I founded our firm in Madison in 1989. It was just me and one legal assistant. We now have three offices in the state with 12 lawyers and 19 great employees. The firm has grown under the premise that we will do our best to help good people in need. Our core values are hard work and honesty, and we are truly do have the most heart and caring for our clients. These values that drive our firm are the same values I learned from my parents growing up in Minot, North Dakota.
I want to tell you why I practice law. I take on difficult and complex cases for individuals and their families against the big corporations and insurance companies. I do this because I want to equal the playing field and I want to help good people fight for what is rightfully owed to them. In other words, I want to do what I can to right the wrongs in our world. Whether it be sexual harassment in the workplace, or an insurance company denying a claim it should honor, or a drunk driver changing a family's life forever – nothing gives me greater satisfaction than cross-examining the perpetrator and either obtaining a favorable settlement or having a jury return a verdict that speaks the truth. I am good at my job because I believe in what I do to make things right for my clients.
Education J.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, cum laude, 1981 B.A., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1976
Bar Admission Wisconsin, 1981 U.S. District Court Eastern District of Wisconsin U.S. District Court Western District of Wisconsin U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit U.S. Supreme Court
Professional Associations and Memberships Dane County Bar Association American Bar Association State Bar of Wisconsin; Wisconsin Association for Justice The Association of Trial Lawyers of America Susan G. Komen Madison Race for the Cure®, 2005 – 2011 - Immediate Past Chair - Chair Madison Mustangs Semi-Pro football team, Previous Owner
Honors and Awards Multi-Million Advocates Forum, 2009 The Best Lawyers in Madison, Madison Magazine – since 1994 The Best Lawyers in America – since 1989 - Employment
Successful Verdicts
$50 million to classes of workers in five separate class and collective actions
$5.3 million to the widow of a construction worker killed by an elevator in a construction accident
$2.9 million awarded by a jury to the parents of a newborn infant who was injured during birth
$2.5 million to a man was injured by a defective shotgun
$1.0 million
$1.0 million jury verdict to a woman who suffered sexual / gender discrimination
$950,000 to the family of a man shot and killed by a police officer
$800,000 to a woman victimized by sexual harassment at her job
$775,000 to a mother who was wrongfully denied insurance disability benefits
$750,000 to an elderly man for the misconduct of his own insurance company
$475,000 to women victimized by sexual harassment by a Dane County Sheriff
$135,000 settlement in a bike / car accident
$450,000 to a private citizen in a First Amendment / whistleblower case against a county government
$235,000 to a man subjected to racial discrimination
$165,000 settlement in a water slide accident