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May 01, 2002

In the News

New Hires, Promotions
Mergers, Relocations, New Associations
In Memoriam

Awards, Degrees, Honors
Appointments, Elections
Authors, Speakers
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New Hires, Promotions, Partners

Matthew C. Carlson, Boston University 1998, Troy D. Thompson, Marquette 1998, and Kevin D. Trost, U.W. 1998, have been promoted to senior associates at Axley Brynelson LLP, Madison. Carlson is in the business law practice group, Thompson is in the labor and employment practice group, and Trost is in the litigation practice group.

Thomas J. Coaty, John Marshall 1992, Eric R. Enli, Marquette 1994, and Christine M. Quinn, Marquette 2001, have joined the Brown County District Attorney's Office as assistant district attorneys. Coaty previously was in private practice in Madison, working primarily as a criminal defense attorney. Enli previously was an assistant corporation counsel for Brown County, primarily prosecuting mental health commitments, guardianships, and protective placements. Quinn previously was a special prosecutor in the Waukesha County District Attorney's Office.

Cook

Jeffrey R. Cooke, Drake 1972, has joined the Madison office of Brennan, Steil, Basting & MacDougall S.C., concentrating in the business law areas of organizational formation, business transactions, and management employment/ownership structure. Cooke also is president of The Cooke Group Inc., a financial and management consulting firm focusing in business planning, organizational development, and interim executive and financial management services. He has served as corporate counsel for Sta-Rite Industries Inc. and Beloit Corp., has held senior-level management positions in several Wisconsin-based multinational companies, and has provided business planning and related consulting services for Wisconsin firms.

Esch

Fulton

Peterson

Westerhof

Bryan C. Esch, U.W. 1997, Bradley C. Fulton, Marquette 1997, Scott K. Petersen, Pepperdine 1993, and Jacob P. Westerhof, U.W. 1996, have become shareholders in DeWitt Ross & Stevens S.C., Madison. Esch focuses his practice on employee benefits, estate planning, probate, business law, tax law, and real estate. He is active in the U.W.-Madison Family Business Center and the State Bar's pro bono Business Assistance Program.

Fulton represents businesses in all aspects of labor and employment matters, as well as construction law matters. He is a management representative on the Wisconsin Labor-Management Council and is vice president of the Greater Madison Area Society of Human Resource Management.

Petersen represents businesses and individuals in a variety of civil and commercial litigation matters and is an assistant city attorney for Fitchburg, handling municipal prosecutions.

Westerhof focuses his practice on litigating commercial, employment, and intellectual property matters. He has lectured and written articles for the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators and the Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators.

Vernon W. Francissen, U.W. 1995, has joined the Chicago office of Gardner, Carton & Douglas as counsel to the intellectual property practice group. He will continue to practice patent law, focusing in the protection of electronics and software technology.

Todd J. Friedbacher, Harvard 1994, has been made a partner with Powell, Goldstein, Frazer & Murphy LLP, Geneva, Switzerland. He represents governments and private party interests in disputes and negotiations before the World Trade Organization.

James G. Godlewski, N.Y.U. 1983, has been appointed Neenah city attorney and personnel director. He was Merrill city attorney from 1992 to 2002.

Thomas Kister, Marquette 1998, has been promoted to legal counsel, director of contracts and compliance for Derco Aerospace Inc., Milwaukee, a worldwide distributor of military aircraft parts and provider of aircraft upgrade programs.

Tamara M. McNulty, U.W. 1995, has become an associate with Venable, located in Vienna, Va. She practices in complex commercial litigation, with an emphasis on construction law, surety defense, contract law, and general business litigation. She previously worked with Thompson Hine LLP, Washington, D.C.

Patrick C. O'Neill, U.W. 1992, has become a shareholder at Hausmann-McNally S.C., Milwaukee, practicing in plaintiffs' personal injury claims and litigation.

Dan Rossmiller, U.W. 1981, has joined the State Bar of Wisconsin as the director of public affairs, responsible for administration of the department, including planning and direction of the public and government relations programs of the State Bar. He previously was with the office of Senator Gary R. George, Madison.

Webb

Daphne Webb, U.W. 1973 cum laude, has been elected to the executive committee of Stafford Rosenbaum LLP, Madison. Webb practices in collaborative family law, family law, and alternative dispute resolution. She is on the board of directors of the State Bar's Family Law Section, is a board member and past president of the board of directors for the Center for Public Representation, and is associate editor for the Wisconsin Journal of Family Law.

