New Hires, Promotions, Partners

Rebekah Cheslock, Marquette 2015, has joined the Fox Valley-based Menn Law Firm and concentrates on probate, real estate, agriculture, and equine law. She previously worked for a nonprofit firm in the Milwaukee area.

Three attorneys have joined Davis & Kuelthau s.c. in the Brookfield, Green Bay, and Milwaukee offices. James E. Lowe Jr., Indiana Univ. 1979, and Jacqueline L.Messler, Marquette 2012, are with the corporate team. Lowe is a senior attorney in the Milwaukee office, focusing on intellectual property law and working with business owners, executives, and in-house counsel to develop and implement IP strategies, manage portfolios, and prosecute and negotiate patents. He previously was in-house counsel, including chief patent counsel for two Fortune 1000 manufacturers. Messler is an associate in the Brookfield office and focuses on estate planning, tax law, and small business law. She previously practiced at a metro-Milwaukee-area business law firm.

T. Wickham Schmidt, Yale 2002, is a senior attorney with the litigation team in the Green Bay office, focusing on commercial litigation and working with businesses to address complex business disputes, including class actions, shareholder derivative litigation, patent infringement cases, and construction disputes.

The Hon. Chad R. Gendreau, U.W. 2003, has been appointed as an administrative law judge for the Social Security Administration at the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review’s Milwaukee location. He previously was an assistant attorney general at the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

Three attorneys have been elected shareholders at the Milwaukee office of Godfrey & Kahn S.C. Shane Delsman, U.W. 2007, is with the intellectual property and litigation practice groups and focuses his intellectual property law practice on litigation, counseling, and procurement. Delsman is also an author and speaker on the interplay of intellectual property law and the internet. Brian Spahn, U.W. 2006 cum laude, is with the litigation practice group and focuses on complex commercial litigation and white collar defense and internal investigations. Spahn has handled banking and financial services litigation, construction disputes, employment and trade secret misappropriation matters, and managed complex class action defenses.

Peter Wilder, Missouri 2008, is with the banking and financial institutions practice group and assists banks, mortgage banks, and other finance companies with mergers and acquisitions, branch sales, vendor contract negotiations, capital raises, mortgage regulation, consumer finance laws, and other regulatory and compliance matters. He also has provided legislative support for the Wisconsin community banking and mortgage banking industries.

Paul E. Guttormsson, U.W. 1994 cum laude, has been promoted to vice president of legal and compliance at the Wisconsin Credit Union League, Pewaukee, overseeing a team that advises Wisconsin’s nonprofit credit unions on compliance with state and federal laws.

Michael D. Haeberle, Chicago 2012, has been promoted to partner at Chicago-based Patterson Law Firm. He focuses on commercial litigation, including breach of contract, legal malpractice and professional liability, and appellate matters.

Claire E. Hartley, Marquette 2009, has joined Buelow Vetter Buikema Olson & Vliet LLC, Waukesha, as an associate. Her practice includes representing public- and private-sector employers in all aspects of labor and employment law. She previously was with Davis & Kuelthau s.c.

Mike Lueder, Indiana Univ. 1987, has joined the Milwaukee office of Hansen Reynolds LLC as a partner and concentrates on consumer, banking, employment, and general business litigation. He previously was a partner at Foley & Lardner LLP, where he founded and chaired that firm’s consumer financial services litigation practice group.

Patrick Neuman, U.W. 2010, has been promoted to partner at Boardman & Clark LLP, Madison. He practices primarily in banking law, with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, and corporate law. He assists banks and bank holding companies with mergers, stock acquisitions, asset sales, branch acquisitions, subchapter S conversions, holding company and subsidiary formations, corporate governance, vendor contract negotiations, and regulatory and compliance matters.

Peter M. Silver, Marquette 1987, has joined the Milwaukee office of Hennessy & Roach P.C. He previously defended worker’s compensation claims as an in-house attorney for CNA Insurance Co. and also when affiliated with other private defense firms. He also handles subrogation work to recover worker’s compensation liens from third-party lawsuits, as well as other types of subrogation on general liability claims.

Ben Sykes, U.W. 2008, has been elected partner with Locke Lord, Chicago. His practice focuses on advising insurers, managed care organizations, and healthcare providers on complex issues relating to compliance with federal and state insurance laws and providing counsel on transactional matters.

JoHannah K. Torkelson, Marquette 2005, has joined Venn Strategies, Washington, D.C., a government relations and public affairs firm, as a vice president. She advises the firm’s growing portfolio of public health clients, including the Campaign to End Obesity, the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, and the Precision Medicine Project for the National Institutes of Health. She previously was an ORISE Fellow with the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition.

Fourteen attorneys formerly with Weiss Berzowski LLP have joined von Briesen & Roper s.c. Nancy M. Bonniwell, North Dakota 1984, is a shareholder in the Delafield and Milwaukee offices. She focuses on estate, business succession, and marital property planning, estate administration, and business law. John A. Sikora, U.W. 1982 cum laude, is a shareholder in the Delafield office. He focuses in tax planning and the buying and selling of businesses and real estate with a particular emphasis on corporate, partnership, and other business matters. He also is an adjunct professor at Marquette University Law School. 

