2016 WLJ Up & Coming Lawyers

2 016
Honoring Up & Coming Lawyers

Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren congratulates attorneys
Alexander Handelsman and Melissa York, and all of this years honorees,
on being recognized for outstanding achievements in the practice of law.
Alexander B. Handelsman is an attorney in

Reinharts Litigation Practice. He practices in the
area of commercial litigation, with an emphasis on
professional negligence claims, insurance coverage
disputes, and intellectual property matters. Alex
represents trustees, actuaries and other financial
professionals in state and federal court throughout
the country.
Melissa M. York is an attorney in Reinharts Banking

and Finance Practice. She works with clients
involved in the financial service industry, from small
family-owned banks to large public companies,
providing general legal counsel in on corporate
governance, capital formation, mergers and
acquisitions, asset sales and purchases, regulatory
and compliance matters, commercial lending
transactions and general securities matters.
With more than 200 attorneys in seven offices, we serve as the trusted legal advisors to public and privately held
corporations, financial institutions, family-owned businesses, retirement plans, exempt organizations and individuals.
reinhartlaw.com
Milwaukee
Madison
Waukesha
414.298.1000
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Denver
Up and Coming Lawyers 2016 is a special publication of The Daily Reporter Publishing Co., which publishes
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ISSN #1534-1917 | USPS #000-857
Congratulations
Andrew Coursin
for being recognized as one of
Wisconsins 2016 Up and Coming Lawyers!
Neider & Boucher is proud of your legal
accomplishments, enthusiasm for Wisconsins
startup community, and the positive energy
you bring to work each day. Cheers to seeing
what more the future holds for you!
401 Charmany Dr. Ste 310 | Madison, WI 53719
WISCONSIN LAW JOURNAL
www.neiderboucher.com
2016 UP AND COMING LAWYERS
2 016
Shannon Braun
Katie Christiansen
Godfrey & Kahn
4
Kelly Dancy
Hills Legal Group
10
11
Kravit Hovel
& Krawczyk
Boardman & Clark
12
Law Office of
Bradley J. Jansen
17
Kellen Kasper
Richard Orton
Crivello Carlson
25
Assistant State
Public Defender
20
21
Elizabeth Murrar
Meghan OConnor
23
24
Murrar Law Office
22
Robert Mochel
Weiss Berzowski
19
Assistant State
Public Defender
18
Jacqueline Messler
Assistant corporate
counsel for the
Milwaukee Brewers
Kelsey Morin
15
Brad Jansen
Walny Legal Group
16
Reinhart Boerner
Van Deuren
14
Megann Hendrix
Murphy Desmond
Alexander
Handelsman
Ben Glicksman
Jacob Frost
Alison Helland
7
Amy Freiman
Stafford Rosenbaum
Neider & Boucher
6
Kyle Engelke
Walny Legal Group
Andrew Coursin
Doar, Drill & Skow
von Briesen & Roper
Kyra Plier
Hupy and Abraham
26
Matteo Reginato
Arenz, Molter, Macy,
Riffle & Larson
27
Joseph Rolling
David Ress
Jennifer Schank
Eminent Domain
Services
Bell, Moore & Richter
28
Krekeler Strother
29
Jessica Schuster
Adam Stevenson
Assistant State
Public Defender
Michael Best
& Friedrich
34
Morgan Tilleman
University of Wisconsin
Law School
31
Michelle
Wagner Ebben
30
Foley & Lardner
32
Hillary Wucherer
Quarles & Brady
35
33
Melissa York
Reinhart Boerner
Van Deuren
36
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Shannon
Braun
GODFREY & KAHN
Braun taking busy

to the next level
Shannon Braun is really, really busy.
By the time you read this story, she will
have recently had her first baby while managing her full-time legal practice at Godfrey
& Kahn and keeping up with an impressive
amount of outside community work.
Its because I like people, Braun said.
Its a revealing statement for someone
who entered UW-Madison as a physics
major before switching to law. But it was
at the UW-Madison where Braun realized
she was more passionate about making a
difference in the lives of her clients than
working in a laboratory.
Brauns outside commitments to community causes are impressive. Shes a
member of the board of directors for a
Susan G. Komen Southeast Wisconsin
affiliate that is helping to pay for breast
cancer research. This past year alone,
the local group has awarded more than
$1 million to 10 community programs.
The UW Law School grad is also the
president-elect of the Association for
Women Lawyers.
A member of the Wisconsin Humane
Societys Young Leaders Advisory Board,
Braun has been a Big to a Little through
Big Brothers Big Sisters since 2010 and provides pro-bono services to first responders
through the Wills for Heroes program.
Working with the Heroes program gives
me a chance to use my legal skills for the

good of the community, said Braun, and
volunteering with BBBS has provided me
with a truly unique relationship.
As a member of the firms Estate Planning
Practice Group, Braun helps her clients
meet their financial and personal goals.
Her clients run the gamut from closely held
businesses to philanthropists to high-networth individuals.
At times, the decisions they must make
can be emotional, Braun said, and there is
a real sense of purpose in helping them make
the best choice given their circumstances.
Braun and her husband, Nathan, chief

technology officer at Scanalytics, recently
had their first child. In addition to the myriad
changes an infant will bring to their lives,
Braun says having a child will help her better understand her clients relationships
with their own families.
I feel fortunate to be in the position
to give back to the community, said the
Neenah native. Through mentorship we
help people, and when we do it right we
also build a better community.
Jerry Huffman
THANK YOU TO
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Presenting sponsor:
2016
Wisconsin Law Journal
Up and Coming Lawyer
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Katie Christiansen
DOAR, DRILL & SKOW
Christiansen gives a voice to her clients by listening

The compassionate disposition the associate attorney Katie Christiansen brings to her
criminal-defense and civil-litigation practice
can perhaps be best exemplified by a moment
that her colleagues at Doar, Drill & Skow say
solidified her passion for being a zealous advocate for juveniles and those in need of help.
After joining the New Richmond-based
firm in 2014, Christiansen took a case from
the State Public Defenders office representing a 16-year-old girl who had experienced many ups and downs and had not
opened up or connected with anyone since
the trial began. Christiansen noticed the
girls discomfort during a hearing and decided to invite her for a walk.
She said the second they left the courtroom the girl began talking a lot.
She trusted me because I took the time
to just listen, Christiansen said.
That moment taught her that sometimes
being there for clients can be more important
than worrying about the outcome of a case.
She also said she was able to recognize that
need because she had felt it in the past.
When I was younger I never felt like

