New Hires, Promotions, Partners

Olivia Kay Mote, U.W. 2016, and Kelsey A. Pelegrin, Marquette 2021, have joined Bell, Moore & Richter S.C., Madison. Mote focuses on family law. Pelegrin focuses on civil litigation, general liability, and insurance defense.

Alicia Bernards, Marquette 2022, has joined O’Leary-Guth Law Office S.C., Thiensville-Mequon, as an associate and focuses on trust and estate administration, elder law, and estate planning.

Tim Caprez, Loyola-Chicago 2003, has joined the Milwaukee office ofDykema Gossett PLLC as senior counsel and works in the capital markets practice group with a focus in the healthcare industry. Previously, Caprez was vice president and chief compliance counsel at Exact Sciences Corp. He has experience providing guidance on fraud and abuse prohibitions, data privacy protections and monetization opportunities, Medicare and Medicaid billing regulations, and private-payer-coverage topics.

David R. Ewert, U.W. 2022, and Alex B. Zahn, U.W. 2022, have joined Duxstad, Bestul & McNaughton S.C., Monroe, as associates. They focus primarily on family law, litigation, and criminal and traffic defense.

Laura Grebe, Marquette 2010 magna cum laude, has joined the intellectual property service group of SmithAmundsen LLC in the Milwaukee office. Grebe represents clients in industries including biomedical, chemical, mechanical, and electrical technologies and assists with obtaining, maintaining, and exploiting patent and trademark rights. She has prepared and prosecuted patent applications on behalf of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology and also previously worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in managing its international trademark portfolio.

Erin M. Idler, Marquette 2022, has joined Hansen & Hildebrand S.C., Milwaukee, as an associate. Idler has a certificate in alternative dispute resolution and provides individual representation and mediation for couples in the divorce process in addition to estate planning.

Nathan W. Judnic, Drake 2004 with honors, has joined the Wisconsin Department of Administration, Division of Legal Services, Madison, as legal counsel. Previously, he was staff counsel with the Wisconsin Elections Commission in Madison.

Matt M. Klos, U.W. 2016, has joined Hale, Skemp, Hanson, Skemp & Sleik,
La Crosse. Klos advises clients on issues related to real estate, general business strategy, and transactions.

Maggie M. McLoone, Marquette 2022 cum laude, has joinedWeld Riley S.C., Eau Claire, and practices in the business, probate and estate planning, municipal, and school law sections.

Jenna N. Proudfit, Marquette 2019, has joined Probst Law Offices SC, Wauwatosa, and concentrates in family law. Proudfit previously was with the Wisconsin State Public Defender’s Office in Walworth County, where her practice had an emphasis on special pleas in complex mental health cases, including chapter 51 mental health commitments, chapter 54 guardianships, and chapter 55 protective placements.

Ryan J. Riebe, Minnesota 2017, has joined the litigation practice group of O’Neil, Cannon, Hollman, DeJong & Laing S.C., Milwaukee. Riebe has experience counseling individuals and businesses in mediation and arbitration and in litigation matters in state and federal courts. He also is licensed to practice in California.

Christina D. Sommers, George Washington 2009, has joined the Law Firm of Conway, Olejniczak & Jerry S.C., Green Bay, and focuses on cases involving medical negligence, personal injury, and construction disputes. Previously she worked at other Green Bay law firms and as a senior associate at a firm in Washington, D.C.

Blayne Nicole Christy, U.W. 2014, and Rick J. Mundt, U.W. 1981, have joined von Briesen & Roper s.c. in the Madison office. Christy is an associate representing insurance carriers and their insureds in complex disputes, including construction defect disputes, contract disputes, and professional liability claims. Mundt is a shareholder focusing on litigation involving construction defects, catastrophic property damage, professional liability, bodily injury, and complex insurance claims. He is also an experienced mediator for property and casualty dispute resolution.

Mergers, Relocations, New Offices

Drew Cochrane, U.W. 1999, has formed Cochrane ADR LLC, Middleton. Cochrane is an American Arbitration Association panel arbitrator and has private practice, in-house counsel, and corporate executive experience.

Hurtado Zimmerman SC has opened a Wausau office, led by Robert Zimmerman, Marquette 1977, CPA. Zimmerman’s practice focuses on business formation, acquisition, and sales; estate planning and probate; real estate sales and purchases; and tax planning and audits. He advises businesses ranging from one-person startups to multimillion-dollar companies, has extensive experience with the sale and purchase of small businesses and residential property, and has negotiated the sale of business assets in excess of $100 million.