In the Milwaukee office: Ann K. Chandler, Marquette 1987, is a shareholder and focuses on representing shopping centers, office parks, and residential developers in the acquisition, financing, development, and leasing of real estate property. Adam R. Finkel, Marquette 2010, is an associate and focuses on business disputes and commercial litigation. Aaron J. Foley, Marquette 2007, is an associate and focuses on estate planning, probate and trust administration, business law, real estate, and adult guardianship.

Andrew T. Frost, Marquette 2010, is an associate and focuses on employment counseling, employment litigation, private-sector labor relations, and employee benefits. Dan B. McDermott, Marquette 2007, is an associate and focuses on estate planning and business law.

Randy S. Nelson, Marquette 1977 cum laude, is a shareholder and focuses on estate planning, family business planning, advising service corporations and partnerships, tax planning, trust administration, and probate. He also is a certified public accountant and an adjunct professor at Marquette University Law School. Richard J. Rakita, Marquette 1970, is counsel and focuses on real estate transactions, real estate litigation, and business law. He has significant experience with purchases, sales, and refinancing of commercial, industrial, multifamily, and development of real estate parcels.

David J. Roettgers, Marquette 1982, is a shareholder and focuses on business purchases and sales, taxation, corporate finance, and business law. He is a certified public accountant. Robert B. Teuber, Marquette 2000 magna cum laude, is a shareholder. He focuses his national practice on resolving IRS tax audits, tax court litigation, personal liability assessments, tax collection matters, offers in compromise, and foreign financial account disclosures. From a state and local perspective, he addresses sales, employment, income, and property tax controversies.

Barry R. White, Michigan 1989, is a shareholder and focuses on business litigation and commercial law. Peter J. White, U.W. 2009 cum laude, is an associate and focuses on business formation, mergers and acquisitions, and tax. He is a certified public accountant. Jeffrey T. Wilson, Marquette 2007, is an associate and focuses on business and intellectual property litigation, criminal defense, family law, and guardianships.

Tyler Wilkinson, U.W. 2012 with honors, has been promoted to partner at Axley Brynelson, Madison. He works with clients in the construction and real estate industry, advising on legal, business, and management issues, and focuses on handling and resolving complex disputes and negotiations between businesses, insurance companies, and governmental agencies.

Mary C. Youssi, Marquette 2016, has joined Otjen, Gendelman, Zitzer, Johnson & Weir S.C., Waukesha, as an associate, focusing on the defense of medical malpractice and general liability matters in litigation, as well as defending employers and insurance carriers in worker’s compensation matters.

Mergers, Relocations, New Offices

Tom Gardiner, Northwestern 1981, has opened an office of Gardiner Koch Weisberg & Wrona at 500 Edwards Boulevard, Lake Geneva. The firm handles a wide variety of litigation, including injury, medical malpractice, nursing home, and products cases, along with commercial litigation.

Appointments, Elections

Gov. Scott Walker has appointed Robert F. Dehring Jr., Marquette 2003, to the Jefferson County Circuit Court, replacing Judge David J. Wambach, who retires in March. Dehring is a former court commissioner and assistant corporation counsel in Jefferson County and currently serves as a full-time court commissioner in Waukesha County.

Authors, Speakers

Christine C. Senty, Hamline 1997, co-presented “The Changing Relationship Between Providers and Payers” at the American Health Lawyers Association Institute for Health Plan Counsel in December 2016 in Chicago. She is with Unity Health Plans Insurance Corp., Middleton.

Pro Bono, Public Service

von Briesen & Roper s.c., in tandem with the Wisconsin Counties Association, the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, Green Tier Legacy Communities, the Wisconsin State Energy Office, and WECC, established the PACE Commission and PACE Wisconsin, which enables property owners to obtain low-cost, long-term financing for energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water conservation building improvements.

Anniversaries, Retirements

Robert J. Gray, Marquette 1991, founder of the Gray Law Firm S.C., Wausau, is celebrating his 25th anniversary as a legal professional. He focuses on worker’s compensation, Social Security disability, and personal injury matters.

In Memoriam

Robert M. Budic, Marquette 1972, Greendale, Nov. 28, 1942 – June 21, 2016.

Calvin A. Burton, Loyola-Chicago 1953, Eagle River, March 15, 1930 – Oct 18, 2016.

Merl B. Case, Wyoming 1955, Sun City, Ariz., April 13, 1931 – Nov. 24, 2016.

Hon. Marvin Holz, U.W. 1942, Glendale & Ellison Bay, May 19, 1917 – Dec. 10, 2016.

Hugo W. Wandt III, Marquette 1985, West Allis, May 19, 1959 – Dec. 10, 2016.

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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