companies, businesses extending credit to customers, and loan servicing companies with licensing, compliance, and general corporate matters. French, an associate in the corporate law practice, focuses on compliance matters, including licensing, drafting of closed- and open-end contracts, and direct and indirect lending. Olafsson is of counsel in the corporate law and real estate practices and focuses on the purchase and sale of businesses, formation and dissolution of business entities, contracts, financing, employment law, and HIPAA. He also handles the purchase, sale and lease of all types of real estate, as well as boundary disputes and condemnation matters.

Several attorneys have been promoted to shareholders of von Briesen & Roper s.c. Milwaukee office: Nicholas D. Castronovo, U.W. 2011 cum laude, focuses on commercial and business litigation. Andrew J. Christman, Marquette 2012, focuses on toxic tort, product liability, and commercial litigation matters.

Kevin M. Fetherston, Marquette 2011, focuses on general tort litigation, business and commercial litigation, and professional liability litigation. David A. Frank II, Loyola Chicago 2012, focuses on insurance coverage disputes and litigation. He has experience in aviation and aerospace litigation and served as a flight officer in the U.S. Navy for more than eight years.

J. Ryan Maloney, Marquette 2007 cum laude, focuses on business and commercial litigation, professional liability, product liability, and insurance law.

Oshkosh office: Jonathan R. Eiden, U.W. 2010 cum laude,focuses on labor and employment matters; his clients include public and private employers of all sizes in a variety of industries.

Leila Nadim Sahar, Georgetown 2012, has been elected shareholder at Kravit, Hovel & Krawczyk s.c., Milwaukee. Her practice focuses on commercial litigation, products liability, and shareholder and partnership litigation and appeals.

Chelsea Williamson, Marquette 2012, has been promoted to client development attorney in the Milwaukee office of Cordell & Cordell, a domestic litigation firm focused on representing men in family law cases.

Samuel D. Bach, U.W. 2019 cum laude, and Brian K. Oppeneer, Marquette 1996, have joined Weld Riley S.C., Eau Claire. Bach is with the municipal section. Oppeneer is with the labor and employment section and has wide experience in labor and employment law in his previous employment with Kohler Co., ADP Inc., Spherion Corp., and Randstad.

Michael A. Yamat, Marquette 1992, has joined Lichtsinn & Haensel S.C., Milwaukee, as a shareholder. He is an elder law attorney and focuses on guardianship law, representing hospitals, health care facilities and agencies, and families.

Mergers, Relocations, New Offices

Meghan M. Teigen, DePaul 2007, has joined Mark T. Johnson, U.W. 2008, as partner in the law firm now known as Johnson Teigen LLC (formerly Christenson Johnson LLC), Fitchburg. The firm continues to focus in comprehensive estate planning, special needs planning, elder law and long-term care planning, probate and trust administration, and residential real estate. Iris M. Christenson, U.W. 1990, a founder of the firm, retired on May 31, 2019. Michael A. Fioretti, U.W. 2019, has joined Johnson Teigen LLC as an associate.

Appointments, Elections

Rikaela Greane, Vermont 2017, an associate in the Madison office of Quarles & Brady LLP, has been elected to the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Public Utilities Section board. She is a member of the firm’s energy, environment, and natural resources practice group.

Bryant Park, Marquette 2014, has been elected president of the Wisconsin Asian American Bar Association. He is the diversity and inclusion outreach coordinator for the State Bar of Wisconsin, Madison.

Christopher Rogers, U.W. 1995, a shareholder practicing for Habush Habush & Rottier in the Madison office, has been named Wisconsin co-chair of the Fellows of the American Bar Foundation for a three-year term. He is also a Fellow of the Wisconsin Bar Foundation and is immediate past president of the State Bar of Wisconsin.

The Hon. James A. Morrison, Minnesota 1973, chief judge of the Marinette County Circuit Court, has been selected to chair the Committee of Chief Judges. He succeeds the Hon. Maxine A. White, Marquette 1985, chief judge of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court.

