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October 06, 2009

In the News

New Hires, Promotions, Partners

Caitlin C. Bauch, U.W. 2009 with honors, has joined the Madison office of DeWitt Ross & Stevens S.C. as an associate and practices in litigation, estate planning, employee benefits, business, and real estate.

Nicholas Fairweather, Case Western Reserve 2000, and David Zoeller, U.W. 2007, have joined the Madison office of Hawks Quindel S.C. Fairweather litigates labor, employment, and consumer protection disputes on behalf of employees, labor unions, and individuals. Zoeller litigates labor, employment, and class and collective wage and hour disputes on behalf of employees and labor unions.

Thomas C. Lenz, Marquette 2005, has been elected a shareholder at First, Albrecht & Blondis s.c., Milwaukee, and continues to focus on personal injury, employment, and civil rights matters.

		Chelsie D. Allan, Marquette 2008, and Rebecca A. Kellner, Marquette 2008, have joined Lindner & Marsack S.C., Milwaukee, as associates and focus on worker’s compensation defense and health-care subrogation matters.
Allan	Kellner

Claudia N. Lombardo, U.W. 2009, has joined Axley Brynelson LLP, Madison, as a member of the litigation practice group.

Jeffrey E. Mark, Nebraska 2002 with distinction, has been promoted to shareholder at von Briesen & Roper s.c., Milwaukee. He is with the health-care and business practice groups.

				Four attorneys have joined the Milwaukee office of Mallery & Zimmerman S.C. Thomas P. DeMuth, U.W. 1989, is with the real estate, corporate, and lending groups. He previously was with Godfrey & Kahn S.C. Andrew H. Robinson, Hamline 2008, is with the receivership, lending, and real estate groups. Jacqueline H. Sestito, John Marshall 2001, is with the real estate and corporate transactions groups. She previously was with Continental Properties Co. William L. Shenkenberg, U.W. 1995 cum laude, is with the litigation group. He previously was with Davis & Kuelthau S.C.
DeMuth	Robinson	Sestito	Shenkenberg

Thomas P. McDonald, St. Louis 2007, has been promoted to shareholder at McDonald & Gustafson S.C., Janesville, and continues to focus on personal injury law. He also is serving a two-year term on the Janesville City Council.

Michele McKinnon, Marquette 2002, has been promoted to partner at Liebmann, Conway, Olejniczak & Jerry S.C., Green Bay. She is with the banking and creditors’ rights team.

Jason T. Studinski, U.W. 1998, has joined Atterbury, Kammer & Stud-inski as a partner and staffs the firm’s new office at 1265 Main St., Stevens Point.

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Mergers, Relocations, New Offices

		Peter L. Albrecht, Washington Univ. 1986, and Bradden C. Backer, U.W. 1981, have formed Albrecht Backer Labor & Employment Law S.C., with offices in Madison and Milwaukee. Albrecht previously was with Albrecht Labor & Employment Law S.C. Backer formerly was with Friebert, Finerty & St. John S.C., Milwaukee.
Albrecht	Backer

John T. Schomisch Jr., Marquette 1989, has formed Schomisch Legal Group LLC, 47 Park Pl., Suite 250, Appleton. He represents plaintiffs in personal injury matters and small businesses in litigation and insurance disputes.

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Appointments, Elections

The Hon. J. Mac Davis, Michigan 1976, has been elected “chief of the chiefs” by Wisconsin’s Committee of Chief Judges, which oversees the state’s judicial administrative districts. He is chief judge of the Third Judicial District and is on the Waukesha County Circuit Court.

Jonathan M. Fritz, Hamline 2002 with honors, has been elected president-elect of the Wisconsin Intellectual Property Law Association. He is with the Madison office of Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C.

Alyce C. Katayama, Maryland 1974, has been appointed to the 2009 DirectWomen Board Institute, which identifies and promotes women lawyers for service on the boards of publicly owned companies. She is a partner with the Milwaukee office of Quarles & Brady LLP and focuses on health law, tax-exempt organizations, and immigration law.

Z. Julie Lee, Northwestern 1998 cum laude, has been appointed to the Wisconsin International Trade Council by Gov. Jim Doyle. She is a member of the international and tax and employee benefits practices and the automotive and energy industry teams in the Milwaukee office of Foley & Lardner LLP.

