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    Wisconsin Lawyer
    December 01, 2001

    Wisconsin Lawyer December 2001: In the News

    In the News


    New Hires, Promotions, Partners

    Gino M. Alia, Marquette 1995, has became a shareholder in O'Connor & Willems S.C., Kenosha. Alia practices in civil litigation, personal injury, and insurance law.

    Barbara K. Boxer
    Boxer

    Barbara K. Boxer, Marquette 1994, has joined Reinhart, Boerner, Van Deuren, Norris & Rieselbach S.C., Milwaukee, as shareholder and co-chair of its new government relations practice area. She has years of political involvement and experience as a registered lobbyist and formerly was with Michael Best & Friedrich.

    Matthew J. Cornetta, Iowa 2001, has joined Garvey, Anderson, Johnson, Geraci, & Mirr S.C., Eau Claire, practicing in tort and insurance defense and civil litigation.

    Michael Buxton Devine, Drake 1980, was appointed lecturer in law and course leader for the master of laws degree in international commercial law at the Robert Gordon University School of Public Administration and Law, Aberdeen, Scotland. He also joined BarristerWeb - The Internet Chambers, Barristers-at-Law, London, England, as a full tenant and Rougemont Chambers, Barristers-at-Law, Exeter, England, as a door tenant. He remains of counsel to Pavelic & Levites P.C., New York, and maintains his home office in Des Moines, Iowa.

    Christine Rew Barden, Indiana 1995, Cari Anne Renlund, U.W. 2001, and Mindy Rowland Buenger, U.W. 2001, have joined DeWitt Ross & Stevens as associates, Barden in the firm's west Madison office, Renlund and Buenger in the Madison office on the Capitol square. Barden focuses her practice on estate planning, and probate and trust administration.

    Christine Rew Barden Cari Anne Renlund Mindy Rowland Buenger
    Barden Renlund Buenger

    Renlund's practice focuses on general litigation and environmental matters. Buenger's practice focuses on employment relations, both in counseling employers on compliance issues, and litigating employment-related matters.

    Michael A. Dodge, Marquette 1999, has joined the Madison office of Davis & Kuelthau S.C. as an associate, focusing his practice on civil and environmental litigation.

    Tajara Dommershausen, Marquette 2001, has joined Kachinsky & Petit Law Offices, Neenah, as an associate practicing in criminal, juvenile, and mental health law.

    Sarah J. Friday, U.W. 1999 cum laude, has joined Kavit, Gass, Hovel & Leitner S.C., Milwaukee, as an associate practicing in civil litigation. She previously served as law clerk to Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Diane S. Sykes.

    Timothy A. Hartin, Harvard 1987 cum laude, has joined Michael Best & Friedrich LLP as a partner in the Madison office, focusing on health care law and government relations. He formerly was general counsel for the Wisconsin Hospital Association.

    Christopher Henry, U.W. 1998, has joined Kelly & Habermehl S.C., Madison, focusing on family law.

    Jocelyn A. Hirsch, U.W. 1995, has been made a partner of Kirkland & Ellis effective Oct. 1. Hirsch practices in the firm's corporate, venture capital, and private equity practice, focusing primarily on secured lending and financing transactions in connection with leveraged buyout transactions.

    Kenneth W. Krause, Drake 1996, has joined Fitzpatrick, Blackey & Associates LLC, La Crosse, focusing on personal injury and worker's compensation litigation.

    Adam Levitsky, U.W. 1990, has been named a shareholder in the 70-attorney Troy, Michigan law firm of Cox, Hodgman & Giarmarco PC. His practice includes worker's compensation defense, general liability defense, business litigation, criminal law, and municipal law.

    Laurie J. McLeRoy, Marquette 1987, has joined the Milwaukee office of Otjen, Van Ert, Lieb & Weir S.C. as a senior associate practicing in medical malpractice.

    Kelly C. Nickel, Marquette 1999, has joined Brennan, Steil, Basting & MacDougall S.C., Janesville, as a resident attorney in the Delavan office, practicing civil litigation and municipal law.

    Bennet J. Berson, U.W. 1992, and Gregory T. Everts, Michigan 1990, have been promoted to partner with Quarles & Brady LLP, Madison. Berson is a member of the firm's intellectual property practice group. Everts focuses on commercial and intellectual property litigation. He previously was a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C., and associate counsel in the office of the vice president.

