Wisconsin

Benchmark Rankings

Highly Recommended
Foley & Lardner
Gass Weber Mullins
Godfrey & Kahn
Hurley Burish & Stanton
Quarles & Brady
Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren

Recommended
Conway Olejniczak & Jerry
Kravit Hovel & Krawczyk
Michael Best & Friedrich
Perkins Coie
Stafford Rosenbaum
von Briesen & Roper

Foley & Lardner

Foley & Lardner has expanded over the past 172 years to 20 offices across the US, Europe, and Asia. Its lawyers have broad experience in antitrust, securities, product distribution and liability, intellectual property, employment, and environmental litigation. Aside from its Milwaukee headquarters, the firm maintains an office in Madison, which opened in 1976. The largest firm in the Badger State, “Foley & Lardner is very good,” remarks an adversary. “They’re our biggest competition for matters in the state.” A client weighs in, “Specific attorneys at the firm were chosen for their proven experience, skill, and judgment.” The specific attorneys referenced by this client are Thomas Shriner and James Clark. The former is said by a client to have an “established reputation” as “a great trial lawyer.” He is particularly experienced in commercial and public law litigation. He also enjoys a thriving appellate practice. The latter has more than 30 years of experience behind him and has tried more than 40 cases and negotiated numerous settlements. He recently represented a major competing law firm in the Milwaukee area in a legal malpractice claim arising of bond counsel opinions issued in connection with $50 million in bonds issues by the Lac du Flambeau Indian tribe and purchased by Saybrook. Claims have been asserted by both Saybrook on the bond obligation and the tribal parties in connection with the client’s representation of them in the bond transaction. Andrew Wronski serves the Milwaukee office as chair of its litigation department. He chiefly represents corporate clients in complex litigation regarding high-stakes commercial and financial disputes, particularly in fraud claims including RICO.

Gass Weber Mullins

A litigation boutique, Gass Weber Mullins was founded in 2004 and has since served such clients as Coca-Cola Enterprises, DuPont, Fairbank Farms, Lennox Industries, and Trek Bicycle Corporation. A competitor voices the general consensus shared by many, “We think very highly of Gass Weber. In an era when trials are getting rarer and in a venue like Wisconsin rarer still, many litigators can’t actually try a case anymore, but you best believe the lawyers at Gass Weber can.” Founding member J. Ric Gass primarily focuses his practice on catastrophic injuries, product liability, and bad faith. He has tried nearly 300 cases to verdict, including a case worth $104.5 million, the largest jury verdict in Wisconsin. Gass recently obtained a defence verdict for Snugtop and Custom Hardtops after the plaintiff requested $44 million in damages for a spinal cord injury she received when a fiberglass cover was blown off the bed of a pickup and stuck her; she had alleged that the defendant defectively designed the fiberglass cover. Ralph Weber has provided counsel in some of the state’s highest-profile cases over the years. “I think a lot of Ralph,” says a competitor. “He’s a great trial lawyer.” He pursues a nationwide practice representing companies in a variety of matters. Over the past 17 months he has represented Marquette University during the investigation and Faculty Hearing Committee process regarding the disciplining of a tenured professor. The case arises from the professor's conduct in using his blog to publicly criticize a Marquette graduate student. Following a four-day hearing in September 2015, the Faculty Hearing Committee recommended unanimously that the professor should be suspended, Marquette's President adopted this recommendation and the professor has filed suit in state court. Future star David Turek represented Biomet Spine in a matter in which a distributor of medical products manufactured by Stryker Spine left Stryker joined Biomet as a distributor. Stryker asserted claims against Healthwerks and Biomet, including claims for tortious interference and injury to business, and is seeking over $8 million in damages. “Dave has all the tools of intellect, work ethic and judgment to be an outstanding trial lawyer,” vouches a peer.

