New Hires, Promotions, Partners

Paul Anderson, Marquette 1995, has been named director of the National Sports Law Institute and Sports Law program at Marquette Law School, directing the certificate and internship-externship programs, coordinating online and print content, organizing institute events, and coordinating recruitment efforts for the sports law program.

Amanda Bowen, Marquette 2013, has joined The Schroeder Group S.C., Waukesha, and focuses on trusts and estates law. She works with clients at all stages of life to develop estate plans, coordinating details with clients’ current professional advisors; represents fiduciaries during probate or trust administration; and practices in business and nonprofit law.

Eric von Estorff, Marquette 1994, has joined William Lyne, Marquette 2002, atLyne Law Firm LLC, with offices in Thiensville, Glendale, and Brookfield. With the addition of von Estorff, the firm has expanded its estate planning and administration, business organization, and business succession planning practice to include counsel in commercial transactions, real estate, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate law.

Tolga S. Gulmen, Berkeley 2010, has joined Andrus Intellectual Property Law’s Madison office as a non-equity partner, focusing in domestic and international patent prosecution, licensing, and strategic intellectual property portfolio development, and also teaches at the U.W. Law School. His experience includes drafting, prosecuting, managing, and licensing patent portfolios with an emphasis on chemistry, materials, nanotechnology, catalysis, and biotechnology. He previously founded a law firm that provided university technology transfer offices and startups with patent and licensing services.

Robert W. Habich Jr., Marquette 2004 cum laude, has joined Davis & Kuelthau s.c. with the real estate and corporate teams in the Milwaukee office, focusing on commercial real estate acquisitions and sales, development, leasing, and financing for a variety of retail, office, industrial and multifamily projects.

Stephen A. Kobza, Valpa-raiso 2007, has joined Ryan Kromholz & Manion S.C., Brookfield, as an associate. His practice includes all aspects of intellectual property law, with an emphasis on patent prosecution.

Jeffrey S. Krause, Marquette 1996, has joined Affinity Consulting Group, Waterford, as a partner and senior legal technology consultant, focusing on assisting law firms with business processes, practice management, document management, and time and billing solutions. He previously was with Solfecta and Krause Practice Management.

Samantha J. Langenbach, Hamline 2015, has joinedHarrold, Scrobell & Danner S.C., Minocqua, as an associate. She is also licensed to practice in Minnesota.

Eugene M. LaFlamme, Marquette 2002, has been named an equity partner at the Waukesha office of McCoy Leavitt Laskey LLC and managing partner of the Chicago office. Nicholas D. Harken, Marquette 2010, Benjamin E. Reyes, Marquette 2011, and Kaitlyn J. Reise, Marquette 2014, have all joined the Waukesha office. The firm practice includes litigation of catastrophic and complex fires and explosions, construction defect, and products liability matters in all 50 states.

Jennifer Rathburn, Saint Louis Univ. 2000, has rejoined Foley & Lardner LLP, Milwaukee, as a partner and is with the privacy, security & information management, technology transactions and outsourcing, and health care practices. She focuses on counseling clients on data protection programs, data incident management, and breach response and recovery, and on health care regulatory compliance and related contractual issues. Previously she was with Quarles & Brady LLP.

Patrick D. Bomhack, U.W. 2014, and Michael C. Demo, Indiana Univ. – Bloomington 2001, have joined Sperling Law Offices LLC, Milwaukee, both concentrating in plaintiff’s personal injury work. Demo previously was with Wagner, Falconer & Judd Ltd.

Lauren C. Stanley, U.W. 2014, has joinedBeck, Chaet, Bamberger & Polsky S.C., Milwaukee, as an associate, focusing on debtor-creditor, litigation, and receivership matters.

Carol A. Chapman, Marquette 2006, and Benjamin S. Wright, U.W. 2014, have joined the State Bar of Wisconsin as attorney editors. Chapman, most recently a law clerk to the Hon. Mark Gundrum, Wisconsin Court of Appeals, concentrates on employment, landlord-tenant, health, and litigation and e-discovery law. Wright previously practiced solo in the areas of child protection and appellate criminal defense.

Five lawyers have joined the Milwaukee office of von Briesen & Roper s.c. Patrick M. Bergin, Marquette 2001, is a shareholder and chairs the patent law section. His work emphasizes domestic and international intellectual property procurement. Amanda K. Kondo, U.W. 2016 cum laude, is an associate and a member of the business practice group and the trusts and estates section. She focuses in general business and corporate matters, estate planning, probate and trust administration, tax planning, and marital property.

Michael L. Riopel, Marquette 2012, is a principal associate in the commercial, employment, and government law group. He focuses on structuring, documentation, and negotiation of complex financing, real estate, and business transactions. Ryan T. Siehr, U.W. 2013, is an associate and a member of the business practice group and the health law and technology law sections. He focuses on business transactions, licensing, start-up and business formation, and technology law.

Elizabeth C. Wamboldt, U.W. 2009, is an associate and a member of the business practice group and the technology law section. She focuses on negotiating and drafting commercial contracts, including software licensing and IT professional service agreement contracts.

Colleen Wentworth Jones (nee Smith), Marquette 1998, has become a member and the chief operations officer of Rogahn Jones LLC, Waukesha, focusing on commercial litigation and general business law. Jones previously was with Rogahn Kelly as senior counsel and before that was the sole proprietor of Wentworth Jones Law Firm LLC.