Appointments, Elections

Tara R. Devine, Marquette 2003, has become president of the Lake County Bar Association. She is managing partner at Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard PC, Waukegan, Ill., and concentrates in personal injury, nursing home negligence, wrongful death, medical malpractice, and product liability cases.

Authors, Speakers

Authors of the recently revised Commercial Real Estate Transactions in Wisconsin (State Bar of Wis. 3d ed. 2022) include the following: Richard W. Donner, Brooklyn Law School 2003, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c., Milwaukee; Olivia M. Dunn, U.W. 2017, Stafford Rosenbaum LLP, Madison; Lauren R. Grahovac Harpke, U.W. 2007, Quarles & Brady LLP, Milwaukee; Melanie S. Lee, Iowa 1998, and Nathan J. Wautier, U.W. 2003,Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c., Madison; J. Bushnell Nielsen, Marquette 1981, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c., Waukesha; and Ryan R. Seib, Loyola-Chicago 2014, Assurity Legal LLC, Madison.

Authors of the recently revised Wisconsin Law of Easements and Restrictive Covenants (State Bar of Wis. 6th ed. 2022) are the following: Melanie S. Lee, Iowa 1998, and Joshua D. Taggatz, Minnesota 2010,Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c., Madison; and Jessica J. Shrestha, U.W. 2009, Fredrikson & Byron PA, Madison.

John A. Becker, U.W. 1982, has updated two books, Wisconsin Safe-Place Law and Recreational and Governmental Immunity in Wisconsin. Becker’s practice focuses on personal injury and worker’s compensation matters.

Awards, Degrees, Honors

Four attorneys with DeWitt LLP were recently honored as Fellows of the Wisconsin Law Foundation (WLF) at a ceremony in May 2022. Partners Brian Anderson, Deborah Meiners, and Timothy Stewart were named to the 2021 class of Fellows.

Partner Brody Richter was named a Fellow in 2020. The Fellows program recognizes members of the legal profession in Wisconsin for high achievements and outstanding contributions for the advancement and improvement of the administration of justice.

Anderson, U.W. 1980, New York Univ. Master of Law (taxation), practices in business and employee benefits among other areas. Meiners, U.W. 2008, concentrates in appeals, construction litigation, insurance, labor and employment relations, and commercial litigation. Richter, U.W. 2006, is a partner and co-chair of the business law practice group. He primarily focuses on business, mergers and acquisitions, corporate transactional matters, commercial real estate and land use, private securities transactions, the construction industry, and licensing. Stewart, U.W. 1997, is president of and managing partner at DeWitt. He focuses on employee benefits, employee stock ownership plans, and labor and employment relations.

Franklyn Gimbel, Marquette 1960, received a Witness to History Award from the Milwaukee County Historical Society at a dinner in May 2022. Gimbel is founding partner of Milwaukee-based trial and litigation law firm Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown LLP. The Witness to History Award is presented to those who have played a significant role in shaping and documenting Milwaukee County’s history. Gimbel was the lawyer for the Milwaukee Deputy Sheriff’s Association for 31 years and negotiated many contracts on its behalf. In addition to his law practice, he has served on the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission and as chair of the Wisconsin Center District Board, which oversaw the construction of Milwaukee’s first convention center. He also served as president of the Milwaukee Bar Association, the State Bar of Wisconsin, and the Milwaukee Rotary Club.

Gregg Herman, U.W. 1977, has been recertified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) as a senior specialist in family law. Herman has been continually certified as a specialist in family law by NBTA since 1996 and is one of three board-certified family law trial specialists in Wisconsin. Herman practices with Loeb & Herman LLC, Milwaukee, and is a past president of the Milwaukee Bar Association, chair of the American Bar Association Family Law Section, and an adjunct professor at Marquette University Law School.

Hannah Dockendorff, Marquette 2017, has been selected as a Top 40 Under 40 trial lawyer in Wisconsin by the National Trial Lawyers, for work representing plaintiffs in civil cases. Dockendorff is with Hupy and Abraham s.c., Milwaukee.

Robert Lennon, U.W. 1997, has received a Fulbright Distinguished Scholar Award in the General Medical Sciences. He will work with faculty at the University of São Paulo, Brazil, to develop a telemedicine platform.