Morrison is chief judge of the Eighth Judicial Administrative District, which includes Brown, Door, Kewaunee, Marinette, Oconto, Outagamie, and Waupaca counties. He is on the Wisconsin Supreme Court Finance Committee and the executive and legislative committees of the Judicial Conference and is former chair of the Board of Bar Examiners. He also is one of six circuit court judges statewide who handle cases in the Wisconsin court system’s commercial docket pilot program. White continues on the committee as chief judge of the First Judicial Administrative District.

John Schulze, Marquette 2004, has been appointed to the board of the Villa of St. Francis, an assisted-living facility in South Milwaukee. He is director of legal and government relations for Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin, Madison.

Benjamin S. Wagner, U.W. 2003, has become chair of the Neuroscience Center Advisory Board of the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW). He is a shareholder with Habush Habush & Rottier, Milwaukee.

Authors, Speakers

The following Wisconsin attorneys authored the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Business Litigation and Dispute Resolution in Wisconsin (3d ed. 2019): Susan K. Allen, Marquette 2006, Stafford Rosenbaum LLP, Milwaukee; Franklyn M. Gimbel, Marquette 1960, and Kathryn A. Keppel, U.W. 1986, Gimbel Reilly Guerin & Brown LLP, Milwaukee; Elizabeth A.N. Haas, Michigan 2005, Trent M. Johnson, U.W. 2004, and Andrew J. Wronski, Minnesota 1994, Foley & Lardner LLP, Milwaukee; Terry F. Peppard, U.W. 1973, Law Office of Terry Peppard, Madison; and Barry R. White, Michigan 1989, von Briesen & Roper s.c., Milwaukee.

Jesse Ishikawa, Michigan 1980, authored the State Bar of Wisconsin’s recently revised Drafter’s Guide to Wisconsin Condominium Documents (4th ed. 2018). He is a retired shareholder of Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c., Madison.

The following Wisconsin attorneys authored the State Bar of Wisconsin’s recently revised Eckhardt’s Workbook for Wisconsin Estate Planners (7th ed. 2019): Patrick V. Anderl, Iowa 2018, and Bradley J. Kalscheur, Marquette 1995, Michael Best & Friedrich LLP, Milwaukee; Susan L. Collins, U.W. 1995, Madison; Kelly M. Condon, Marquette 2013, and Carl D. Holborn, U.W. 1996, O’Neil, Cannon, Hollman, DeJong & Laing S.C., Milwaukee; Mark H.T. Fuhrman, U.W. 1993, Fuhrman & Dodge S.C., Middleton; Daniel J. Glass, Marquette 2011, Urban, Kussmaul, Muller & Glass LLC, Lancaster; Jeff A. Goldman, U.W. 2002, DeWitt LLP, Madison; Steven E. Grimm, U.W. 1997, Axley Brynelson LLP, Madison; Elizabeth A. Heiner, U.W. 1991, Carl J. Rasmussen, U.W. 1982, and David P. Weller, U.W. 1997, Boardman & Clark LLP, Madison; William R. Hughes, Iowa 2008, Foley & Lardner LLP, Milwaukee; Judith G. McMullen, Yale 1980, Marquette Law School, Milwaukee; Wendy S. Rusch, U.W. 2000, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c., Waukesha; Caitlin B. Sikorski, DePaul 2007, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c., Milwaukee; and Sheila Boothby Stevens, Iowa 1995, Michael Best & Friedrich LLP, Madison.

Authors of the State Bar of Wisconsin’s recently revised Organizing a Wisconsin Business Corporation (5th ed. 2018) are Joseph W. Boucher, U.W. 1978, Charles E. Neider, U.W. 1975, and Kent L. Schlienger, U.W. 1985, all with Neider & Boucher S.C., Madison.

Peter J. Block, DePaul 2002, Milwaukee City Attorney’s Office, authored the State Bar of Wisconsin’s recently revised The Wisconsin Public Records and Open Meetings Handbook (6th ed. 2019).

