Vol. 73, No. 6, June
2000
In the News
New Hires, Promotions, Partners
Thomas Arnon Allen, U.W 1992 cum laude, has been
promoted to senior counsel for RMT Inc., in its corporate headquarters
in Madison. He is a registered patent attorney, responsible for the
legal aspects of RMT's technology development. RMT Inc. is an
environmental engineering and consulting firm with 21 offices throughout
the U.S. and Europe.
Michael E. Banks, Emory 1993, has been made partner
in Haus, Resnick and Roman LLP, Madison. He will continue to practice in
business, commercial, and intellectual property transactions, general
business and commercial law, commercial and general litigation, and
employment law.
Donna C. Becker, U.W. 1988, has joined Catholic
Charities Diocese of Arlington, as the supervisor of legal services at
Hogar Hispano. She previously practiced immigration and naturalization
law in Washington, D.C.
Nicholas J. Bertha III, Marquette 1975, has joined
the investment banking firm of Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette,
Manhattan. A senior vice president, he helps coordinate investment
banking and asset management activities. Bertha previously was with
Salomon Smith Barney, New York City.
Michael Buxton Devine, Drake 1980, Exeter LL.M.
1988, has joined the chambers of Donald Gordon, Barristers-at-Law,
London, as a tenant. He also is of counsel to Pavelic & Levites
P.C., Attorneys-at-Law, New York City, and teaches in the LL.M. programs
at Kent Law School, University of Kent at Canterbury, England.
 Marie A. Stanton, U.W. 1975, has joined Hurley,
Burish & Milliken S.C., Madison, as a shareholder in the civil
litigation group, concentrating in personal injury, medical negligence,
and mediations. She previously was sole shareholder of the Law Offices
of Marie A. Stanton S.C., Green Bay. Stanton also recently became a
fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. |
Jerry Drabiak, John Marshall 1981, has joined Nilles
& Nilles, Milwaukee, concentrating in intellectual property law.
Charles I. Henderson, UCLA 1973, Bonnie A.
Wendorff, U.W. 1987, and Alyson K. Zierdt,
Marquette 1981, have joined Davis & Kuelthau S.C. as shareholders.
Henderson will be at the Milwaukee office continuing to practice in
corporate law, real estate, sports law, and construction matters. He
previously was a shareholder with Cook & Franke S.C. Wendorff will
practice labor and employment law and employment discrimination
litigation in the Madison office. She previously was a partner with
Boardman, Suhr, Curry & Field LLP, in the labor and employment law
group. Zierdt is a member of the litigation and labor and employment
sections. Her practice focuses on litigation matters including general
business disputes, contract, and employment law. She also serves as a
mediator and arbitrator in civil disputes.
Kimberly Epstein, U.W. 1996, has joined Boston
Community Capital, a community development financial institution, as
loan program manager. She previously was a commercial litigator with
Calotta Levine Samuel LLP, New York City.
Kristin K. Frye, Marquette 1996, has joined Sneed,
Vine & Perry P.C., Austin, Tex., as an associate practicing in
corporate law, securities, and commercial real estate. She previously
was associate general counsel at Empire Funding Corp.
Michael A. Faust, Drake 1994, has joined Consigny,
Andrews, Hemming & Grant S.C., Janesville, as an associate
practicing in business, corporate, and real estate law and estate
planning.
Timothy S. Trecek, Marquette 1993, Jodi L.
Habush, Harvard 1992, Douglas E. Swanson, Iowa
1990, and Nicholas J. McNamara, U.W. 1993, have become
shareholders in Habush, Habush, Davis & Rottier S.C. Trecek and
Habush practice out of the Milwaukee office, Swanson at the Waukesha
office, and McNamara in the Madison office.
Katherine Stadler, Northwestern 1997, Denise
L. Stoker, U.W. 1997, and Carol Muratore
Dehler, U.W. 1989, have joined Godfrey & Kahn S.C. Stadler
joins the litigation practice group in the Madison office. She
previously was an associate at Foley & Lardner, Madison. Stoker
joins the intellectual property practice group in the Milwaukee office.
