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October 08, 2008

In the News

New Hires, Promotions, Partners
Mergers, Relocations,
New Offices
Appointments, Elections

Authors, Speakers
Awards, Degrees, Honors
Pro Bono, Public Service
In Memoriam

New Hires, Promotions, Partners

The Hon. Kitty Brennan, U.W. 1977, has been appointed to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals by Gov. Jim Doyle. Brennan, previously chief judge of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court, replaces the late Ted E. Wedemeyer Jr. and will serve a term ending July 31, 2009.

Carol A. Chapman, Marquette 2006, has joined Axley Brynelson LLP, Madison, in the litigation and labor and employment practice groups. She previously was a law clerk to the Hon. Joan F. Kessler, Wisconsin Court of Appeals.

Michael C. Curran, U.W. 2008, has joined Pfeil, Millonzi & Curran LLC (formerly Pfeil & Millonzi) as a shareholder and focuses on family, criminal, and traffic law in the firm's new Spring Green office.

Teirney S. Christenson, U.W. 2008, and Daniel J. Kennedy, Illinois 2004 magna cum laude, have joined Gass Weber Mullins LLC, Milwaukee, as associates. Christenson focuses on products liability matters. Kennedy focuses on products liability defense and commercial litigation.
	Christenson	Kennedy

Jeremy T. Gill, U.W. 1999, has been made a partner with Nash, Spindler, Grimstad & McCracken LLP, Manitowoc.

Marilyn Hamilton, Georgia State 1995, has become an administrative law judge with the Social Security Administration Office of Disability Adjudication and Review, West Des Moines, Iowa.

Kristin Hays, U.W. 2007, has joined State Bar CLE Books as an attorney editor. She previously was a solo practitioner concentrating in criminal defense and appellate work.

Megan L.W. Jerabek, Marquette 2008, has joined Cook & Franke S.C., Milwaukee, as an associate and focuses on corporate and business law, estate planning and probate, taxation, and real estate.

Joseph F. LaDien, Marquette 2008, has joined Laufenberg & Hoefle S.C., Milwaukee, as an associate and focuses on personal injury matters.

Walter J. Lanier, Michigan 1995, has been appointed assistant general counsel for Milwaukee Area Technical College. He continues working with clients on a limited basis at Lanier Law Offices Ltd., Milwaukee.

David J. Espin, Marquette 2008, and Lindsey R. King, Marquette 2005, have joined Petrie & Stocking S.C., Milwaukee, as associates. King previously practiced law in the Milwaukee area.

Todd Podell, Marquette 1993, has been promoted to vice president of purchasing for Novartis, Atlanta, a health care products company.

Don M. Millis, U.W. 1990 cum laude, and William H. Tobin, Boston Univ. 1997 cum laude, have been named shareholders in Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c. Millis chairs the governmental relations practice and practices with the tax and the litigation departments in the Madison office. Tobin is with the employee benefits department in the Milwaukee office.
	Mills	Tobin

Allison Sell, U.W. 2006, has joined Quarles & Brady LLP, Milwaukee, as an associate on the public finance team. She formerly was an associate at Baker & Daniels LLP.

Fern Freedlander Knepp, U.W. 2008 magna cum laude, Krista R. Pleviak, U.W. 2008 cum laude, and Jordan D. Taylor, American Univ. 2004 cum laude, have joined Stroud, Willink & Howard LLC, Madison, as associates. Knepp and Pleviak practice in estate planning, real estate, and business transactions. Taylor practices in business transactions and real estate with an emphasis on tax and estate planning.

Shawn Thao, Drake 2002, has joined Hinkfuss, Sickel, Petitjean & Wieting, Green Bay, as an associate and focuses on civil litigation, criminal defense, personal injury, and family law. He is bilingual in English and Hmong.

Eight attorneys have become equity shareholders with Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C. In the Madison office: Cynthia L. Buchko, U.W. 2000 cum laude, focuses on commercial litigation, administrative law, and energy and public utilities law. Mary E. Eberle, Marquette 1999, focuses on intellectual property law, particularly biotech, agriculture, and renewable energy industry matters. In the Manitowoc office: Michelle Birschbach, Marquette 1998 cum laude, focuses on trusts and estates, corporate law, and real estate. In the Milwaukee office: Pamela L. Gergens, U.W. 1995 cum laude, focuses on representing developers, investors, and other companies in environmental law matters. Frank A. Gumina, Marquette 1991 cum laude, focuses on management-side labor and employment law matters. Michael D. Rosenberg, Northwestern 1990, focuses on products liability litigation, toxic torts, personal injury defense, insurance coverage, and transportation litigation. Amy M. Salberg, U.W. 1998, concentrates in consumer finance law. Heather M. Tiltmann, Nebraska 2000, focuses on labor, employment, and immigration-related matters.

Four attorneys have joined the Wisconsin Department of Justice as assistant attorneys general. Lewis W. Beilin, U.W. 2003, is with the state programs, administration, and revenue unit. He previously was with Reinhart, Boerner, Van Deuren s.c. Steven C. Kilpatrick, U.W. 1998, Abigail C.S. Potts, Vermont 2004, and Melissa Rhone, U.W. 2006, are with the civil litigation unit. Kilpatrick previously was with Connecticut Legal Services Inc. Potts previously was with Anderson & Kent, Madison. Rhone previously was a staff attorney for the Hon. William Foust and the Hon. Michael Nowakowski, Dane County Circuit Court.

