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Awards, Honors and Professional Accomplishments

HONORS
  • Certified Civil Pretrial and Trial Specialist, National Board of Trial Advocacy
  • Wisconsin Super Lawyers, selected 13 times
  • AVVO Rating: 10 – “Superb”
  • New Richmond Area Citizen of the Year
  • Chair, Litigation Section of the State Bar of Wisconsin
  • Pro Bono Attorney of the Year, State Bar of Wisconsin
  • President, New Richmond Area Chamber of Commerce
  • President, Young Lawyers Division, State Bar of Wisconsin
  • President, St. Croix Valley Bar Association
  • Chair, New Richmond Area Community Foundation
  • Fellow, Wisconsin Law Foundation

 

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS
  • Argued before the Wisconsin Supreme Court that the Election of Remedies Doctrine did not bar a second lawsuit for damages against a person who had first sued our client and lost. The Supreme Court reinstated the $774,000 judgment for our client.
  • Together with other Bakke Norman attorneys, represented a bankruptcy estate on behalf of shareholders who claimed insiders had committed fraud and stolen the ideas and product of a start-up company. The three-week trial resulted in a favorable total verdict of more than $11 million.
  • Successfully defended woman charged with shooting her husband; charges dismissed before trial.
  • Together with Pete Reinhardt, obtained federal court jury verdict finding willful infringement of our client’s copyrighted work by the authors of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books.
  • Numerous not guilty verdicts on felony and misdemeanor cases, including charges of Attempted Battery to a Police Officer, Sexual Assault, False Imprisonment, Failure to Comply with Officer’s Attempt to Take Person into Custody, Disorderly Conduct and Obstructing a Police Officer, Battery and Fleeing an Officer.
  • Recent verdicts awarding substantial damages to plaintiffs on slip and fall and automobile accident cases.
  • Together with Pete Reinhardt, obtained federal court jury verdict awarding $500,000 in damages for wrongful termination.
  • Verdict for our client against former vendor claiming over $1,000,000 in commissions and fees after our client had terminated the vendor for non-performance.

 

NEWS AND PUBLICATIONS
  • Lecturer, “Murder, Madness and Mayhem: Defending the Impossible Case” Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Seminar.
  • Lecturer, “Knowing and Using Local Court Rules” State Bar of Wisconsin Annual Convention.
  • Lecturer, “Judges and Lawyers Take Off the Gloves” State Bar of Wisconsin Annual Convention.
  • Moderator, “How to Impress or Annoy a Judge” State Bar of Wisconsin Litigation Institute.
  • Presenter, “Becoming a Successful Leader” State Bar of Wisconsin Young Lawyers Division Leadership Seminar
  • Lecturer, “Defining Implements of Husbandry and Farm Vehicles: Now That’s Clear as Manure” Breakfast with Bakke Norman.
  • Lecturer, “Capturing the Flag: Finding the Glory in Your OWI Trial” Wisconsin State Public Defenders Conference.
  • Lecturer, “Winning through Effective Legal Negotiations” State Bar of Wisconsin Seminar.
  • Lecturer, “How to Find Out What Your Clients Really Think of You” State Bar of Wisconsin Seminar.
  • Lecturer, “Effective Client Interview Skills” State Bar of Wisconsin Seminar.