New Hires, Promotions, Partners

Brett S. Blayer, Marquette 2023, and Tara M. Sellen, Indiana Univ. – Maurer School of Law 2023, have joined the Law Firm of Conway, Olejniczak & Jerry S.C., Green Bay. Blayer’s practice areas include corporate law, real estate, and general business. Sellen’s practice areas include family law, litigation, and estate planning.

Samantha S. Bailey, Marquette 2022, Russell J. Karnes, Marquette 2010, and Christopher L. Strohbehn, Marquette 2002, have joined Milwaukee-based Mallery s.c. They previously practiced together at another downtown-Milwaukee law firm. Bailey is an associate involved in a wide range of civil litigation cases and does both plaintiff and defense work. Her pro bono activities include working with Sojourner Family Peace Center’s domestic violence intervention services.

Karnes has a diverse civil litigation practice focused on real estate, property tax assessment appeals, contract and business disputes, quiet title actions, foreclosure and title insurance litigation, misrepresentation claims, collection actions, and municipal law. He also assists clients in their business, estate planning, and real estate transactions. Karnes is on the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Board of Governors and works as a volunteer with the Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinic.

Strohbehn maintains a diverse litigation practice that focuses on personal injury, insurance coverage litigation, civil litigation, and commercial property tax appeals and has written about and presented at seminars on personal-injury litigation and property tax appeals.

Blake Knickelbein, U.W. 2013, John Rejowski, U.W. 2018, and Amy Ruhl, Univ. of Denver 2000, have joined Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c.

Knickelbein rejoins Reinhart in the Corporate Law Practice in the Waukesha office, counseling clients on matters including mergers and acquisitions, commercial transactions, corporate governance, entity formation, and equity issuances. Rejowski is in the Litigation Practice in the Milwaukee office, advising clients in various litigation matters, including cases involving breaches of contract, product liability, and shareholder disputes. Rejowski previously was a Milwaukee County assistant district attorney.

Ruhl is with the Real Estate Practice and a managing shareholder of the Denver office. Ruhl has extensive experience in Denver’s complex commercial real estate projects, mixed-use projects, multifamily and affordable housing projects, general development, industrial development, landlord and commercial leasing issues, zoning and land use matters, and financing. Ruhl played a key role in many high-impact projects, such as in increasing housing availability near Denver International Airport, and also represented the developer in the acquisition, sale, and condominium formation of a master-planned community.

Mergers, Relocations, New Offices

Crabbe, Brown & James LLP, Columbus, Ohio, will formally combine with Amundsen Davis LLC on Jan. 1, 2024. With this addition, Amundsen Davis will be comprised of more than 240 attorneys operating 12 offices throughout Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Indiana, and Ohio. Drawing upon both firms’ talent, Amundsen Davis will offer a full suite of business law services, including labor and employment, intellectual property, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, succession planning, commercial real estate, cybersecurity, tax, and, for individuals, estate and wealth planning. The firm will serve clients in industries including manufacturing, health care, finance, distribution, construction, transportation, hospitality, retail, public entities, cannabis, and cryptocurrency.

Claire Ann Richman, U.W. 1993, and Michael P. Richman, Columbia 1979, have opened Richman & Richman LLC, 122 W. Washington Ave., Suite 850, Madison. The Richmans previously were partners in Steinhilber Swanson LLP, which dissolved as of Sept. 30. The Richmans continue to concentrate on professional solutions to complex litigation, bankruptcy cases, and disputes throughout Wisconsin and nationally. Michael Richman also teaches bankruptcy law as an adjunct professor of law at the U.W. Law School.

Paul Swanson, U.W. 1979, James Sweet, U.W. 1978, Virginia George, Marquette 1988, and John W. Menn, U.W. 2009, have opened Swanson Sweet LLP, with offices in Milwaukee, Madison, and Oshkosh. Michael Jurkash, U.W. 2022, Peter Nowak, U.W. 2020, and Davis Sullivan, U.W. 2022, have joined the firm as associates. The boutique commercial-law firm, which focuses in corporate renewal, bankruptcy, and commercial litigation, provides services and advice about financial restructuring and complex business bankruptcy reorganization to clients in Wisconsin and throughout the Midwest.