anybody would just listen to me, she said.
We grew up so poor and really struggled
my whole childhood with being the kid who
didnt have the right clothes and lived in the
wrong house so from a really young age
I wanted to make a better life for myself and
give my kids a better future.
By the time she arrived at her current firm,
she had worked as a law clerk fellow in the
U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota and as a law clerk in the 5th Judicial
District of Minnesota. She also gained experience representing clients as a student attorney for the 1st District of Minnesota Public
Defenders Office. At Doar, Drill & Skow, she
assisted in an emotionally charged case that
gained attention from national media outlets.
The 29 year old has already reached various professional milestones. Still, she said
her greatest accomplishment is being the
first member of her family to earn a graduate degree and the first member of her
immediate family to graduate college. She
graduated magna cum laude from the Uni-
versity of Minnesota Law School in 2012 after receiving a bachelors degree from the
University of Nebraska.
Christiansen, discovering that her background was different from many of her law
school peers, began exploring criminal justice.
It made me realize how little power you
have when you dont have a lot of money,
she said. Were just prosecuting people
with no power and were really just further
prosecuting them and oppressing them,
and I think thats when it really made me
want to help give some of that power back.
She has participated in the Innocence
Project of Minnesota, Minnesotas largest
family homeless shelter and Big Brother
Big Sister. She now serves indigent youth
and adults through the state Public Defenders office, serves on the St. Croix Valley Bar
Association board and is active in her local
YMCA and YWCA.
I think its a blessing to be in service because you have to always think outside of
yourself and it makes you better, she said.
Alison Henderson
Andrew
Coursin
NEIDER & BOUCHER
Coursin not your

average, cookie-cutter
practicing attorney
A lot of lawyers can point to the day they
made the decision to go law school.
For Andrew Coursin, the road less traveled to his now profession held a few twists
and turns.
After earning an English degree, Coursin flirted with medical school, worked in
technology for a few years, became a kick
boxer, and moved to Edinburgh, Scotland,
to write for a magazine. After all that, he
defines the road less traveled.
But I knew I had made the right decision
the day I started law school, he says.
One can only imagine what was next if he
hadnt made the right choice.
A transactional lawyer by trade, Coursin
relishes the challenge of trying to put together the perfect plan. If the choice is between litigation and smarter transactions,
he will aim for making a perfect deal that
sidesteps the potential of future conflict.
More than just a suit, Coursin sees
himself more as an adviser and strategist.
I put pen to paper and try to create the
perfect prospective that avoids fires before
they become an issue.
And when I do it right, it goes in a drawer and its forgotten.
Not exactly the storybook ending you

would imagine for a globe-trotting, technologist, kick boxer.
The attorney who once thought of being
a doctor also has his own prescription for
maintaining a healthy balance between the
time he spends at home and at the office.
Cookies.
You see, Drew Coursin is also a baker in search of the best-ever chocolate
chip cookie.
Think about it. You take the disparate

parts, not unlike the law, and blend them
into something that works well together.
His ultimate goal as a baker? The perfect
cookie, he said during a recent scratchy
interview. Scratchy because Coursin and
his wife, Stafford Rosenbaum environmental
attorney Vanessa Wishart, were calling from
Colorado in a car on their way to the Rockies.
We should expect nothing less.
Jerry Huffman
Kelly
Dancy
WALNY LEGAL GROUP
Dancy plans
for success
Im naturally a planner, says Kelly Dancy. Ask anyone in my family Im constantly organizing and reorganizing.
Its a fitting quality for a lawyer who
specializes in estate planning, but Dancys
strengths go beyond organization.
Im someone who always wants to plan
for the future, so I think estate planning is
naturally a good fit for me. I love working
with the clients and helping them know that
their family will be taken care of, she said.
Ive always wanted to help people.
Dancy works at Walny Legal Group,
which she joined in 2012 during the fiscal cliff. In addition to estate planning,
Dancy provides asset protection and business-succession planning for private persons, families and small-business owners.
The services include work related to estate
planning and corporate documents, special-needs trusts, marital-property planning
and probate and trust administration.
Originally from Indianapolis, Dancy attended St. Marys College in South Bend,
Ind., where she graduated magna cum
laude before receiving her law degree from
Marquette University Law School.
She joined the Society of Financial Service Professionals and quickly rose to
leadership positions on the Membership
Committee and Young Professionals Committee. Shes a volunteer attorney for the
Marquette University Legal Clinic at the
House of Peace and the Wisconsin State
Bars Wills for Heroes program.
Dancy has received praise for helping
the Walny Legal Group to expand and is
acknowledged for her ability to handle
complex probate matters and masterfully
guide clients through what can be a difficult time.

Her clients have praised her responsiveness, relatability and knowledge in
these complex legal areas, Eido Walny,
owner of Wanly Legal Group, said. She is
a team player who constantly works to improve, promote and develop both her practice through hard work and discipline as
well as the reputation of the firm.
According to Walny, Dancy was at the
center of recent efforts to pass trust legislation in Wisconsin, conducting a large portion of the research and compiling a working
draft of the legislation almost by herself.
Without a doubt Kellys work in this area

has made her one of the states foremost experts in this unique area of law trust, he said.
Dancy said she is driven by her clients.
They put a lot of trust in our hands.
Knowing that were doing a good job for
them and were going to be able to protect
their family after theyve passed keeps motivating us to do the level of work that we
do, she said.
I hope to continue to develop my practice, continue to move the firm forward
and keep doing the work that were doing, she said.
Alison Henderson
Were tipping our hat.
Godfrey & Kahn congratulates this years

Up and Coming Lawyers
We think business.
We are excited for all of this years winners, especially
our very own Shannon Braun, an attorney in our
Estate Planning Practice Group.
OFFICES IN MILWAUKEE, MADISON, WAUKESHA, GREEN BAY AND APPLETON, WISCONSIN AND WASHINGTON, D.C.
2016 Godfrey & Kahn, S.C.
Congratulations Morgan Tilleman

We are proud to celebrate this outstanding achievement with one of our finest
associates and business attorneys, Morgan Tilleman. In just a few short years,
he has helped grow his practice, thriving on the rewards and challenges each
day brings and facing them with the skills, knowledge, and passion for which
he has become known.
Outside of the firm, he has proven himself a leader as well, advancing the diversity
of both the firm and the state of Wisconsin through his work with the Wisconsin
LGBT Chamber of Commerce and the LGBT Bar Association of Wisconsin.
Congratulations, Morgan.
For more information about Foley, contact Milwaukee Office Managing Partner
Linda Benfield at lbenfield@foley.com.
BOSTON BRUSSELS CHICAGO DETROIT JACKSONVILLE LOS ANGELES MADISON MIAMI MILWAUKEE NEW YORK ORLANDO
S A C R A M E N T O S A N D I E G O S A N F R A N C I S C O S H A N G H A I S I L I C O N VA L L E Y TA L L A H A S S E E TA M PA T O K Y O WA S H I N G T O N , D . C .
2016 Foley & Lardner LLP
16.12159
Kyle Engelke
STAFFORD ROSENBAUM
Small claims court opens door for Engelkes career

Kyle Engelke was a senior journalism
major at UW-Madison and on his way to
a life as a sports writer the day his career
plans changed.
A soon-to-be former landlord came into
small claims court carrying a damaged
closet door that he said proved Engelke
and his roommates had trashed their rental
house. The landlord was hoping to avoid refunding their security deposit.
The problem was the door didnt match
the photos the landlord brought, said Engelke, and that annoyed the court commissioner, who ordered him to give us our
deposit.
Journalisms loss was the laws gain.
I liked winning, said Engelke. And
when I smelled the blood in the water, I

knew my future was in the law.
Engelke draws a lot of parallels between
journalism and the law.
Good legal work is about good storytelling, said Engelke. You investigate,
you win a clients trust and you fight for the
facts of your case.
Much in the same way that baseball
prospects are sometimes deemed four-tool
players because of their ability to run, hit,
throw and field, Engelkes colleagues call
him a four-tool attorney because hes motivated, active, involved and impressive.
In his first three years of practicing law,
Engelke has run the gamut in his representation of clients in wrongful-death claims,
10
working as a local counsel in national cases, and for municipal enforcement.