Awards, Degrees, Honors

The Milwaukee Bar Association recently announced its 2019 award recipients. Mary K. Braza, Cornell 1981, received the Lifetime Achievement Award. She is retired from Foley & Lardner LLP, Milwaukee. The Hon. Michael J. Dwyer, Georgetown 1975, received the Distinguished Service Award. He sits on the Milwaukee County Circuit Court. The Hon. Mary M. Kuhnmuench, New England 1983, received the E. Michael McCann Distinguished Public Service Award. She is retired from the Milwaukee County Circuit Court. Dean P. Laing, Marquette 1983, received the Lawyer of the Year award. He is with O’Neil, Cannon, Hollman, DeJong & Laing SC, Milwaukee.

The Dane County Bar Association (DCBA) honored the late Judge Gerald Nichol, U.W. 1963, with the Harvey L. Wendel Service Award, at the Senior Lawyers Section’s 50-year anniversary celebration in June. The Harvey L. Wendel Service Award is given to a member of the DCBA who has demonstrated exemplary service to the legal profession and their community. Judge Nichol was a long-time member and former president of the DCBA.

Rebecca L. Salawdeh, U.W. 1996, has been elected a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. She is president of the Employee Rights Advocacy Institute for Law and Policy after serving as executive secretary for 10 years and also has been an active member of the Wisconsin Employment Lawyers Association and the National Employment Lawyers Association. She operates Salawdeh Law Office LLC, Wauwatosa, representing individuals in employment disputes.

Jesse B. Blocher, Marquette 2006 summa cum laude, and Benjamin S. Wagner, U.W. 2003 magna cum laude, have been elected Fellows of the American Bar Foundation. Both practice with Habush & Rottier S.C. Blocher, who is with the Waukesha office, also is on the State Bar of Wisconsin’s board of governors. Wagner, with the Milwaukee office, also is a member of Gov. Evers’ Judicial Selection Advisory Committee.

Christine D. Esser, Drake 1994 magna cum laude, has become a Fellow of the Wisconsin Law Foundation. She is a shareholder with the Sheboygan office of Habush Habush & Rottier S.C.

In Memoriam

James A. Baxter, Marquette 1972, Milwaukee, March 6, 1947 – July 17, 2019.

Robert L. Brown, U.W. 1958, Waunakee, Aug. 23, 1928 – June 19, 2019.

Daryl L. Diesing, Boston College 1979, Shorewood, May 13, 1953 – Aug. 3, 2019.

Thomas J. Hall, U.W. 1988, Franksville, April 14, 1960 – June 7, 2019.

Viola P. Hazley-Williams, U.W. 1985, Milwaukee, Aug. 20, 1937 – Oct. 20, 2018.

John Charles Kloosterman, U.W. 1995, Toronto, Canada, Aug. 18, 1966 – May 28, 2019.

Marguerite A. Kopke, Marquette 2004, April 16, 1950 – June 10, 2014.

Lowell K. Levy, U.W. 1952, Cedarburg, Aug. 7, 1926 – Sept. 2, 2018.

Hon. Patrick J. Madden, U.W. 1976, Hurley, Jan. 31, 1950 – July 10, 2019.

Hon. James L. Martin, U.W. 1977, Madison, March 18, 1945 – June 29, 2019.

Hon. William Phillips Jr., U.W. 1976, Shorewood, Sept. 22, 1946 – July 16, 2019.

Alvin Richman, U.W. 1953, Milwaukee, March 16, 1929 – May 22, 2019.

J. Patrick Ronan, U.W. 1966, Whitefish Bay, March 1, 1940 – June 23, 2019.

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! Email announcements to: MembersOnly@wisbar.org. Notices about State Bar members in good standing are printed as space is available, and subject to editing. Writing guidelines are available here. Questions? Email us or call (608) 250-6139.

Photo placement: Submit a professional-quality photo. If the photo is used, the State Bar will issue an invoice ($35 each). Group photos are not accepted. High-resolution electronic photos are preferred.

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.

Ineligible announcements: Talks, speeches (unless they are of national stature), honors from other publications, and political announcements are not accepted.