The founding members of Swanson Sweet LLP previously were partners in Steinhilber Swanson LLP, which dissolved on Sept. 30, and the new associates previously were associates at Steinhilber Swanson.

Appointments, Elections

Tomislav Z. Kuzmanovic, U.W. 1988, has been appointed as partner in charge of the Milwaukee office of Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP. His practice spans a wide range of commercial and business litigation, including class action defense, transportation, international arbitrations, toxic torts, product liability, and more. Kuzmanovic is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.

Brick Murphy, U.W. 1995, has joined the board of New North Inc., the regional economic development corporation for 18 counties in northeast Wisconsin. Murphy is a mergers and acquisitions and real estate transactional attorney in the Green Bay office of Ruder Ware, which also has offices in Wausau and Eau Claire. Before joining Ruder Ware, Murphy served as in-house counsel for a national telecom firm he had represented for more than 20 years while working for another local law firm.

Awards, Degrees, Honors

Robert Sholl, Chicago 1981, has become a Fellow of the Wisconsin Law Foundation, which honors State Bar of Wisconsin members who have achieved outstanding accomplishments in their legal careers and have demonstrated dedication to their communities through service and leadership.

Sholl is a shareholder in the Labor and Employment Practice and Litigation Practice at Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c., Milwaukee. He focuses on labor and employment law, representing management exclusively. His practice includes workplace harassment, discrimination, non-compete agreements, whistleblower, and breach-of-employment-contract lawsuits; employee health and safety, unemployment, and worker’s compensation matters; and labor arbitrations, unfair labor practice hearings, and collective bargaining.

Sholl is a coauthor of Wisconsin Employment Law and Hiring and Firing in Wisconsin, both published by the State Bar of Wisconsin; is a past chair of the State Bar’s Labor & Employment Law Section; and is a past president of the Labor and Employment Relations Association (Wisconsin Chapter).

Benjamin S. Wagner, U.W. 2003, has become a member of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers (IATL). IATL seeks out, identifies, acknowledges, and honors lawyers who have achieved a career of excellence through demonstrated skill and ability in jury trials, trials before the court, and appellate practice. Members are engaged in civil practice on both the plaintiff’s and the defendant’s side of the courtroom and trials of criminal cases. Wagner is a shareholder with Habush Habush & Rottier in the Milwaukee office and focuses in personal-injury law.

Retirements

Kevin P. Crooks, Marquette 1984, recently retired after 38 years practicing at Crooks Law Firm S.C., Wausau.

The Hon. Bruce Schroeder, Marquette 1970, retired from the Kenosha County Circuit Court effective Nov. 27, 2003. Judge Schroeder was the longest-serving circuit court judge in Wisconsin; he was appointed to the bench in 1983 by then-Governor Tony Earl and won elections ever since.

In Memoriam

William M. Cannon, U.W. 1972, Mequon, April 24, 1948 – Oct. 7, 2023.

M. Bruce Gottschalk, Marquette 1954, Slinger, Jan. 26, 1930 – Oct. 15, 2023.

Mark O. Ilten, Valparaiso 1975, Stevens Point, April 3, 1950 – June 28, 2023.

Robert L. Jackson Jr., U.W. 1962, Menomonee Falls, Feb. 20, 1936 – May 10, 2020.

David L. Lee, U.W. 1972, Madison, Sept. 16, 1938 – Oct. 13, 2023.

James E. Low Jr., Marquette 1965, Wausau, Oct. 2, 1940 – Sept. 10, 2023.

Timothy L. Pagel, Marquette 2007, Milwaukee, March 31, 1981 – Sept. 19, 2023.

Glen Russell Peterson, Akron 1977, New Braunfels, Texas, April 2, 1950 – June 30, 2023.

Francis J. Phelan, Fordham 1959, Chicago, Sept. 23, 1933 – Feb. 20, 2023.

Steven James Sarbacker, U.W. 1995, Portage, Oct. 31, 1964 – Oct. 20, 2023.

Leonard A. Tokus Jr., Chicago-Kent 1963, Shorewood, Dec. 20, 1932 – May 25, 2016.

Diane Fae Williams, U.W. 1996, Eagle, May 28, 1947 – Aug. 3, 2023.