As the local prosecutor for Verona, Shorewood Hills and Windsor, hes also involved in
policy and political issues.
Even if its a dispute over parking tickets,
I try to be fair to everyone, Engelke said.
But it can sometimes take tact to persuade
someone to pay a fine they dont want to.
I wear a lot of hats at this point in my
career and thats fine with me, the New
Glarus native said. I didnt just win that
day in small-claims court. Advocating for
my clients became my lifes purpose.
Jerry Huffman
Amy
Freiman
HILLS LEGAL GROUP
Freiman provides
the best kind of
insurance policy
For Amy Freiman, every day presents a
new hurdle.
Each case has its own facts and circumstances, said Freiman, an insurance
defense lawyer at Hills Legal Group. The
days go very fast, and they are always very
interesting.
In her insurance defense work, Freiman
finds herself instructing her clients in the
legal process.
I try to reassure them as we go through
the process and explain what is happening,
since it can be confusing, she said.
Freimans interest in the law began when
she was young. The daughter of the retired Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge
James Kieffer, she enjoyed watching him
and lawyers in court.
I was fortunate to come in knowing a lot
about the legal process, she said.
After graduating from the University of
St. Thomas School of Law, Freiman started
out in collections law. That experience provided her with plenty of opportunities to appear in courtrooms throughout Wisconsin
and helped hone her legal abilities.
Rick Hills, president of the Waukesha-based Hills Legal Group, called Freiman a well-prepared, efficient lawyer.
Amy thrives on that day-to-day interaction with clients who are often being sued
for the first time and need to know that their

case is in competent hands, he said.
Beyond her practice, Freiman is active in
the local legal community. She serves as a
member of the Waukesha County Bar Association Board of Directors and as chairwoman of its litigation section. Freiman also
organized its spring seminar on continuing
legal education and serves as chairwoman
for the associations Judges Night event.
When I was first starting out other lawyers told me about the importance of being
involved and how it is a great way to meet
more people, she said. I think its import-
11
ant to have those connections and relationships with others in the legal profession.
Freiman is also a member of the Wisconsin Independent Learning College Board of
Directors. In that role she helps oversee the
organizations direction and is revising the
bylaws for the board of directors.
I felt it was important to get involved in
something outside of the legal arena and
give back to my community, and the WILC is
the perfect way to do that, she said. They
are going through a growth period and Im
able to help them as they go through that.
MaryBeth Matzek
Jacob
Frost
BOARDMAN & CLARK
Mock trial sets Frost

on career path
Jacob Frost knew he was destined to become an attorney when, in his first trial, he
helped convict Christopher Columbus of
crimes against humanity.
Frost was in the eighth grade and had
just aced an important project for social
studies class.
Some 18 years later, Frost looks back on
that mock trial and now realizes how the
experience changed his life.
Up until that moment I was going to be
a computer programmer, Frost said, but I
found something more exciting that day.
As a sixth-year associate at Boardman
& Clark, Frosts commitment both to his
clients and community define his work as
a lawyer. So much so, the particular case
that prompted his colleagues to nominate
him as an Up and Coming attorney might
have been considered routine by most, but
not for the young lawyer from Rudolph.
Frost had so thoughtfully written a brief
advancing a clients arguments in a family-law case that she broke down in tears.
We were fighting for her side of the story in a divorce case, said Frost, and we
were able to truly capture her contributions
to the family, which was important for her.
It meant a lot that she was so touched by

something I had written.
Frost and his wife, Nichole, a sonography student, chase their professional pursuits even while raising their daughters,
Elycia and Madisen, and a newborn son,
Thieran. Frost also devotes some time to
serving as a secretary of the Board for
Access to Independence, a Madison-area
organization that provides resources, ser-
12
vices and advocacy to the disabled. In addition, he volunteers with the Community
Around the Childrens Hospital in Madison,
as well as a full slate of professional legal
committees.
I love learning something new from
every case, said Frost, and the responsibility of helping our clients work through
challenging situations.
Jerry Huffman
Congratulations Meghan!
von Briesen & Roper, s.c. is proud to have one of our own
recognized in this years Up and Coming Lawyers. We
have, since 1904, provided an organization and culture
dedicated to the success of all of our lawyers.
Congratulations, Meghan. You are an example to all who
practice law.
Meghan C. OConnor
To learn more about our law firm and areas of
practice, visit vonbriesen.com
Ben Glicksman
KRAVIT HOVEL & KRAWCZYK
Glicksman charts his own course

Ben Glicksmans goal is to make a difference.
Glickman, a lawyer at Kravit Hovel &
Krawczyk in Milwaukee, wants to do that
not only in his practice, but also through his
community work.
Growing up I saw attorneys as people who
make a difference, and that was something
that interested me, said Glicksman, whose
father was also a lawyer. Thats the stuff you
see on TV and thats what I saw with my dad.
When Glicksman isnt representing federal white-collar defendants and people accused of securities fraud, he is a volunteer
leader in a local chapter of the BBYO, an
organization for Jewish teens that provides
leadership and enrichment opportunities.
Glicksman serves as a mentor to high
school students looking to schedule, plan
and carry out different events.
Its been great working with the kids and
seeing them start out as freshman and then

grow throughout their high school years,
Glicksman said.
A native of Arizona, Glicksman spent summers in Wisconsin, his dads home state. A
big sports fan yes, he supports the Packers and Brewers Glicksman covered
sports for The Arizona Republic while pursuing his bachelors degree at Arizona State
University. While at Harvard Law School, he
worked on contracts for the Boston Celtics.
Although hes interested in sports law,
Glicksman settled into complex securities
and white-collar criminal defense at Kravit
Hovel & Krawczyk.
The cases are extremely interesting.
I found that the characters change from
case to case, but the laws and issues
stay the same, said Glicksman, who has
worked on a variety of cases from repre-
14
senting drivers in a national class-action

suit against a major trucking company to
a multi-jurisdictional construction dispute
involving the city of Chicagos 31st Street
breakwater project.
Glicksman credited Steve Kravit, a partner at Kravit Hovel & Krawczyk, with helping him find his way on the firms aggravated-litigation team.
Steve has been an invaluable resource
and I have learned a lot from him, he said.
Kravit praised Glicksman, calling him an
intelligent, tough attorney.
He has a near photographic memory and
is the go-to resource in cases with hundreds
of thousands of documents and transcripts,
he said. Ben has a grasp of detail, the ability
to analyze and synthesize facts and the ability
to write and argue persuasively about them.
MaryBeth Matzek
Alexander Handelsman
REINHART BOERNER VAN DEUREN
Summertime makes Handelsman a better lawyer