Godfrey & Kahn

With Milwaukee roots that date back to 1957, Godrey & Kahn has expanded to four additional locations within the Badger State—Appleton, Green Bay, Madison, and Waukesha—as well as a Washington, DC outpost that allows the firm the assist clients with national matters. “Godfrey & Kahn is absolutely dynamite,” a peer claims. Clients further attest to the firm’s responsiveness and strong working relationships, citing “excellent customer service” and addressing them as “an exceptionally effective litigation practice with reasonable billing rates.” “They are very knowledgeable and responsive. They also get the ‘big picture’ regarding the business objectives of the client.” With 50 litigators, half of whom are partners, the firm has a thriving litigation practice specializes in cases involving financial institutions, insurance coverage and bad faith, reinsurance and insolvency, intellectual property, antitrust, ERISA, labor and employment law, product liability, real estate and construction, securities, and white-collar defense.
The latter practice is bolstered by the work of Daniel Flaherty, whom peers call “the lead guy in white collar” and “an outstanding trial lawyer.” A former federal prosecutor and noted white-collar champion, Flaherty’s practice nonetheless focuses on a diverse array of complex business litigation, including antitrust, complex corporate disputes, financial institutions, health care, IP, internal corporate investigations, securities, and tax litigation. His practice takes him to the Milwaukee, Appleton, and Green Bay offices. In the Madison office, James Friedman co-leads the litigation team and is the chairperson of the insurance and reinsurance working group. Clients sing his praises: “James Friedman is bright, articulate, experienced, honest, ethical and understands the needs of [our company].” One continues, “With [Friedman] we know that we will always have excellent legal representation by an [attorney] with an excellent reputation.” Friedman was lead counsel for amicus curiae Wisconsin Insurance Alliance Insurance in a case in which one of the defendants provided the wrong active ingredient for a probiotic supplement. The supplement had to be recalled and removed from the shelves of a major, national pharmacy. The Supreme Court case focused on whether the insurers of two of the defendants were obligated to provide coverage under certain insurance policies. He also represented Platte River Insurance and Capitol Indemnity in a matter in which the two insurers wrote bonds in nearly all 50 states for Braz Transfers. As security for the bonds, Braz conveyed over $1 million in collateral, most in cash. Braz later assigned its right to the collateral to a third party, who then sued the insurers to recover the collateral, alleging breach of contract and bad faith. The clients argued they were entitled to the collateral based on the terms of the bonds and a related security agreement. A client raves on Friedman’s behalf, “James provides us with unmatched legal and public policy counsel and continues to excel beyond his peers as an appellate lawyer.” Future star Bryan Cahill is called, “is the complete package,” by a peer, who goes on to note, “His analysis and writing are spot-on.”

Hurley Burish & Stanton

Hurley Burish & Stanton joins the “highly recommended” rankings in this edition, as many give a nod to its “superb white-collar” practice, among other areas. Established two decades ago by three partners, the firm remains a boutique with 12 accomplished attorneys practicing today. Its corporate clients include businesses small and large in industries as varied as news media, high-tech, and finance. A client raves, “The firm’s client service is outstanding – the lawyers are incredibly responsive, their industry expertise top notch, and their fees reasonable.” A competitor claims, “[Stephen] Hurley himself is one of the better white-collar defense lawyers in the town.” Hurley has more than 35 years of experience and has seen great success before agencies and state and federal courts. Hurley recently handled an investigation of the FBI and the US Attorney's office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin into alleged wrongful billing practices of a construction company. The matter was resolved without charging the corporation or any individual through a deferred prosecution agreement. The client was charged with tax evasion. The matter was resolved when the government agreed to dismiss the indictment against the defendant. Future star Marcus Berghahn is called “an adroit white-collar practitioner who achieves astounding results for his clients.”

Michael Best & Friedrich

With offices in Milwaukee, Madison, Manitowoc and Waukesha, as well as several other offices outside of Wisconsin, full-service firm Michael Best & Friedrich is one of the state’s largest. In the litigation capacity, Paul Benson is most routinely acknowledged by Badger State peers. Benson represents Waupaca Foundry in a “hybrid” collective action and class action involving claims under the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and state law, related to the potential compensability of time spent by foundry workers donning (putting on), doffing (taking off), showering and walking. Plaintiffs contend they should be compensated for this time because it is a necessary and indispensable part of their work day due to silica and other chemicals in the foundry environment. Waupaca vigorously denies these allegations. Waupaca prevailed on summary judgment at the district court level. The district court found that the activities in issue were not required by the law, the employer or the nature of the work to be performed on-site at Waupaca’s foundries and therefore were not compensable under the FLSA. A 2-to-1 decision from a Seventh Circuit panel reversed the district court’s decision. Waupaca petitioned for cert to the United States Supreme Court, and that petition amicus support from the American Foundry Society, the National Association of Manufacturers and the National Federation of Independent Businesses. While the Supreme Court did not grant cert, the case is now being actively litigated again in the District Court and the parties are currently briefing class and collective action certification.

Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren

Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren enjoys a consistent flow of positive peer review throughout the legal community. “My colleagues and I would put them really high on the list,” says a competitor. Founded in Milkwaukee in 1984, the firm has since expanded to Madison and Waukesha as well as Chicago and Rockford, Illinois, and Phoenix, Arizona. The firm’s litigators practice across a full spectrum of cases. Scott Hansen serves his clients’ general commercial needs with an emphasis on complex disputes between businesses or between business and governments. He is further known for his antitrust and intellectual property practice with cases that have been valued at hundreds of millions of dollars. He successfully represented Techtronic Industries when it was accused of engaging in a conspiracy to exclude the plaintiff’s product from the US market. The court dismissed the case on its merits without leave to amend. Hansen also represents One World, Ryobi and Milwaukee Tool in an antitrust matter in which plaintiffs allege the defendants conspired to boycott the plaintiffs’ safety technology for table saws. The plaintiffs also alleged other state and federal conspiracy claims but none of them survived review by the Fourth Circuit after being dismissed. He also represents US Paper in a matter in which plaintiffs seek recovery and reallocation of $1 billion of remediation costs and additional natural resource damages caused by PCB pollution of 39 miles of the lower Fox River from Menasha to Green Bay Wisconsin. This case already has had two trials and three reviews by the Seventh Circuit. As the chair of the white-collar litigation and corporate compliance team, Mark Cameli is widely praised throughout the legal community for his work in the field; a competitor discloses, “We’d love to have him here.” Allen Schlinsog is currently defending Cargotec Solutions from claims of personal injuries, allegedly resulting from exposure to diesel particulate emitted from Terminal Tractors manufactured by the client. Future star David Peterson is hailed for being “unflappable, and always ready for court.”