Gordon M. Wright, U.W. 2007, has joined Ziolkowski Patent Solutions Group SC, Milwaukee, as a patent attorney. He previously worked in engineering positions.

Emily Zimmerman, Marquette 2008, has joined Reff Baivier Bermingham & Lim S.C., Oshkosh, as an associate.

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Mergers, Relocations, New Offices

Constangy, Brooks & Smith LLC has opened new offices at Plaza E. Office Center, 330 E. Kilbourn Ave., Milwaukee, and 200 S. Wacker Dr., Suite 3100, Chicago. Heading the offices is Charles W. Pautsch, Illinois 1977, who focuses on management-side labor relations and employment law. Lisa A. Baiocchi, Marquette 2006, and Brian G. Nuedling, Marquette 2003, also have joined the offices. Pautsch, Baiocchi, and Nuedling previously were with Wessels, Pautsch & Sherman P.C., Milwaukee.

Geimer Law Offices S.C. has relocated its Green Bay office to 2333 Riverside Dr., Green Bay, and continues its focus on elder law, estate planning, probate, real estate, and business law.

Heuer Law Offices S.C. has relocated to 9312 W. National Ave., West Allis, and continues its focus on creditors' rights.

Margaret S. O'Connor, U.W. 2000, has moved her law office to the Northside Professional Building, 1442 N. Memorial Dr., Suite 4, Racine.

Jeffry W. Smith, Chicago-Kent 1988, has relocated Smith Law Office to 8000 Excelsior Dr., Suite 301, Madison.

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Appointments, Elections

Anthony D. Cotton, Marquette 2005, has been elected to the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers board. He is with Kuchler & Cotton Law Offices, Waukesha.

Nick Fairweather, Case Western Reserve 2000, has been elected chair of the State Bar's General Practice Section. He is with Cullen Weston Pines & Bach, Madison.

The Hon. Gregory E. Grau, U.W. 1984, has been appointed chief judge of the Ninth Judicial District by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. He is a Marathon County Circuit Court judge.

Kelly Kuglitsch, DePaul 2002, has been elected president of the Wisconsin Retirement Plan Professionals Ltd. board. She is a member of the employee benefits team in the Milwaukee office of Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C. and focuses on employee benefits, labor and employment law, and HIPAA matters.

The Jefferson County Bar Association has elected the following officers: president - Tiffany L. Highstrom,

Watertown; vice president - Jennifer L. Weber, Johnson Creek; and treasurer - Vicki E. Zick, Johnson Creek.

The Hon. Jeffrey A. Kremers, U.W. 1975, has been appointed chief judge of the First Judicial District by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. He is a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge.

The Hon. Benjamin D. Proctor, U.W. 1971, has been elected "chief of the chiefs" by the Wisconsin Committee of Chief Judges. He is chief judge of the Eau Claire County Circuit Court.

Bruce T. Block, Boston Univ. 1979 magna cum laude, and Kevin J. Howley, Illinois 1984 magna cum laude, have been elected to the board of Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c., Milwaukee. Block is a shareholder and chair of the real estate department in the Milwaukee office. Howley is a shareholder in the business law and international departments.
	Block	Howley

The Society of Family Lawyers has elected the following officers: president - Judith Budny, West Allis; vice president - Kent Tess-Mattner, Brookfield; secretary - Carrie Watkins, Milwaukee; and treasurer - Kimberly Best, Menomonee Falls.

The Waupaca County Bar Association has elected the following officers: president-elect - Eric Daniel Hendrickson, New London; and secretary/treasurer - Arthur B. Parry, Waupaca.

Shareholders Bruce Arnold, Michigan 1981, and Nathan Fishbach, Villanova 1977, have been reelected to the board of Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C., Milwaukee. Arnold focuses on health care law. Fishbach focuses on complex civil and white collar litigation.

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Authors, Speakers

Kimberly A. Hurtado, Marquette 1987, has coauthored Contract Issues in the Use of Construction Building Information Modeling, Int'l Constr. L. Rev. (July 2008). She is managing shareholder of Hurtado S.C., Wauwatosa.

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Awards, Degrees, Honors

Lawrence G. Albrecht, Valparaiso 1973, received the ABA Rule of Law Award for his pro bono clinical and human rights teaching and consulting at several schools and bar associations in Romania, Bulgaria, and Serbia. He also has authored a review of international death penalty developments during 2007 in 42 Int'l Law. 755 (2008).

Richard J. Steinberg, Marquette 1958, was commended by the Brookfield Common Council for his 34 years of meritorious service as Brookfield municipal judge. He has been appointed a reserve municipal judge for Waukesha County and maintains a general law practice with an emphasis in employment law.

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Pro Bono, Public Service

Hupy and Abraham S.C., Milwaukee, was the presenting sponsor of the Milwaukee Bar Association's Foundation Golf Outing, held in August in Port Washington. The firm also sponsored a motorcycle safety program and advertisement and a motorcycle exhibit during Harley-Davidson's 105th anniversary celebration in Milwaukee in August.

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