The inherent contradiction of being a trial
lawyer in the 21st century is that not that
many cases go to trial anymore except
for those of Alex Handelsman.
The sixth-year associate is part of an
unusual arrangement between his firm and
the Milwaukee County District Attorneys
office. The firm provides the DAs office
with experienced lawyers for the summer
in exchange for their associates getting
real world trial practice.
Both sides win. Overworked prosecutors
receive the extra help at no taxpayer expense and the lawyers on loan get to move
from a world where most cases never go to
trial to one where many do.
Handelsman, who is at home in the com-
plexities of financial litigation and actuarial

malpractice, found himself assigned to the
Violent Crimes Unit. In other words, the California native had stepped through the looking glass to the other side.
It definitely makes for more interesting
cocktail conversations, Handelsman said.
Instead of dealing with financial issues,
Im now prosecuting people firing shots at
each other.
Handelsman credits his grandmother for
helping him settle on a legal career.
She always said the two things every
family needed were a plumber and a lawyer. And since I would have been a lousy
plumber, that left the law.
Grandma may have been the first to
15
spot the legal diamond in the rough.

While in a high school class, Handelsman
tore a favorite pair of jeans on some exposed metal.
We never went to court, he said, but
I took it to the administration and got them
to buy me a new pair.
The future trial lawyer was born.
Handelsman has been involved in seven
jury trials this summer, four as a first chair,
and handled a couple of motion and evidentiary hearings.
The subject matter is clearly different,
said Handelsman. But now I know I can
go into court and focus on my facts. This
summer has made me a better lawyer.
Jerry Huffman
Alison
Helland
MURPHY DESMOND
Hellands practice,
volunteering aimed at
helping businesses
Murphy Desmonds Alison Helland acknowledges she has a packed schedule
between her work in the firms business
group and her volunteering for the State
Bar of Wisconsin and the Latino Chamber
of Commerce of Dane County.
You really have to love the things you
do outside your practice to fit them in, she
said. And I do. I really enjoy using my tax
background and business background to
help businesses through both my practice
and volunteer work.
At Murphy Desmond, Helland specializes
in business law and has a particular interest in tax law.
I really enjoy the technical aspect of tax
law and working through the regulations
and figuring out how to help businesses
solve their problems, she said.
After graduating from Northwestern University with a law degree and an LL.M, Helland worked at a law firm for four years before spending five years in public accounting.
She joined Murphy Desmond last year.
Tim Valentyn, president of Murphy Desmond, said her experience and skills also
have enabled her to become one of those rare
practitioners who can carry on a highly technical discussion with a clients accountant one
minute and then summarize those same technical concepts for the client or the attorney
who doesnt practice tax law the next.
Helland joined the State Bar of Wisconsin Taxation Section Board in 2009
and served two years as chairwoman, a
term that ended in June. During that time
she helped oversee a membership survey
meant to identify the benefits and services
most important to members.
We did a lot of work diversifying the
services and also tried to recruit tax attorneys from multiple environments private
practice, accounting firms and public interest programs, said Helland, who was recently appointed to a two-year term to the
bars Legislative Oversight Committee.
In addition to her professional volunteer
16
efforts, Helland is a member of the Latino

Chamber of Commerce of Dane Countys
board of directors. Helland, who is fluent in
Spanish, meets with members to determine
how the chamber can better meet their
needs. She also works with the chamber
to develop and present Spanish-language
recordkeeping seminars through the Wisconsin Womens Business Initiative Corp.
This is a growing segment of the population and I wanted to make sure they are having
their business needs served, she said. I really love helping small businesses and my work
with them is another way to do just that.
MaryBeth Matzek
Megann
Hendrix
WALNY LEGAL GROUP
Hendrix a family
law trendsetter
Megann Hendrix is the youngest person
ever to serve on the board of the Collaborative Family Law Council of Wisconsin and
one of the youngest to serve on the board
of directors for the State Bar of Wisconsin
Family Law Section.
All this should come as no surprise
Hendrix started her legal career long before
she began at Walny Legal Group.
In high school I decided I wanted to be a
lawyer, she said. My stepdad and I were
talking one night at dinner. He said he could see
me being a lawyer, and that stuck in my mind.
She began reading books about the legal
field and looking for schools with prelaw
scholar programs, eventually heading to
Saint Louis University before earning her
J.D. from Marquette University Law School.
Her family law practice concentrates largely on mediation and collaborative law, but
she also provides estate planning and elder-law services.
The 31-year-old sits on numerous committees. She has also headed or overseen
initiatives aimed at taking family law from
being what is often a contested, litigated
process and turning it into something aimed
at protecting children.
We want there to be as little damage to
families as possible, she said. Its totally
different than the traditional mentality.
Under her leadership, the CFLCWs Public Education Committee started a program
aimed at informing the public about collaborative divorces. That work earned the committee
an Outstanding Performance and Dedication
award from the CFLCW and brought Hendrix
the Dolphin Award, which recognized her
dedication to the organization.
Receiving the award, she said, is one of
her greatest accomplishments.
Hendrix has helped influence a number of
bills and laws related to family law.
After only six years in the legal field, she
is already seen as an expert in fields such
as Medicaid planning, according to Eido
Walny, owner of Walny Legal Group.
17
Becoming so well versed in this complex

and ever-changing area of law in such a
short amount of time is a great accomplishment, Walny said.
Hendrix said she is moved by an internal
drive that her mom instilled in her when she
was young.
Shes always been a hard worker, and shes
always been really involved, Hendrix said. I
think as a kid I learned from her and learned
thats what you do. You find what youre passionate about and you try to make a difference;
you get involved and you try to get things done.
Alison Henderson
Brad
Jansen
LAW OFFICE OF
BRADLEY J. JANSEN
Jansen proves you

can go home again
Brad Jansen was on the legal fast track.
After earning undergraduate degrees in
psychology and the sociology of law, he
graduated from the Chicago-Kent School of
Law. Then it was onto firm work in Chicago
until he decided it wasnt the life he wanted.
So Jansen gave it all up for a solo practice in West Bend. The big city was enjoyable enough, but the call to come home
was stronger. His mother had taught at the
same kindergarten for 30 years. His father
was still working for the same bank where
he was hired after graduating from college.
I moved back in with my folks, Jansen
said. I had spent enough time out east and
wanted to be in a place where clients knew
they could always find me. The law is an
intimate experience for someone looking at
a loss of freedom and I wanted to be there
every day for my clients.
As a defense attorney, Jansen is often
the other guy in an adversarial relationship with prosecutors, but not always. His
nomination for this Up and Coming award,
in fact, came from Bob Barrington, the managing attorney of the Dodge County District
Attorneys office.
From Barringtons letter:

Brad represents his clients with both
genuine compassion and a sound knowledge of the law. He is active in our legal
community, courteous and respectful to
everyone in our office, and shows an active
interest in helping other young lawyers with
their work.
Were part of a system thats designed
to make us hate each other, but it doesnt
18
have to be that way, Jansen said. Even

though we represent different sides we can
still work together to do whats right.
Jansens hometown solo practice is
thriving and hes moved into a new condominium. But he does keep a few files at his
parents house just because, with apologies to Thomas Wolfe, sometimes you can
go home again.
Jerry Huffman
Kellen Kasper
ASSISTANT CORPORATE COUNSEL FOR THE MILWAUKEE BREWERS
Kasper gets into new ballgame for Brewers

WhenKellen Kasper sets a goal, theres
no stopping him.
After working as an intern for the Milwaukee Brewers while he was a student at
Harvard Law, Kasper decided that one day
he wanted to work there. Now, hes assistant corporate counsel for the team.
It may have been exactly what he wanted
to do, but it wasnt a straight shot from law
school to the Brewers.
Before taking his position with the MLB
team in August, he worked as a securities
and business-litigation attorney at Foley &
Lardners Milwaukee office.
Kasper found the six-year experienceincredibly rewarding. He says he enjoyed
getting to know hisclients businesses. And

then there was the pro bono work. Foley
gave him an opportunity to dabble in something different criminal appeals before
the 7th Circuit.
Its the same skills but a completely different ballgame, Kasper said.
The most rewarding case he worked on
was the criminal appeal of a Hindu priest.
He ended up handling the case entirely on
his own.
Although Kasper ultimately lost the case,
he was able to give the priest the sense that
he got his day in court.
The most rewarding thing was gaining his trust as an attorney, Kasper said.
19
Whether right or wrong, hed gotten a

sense that there wasnt a sense of justice
in the system.
Kasper said his time at Foley also gave
him some leeway to take on the kinds of
cases he wanted. Its those opportunities
that young attorneys should relish instead
of despairing.
Make your career what you want it to
be, he said. And make time to do what
you really want to do, put in some extra time
to do it so that at the end of the day youre
really passionate about what you do. Always be receptive to the right opportunity.
Erika Strebel
Jacqueline Messler
WEISS BERZOWSKI
Messler puts the plan into estate planning

Jacqueline Messler understands her clients may not always be eager to talk.
Estate planning is all about death and
what comes next, said Messler, an attorney at Weiss Berzowski in Milwaukee.
Ive had clients cry when asked about who
would potentially serve as guardian for their
children if something happens. Estate planning can be a tough subject to talk about,
but my clients always tell me how relieved
they are when we are done. They feel like a
weight has been taken off their shoulders.
Estate planning is an intimate process,
Messler said. She learns things about family members that most others may not know.
It can be quite personal at times,
Messler said.
While in law school, Messler felt something click during a tax-law class.
I like when there are rules and guideWISCONSIN LAW JOURNAL
lines in place to follow.

Tax law and estate planning often go
hand in hand, since clients are many times
concerned about any taxes their loved ones
may owe after receiving an inheritance.
Each client has a different situation,
and I seek to develop creative answers
so together we can solve any issues and
achieve their goals, Messler said.
Nancy Bonniwell, a fellow lawyer at Weiss
Berzowski and previous Wisconsin Law Journal Women in the Law award-winner, praised
Messlers work habits and her ability to understand the nuances of estate planning.
Jackies professionalism in counseling
clients is outstanding, she said. She not
only is sensitive to the clients concerns in
this very personal area of the law, but she
finds the answers for them on both the personal and legal side of her work.
20
Messler said Bonniwell has played an instrumental role in her development as an attorney.
Nancy showed me how to draft the different documents needed in estate planning and is always there to answer questions, she said.
Outside of her practice, Messler has informed members of the public about wills,
trusts, powers of attorney and other legal
documents that all adults should have.
Everyone should have a will and other
documents, like power of attorney, she
said. They are not just for the wealthy.
Messler is also active in several organizations, including Girls on the Run, Wills for
Heroes, the Carroll University Presidents Advisory Council and the Young Leaders Board of
Meta House in Milwaukee, where she helps
plan fundraising events and solicits donations.
MaryBeth Matzek
Robert
Mochel
ASSISTANT STATE
PUBLIC DEFENDER
Mochel champions
expungement,
helping children
Robert Mochel had a good idea at a
young age that he wanted to help kids. He
just didnt always know he would be doing
it with the law.
Mochel is an assistant state public defender working in the Milwaukee Juvenile and
Mental Health office. He represents young
people in cases involving juvenile crimes,
child neglect and abuse, and the termination
of parental rights, among other things.
It was while he was still quite young
that Mochel became interested in working
with children.
When I was in high school, and even before, I did a lot of volunteer work with kids
with special needs, he said. I really like
the helping nature of that.
Mochel signed on as an assistant public
defender after being admitted to the State
Bar in 2012. In his short time at the state
public defenders office, he has already
contributed to a system that helps inform
juveniles of the possibility and benefits of
expungement.
Sally Barrientes, who worked with Mochel on the project, said kids must wait until
they are 17 to try to have their criminal records expunged. The age limit means that
many of the children who come through the
Milwaukee Juvenile and Mental Health office have several years to wait. By the time
they are of age, many forget about the expungement option.
Barrientes said her counterparts in the disWISCONSIN LAW JOURNAL
trict attorneys office didnt see this as much

of a cause for concern as did she and Mochel.
So we wanted to try to figure out how
we can better find and better track these
children, Barrientes said. The program
is intended to encourage juveniles to go
through the expungement process by providing them with information and reminding
them that the option is there.
Mochel acknowledged that the juvenile
cases he handles can take an emotional
toll. Not to mention, juvenile crimes often
draw a lot of public attention.
If you turn on the news in Milwaukee
right now you see a lot of juvenile crime,
21
he said. Theres a lot going on a daily basis, and if you look at it systemically it could
be overwhelming.
Mochel has also witnessed the good that
can come from being a mentor to children.
He even worked with the Big Brother Big
Sisters organization to take one of them under his wing.
Mochel said he is now a Big Brother
to a young man whom the public defenders
office could not link up with another mentor.
Hes very much continuing to grow as a
young man, Mochel said. Weve seen progress in both school and social relationships.
Alex Zank
Kelsey
Morin
ASSISTANT STATE
PUBLIC DEFENDER
Morin comes full circle