She previously was with Andrus, Sceales, Starke & Sawall LLP,
Milwaukee. Dehler joins the real estate practice team in the Milwaukee
office. She previously was a senior attorney with Firstar Corp. and an
associate at Michael, Best & Friedrich.
Randy C. Rucinski, U.W. 1991, has been made partner
in Jaeckle Fleischmann & Mugel LLP, with offices in Buffalo and
Rochester, New York. Rucinski is a member of the litigation practice
area, concentrating in complex commercial, contract, products liability,
medical malpractice, real property, and civil rights litigation.
Tracy K. Kuczenski, U. W. 1999 cum laude, has joined
Michael Best & Friedrich LLP, in the Madison office, as an
associate. Kuczenski focuses on land use, environmental, and local
government law.
Terence P. McElwee, S.M.U. 1978, has been named
intellectual property counsel for the University of Illinois-Chicago.
McElwee has been director of technology transfer at Marquette University
since 1995, where he started the technology licensing program.
Karl A. Meyer Jr., Marquette 1997, has joined
Niebler, Pyzyk, Klaver & Wagner LLP, Menomonee Falls, as an
associate. He previously was an associate at Stupar, Schuster &
Cooper S.C., Milwaukee.
G. Houston Parrish, Kentucky 1995, has joined
Kasieta Legal Group LLC, Madison, concentrating in civil trial work,
personal injury, employment law, worker's compensation, and product
liability.
MaryNell Regan, Marquette 1994, has joined the
Milwaukee City Attorney's office as assistant city attorney, continuing
in employment litigation. Regan also has accepted a position on the
board of directors for SHARE, a nonprofit food distributor and volunteer
organization serving the state of Wisconsin.
David P. Ruetz, Montana 1990, has joined the
Milwaukee office of Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C., concentrating in
environmental and real estate law. Ruetz previously was with Von
Briesen, Purtell & Roper S.C., Milwaukee.
Werner E. Scherr, Marquette 1961, has joined the
Milwaukee office of Gonzalez, Saggio, Birdsall & Harlan LLP, as a
partner in the litigation group. He previously was a senior partner of
Kasdorf, Lewis & Swietlik, Milwaukee.
Lynn J. Splitek, U.W. 1991, has joined Haus, Resnick
and Roman LLP, Madison, as an associate, focusing on family and school
law. She previously was with Foley & Lardner, Madison.
Ronda C. Warren, Hamline 1997, has joined Murray
& Cross, Milwaukee, as an associate focusing on employment, labor,
and business dispute resolution and litigation. Warren previously was
with Wassel Law Offices.
Deborah Smith, U.W. 1980, has been named legal
counsel for the Wisconsin Public Defender (WPD). She previously was
WPD's director of training and development, Madison trial region first
assistant, and staff attorney. Virginia A. Pomeroy,
Minnesota 1981, has been named deputy state public defender. She
previously was legal counsel, appellate division director, and staff
attorney in the trial division and appellate division.
Appointments, Elections
|
 Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson, Indiana
1956, Wisconsin Supreme Court, has joined the board of directors of the
Institute of Judicial Administration Inc. (IJA), at NYU School of Law.
The IJA is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization promoting continuing
judicial education and public policy research on issues affecting the
administration of justice. Abrahamson also has been appointed a National
Conference of Chief Justices (NCCJ) liaison to the American Bar
Association's Center for Professional Responsibility (a new umbrella
organization for several ABA professional responsibility committees).
She received the Lex et Justitia Award from the Criminology and Law
Society of Marquette University in March. The chief justice delivered
the William J. Brennan Jr. Lecture on State Courts and Social Justice,
entitled "The Ballot and the Bench," at the NYU School of Law also in
March.
|
Thomas M. Domer, U.W. 1983, a partner at Shneidman,
Myers, Dowling, Blumenfield, Ehlke, Hawks & Domer, Milwaukee, has
been elected chair of the worker's compensation and workplace injury
section of the American Trial Lawyer's Association for 2000-01. The
chair is responsible for section publications and the annual education
program.