    Lance R. Trollop
    Trollop

    Lance R. Trollop, U.W. 2001, has joined the Grischke & Bremer Law Center, Wausau, as an associate practicing plaintiff's personal injury.

    The following attorneys have joined Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren S.C. as associates: John J. Lott, Northwestern 1994, Melanie S. Lee, Iowa 1998 with distinction, and Ryan J. Owens, U.W. 2001 with honors, have joined the Madison office. Lott joins the business organizations department, Lee the real estate department, and Owens the litigation and telecommunications and energy departments.

    Kent A. Lee, Marquette 2000, Bridget M. Hubing, Notre Dame 2001, Lucien A. Beaudry, U.W. 2001 cum laude, Meghan K. Shannon, U.W. 2001 magna cum laude, Susan U. Ladwig, Marquette 2001 magna cum laude, Richard V. Esposito, Boston 2001, Eido M. Walny, Boston 2001, and Kristin K. Langhoff, Marquette 2001, have joined the Milwaukee office. Lee joins the intellectual property department, Hubing the litigation department, Beaudry the tax department, Shannon the business organizations department, Ladwig the benefits department, Esposito and Walny the business organizations department, and Langhoff the real estate department.

    Greg Rutzen, Indiana-Bloomington 1987, has been appointed director of planned giving for Marian College, Fond du Lac. Previously he worked in institutional advancement for Central Methodist College and Valparaiso University. He is a member of the National Committee on Planned Giving.

    Kurt N. Schacht, U.W. 1983, has joined Wyser-Pratte & Co., New York, a hedge fund, as general counsel and chief administrative officer responsible for operational, compliance, and regulatory matters. He also has become of counsel to Grant & Eisenhofer, Wilmington, Del., focusing on shareholder litigation and corporate law. Schacht previously was chief legal counsel for the State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB), Madison.

    Marcella S. Spoto, U.W. 2001, has joined Kasieta Legal Group LLC, Madison, focusing on personal injury and employment law.

    Timothy M. McCutcheon Richard J. Rakita
    McCutcheon Rakita

    Timothy M. McCutcheon, U.W. 1992, and Richard J. Rakita, Marquette 1970, have joined Weiss Berzowski Brady LLP as partners in the Milwaukee office. McCutcheon is in the employee benefits section, counseling clients in all aspects of employee benefits law including ERISA, qualified pension and profit-sharing plans, executive compensation, flexible compensation programs, welfare benefit plans, and retiree health plans, as well as litigating employee benefit claims and disputes. Rakita is in the real estate and litigation practice groups, involved in the purchase and sale of commercial and multi-family property, tax-free exchange, landlord/tenant matters, commercial eviction, and real estate litigation.

    Scott Winkler, U.W. 1984, has joined the Law Offices of Robert A. Levine, Milwaukee, practicing plaintiff's tort law. For the last 11 years he was with the Law Offices of Stilp & Cotton, Milwaukee and Brookfield, practicing insurance defense. He also is on the Board of Zoning Appeals for the City of Milwaukee.

    James P. Denis III Andre Wright
    Denis Wright

    James P. Denis III, Marquette 1999, and Andre Wright, U.W. 2001, have joined the Milwaukee office of the law firm Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C. Both are members of the Litigation practice group.
    Wright was a summer associate at the firm.

    Mergers, Relocations, New Associations

    Charles F. Church, U.W. 1990 cum laude, has opened a solo general practice at 5 E. Park St., Montello. Church formerly was with the Smiley Law Office, Portage.

    Appointments, Elections

    David R. Barnes
    Barnes

    David R. Barnes, Calif.-Davis 1984, has been appointed by Gov. McCallum to the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions' InvestWisconsin Advisory Board. He is a principal attorney with von Briesen & Barnes, a division of von Briesen, Purtell & Roper S.C., practicing in the Kenosha and Racine offices. InvestWisconsin is an economic advisory group established to promote capital formation, stimulate economic activity, and create well-paying jobs in Wisconsin.