to Waukesha public
defenders office
Kelsey Morin has a special connection to
the office where she works.
While an undergraduate, Morin was initially a pre-med student. But after deciding
she didnt want to become a doctor, she
spent a summer volunteering in the Waukesha office of the State Public Defender.
When I changed I wasnt really sure
what I wanted to do or where I wanted to
go, she said.
She figured it couldnt hurt to introduce
herself to the legal field.
That summer had a great influence on
Morin, who now works as an assistant
state public defender in the same Waukesha office.
Since taking the job in 2014, Morin has
already worked on several significant cases. Sam Benedict, who supervises Morin,
noted Morins involvement in the homicide
case of State v. Floyd Smith.
Since two attorneys typically work on
homicide cases, Benedict asked Morin to
be his partner on this one. Morin had then
been there for only a few months.
Morin said their work started with getting the various counts of homicide alleged
against their client reduced down to just one.
They then went to trial and successfully defended Smith, receiving a not-guilty verdict.
It was very straightforward to us, Morin said, noting that Smith had really been
acting out of self-defense after intruders
had broken into his home.
Morin got to display her ability to question witnesses in the homicide case; Benedict said he quickly saw that that was one
of her strengths.
I just noticed right away that she was
pretty good at it early, he said. Definitely
earlier than most.
The Floyd Smith case was not the only
to bring her before a jury. Last year saw
her working on three more that led to jury
trials. Two of them were complex operating-while-intoxicated cases involving difficult expert witnesses, Benedict noted. She
also volunteered to help a colleague with a
difficult sexual-assault case.
22
Outside the courtroom, Morin is a member of the Victims Rights Subcommittee on

the Waukesha Evidence Based Decision
Making Task Force and also volunteers
on the Waukesha Intervention Committee,
which works to prevent domestic violence.
Above all, Morin said she enjoys working
as an assistant public defender because
she gets to help those who need it most.
Not everyone has $1 million to hire an
attorney, she said. Its probably the people who have been railroaded by the system
are the people who need us the most.
Alex Zank
Elizabeth
Murrar
MURRAR LAW OFFICE
Life trumps
immigration law
for Murrar
Just like the rest of us, Elizabeth Murrar
is counting down the days until the presidential election.
This race isnt just about who will be
president, Murrar said. Its also about
electing a Congress that has the courage to
fix the immigration system, and appointing
Supreme Court justices brave enough to
uphold a fair law.
For Murrar, a Milwaukee immigration
lawyer, the election is as personal as it is
political.
On election night, Murrar, her husband,
Rami, and their son, Jaimie, will have a better understanding of their future. If Donald
Trump is elected president it will be her
worst nightmare. If its Hillary Clinton, a
deeply flawed immigration system will likely remain in place. The status quo has never
looked so appealing.
Murrar works with immigrants who have
ended up in Wisconsin, often fighting to
change their lives for the better. Her clients
are often people who simply want to end
years of hiding in plain sight and become
documented.
What people dont understand, said
Murrar, is that the immigration process is
so incredibly broken that the process to apply for a childs visa can take years to navigate. If youre an adult child, you may wait
decades for a decision.
Many of Murrars cases involve immigrants

who are the victims of crime or domestic
abuse. The U-Visa is intended to protect them
from deportation but doesnt always.
Its one hurdle after another that takes
years and sometimes they are deported
because the clock runs out, Murrar said.
Telling a client they have no more options
is the worst feeling for both of us as you
can imagine.
Murrar is Jewish and her Palestinian
husband and their son are both Muslims.
I am terrified of what could happen to
my family and my clients if Trump wins,
Murrar said.
23
Murrar hears stories everyday of clients dealing with anxiety, depression

and sleeplessness.
I dont want our son to leave the
country, said Murrar. If Trump bans
Muslims, Jaimie and Rami could end up
stranded.
Her hope is that with a Clinton victory and significant changes in Congress,
there could still be a chance to mend the
system. As broken as it is, Murrar says
that the principles underlying immigration law are still good, although weve
lost sight of the true spirit.
Jerry Huffman
Meghan
OConnor
VON BRIESEN & ROPER
OConnor takes
the mystery out of
health care law
Meghan OConnor is an expert in one of
those fields that affects nearly everyone yet
is a mystery to many: health care law.
So it might come as no surprise that
she gets a lot of questions from family and
friends.
OConnor, an associate at Milwaukee-based von Briesen & Roper and chairwoman of the firms Health Information
Privacy and Security team, said she was
always generally drawn to health care. Its
an interest that stretches to her undergraduate days, when she was an undeclared
major in medical anthropology.
So basically Indiana Jones, but with
health care issues, she said.
OConnor joined von Briesen in 2010, following a brief stint at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in the U.S. Department of Health of Human Services. She
said that earlier experience is something
that she still draws on.
I saw the types of processes the federal
government uses, she said, particularly citing
federal regulation of Medicare and Medicaid.
Her expertise puts OConnor in a position
to explain to clients why the government
might ask for a certain document more than
once, or why a certain procedure is taking
so much time.
So it gave that little bit of behind-the-curtain (view) that continues to helpful with
clients now, she said.
OConnor also devotes much of her time
to community organizations. She sits, for instance, on the Medical College of WisconWISCONSIN LAW JOURNAL
sin Women in Science Advisory Committee.

She said the science-advisory committee, on its face at least, might seem to have
little to do with her practice. But there are
connections.
OConnor said the committee has helped
her stay abreast of the various ways that
cutting-edge scientific research affects
health care law. It has also helped her become familiar with a host of medical terms.
It translates to your personal life too,
she said, because everyone has to deal
with their own health issues.
In nominating OConnor to be an Up and
Coming Lawyer, Randall Crocker, president
24
and chief executive officer of von Briesen,

said her influence on the field is evidenced by
the many occasions on which she has been
engaged to speak about health care law.
Most recently, she served as a presenter
in February to the Paralegal Association of
Wisconsin. She spoke about what legal professionals should be aware of when they are
dealing with health care information.
OConnor is a 2010 graduate of Marquette University Law School, where she
was editor-in-chief of the Marquette Elders
Advisor Journal, and a member of the Association for Women Lawyers.
Alex Zank
Richard Orton
CRIVELLO CARLSON
Orton finds admiration for the law