Thomas J. Gritton, Hamline 1985, has been elected
Winnebago County circuit court judge branch 1. Gritton has been deputy
district attorney for 10 years and will assume the bench Aug. 1. He
previously was in private practice with Kahler, Chiquoine & Krueger,
Reedsburg.
Thomas J. Kapusta, Marquette 1979, Loyola 1996
LL.M., was named general counsel for The Evangelical Lutheran Good
Samaritan Society, the largest not-for-profit long term care
organization in the country. He was formerly vice president/associate
general counsel for the Murer Group, a national healthcare consulting
company. He will reside in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Debra Riedel, Marquette 1989, has been appointed
court commissioner by Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Jacqueline
Schellinger. Riedel is in private practice in Milwaukee, focusing on
family law.
Authors, Speakers
Ralph Adam Fine, Columbia 1965, a court of appeals
judge, has
written
The How-to-win Appeal Manual, a sequel to
The
How-to-win
Trial Manual. Both books are published by Juris Publishing Co., New
York.
He also authored
Fine's Wisconsin Evidence. Fine also teaches
trial
advocacy at state bar and in-house programs around the country.
William C. Gleisner III, Michael K. McChrystal, and
Michael J. Kuborn are the 1999 recipients of the Hon.
Charles Dunn Author Award, which is presented annually by the State Bar
Communications Committee. The award, named after Wisconsin's first chief
justice, recognizes writing excellence in Wisconsin Lawyer articles. The
attorneys were recognized for their series of articles: "Coping with the
Legal Perils of Employee Email," "Regulating Electronic Commerce," and
"Laptop Litigation: The Impact of Technology on Litigation." The
articles "contributed significantly to a recognition among lawyers of
the broad implications of computer technology on the practice of law and
law office management," says award committee chair Don Wall. Gleisner,
McChrystal, and Kuborn will receive a plaque at the State Bar's June
Annual Convention at the Monona Terrace, Madison.
Bruce A. McIlnay and James Joseph Gettel also received certificates
of commendation for their September 1999 article, "A New Approach to
Employment Administration."
Kenneth Port, U.W. 1989, Terence
McElwee, S.M.U. 1978, and Faye Hammersley, Marquette 1998,
authored Licensing Intellectual Property in the Digital Age,
the first law school text book devoted exclusively to licensing. It's
available from Carolina Academic Press.
Carlton D. Stansbury, Iowa 1990 with distinction,
delivered a presentation at the American Bar Association Family Law
Section's Spring CLE Conference in New Orleans entitled "Once is not
Enough: Dissolving a Second Marriage Between the Same Spouses." He is a
shareholder in Burbach & Stansbury S.C., Milwaukee, practicing
family law.
Awards, Degrees, Honors
Kelly Chapek Centofanti, Marquette 1990, has been
awarded the 2000 Marquette University Law School Spirit Award. She is a
partner in Aiken & Scoptur S.C., Milwaukee, and concentrates in
personal injury work. She is secretary of the State Bar of Wisconsin,
vice president of the Milwaukee Bar Association, and a past president of
the Association for Women Lawyers.
Frank J. Daily, Marquette 1968, has been named the
Marquette University Law School Alumnus of the Year. He is a senior
partner in the Milwaukee office of Quarles & Brady, practicing in
complex product liability cases and heads the firm's national product
liability practice. He is a fellow in the International Academy of Trial
Lawyers and has been listed in the Best Lawyers in America. He
is a past president of the Marquette University Law Alumni Association,
serves on the Law School fund-raising committee, and is a lifetime
member of the President's Council.