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Attorney	Ranking	Practice Areas	Firm
Apfeld, Michael	Local Litigation Star	Antitrust , Appellate , General Commercial , Insurance , Intellectual Property , Securities	Godfrey & Kahn
Arntsen, Allen	Local Litigation Star		Foley & Lardner
Benson, Paul	Local Litigation Star		Michael Best & Friedrich
Best, Donald	Local Litigation Star		Michael Best & Friedrich
Biskupic, Steven	Local Litigation Star		Biskupic & Jacobs
Brenner, Laura	Local Litigation Star		Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren
Burnett, George	Local Litigation Star	Insurance , Intellectual Property	Conway Olejniczak & Jerry
Burns, Timothy	Local Litigation Star	Insurance	Perkins Coie
Butler, Brian	Local Litigation Star	Antitrust , General Commercial , Intellectual Property , Product Liability	Stafford Rosenbaum
Cameli, Mark	Local Litigation Star	Energy and Natural Resources , Product Liability , Securities , White Collar Crime	Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren
Carter, Gina	Local Litigation Star	Intellectual Property	Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek
Chester, Max	Future Star	General Commercial , Securities	Foley & Lardner
Clark, James	Local Litigation Star	Antitrust , General Commercial , Product Liability	Foley & Lardner
Covelli, Claude	Local Litigation Star	Competition , General Commercial , Insurance , Professional Liability , Securities	Boardman and Clark
Davenport III, Gordon	Local Litigation Star		Foley & Lardner
Flaherty, Daniel	Local Litigation Star	Antitrust , General Commercial , Product Liability , Securities , White Collar Crime	Godfrey & Kahn
Friedman, James	Local Litigation Star	General Commercial , Insurance	Godfrey & Kahn
Gass, J. Ric	Local Litigation Star	General Commercial , Insurance , Product Liability	Gass Weber Mullins
Hansen, Scott	Local Litigation Star	General Commercial	Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren
Huibregtse, Bruce	Local Litigation Star	General Commercial	Stafford Rosenbaum
Hunter, Paul	Future Star	Securities	Foley & Lardner
Hurley, Stephen	Local Litigation Star		Hurley Burish & Stanton
Kravit, Stephen	Local Litigation Star	Appellate , General Commercial , Insurance , Labor and Employment	Kravit Hovel & Krawczyk
Krutz, David	Local Litigation Star	Construction	Michael Best & Friedrich
Kushner, Beth	Local Litigation Star	Antitrust , Appellate , General Commercial	von Briesen & Roper
Margolies, Jonathan	Local Litigation Star	Intellectual Property	Michael Best & Friedrich
O'Connor, Kevin	Local Litigation Star	Antitrust , White Collar Crime	Godfrey & Kahn
Oettinger, Andrew			Godfrey & Kahn
Peterson, David	Local Litigation Star	General Commercial , Product Liability	Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren
Scheller, John	Local Litigation Star	Intellectual Property	Michael Best & Friedrich
Schlinsog, Jr., Allen	Local Litigation Star	Product Liability	Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren
Schmidt, T. Wickham	Future Star		Conway Olejniczak & Jerry
Schott, Donald	Local Litigation Star	Appellate , Energy and Natural Resources , FCPA and Enforcement , General Commercial , Product Liability , Securities	Quarles & Brady
Shriner, Jr., Thomas	Local Litigation Star	Bankruptcy , General Commercial , Securities	Foley & Lardner
Skilton, John	Local Litigation Star	Intellectual Property	Perkins Coie
Stanton, Marie	Local Litigation Star		Hurley Burish & Stanton
Tomaselli, Anthony	Local Litigation Star		Quarles & Brady
Vaccaro, Daniel	Local Litigation Star	White Collar Crime	Michael Best & Friedrich
Van Vugt, Eric	Local Litigation Star	General Commercial , Insurance , Product Liability	Quarles & Brady
Weber, David	Future Star	Energy and Natural Resources , General Commercial , Insurance , Securities	Conway Olejniczak & Jerry
Weber, Ralph	Local Litigation Star	General Commercial	Gass Weber Mullins
Williamson, Brady	Local Litigation Star	Appellate , General Commercial , Product Liability , Securities	Godfrey & Kahn
Wilson, Eric	Local Litigation Star	Antitrust , White Collar Crime	Godfrey & Kahn
Wronski, Andrew	Future Star	General Commercial , Securities	Foley & Lardner
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