Cory Nettles, U.W. 1996, received the Ken Hendricks Memorial Seize the Day Award in June at the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference. He is the first person of color to receive the honor in the award’s 19-year history. Nettles is founder and managing director of Generation Growth Capital Inc., a private equity fund focused on buyouts and providing growth capital to small businesses and lower-middle market companies in the upper Midwest. He was secretary of the former Wisconsin Department of Commerce, now the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., in the early 2000s, during which time he was an architect of the state’s early stage tax-credit law – the qualified new business venture program. Nettles was recently co-chair of the Wisconsin Growth Capital Coalition and serves on a range of business and civic boards and committees, mainly in the Milwaukee region.

Two Wisconsin attorneys were inducted into the 2022 Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame. The late Gordon Bubolz, U.W. 1940, went into business and led his family insurance company while also serving in the Wisconsin Legislature. Kathleen Falk, U.W. 1976, served as one of Wisconsin’s public intervenors and as Dane County Executive.

In Memoriam

Tina M. Abernethy-Mays, Western State Univ. 2000, Marathon, May 8, 1969 – Dec. 8, 2021.

Sheryl K. Albers-Anders, U.W. 2004, Cottage Grove, Sept. 9, 1954 – May 28, 2022.

Raymond S. Bradley, Marquette 1986, Oshkosh, Dec. 24, 1960 – May 18, 2022.

Rodney H. Dow, Cornell 1973, Shorewood, Feb. 20, 1948 – April 27, 2022.

Steven R. Elmer, U.W. 1980, Monroe, Oct. 10, 1951 – Nov. 2, 2021.

Robert W. Fletcher, U.W. 1967, Louisville, Ky., July 27, 1940 – Jan. 10, 2022.

Richard S. Gallagher, Harvard 1967, Milwaukee, May 10, 1942 – May 16, 2022.

Robert R. Goepel, Chicago-Kent 1982, Racine, Feb. 17, 1955 – May 5, 2022.

John S. Goodland, U.W. 1957, Pleasant Prairie, Aug. 19, 1931 – Nov. 19, 2021.

Susan Mary Gramling, U.W. 1996, Milwaukee, Feb. 17, 1946 – June 1, 2022.

D. Michael Guerin, Marquette 1974, Milwaukee, Dec. 15, 1940 – June 1, 2022.

Alfred A. Heon, Marquette 1959, Winnetka, Ill., March 1, 1931 – Aug. 5, 2021.

A. Henry Hempe, U.W. 1965, Madison, March 16, 1938 – Jan. 17, 2022.

Lori J. Henkel,Marquette 1985, Pittsford, Dec. 18, 1959 – June 7, 2022.

Nancy W. MacHinton, Marquette 1988, Sharon, Mass., Sept. 25, 1946 – July 26, 2021.

Emmanuel L. Muwonge, Marquette 1987, Wauwatosa, Nov. 5, 1956 – May 7, 2022.

Hon. John P. Roemer Jr., Hamline 1983, New Lisbon, Aug. 9, 1953 – June 3, 2022.

Henry A. Stark, U.W. 1968, Barrington, Ill., Jan. 2, 1939 – May 1, 2022.

Robert J. Tess, Hamline 2002, Bloomington, Sept. 16, 1970 – April 11, 2022.

Martin V. Timmins, St. John’s 1959, Waunakee, Jan. 8, 1930 – June 5, 2021.

Gary L. Vanderhoof, Iowa 1970, Las Vegas, Sept. 18, 1935 – Dec. 6, 2021.

Scott R. Wellhausen, U.W. 2020, Madison, Sept. 27, 1995 – June 7, 2022.

Congratulations to Recent Certified Paralegals

Through a State Bar program, paralegals in Wisconsin are eligible to be certified – a credential that demonstrates a paralegal’s dedication to professional development and excellence. The State Bar of Wisconsin Certified Paralegal^™ program is a self-funded, voluntary program for all paralegals in Wisconsin who meet the program’s criteria. For information about the program, visit wisbar.org/paralegal.

The following individuals were newly certified or recertified as of June 6, 2022. For a full list of Certified Paralegals, visit wisbar.org/paralegal.

Caleb D. Boecker, Esker Inc., Middleton.

Alison Herrmann, Everson, Whitney, Everson & Brehm SC, Green Bay.

Karl J. Kuderer, Crivello Carlson SC, Milwaukee.

Tami S. Mikolanz, Hooper Law Office, Appleton.

Ann K. Olson and Linda Sabel, Fond du Lac County Corporation Counsel, Fond du Lac.

Mariah K. Vanasse, Nelson Defense Group LLC, Hudson.