Major Kevin H. Govern, Marquette 1987, was awarded
the Major General William F. Garrison Award, which recognizes the
special operations judge advocate commissioned, or warrant officer or
enlisted soldier who has made the most significant contribution to the
rule of law with the special operations community during the previous
year. Govern is the legal advisor to the command operations review
board, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
Michael J. Gratz, U.W. 1994, a shareholder at Boyle
Fredrickson Ziolkowski S.C., was awarded the U.S. Air Force Meritorious
Service Medal for his dedicated service as deputy staff judge advocate
for the 115th Fighter Wing, Wisconsin Air National Guard from Jan.
1996-2000.
Jerris Leonard, Marquette 1955, has been awarded the
2000 Marquette University Law School Lifetime Achievement Award. Leonard
is chair of the federal legislative practice group of Hopkins &
Sutter, Washington, D.C. He served in the Wisconsin Assembly and Senate
from 1957 to 1969, and was U.S. Assistant Attorney General from 1969 to
1971. He is active in numerous professional, fraternal, social, and
academic organizations. He is a 1998 recipient of the Wisconsin Law
Foundation's Outstanding Professional Award.
Kenneth L. Port, U.W. 1989, has been awarded a
Fulbright grant to conduct research in trademark law in Japan. Port
created and developed Marquette University's Intellectual Property Law
Program, including 15 courses, a law review, and numerous conferences
and symposia. A professor of law at Marquette, Port teaches trademark
law, copyright law, international intellectual property law, and
comparative law. He is a frequent author and lecturer on intellectual
property-related topics.
Donald B. Rintelman, Michigan 1980, has been elected
a fellow of the American College of Investment Counsel. The college
studies and educates its members about legal issues related to
significant institutional investment financing. Rintelman is a
shareholder at Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C., concentrating in business
and commercial finance and mergers and acquisitions.
Mergers, Relocations,
New Associations
 James J. Mathie, Marquette 1986, has formed Law
Offices of James J. Mathie, 217 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 104, Waukesha. He
will concentrate in general civil and commercial litigation,
environmental, and tranportation law, insurance defense, and estate
planning. |
Eric W. Zaeske, Marquette 1989, has joined Harris
& Nelson LLP, Wauwatosa, as a partner to create Harris,
Nelson & Zaeske LLP. Zaeske, along with attorneys Christine
Harris and Teri M. Nelson, will continue to concentrate in all areas of
family law.
John H. Pellmann, Marquette 1995 magna cum laude,
formerly with Swartzberg & Duggan S.C., Milwaukee, has formed the
Law Office of John H. Pellmann, 631 N. Mayfair Rd.,
Wauwatosa. He will continue to focus on real estate law, business law,
and estate planning/probate.
Arthur P. Simpson, U.W. 1980, and Stuart R.
Deardorff, Chicago Kent 1987, have formed Simpson &
Deardorff S.C., 735 W. Wisconsin Ave., Suite 720, Milwaukee.
Andrew J. Schwaba, DePaul 1998, also joins the firm as an associate. The
firm concentrates in civil litigation, plaintiff and insurance
defense/coverage.
In Memoriam
Roy E. Berg, U.W. 1952, Janesville, March 20, 1924 -
April 15, 2000.
Michael A. Clarke, Marquette 1962, Milwaukee, Sept.
15, 1934 - March 6, 2000.
Christine E. Ebert, U.W. 1996, Boston, Mass., Sept.
8, 1965 - April 4, 2000.
Robert H. Flatley, U.W. 1935, Green Bay, July 3,
1908 - Feb. 14, 2000.
Jack J. Gimbel, U.W. 1940, Milwaukee, Sept. 6, 1914
- March 2, 2000.
Richard J. Harrigan, Marquette 1942, Mequon, July 8,
1916 - March 12, 2000.
S. Ted Hitzler, Marquette 1931, Fond du Lac, Jan. 4,
1906 - March 29, 2000.
Romaine D. Thorfinnson, North Dakota 1963, Oshkosh,
June 30, 1932 - Nov. 16, 1999.
Bernard C. Westfahl, Marquette 1940, Elm Grove,
March 14, 1916 - April 7, 2000.
Wisconsin Lawyer