Richard W. White, U.W. 1975, has joined the intellectual property law firm of Jansson, Shupe & Munger Ltd., Racine, concentrating on patent and trademark matters and intellectual property disputes and litigation. White previously had a litigation practice, White & Lowe, in Waukesha.

Birschbach

Fuhr

Hein

Icenogle

Michelle L. Birschbach, Marquette 1998 cum laude, Scott M. Fuhr, U.W. 1997 cum laude, Melinda A. Hein, Harvard 1999, and Daniel L. Icenogle, U.W. 1992 cum laude, have joined Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C. Birschbach works with the corporate transactions and business law and trusts and estates practice groups in the Manitowoc office. She previously was with Twohig & Rietbrock S.C., Chilton.

Fuhr, who also is a CPA, focuses on corporate transactions and business law in the Madison office. He previously was an associate with the Green Bay office of Godfrey & Kahn S.C.

Hein works with the litigation group in the Milwaukee office. She previously was with Foley & Lardner.

Icenogle, who also is a physician, focuses on health care law in the Madison office. He previously was with Icenogle & Associates. He has experience in fraud and abuse investigations of physicians' and psychologists' billing practices, managed care practices and procedures, telemedicine liability, licensure and reimbursement, and compliance and regulation, including HIPAA.

Mergers, Relocations, New Associations

Teresa Basiliere, Hamline 1990, and Jennifer Thompson, Suffolk 1994, have formed Basiliere & Thompson LLP, 600 S. Main St., Ste. 202, Oshkosh. They will provide representation in family law, divorce, criminal law, Social Security disability, guardianships, business law, real estate, bankruptcy, and wills. Basiliere was a staff attorney for Legal Services of Northeastern Wisconsin and an associate at an Oshkosh firm before opening her own practice in 1994. Thompson was a prosecutor in La Crosse and an associate at an Oshkosh firm before becoming a partner in 1999 in Basiliere, Goldin & Thompson LLP, Oshkosh.

J. David Krekeler, U.W. 1979, and George B. Strother IV, U.W. 1974, principals in Krekeler Law Office S.C., have changed the firm name to Krekeler Strother S.C. The firm continues at 15 N. Pinckney St., Suite 200, Madison, providing individual and business clients throughout southwest Wisconsin with professional services in bankruptcy and related financial matters; debtor/creditor issues; employ-ment matters including discrimination, worker's compensation, unemployment compensation, and state employee relations; personal injury, family, criminal law, and general litigation; and probate and estate planning.

Howard B. Tolkan, U.W. 1975, has established Tolkan Law Offices LLC, 400 E. Wisconsin Ave., Ste. 500, Milwaukee. Tolkan will continue to practice in commercial and consumer collection law, construction lien law, automobile dealership law, real estate, landlord/tenant law, general corporate and civil matters, and civil litigation in state and federal courts.

Appointments, Elections

The Chippewa County Bar Association has elected these officers: president - Heather M. Hunt, Chippewa Falls; and treasurer - Mark R. Mullen, Bloomer.

Richard W. Graber, Boston University 1981, a shareholder in Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren S.C., Milwaukee, has been appointed to a public interest position on the Federal Home Loan Bank Board of Chicago. Graber and 35 other appointees were selected because of their success in the areas of housing development and finance, community involvement and improvement, and banking. At Reinhart, Graber concentrates on mergers and acquisitions, government relations, and corporate finance, is a member of the board of directors, and is currently the firm's chief operating officer.

Officers chosen by the Wisconsin Alumni Association of the Thomas M. Cooley Law School include the following: vice president - Bradley Stern, Hartford; secretary - John Heugel, Green Bay; and treasurer - Mike Fitzpatrick, Milwaukee.

Authors, Speakers

Douglas M. Feldman, Marquette 1987, a shareholder and member of the board of directors with Lindner & Marsack S.C., Milwaukee, recently presented "Infectious Disease in the Workplace: Proof and Defense" at the National Worker's Compensation and Occupational Medicine Seminar in San Diego.

Sylvan Sobel, U.W. 1983, is the author of Our Pledge of Allegiance, a book on U.S. history and government for young readers. Sobel is director of communications for the Federal Judicial Center, Washington, D.C.

Ellen E. Sward, Harvard 1979, is the author of The Decline of the Civil Jury, published by Carolina Academic Press. Sward is a professor of law at the University of Kansas.

Awards, Degrees, Honors

Harold B. Judell, U.W. 1938, a nonresident member of the Wisconsin Bar and senior partner of Foley & Judell LLP, New Orleans, La., has received the Bernard P. Friel Medal for Distinguished Service in Public Finance from the National Association of Bond Lawyers.