New Hires, Promotions, Partners
Brady L. Brown, Marquette 2019, has rejoined Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c.’s corporate practice in the Milwaukee office. Brown has experience counseling business owners on mergers and acquisitions, commercial transactions, entity formation, and general corporate governance. Previously an associate at Reinhart, Brown also practiced at a large Chicago law firm, advising private equity clients and their portfolio companies on mergers and acquisitions and other business transactions.
Patrick L. Breen, Chicago-Kent 1991, has joined Boardman Clark and works primarily with the Dealership & Franchise and Litigation practice groups. He advises dealerships, distributors, and trade associations on matters related to franchise relationships, product distribution, business operations, and commercial dispute resolution, including disputes arising under the Wisconsin Motor Vehicle Dealer Law, the Wisconsin Fair Dealership Law, and other states’ dealership protection laws. He also brings extensive litigation experience, particularly in commercial and employment-related matters. He previously worked in corporate legal departments and as an Illinois assistant attorney general.
Erin K. Deeley, U.W. 2011 cum laude, has joined Stafford Rosenbaum LLP’s Madison office as a partner and practices litigation, appeals, and government and administrative law.
Stephany Hernandez, Marquette 2023, has joined O’Leary-Guth Law Office S.C., Mequon, as an associate and focuses on trusts, estates, tax, and business.
Jeffery P. Phillips, U.W. 2006, has joined Murphy Desmond S.C. in the Creditors’ Rights, Business Bankruptcy, and Litigation groups. Phillips assists clients in bankruptcy, business reorganizations, and commercial litigation and works with clients including debtors, creditors, receivers, and trustees in chapter 128 receivership proceedings, collections, foreclosures, and other commercial and business litigation matters.
Michael R. Sherer, Chicago-Kent 2016, has joined von Briesen & Roper s.c. and works from the Waukesha office. A member of the Labor and Employment Section, Sherer focuses on employment litigation, employment law counseling, collective bargaining, contract administration, and representation before the National Labor Relations Board. He has significant experience in employment litigation, including wage-and-hour claim, employment discrimination, Title I of the Americans with Disability Act, and wage-garnishment cases.
Appointments, Elections
Joe Ahlers, U.W. 2011, has been appointed by the president of the American Bar Association as chair of the ABA Standing Committee on Armed Forces Law. His appointment runs through 2025. Ahlers is an active-duty judge advocate and full-time instructor stationed at the Air Force Judge Advocate General’s School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
Dane E. Allen, U.W. 1992, was elected by the residents of Lee County, Fla., to a four-year term on the board for the Lee Health System, one of the largest public-health systems in the U.S., with over 14,000 employees. Allen is assistant general counsel for the Hertz Corp., where he focuses on corporate governance and compliance matters.
The Hon. Carl Ashley, Marquette 1983, has been appointed by the Wisconsin Supreme Court to serve as chief judge of Wisconsin’s First Judicial District. Ashley replaces the Hon. Mary E. Triggiano, U.W. 1988, who left the bench to take a job with Marquette University Law School. The chief judge oversees the operations of Milwaukee County’s Circuit Court system and its 47 branches. Ashley was first elected a circuit court judge in 1999. Since then, he has presided over courtrooms in every division: Misdemeanor, Felony, Large Claims Civil, Children’s Court, and Family Court. He also has experience hearing cases in some courts created to address specific problems and populations: the Adult Drug Treatment Court, the Veterans Treatment Court, and the Domestic Violence Court.
The Legal Association for Women (LAW) officers elected for 2023 are the following: president – Tracey L. Schwalbe, U.W. 1988; president-elect – Leslie A. Freehill, U.W. 2015; secretary – Elizabeth A. McInerny, U.W. 2015; and treasurer – Ailani Z. Taylor, U.W. 2018. Breanne L. Snapp, U.W. 2014, is past-president.
Jane Limprecht, U.W. 1980, has been elected treasurer of the Chesapeake Chapter of Sisters in Crime, an international organization that promotes the interests of women who write crime fiction. The “Chessie Chapter” covers northern Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia.
Christa Wittenberg, Michigan 2012, has been elected to the board of O’Neil Cannon Hollman DeJong & Laing SC, Milwaukee. Wittenberg is a member of the Litigation Practice Group, where she assists businesses and individuals with pursuing and defending a variety of complex civil litigation matters. She also is chair of the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Communications Committee. Wittenberg replaces Dean Laing, Marquette 1983, who is immediate past president and managing shareholder of the firm, having served in those roles from 2015 to 2020. He remains with the firm as a shareholder.
Rebecca Cameron Valcq, Marquette 2000, has been reappointed as chair of the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin PSC and elected to the National Utilities Diversity Council (NUDC) Board. The NUDC conducts research to educate, develop best practices, and guide efforts that will promote diversity in the utilities and communications industries in the areas of governance, employment, procurement, language access/customer service, and philanthropy.
Authors, Speakers
Steven W. Martin, U.W. 1983, and Bridget M. Hubing, Notre Dame 2001, authored the recently revised Wisconsin Construction Lien Law Handbook (State Bar of Wis. 5th ed. 2023). Martin is retired from Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c., with which Hubing is a shareholder.
In Memoriam
Julianne Barker, Marquette 2001, Hillsboro, June 10, 1955 – Jan. 19, 2023.
Thomas W. Bertz, Marquette 1962, Waunakee, June 6, 1937 – March 23, 2023.
Eugene J. Dietzler, Marquette 1997, Milwaukee, Feb. 22, 1958 – Nov. 10, 2022.
Harold J. Lessner, Marquette 1972, Madison, June 21, 1943 – March 17, 2023.
John E. Martinson, U.W. 1958, Green Bay, Aug. 3, 1932 – March 12, 2023.
Mario J. Ventura Jr., Marquette 1971, Pleasant Prairie, Nov. 2, 1941 – March 24, 2023.
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! Email announcements to: MembersOnly@wisbar.org. Notices about State Bar members in good standing are printed as space is available, and subject to editing. Writing guidelines are available here. Questions? Email us or call (608) 250-6139.
Photo placement: Submit a professional-quality photo. If the photo is used, the State Bar will issue an invoice ($35 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.
Ineligible announcements: Talks, speeches (unless they are of national stature), honors from other publications, and political announcements are not accepted.
» Cite this article: 96 Wis. Law. 67-68 (May 2023).