Richard Orton said he has three characteristics that he believes make him a great
fit for civil litigation: an inquiring mind, a desire to help others and a competitive drive.
In his only trial to date, the 31-yearold associate at Crivello Carlson went up
against a prominent attorney with more
than 45 years of experience. Not only that,
Orton came out on top.
Jeffrey Nichols, a shareholder and member of the board of directors at Crivello Carlson, said Orton has proved he can quickly
adapt when confronted with a new nuance
in the law.
Nichols said that practicing in various
jurisdictions has helped Orton succeed in
his role with the firms national products liability team, which defends clients in cases
throughout the country.
Ive been fortunate to work at a firm
that provides its associates the opportunity

to obtain great hands-on experience early
on, Orton said, allowing me to gain significant experience and giving me the opportunity to work on increasingly complex
cases all over the country.
His civil-litigation practice involves services dealing with commerce, products liability, personal injury, industrial accidents,
construction and insurance. He attended
Marquette University before spending
two years in Washington, D.C., where he
worked at an international law firm.
He returned to Wisconsin for law school
at the University of Wisconsin. He clerked
at Crivello Carlson during his summers and
began working there as an associate after
graduation in 2012.
Nichols said Orton demonstrates leadership both in and out of the office. Hes
25
always willing to take the lead on various

projects in the firm, and step into leadership
roles at various organizations. Among other
things, he has served on the board of directors for the State Bar of Wisconsin Young
Lawyers Division and on the Eastern District of Wisconsin Bar Associations Membership Committee and was a Wisconsin
delegate for the ABA Young Lawyers Division Assembly in 2015 and 2016.
And, in 2012, he ran the firms annual
United Way Campaign and has voluntarily
taken the lead in it each year since.
I grew up with an admiration of and interest in the practice of law, Orton said.
We live in a great country governed by a
sound legal system, which requires the active, continued commitment of our profession to provide justice for everyone.
Alison Henderson
Kyra
Plier
HUPY AND ABRAHAM
Plier thrives by
helping others
An injury at age 16 spurred Kyra Plier to
pursue a legal career.
I was a gymnast and suffered a severe
spine and back injury and that opened my
eyes to what people go through when they
get injured, said Plier, a lawyer at Hupy
and Abraham in Milwaukee. I enjoy helping others and discovered that representing
people who are injured is very rewarding.
Plier said her competitive spirit from her
days as a gymnast serves her well in the
courtroom.
Civil litigation allows that side of me to
come out, she said. I enjoy the time in
court and working on cases and seeing the
outcomes as they play out.
Earlier this year, Plier assisted in a $3.1
million settlement of a motorcycle-accident
case that had left a client severely injured.
Being able to help on something like
that is why I became an attorney, she said.
Theres a huge sense of relief and accomplishment that you made a difference and
impacted someones life.
Chad Kreblin, a partner at Hupy & Abraham, said Plier stands out for her passion
for helping people who are in need.
Her enthusiasm and drive to go above
and beyond for her clients has become
contagious among those who work closely
with her, he said.
Plier said she was prepared for a legal
career in large part by the time she spent
working as an intern for retired Wisconsin

Supreme Court Justice Jeanine Geske and
the Wisconsin Public Defenders Office.
I learned a lot from Justice Geske about
the law, said Plier, who was an intern for
Geske and the Restorative Justice Initiative
while a student at Marquette University
Law School. The experience also gave me
an inside perspective of how an injury or
accident can affect an entire community.
Pliers internship with the Wisconsin
Public Defenders Office opened her eyes
to what happens from day to day in a courtroom, she said.
26
I saw how judges prepare for cases

and how they make decisions, Plier said.
I also could watch how defense attorneys
and prosecutors work and handle themselves in court.
Geske and the attorneys at Hupy and
Abraham have been great mentors, she
said.
I am fortunate that I have had so much
experience with so many wonderful mentors, Plier said. Whenever I have had
questions, there is always someone there
to lend a hand.
MaryBeth Matzek
Matteo
Reginato
ARENZ, MOLTER, MACY,
RIFFLE & LARSON
Reginato knows how

to get things done
Matteo Reginato went to law school with
the intention of pursuing a practice in transactional law. He had graduated cum laude
from the University of Houston and established a successful career in finance and
mergers and acquisitions.
I initially decided to go law school to
build upon the skills I had developed in my
first career, he said. How I ended up a litigator is anyones guess.
Now just a few years into his practice
in municipal and civil-rights litigation, the
33-year-old attorney is already overseeing a
case that has been accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court. He is taking the lead in drafting
the lower and state appellate briefs.
He is always working closely with a managing partner at Arenz, Molter, Macy, Riffle
& Larson and a professor at Harvard Law
School on the case, which is expected to be
argued before the Supreme Court in October.
Anyone who has litigated understands
the complexities involved in federal and
appellate practice, and Matteo navigates
these forums with ease and precision,
said his wife and fellow attorney, Jessica
Reginato. He has drafted and filed more
federal and appellate briefs in three years
than many do in an entire career.
Born in Italy and raised in Texas, Reginato said he has become a full-blown
cheesehead since settling in Wisconsin.
He graduated magna cum laude from Marquette University Law School, where he
contributed to the universitys law review
and moot court, completed a clerkship at a
litigation law firm and was awarded multiple CALI Excellence for the Future Awards.
After graduation, he worked as a litigation associate at Crivello Carlson before

moving to the Waukesha firm of Arenz,
Molter, Macy, Riffle & Larson.
Reginato represents local governments
and officials, employees and insurers. He
has litigated cases involving the use of
force by law enforcement, jail and prison-medical care, the conditions of confinement, the First Amendment, civil rights,
municipal liability and land use and zoning.
Reginato currently lectures on a variety of
topics and aspires to become an adjunct professor of law that is, should his plan to become a country music superstar fall through.
27
He said he considers one of his greatest

accomplishments as a litigator to be sharing
good news with a satisfied client after winning
or reaching a great resolution that avoided
complicated, drawn-out and costly litigation.
Matteos legal abilities are equally
matched by his determination and guts, Jessica said. Whether it be moving to the United
States from Italy and learning English from
scratch as a first-grader, to becoming the
first person in his family to graduate from law
school, to working on a lawsuit in front of the
United States Supreme Court, Matteo knows
how to get things done.
Alison Henderson
David
Ress
BELL, MOORE & RICHTER
Ress finds rush

in law career
In 2009, David Ress was a second-year
law student at Marquette University writing
bench memos as an intern for the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Just six years later, he was getting ready
to argue before the states high court a
case concerning recreational immunity.
How the years must have flown.
It felt like I was in a roller coaster just
short of the peak, and I was ready for the
rush, Ress said. I wasnt nervous because I was focused on my arguments.
Ress didnt win. But he had reached what
he considered yet another high mark for a
lawyer who says he lucked into the law.
Ress studied history as an undergraduate at UW-Madison, and then struggled to
find the right career.
It came down to reading, writing and
research as my main strengths, said Ress,
and when I connected those skills with the
law, it all came together.
His colleagues at Bell, Moore & Richter
praise the Wausau native for keeping his
cool, for having a sense of humor that helps
him keep everything in perspective, and for
his being ever-willing to lend a hand.
Named a director at Bell, Moore & Richter this year, Ress has helped expand the
firms workers compensation practice. And

that Supreme Court case? Even though he
lost, Ress was asked afterward to give a
case presentation to the Wisconsin Bar
Association.
Home life for Ress and his wife, Katie, a
UW Hospital nurse, revolves around their
daughter, Caroline their first child. Ress
has also been active in the Big Brothers/Big
Sisters program since 2011.
If the David Ress, a director at a law firm,
28
could talk to the younger David Ress, the