    Nicholas Chiarkas,Temple 1978, Wisconsin State Public Defender, has been elected to serve on the Alumni Executive Council at Harvard University's JFK School of Government. The 20-member advisory group provides strategic counsel to the Kennedy School of Government on carrying out its mission around the world using its alumni. Chiarkas will serve a four-year term.
        Chiarkas' election was based on the innovations and efficiencies he has implemented in the SPD Office. The agency was recognized last year with a Wisconsin Forward Award for its organizational excellence. Chiarkas also was named Administrator of the Year in 2000 by the American Society for Public Administration's Wisconsin Capital Chapter.

    Mel Flanagan, U.W. 1984, was elected vice president of the National Association of Women Judges at the association's annual conference in New York.

    John P. Savage,Marquette 1967, was elected president of the Building Owners and Managers Association/Apartment Owners and Managers Association of Milwaukee Inc., at its annual meeting. He has been involved in real estate since 1969.

    Michael J. Gratz,U.W. 1994, a shareholder at Boyle Fredrickson Newholm Stein & Gratz S.C., was unanimously elected vice president and president-elect of the State Bar's Intellectual Property Section. Gratz, a registered patent attorney, practices intellectual property law.

    Joel Hirschhorn
    Hirschhorn

    Joel Hirschhorn, U.W. 1967, was named president-elect of the American Board of Criminal Lawyers at its annual meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah.

    Patrick B. McDonnell,Marquette 1972, a special deputy in the Milwaukee City Attorney's office, has been elected chair of the State Bar's Administrative & Local Government Law Section.

    T. Michael Schober,Marquette 1969, of Schober Schober & Mitchell S.C., New Berlin, has been elected to the board of directors of the Waukesha County Community Foundation. The foundation was established in 1999 as a pool of permanent, endowed philanthropic funds contributed by Waukesha County residents to be invested and distributed to benefit charitable causes and organizations primarily within the county.

    The Wisconsin Supreme Court has appointed the following to the Preliminary Review Committee of the lawyer regulation system:James D. Friedman, Notre Dame 1972, Milwaukee; Joan Greendeer-Lee, Tomah;Bernard T. McCartan, Marquette 1976, Madison; and Frank D. Remington,U.W. 1984, Madison.
        The court also has appointed Dennis R. Cimpl,Marquette 1975, and Claire A. Fowler to their first full three-year terms on the Board of Administrative Oversight, commencing Oct. 1, 2001, and expiring Sept. 30, 2004, or until further ordered by the court.

    Authors, Speakers

    Ronald R. Hofer, Marquette 1981, delivered the Charles Alan Wright Memorial Lecture to the Texas Supreme Court and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in Austin, Texas. The lecture series, honoring the late Prof. Wright of the University of Texas at Austin School of Law, is a joint undertaking of the courts and the law school.

    Judith A. Langer,Marquette 1985, spoke recently at the 2001 annual convention of the National Association of Subrogation Professionals in Reno, Nev., on "The HIPAA Privacy Rules: Impact on the Subrogation Industry." In New York City, she presented "Navigating HIPAA Privacy" to the American Conference Institute's Second National Legal Forum for Healthcare Attorneys and Corporate Counsel in Managed Care Organizations. She is with Cobalt Corporation, Milwaukee.

    Awards, Degrees, Honors

    Charles Barnhill,Michigan 1968, a partner in Miner, Barnhill & Galland P.C., Madison, has become a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. The college identifies and recognizes outstanding trial lawyers, and improves the standards of trial practice, the administration of justice, and the ethics of the profession.

    John A. Fiorenza,Marquette 1956, and Joseph G. Alioto,U.W. 1981, were honored by the Justinian Society of Lawyers, Wisconsin Chapter, an affiliate of the National Italian American Bar Association, as the Society's 2001 Citizens of the Year.

    Kathleen S. Bray, Minnesota 1991, and Cheryl Prince,U.W. 1988, of Hanft Fride Law Firm, Duluth, Minn., have been named "rising stars" in Minnesota Law and Politics Magazine. The publication's panel of attorneys - statistically the top 5 percent of the state's lawyers - selected Bray and Prince based on their accomplishments as young attorneys.
    Bray is a shareholder experienced in worker's compensation defense, employment and labor law, and general civil litigation. Prince focuses primarily on family law, including divorce, adoption, paternity, and prenuptial agreements.

