Vol. 76, No. 4, April 2003

In the News

New Hires, Promotions, Partners

Richard C. Badger, U.W. 1994, has been named associate director of Council 40 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. The council's 32,000 members work for Wisconsin cities, counties, school districts, and other local units of government and nonprofit and health care institutions.

Robert E. Barnes, U.W. 2000, has joined Cannon & Dunphy, S.C., Brookfield, practicing plaintiff personal injury law. Barnes previously practiced in consumer rights in Tennessee.

Jenifer D. Binder, Marquette 1995, has been promoted to shareholder at First Law Group S.C., Stevens Point, continuing to focus on business transactions, commercial litigation, and employment law.

Pepelnjak

La Fleur

Anna M. Pepelnjak, Marquette 1978, and Catherine A. La Fleur, Marquette 1988, have joined Weiss Berzowski Brady LLP. Pepelnjak has joined the litigation practice group, focusing on employment law, civil rights, and appellate practice. La Fleur has joined the litigation and condemnation practice groups. Her practice includes civil, personal injury, business dissolution, and products liability litigation, and zoning and land use matters, condemnation proceedings, and municipal law.

Chris Carraway, Duke 1995 with high honors, has been named a partner at Klarquist Sparkman LLP, Portland, Ore. Carraway practices patent litigation and counseling.

Rodney W. Carter, Marquette 1990, has joined Murn & Martin S.C., Waukesha, as a shareholder, continuing to practice in government relations, telecommunications, business and real estate litigation, and labor and employment. He previously was with Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C.

James J. Casey, Dayton 1988, has been promoted to managing director of sponsored programs at Bradley University, Peoria, Ill.

Steven T. Caya, Hamline 1989 cum laude, has become an associate with Nowlan & Mouat LLP, Janesville, practicing insurance defense, personal injury, and general civil litigation. He previously was a partner with Piper & Schmidt, Milwaukee.

Paul J. Cherner, U.W. 1968, has joined the Chicago office of Hinshaw & Culbertson as a partner, continuing to serve as outside labor and employment counsel to health care-related entities, manufacturers, and service industry corporations.

Christopher A. Davies, U.W. 1999, has been named a partner at Consigny, Andrews, Hemming & Grant S.C., Janesville. Before entering college and law school, he was a professional musician, and he continues to enjoy music as an avocation.

Diaz-Martinez

Micabil Diaz-Martinez, Marquette 1989, has been named administrator of the Equal Rights Division of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. He previously was legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin Foundation.

Shannon B. Farrell, U.W. 1995 cum laude, will enter the U.S. Department of State's A-100 training class to become a foreign service officer. She previously was an associate with the Milwaukee office of Foley & Lardner.

Tim R. Valentyn, U.W. 1982, has rejoined Murphy Desmond S.C., Madison, as president and managing shareholder. He previously was president of Walnut Hollow, a manufacturer of wood products for the craft industry, and was with Murphy Desmond from 1984 to 1997. Jonathan P. Bruni, U.W. 1989, and John A. Kassner, U.W. 1972, have also joined the firm. Bruni practices in municipal, real estate and business law, employment relations, estate planning, and civil litigation. He previously was a shareholder with Marquardt Carlson Koeck Kirk & Bruni Ltd. Kassner concentrates on land use litigation and appellate work, eminent domain, and construction law. He formerly was with Brennan, Steil, Basting & MacDougall S.C.

Greg D. Richardson, U.W. 1981, has joined the Ascending Lights Leadership Network, Los Angeles, Calif., as program vice president, continuing to focus on turning leadership vision into reality in legal, advocacy, public, nonprofit, and for-profit settings.

Matthew S. Vignali, Marquette 1994 magna cum laude, has joined Beck, Chaet & Bamberger S.C., Milwaukee, as a shareholder, continuing his practice in business, commercial, and civil litigation and construction law.  He previously was with Rizzo & Vignali S.C., Kenosha.

Carey	Nelson
Tsao	Wrycha

The following attorneys have been promoted to partner in the Madison office of Foley & Lardner: Raymond R. Carey, U.W. 1992, with the firm's public affairs practice group, assists clients with legislative and administrative matters and advises corporate clients on compliance with campaign finance laws and the state's lobby law. Terry D. Nelson, U.W. 1997, with the transactional and securities practice group, focuses on private and public securities offerings, broker-dealer registration and sales practices, investment adviser registration and advisory activities, and litigation and enforcement. Naikang Tsao, New York Univ. 1992, focuses on intellectual property, environmental, and regulatory matters with the intellectual property litigation and appellate practice groups. Paul T. Wrycha, Marquette 1992, with the transactional and securities practice group, concentrates in mergers, acquisitions, and leveraged recapitalizations, public and private offerings of equity securities, and federal securities law compliance.