Rod W. Rogahn, U.W. 1996 cum laude, has been appointed by the Wisconsin Supreme Court to a three-year term on the Board of Administrative Oversight. He is with Generac Power Systems Inc., Waukesha.

Five attorneys have been elected to the board of Stafford Rosenbaum LLP. James B. Egle, U.W. 1992 Order of the Coif, focuses on contract negotiations, commercial law, and tax law. Christopher B. Hughes, Indiana 1993 cum laude, focuses on municipal law, utility and energy law, real estate law, and contract negotiation, preparation, and review. Bruce D. Huibregtse, U.W. 1979, and Terrence C. Thom, U.W. 1975, focus on complex civil litigation matters. Joseph P. Wright, U.W. 1988 cum laude, focuses on business litigation, insurance law, and utility law.
	Egle	Hughes	Huibregtse	Thom	Wright

Peter J. Stone, Stanford 1976, has been elected president of the Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee board. He is a partner with the Milwaukee office of Foley & Lardner LLP and is with the distribution and franchise, general commercial litigation, and intellectual property litigation practice groups.

The Waukesha County Bar Association has elected the following officers: president – Douglas E. Swanson; president-elect – Christine D’Angelo; and secretary/treasurer – Michelle E. Martin, all of Waukesha.

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Authors, Speakers

Jeffrey P. Aiken, Marquette 1972 cum laude, has authored “Due Diligence in Arbitrator Selection: Using Interviews and Written ‘Voir Dire,’ ” Dispute Resolution Journal (May/July 2009) and has coauthored “Contractor Coverage for Construction Claims Under CGL Policies: The Basics and Beyond,” Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Law Journal (Spring/Summer 2009), with Tamara Hayes O’Brien, Marquette 1986 cum laude. Aiken and O’Brien are with the Milwaukee office of Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C.

Michael J. Gratz, U.W. 1994, spoke at the eighth annual National Inventors Hall of Fame Camp Invention camp in New Berlin and, along with his firm, sponsored scholarships for Camp Invention sites in Wisconsin, Iowa, and New Mexico. He is vice president of Boyle Fredrickson S.C., Milwaukee, and focuses on intellectual property law.

Timothy F. Nixon, U.W. 1990, has coauthored Understanding Fraudulent Transfers (Aspatore Books). He is a shareholder and leader of the business finance and restructuring practice group with the Green Bay office of Godfrey & Kahn S.C.

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Awards, Degrees, Honors

James Casey, Dayton 1988, received a Distinguished Service Award from the National Council of University Research Administrators. He is director of contracts and industrial agreements at the University of Texas at San Antonio and senior co-editor of NCURA Magazine.

Sharon A. Gallagher, U.W. 1976, has been inducted into the National Academy of Arbitrators and has been appointed to the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission’s ad hoc labor arbitration panel. She practices in labor arbitration, mediation, and fact-finding in the Midwest.

Todd J. Liebman, U.W. 1990, and his office received the 2008 Army Chief of Staff Award for Excellence in Legal Assistance. He is a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve and is serving an active-duty tour as the staff judge advocate at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center in Indiana. He also is the Sauk County corporation counsel.

The Hon. Charles B. Schudson, U.W. 1975, was awarded a five-year “senior specialist” Fulbright Fellowship. He is a Wisconsin reserve judge and an adjunct professor of law at the Marquette and U.W. law schools.

Carol J. Wessels, U.W. 1988, has been accredited by the U.S. Veterans Administration and is authorized to assist veterans in the preparation, presentation, and prosecution of their benefits claims. She is a shareholder with Nelson, Irvings & Waeffler S.C., Wauwatosa.

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Anniversaries, Retirements

Orth & Laskowski SC, Brookfield, is marking the 150th anniversary of its founding. The firm’s current principal is John J. Laskowski, Puget Sound 1979.

The Hon. James A. Wynn Jr., Marquette 1979, retired from the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General Corps in August after 30 years of service. He continues to serve as senior associate judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals.

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Pro Bono, Public Service

Hupy & Abraham S.C. raised more than $8,000 for the 2009 American Cancer Society Relay for Life in
Wauwatosa.

Michael Best & Friedrich LLP has launched “Catch the Bug,” which provides employees with monthly opportunities for volunteering, including collecting supplies for charitable organizations, participating in fundraising walks, and teaching elementary-school students.

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