Mergers, New Associations, New Offices

Bridget M. Finke, U.W. 2004, and Christine A. Rasmussen, U.W. 2006,have opened Valley Crossing Law LLC, 940 7th Ave., Baldwin, concentrating on estate planning, probate, business, and real estate and serving clients from the Chippewa Valley to the St. Croix Valley in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Cullen Weston Pines & Bach has changed its name to Pines Bach. In celebration of this milestone in the firm’s 37-year history, Pines Bach made a $10,000 donation to the Madison Parks Foundation Tree Fund to support replacement of the 25,000 ash trees that are being removed throughout the city as a result of the emerald ash borer infestation.

Appointments, Elections

Danielle M. Bergner, Marquette 2005, has been named managing partner of the Milwaukee office of Michael Best & Friedrich LLP. She continues to focus on real estate development, zoning and land use, tax credit, and public and private real estate financing matters.

James Casey, Dayton 1988, has been elected to the executive committee of the State Bar of Wisconsin Board of Governors for a one-year term starting July 1, 2016. He is director of the Office of Sponsored Programs at American University in Washington, D.C., and is past president of the State Bar of Wisconsin Nonresident Lawyers Division.

Keith R. Clifford, U.W. 1974, has been chosen president-elect of the National Board of Trial Advocacy, the accredited nonprofit organization that provides national board certification to lawyers specializing in civil, criminal, family, or Social Security disability trial law. He is a partner at Clifford & Raihala S.C., Madison, and practices in personal injury and general civil litigation.

Richard H. Fuller, Marquette 1993 cum laude, has been appointed by the Wisconsin Supreme Court to serve on the District 7 Committee of the Office of Lawyer Regulation.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has appointed the Hon. Robert P. VanDeHey, U.W. 1985, Grant County Circuit Court, as chief judge of the Seventh Judicial Administrative District. VanDeHey, who replaces outgoing Chief Judge James J. Duvall, has served as deputy chief judge of the Seventh Judicial Administrative District since 2013. The district encompasses Buffalo, Crawford, Grant, Iowa, Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe, Pepin, Pierce, Richland, Trempealeau, and Vernon counties.

Authors, Speakers

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, U.W. 1989, presented “The Garland Nomination and the Judicial Confirmation Crisis” at the inaugural event for the new Madison Lawyer Chapter of the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy in Madison in October.

Authors of the recently revised Worker’s Compensation Handbook (State Bar of Wisconsin PINNACLE, 8th ed. 2016) are John Neal, U.W. 1972, Stafford Neal & Soule S.C., Madison, and Joseph Danas Jr., Valparaiso 1975, Borgelt, Powell, Peterson & Frauen S.C., Milwaukee.

Awards, Degrees, Honors

The Hon. David L. Borowski, Marquette, 1991, Milwaukee County Circuit Court, was honored as Polish American of the Year for 2016 by the Milwaukee Society of the Polish National Alliance at a ceremony in October. 

Barrett J. Corneille, U.W. 1980, has become a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He is a partner in Corneille Law Group LLC, Madison.

Michael F. Dubis, Marquette 1972, senior Wisconsin Trustee in Bankruptcy, was honored by the U.S. Department of Justice (U.S. Trustee Office) for distributing to unsecured creditors the largest amount of funds in the latest reporting period. Dubis acknowledged the assistance of David W. Asbach, U.W. 1988, the assistant U.S. Trustee who heads the Eastern District of Wisconsin office, and other individuals in this accomplishment.

Gregg Herman, U.W. 1977, has achieved recertification as a family trial advocate from theNational Board of Trial Advocacy. He is with Loeb & Herman S.C., Milwaukee.

Eric Hobbs, Cornell 1985, has been elected as a Fellow of the Wisconsin Law Foundation. Wisconsin Law Foundation Fellows, who are selected annually, are recognized in the legal profession for outstanding attainment in professional, public, or private careers for devotion to the welfare of their community, state, and nation and the advancement of the legal profession. Hobbs is with Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart P.C., Milwaukee, and represents employers in all aspects of labor and employment law, with an emphasis on employment counseling and policy development, occupational safety and health, employment discrimination litigation, worker’s compensation, wage-hour matters, and clergy abuse.

Beth T. Morrison, with the Minneapolis office ofWisconsin-based DeWitt Ross & Stevens, has been named the 2016 recipient of the firm’s Jack DeWitt Pro Bono Award. Morrison has worked to help stem domestic violence and sex trafficking throughout Minnesota. She serves on the Battered Women’s Legal Advocacy Project board, offers free legal representation to low-income victims of domestic violence, is president of the Women’s Rotary in Minneapolis, and helps children prepare for the Special Olympics as a volunteer at Gigi’s Playhouse.

Ruder Ware, with headquarters in Wausau and Eau Claire, was awarded recertification in Meritas, a global alliance of business law firms.

Retirements

The Hon. Robert D. Martin, Chicago 1969, has retired fromthe U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Wisconsin after more than 38 years of service. He was chief judge until 2012 and also served extensively as a visiting judge in the bankruptcy courts of the northern districts of Illinois and Iowa.

In Memoriam

Patrick L. Crooks, Marquette 1938, Wausau, April 20, 1934 – Aug. 26, 2016.

Hon. Rudolph T. Randa, U.W. 1966, Milwaukee, July 25, 1940 – Sept. 5, 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.

Photo placement: Submit a professional-quality photo. If the photo is used, the State Bar will issue an invoice ($30 each). Group photos are not accepted. High-resolution electronic photos are preferred.

Deadline: The first of the month preceding publication. For example, to place an announcement in the May issue, it must be received before April 1. Email to: MembersOnly@wisbar.org. Include your State Bar membership number.