Bargren

Lindenbaum

Ludwig

The following attorneys have been named partners in the Milwaukee office of Foley & Lardner: Paul Bargren, U.W. 1994 magna cum laude, focuses his litigation practice on environmental matters, including liability and cost recovery issues, and media-related matters, including defamation and access issues. Keith D. Lindenbaum, Michigan 1994 magna cum laude, is with the consumer products and trademarks practice group and has experience conducting patent risk assessment analysis and preparing and prosecuting U.S. and foreign patent applications. Brett H. Ludwig, Minnesota 1994 magna cum laude, practices general commercial litigation and, as a member of the insurance dispute resolution practice group, represents life and disability insurers in claims by policyholders.

Marcia MacKenzie, U.W. 1992 cum laude, has been appointed Dane County Corporation Counsel.

Chad J. Wiener, Marquette 2001 cum laude, LL.M. Georgetown with honors, has joined Cane, O'Neill & Taylor LLC, Las Vegas, Nev., concentrating in transactional securities law.

Mergers, Relocations, New Associations

David R. Gellman, Boston University 1978, announces the relocation of the San Francisco office of Goldstein, Gellman, Melbostad, Gibson & Harris LLP to 1388 Sutter St., Suite 1000, San Francisco, Calif. The firm continues to concentrate in civil litigation, real estate, estate planning, and probate.

Michael Best & Friedrich LLP and three other North American firms have opened the China Alliance, with offices in Shanghai and Beijing, China. The offices are staffed by attorneys with substantial tenure in China who are fluent in Mandarin.

Parke O'Flaherty Ltd. has relocated its Onalaska office to 2850 Midwest Dr., Suite 103. James R. Koby, Hamline 1978, and Christopher W. Dyer, Drake 2000, are resident in the Onalaska office.

Raymond E. Schrank II, U.W. 1970, has opened the Law Offices of Raymond E. Schrank II, S.C., 4811 S. 76th St., Greenfield, where he continues to practice in personal injury and negligence law.

Authors, Speakers

J. Aaron Ball, American University Washington College of Law 1997, has earned an L.L.M. in taxation from DePaul University and has authored "The Sea Clammers Doctrine: Reeling in Private Employment Tax Claims in Worker Misclassification Cases," DePaul Business & Commercial Law Journal (2003). Ball is with Horwood Marcus & Berk Chartered, Chicago.

Robert J. Kasieta, Marquette 1983, spoke on "Pay Equity and the Law" as the keynote speaker for the National Pay Equity Day Dinner of the Business and Professional Women of Madison. He is the founder of Kasieta Legal Group LLC, Madison.

Jonathan B. Levine, U.W. 1976, spoke at the 24th Annual Community Association Lawyers Seminar in New Orleans, where he chaired a conference on the allocation of risk between condominium associations and their members.

Patricia Wendlandt Pellervo, Marquette 1984, is coauthor of The Consolidated Tax Return: Principles, Practice, Planning (6th ed.), published by Warren Gorham & Lamong. She is principal with Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP, San Francisco, focusing on tax aspects of corporate mergers and acquisitions.

Appointments, Elections

The Wisconsin chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates has selected the following officers: president _ Don C. Prachthauser, Milwaukee; vice president _ Roy S. Wilcox, Eau Claire; and secretary/treasurer _ Kenan J. Kersten, Milwaukee.

The Douglas County Bar Association has chosen the following officers: president _ David A. Kropid; president-elect _ Kelly Thimm; and secretary/treasurer _ Kristin Watson, all of Superior.

Gerald R. Fox, U.W. 1995, has been commissioned in the Wisconsin Army National Guard as a JAG Corps officer, with the rank of first lieutenant. He will serve as an assistant staff judge advocate in the 32nd Separate Infantry Brigade (Light), focusing in estate planning, litigation, law of war, and other military legal duties. Fox is an assistant state public defender in the Black River Falls trial office.

Debbie Garten, U.W. 1982, marketing consultant for Murphy Desmond S.C., Madison, has been elected president of the Henry Vilas Zoological Society for a two-year term.