    Elizabeth Rindskopf Parker, Michigan 1968, has been named to the American Bar Association's new Task Force on Terrorism and the Law. Parker is general counsel of the U.W. System and former general counsel of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.

    Donald K. Schott,Harvard 1980, has been inducted as a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. The college identifies and recognizes outstanding trial lawyers and improves the standards of trial practice, the administration of justice, and the ethics of the profession.
    Schott represents clients in trial and appellate proceedings in state and federal courts in Wisconsin and other jurisdictions.

    Charles J. Stansberry Jr.,Marquette 2001, an associate with Schober Schober & Mitchell S.C., Hartland, has passed the Illinois Bar Exam. He advises clients on estate planning, general corporate law, real estate, and probate matters.

    Pro Bono, Public Service

    Habush Habush & Rottier Charitable Foundation,Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club, and Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District joined to create a tribute to the 5,000 Miller Park construction workers and to the three workers who lost their lives. Two permanent monuments were donated, one titled "Teamwork," a three-figured 12-foot-high bronze statue created with a gift from the Habush Habush & Rottier Charitable Foundation. The other, titled "Worker's Wall," includes bronze plates listing the workers who contributed to the park's construction.

    In Memoriam

    Methodius J. Anzich,Marquette 1945, Naples, Fla., Oct. 5, 1915 - Aug. 2001.

    Richard J. Ash,Marquette 1956, Wauwatosa, June 11, 1931 - Aug. 16, 2001.

    Stephen A. Boeder, U.W. 1938, Oconomowoc, Sept. 12, 1913 - Aug. 29, 2001.

    Gerald Dennenberg,U.W. 1956, St. Thomas, V.I., Oct. 5, 1931 - Feb. 6, 2001.

    Rodney J. Edwards, U.W. 1948, Duluth, Minn., June 30, 1921 - Dec. 11, 2000.

    Terry W. Frazier,U.W. 1981, Madison, Aug. 5, 1955 - Sept. 6, 2001.

    Gilbert N. Geraghty,Marquette 1954, Mauston, Jan. 26, 1930 - Oct. 21, 2001.

    Charles N. Goerdt, Iowa 1947, La Crosse, Sept. 17, 1917 - Sept. 5, 2001.

    Robert L. Grindell,U.W. 1938, Frederic, May 19, 1914 - Nov. 28, 2000.

    Harry F. Gundersen,U.W. 1954, Grantsburg, Nov. 30, 1924 - Sept. 19, 2001.

    Sandra J. Janssen, U.W. 1986, Milwaukee, Dec. 8, 1955 - June 6, 2001.

    James H. McDermott,Marquette 1948, Madison, Aug. 19, 1918 - Sept. 2001.

    Patrick T. McMahon,Marquette 1963, Elm Grove, Dec. 5, 1937 - Sept. 26, 2001.

    Alan D. Moeller,U.W. 1980, Black River Falls, Aug. 24, 1952 - May 18, 2001.

    Herbert J. Mueller,U.W. 1933, Milwaukee, Feb. 14, 1910 - Sept. 9, 2001.

    Robert B.L. Murphy, U.W. 1932, Madison, Dec. 5, 1905 - Sept. 11, 2001.

    Andrew J. Nilles,Hamline 1985, Racine, Nov. 22, 1960 - Aug. 17, 2001.

    Raymond E. Porter, U.W. 1960, Sheboygan, May 3, 1924 - July 27, 2001.

    Edwin C. Rachow, Georgetown 1956, Elm Grove, Oct. 12, 1930 - Oct. 17, 2001.

    Steven L. Ross, George Washington 1967, Minneapolis, Minn., Aug. 18, 1942 - Aug. 1, 2001.

    David J. Schmechel, U.W. 1949, Milwaukee, April 14, 1921 - Aug. 13, 2001.

    William J. Schmitz, Notre Dame 1956, Monroe, July 20, 1932 - Oct. 1, 2001.

    Grant C. Schwartz, Marquette 1941, North Prairie, Dec. 10, 1916 - Aug. 21, 2001.

    Clifford H. Thoma, Marquette 1951, Wauwatosa, May 22, 1918 - Aug. 31, 2001.


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