Martin J. Greenberg, Marquette 1971, has been appointed by Gov. Jim Doyle to chair the State Fair Park Board. Greenberg concentrates in real estate, corporate, entertainment, and sports law with Greenberg & Hoeschen, Milwaukee, and is managing director of Scheer Game Sports Development, a sports facility-development firm.

Dennis M. Grzezinski, Yale 1975, has been elected chair of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District Commission. He practices environmental law and litigation as a sole practitioner in Milwaukee.

The Monroe County Bar Association has elected the following officers: president _ Paul D. Polacek, Sparta; president-elect _ Aaron J. Lueck, Tomah; and secretary/treasurer _ Lisa Aldinger, Sparta.

The State Bar Family Law Section has appointed the following members to the editorial board of the Wisconsin Journal of Family Law: editor-in-chief _ Gregg Herman, Milwaukee; editor emeritus _ Jim Podell, Milwaukee; associate editor _ Daphne Webb, Madison; and assistant editors _ Kelly Dodd, Greg Mager, and Matt Price, all of Milwaukee; Trisha Fillbach, Madison; and Margaret Zickuhr, Brookfield.

Awards, Degrees, Honors

Erik R. Guenther, U.W. 2002, was named "Volunteer Attorney of the Year" by the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin. Guenther is an associate with Hostak, Henzl & Bichler S.C., Racine, focusing on corporate law, employment law, and employment discrimination cases.

Hon. Robert A. Haase, U.W. 1968, received the Wisconsin Association of Mediators' 2002 Distinguished Service Award. Haase, a Winnebago County circuit court judge, was honored for spearheading the Winnebago Conflict Resolution Center, which currently has 57 volunteer mediators.

The following attorneys from the Madison office of Michael Best & Friedrich LLP were recognized as top Dane County attorneys in their practice areas in the January 2003 edition of Madison Magazine: Jonathan L. Schuster, alternate dispute resolution; Ann Ustad Smith and Susan V. Kelley, bankruptcy law; Tod B. Linstroth, contracts law and corporate counsel law; David J. Hanson, corporate counsel law; Eric M. McLeod, Raymond P. Taffora, and Chad R. Taylor, election/campaign finance/political law; Linda H. Bochert and David A. Crass, environmental law; Timothy S. Crisp, financial services/commercial lending law; Grady J. Frenchick and Theresa J. Welch, intellectual property law; Amy O. Bruchs and Thomas P. Godar, labor and employment law; James R. Troupis, litigation/appeals law; Paul J. Dombrowski, real estate law; Richard A. Latta, tax law; and Richard Z. Kabaker and Richard J. Langer, trust/estate planning law.

Aaron N. Halstead, Brigham Young 1990, Timothy E. Hawks, Iowa 1977, and Jeffrey P. Sweetland, Mississippi 1984, all shareholders with Shneidman, Hawks & Ehlke S.C., have been included in the 2003-2004 edition of Best Lawyers in America. The attorneys practice in labor and employment law, Halstead in the firm's Madison office and Hawks and Sweetland in the firm's Milwaukee office.

Hon. Maxine A. White, Marquette 1985, received the 2003 Sacagawea Award from Professional Dimensions Inc. White, a Milwaukee County circuit court judge, was recognized for providing guidance and advice to other women lawyers and to younger women who are still considering their path.

In Memoriam

Andrew F. Allen, U.W. 1971, Lake Geneva, June 7, 1946 - Jan. 17, 2003.

James J. Bannen, U.W. 1948, La Crosse, April 8, 1924 - Feb. 1, 2003.

James F. Clark, U.W. 1948, Poynette, Aug. 28, 1920 - Oct. 4, 2002.

John W. Cleary, Marquette 1933, Milwaukee, Feb. 22, 1911 - Feb. 12, 2003.

Leonard L. Loeb, U.W. 1952, Milwaukee, March 30, 1929 - March 9, 2003.

Charles F. Schroeder, Marquette 1962, Milwaukee, Nov. 5, 1935 - Jan. 31, 2003.

George M. St. Peter, Harvard 1935, Fond du Lac, July 25, 1910 - Feb. 4, 2003.

Brice T. Sullivan, U.W. 1961, Superior, April 18, 1932 - Jan. 28, 2003.

Doris L. Vaudreuil, U.W. 1936, Kenosha, Jan. 16, 1910 - Jan. 27, 2003.

Wisconsin Lawyer