student intern from six years ago?
I would tell him to stay the course and
its all going to work out in the end.
With his previously noted sense of humor in full view, Ress said, I would have
also told young David Ress to mark his
calendar early for that future date with the
Supreme Court.
Jerry Huffman
Joseph
Rolling
EMINENT DOMAIN SERVICES
Rolling battles old

standards in eminent
domain cases
Well, theres not a lot of us, Joseph Rolling said laughing, we are about as specialized an area of a law as you can get.
Joseph, J.J. as hes known, Rolling may
not be the first lawyer you think of in an
emergency. But if youre a property owner
in Wisconsin, he could be your best friend.
Rolling is one of a handful of Wisconsin
lawyers specializing in eminent domain and
condemnation cases. He found his calling
while working at his fathers appraisal company as a high school student.
We defend property owners and make
sure the government treats them fairly,
Rolling said.
The meaning of the word fairly can
give rise to a lot of debate when youre
going against the government, especially
when its in a case involving ideas about the
public good. The ideas underlying eminent
domain laws date to the 19th century.
Its true, said Rolling, the government
uses case law that was decided before
Wisconsin was even a state.
That matters because if the Department
of Transportation decides your front yard
would make a great highway, you would
want your propertys fair market value to be
determined using the latest standards, not
something from the horse-and-buggy days.

The government may look at a piece of
property and see the lowest common denominator, Rolling said. But if you suddenly have to move a driveway hundreds
of feet, that impacts the real value of your
property.
When hundreds of millions of dollars
are at stake on some of the largest projects,
deadlines can get in the way of truly appreciating the value of a landowners property,
Rolling said. I will zealously defend my cli-
29
ents, but it does get frustrating if the government tries to use the vagueness of the
old law to their advantage.
Reality is the key, said Rolling.
There are times when the government
may be justified in taking private property
for a public project. Still, the UW law school
graduate says its equally important to remind the authorities that we live in the 21st
century even if they want to act like its
still the 1800s.
Jerry Huffman
Jennifer
Schank
KREKELER STROTHER
Schank relishes
complicated
bankruptcy cases
For the bankruptcy attorney Jennifer
Schank, the more complicated the case,
the better.
Small-business bankruptcy filings usually fit that mold, so those by far are Schanks
favorite type of case.
Theres just a little bit more going on,
she said. Strategy becomes important in
helping the client navigate with their secured lenders.
Schank decided to specialize in bankruptcy law after working for a boss who
was a bankruptcy trustee. It was her first
job after she had graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School.
Schank said she took a liking to the work,
moving from the La Crosse area to Madison so she could continue to concentrate
onthat area of the law.
It seemed an unlikely path for someone
who grew up on a farm in Arcadia, then
went on to get a degree in kinesiology while
at the UW-Eau Claire. But even as an undergraduate, Shank knew that she wanted
to help people.
That happens to be one of her favorite
parts of her job.
I just generally enjoy getting to help
people in small businesses with their financial problems, she said. Its challenging
and satisfying at the same time.

However, one of the biggest difficultiesin
her field is that people dont realize that
they need help from a professional and either file pro se or seek the help of a bankruptcy preparer rather than going through a
bankruptcy lawyer.
Thats an issue because (the client
doesnt) understand the bankruptcy code
fully and therefore might cause themselves
additional problems, Schank said.
And the belief that bankruptcies are simple is a misconception thats even found in
30
the legal profession.

In my opinion, the misconception is
that all bankruptcies are very formalistic
and simple, so people think, Dont you just
fill out a couple forms and file the case?
she said.
But you wouldnt have bankruptcy lawyersif that were truly the case.
Most cases that our firm takes are extremely complex, very technical, said
Schank. You want a lawyer who knows
what he or she is doing.
Erika Strebel
Jessica
Schuster
ASSISTANT STATE
PUBLIC DEFENDER
Schuster excels in
advocate role as
assistant state
public defender
The cases that Jessica Schuster largely
works on have garnered quite a bit of attention in recent months, to say the least.
Schuster, an assistant state public defender in the Merrill trial office, mostly takes
cases involving the Lincoln Hills School for
Boys. This juvenile correctional institution
in Irma has been a subject of public outrage
in recent months following revelations that
many of the delinquents being held there
were suffering mistreatment.
Schuster, a native of Merrill, said the first
case that was handed to her after she had
started at the Merrill office about 5- years
ago involved a boy at Lincoln Hills.
It became something I always take,
she said.
Since the Lincoln Hills scandal came to
light, Schuster has served as the primary liaison between state public defender attorneys
and staff at both Lincoln Hills and the Copper
Lakes School for Girls, especially when the
attorneys have questions or concerns about
clients housed in either institution.
Aside from all this, Schuster has a heavy
caseload. Within a three-week period this
July, for instance, she opened 25 new cases, including six felonies and four mental
commitments.
Despite her workload and the recently

added media scrutiny that comes with some
of these cases, Schuster said her job has actually been a bit easier since the revelations
at Lincoln Hills. She and her colleagues had
been saying for years that things were bad for
the boys detained there.
She noted that many parents whose children are being held at Lincoln Hills seem
to be taking a greater interest in whats
happening there. Things can be especially
tough for them since many of the boys at
Lincoln Hills are from the Milwaukee area.
Once that stuff came to light, I think
they (the parents) have been more proac-
31
tive in contacting me, getting back to me,

Schuster said.
And Schusters connections to Lincoln
Hills do not stop with her job. She noted
her father helped build the institution several decades ago.
A native of Merrill, Schuster said her familiarity with the area proved to be an asset
in her current work. It meant that, when she
took the job, she had already built relationships with many of the people she works
with regularly. Schuster also noted that she
has represented a few of her former classmates in some cases, as well.
Alex Zank
Adam Stevenson
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN LAW SCHOOL
UWs Stevenson breaks ground (and a hip)

Like many young lawyers, Adam Stevenson is driven to make a difference in the
law. Some will follow a path to the courtroom, others will distinguish themselves
through research or writing.
This Plover native plans to make his mark
on the law by being a better teacher. As
deputy director of the University of Wisconsin Law Schools Frank Remington Center,
Stevenson oversees the law-in-action program, which includes clinical projects dedicated to teaching, service and research.
Its an ambitious agenda for a center that,
a mere six years ago, had counted Stevenson as a student.
Its becoming less obvious as I get older, Stevenson said, but Ive been able to
connect with the students by saying, I was
you not so long ago.
Stevenson, at 31, is quite young in an area

of the law more often associated with gray
hair and a lengthy list of legal decisions.
There are a handful of younger directors like myself in the country, Stevenson
said. But I cannot imagine a better role
than helping empower our students and
giving them perspective on the law.
Stevensons track record is impressive. Hes been in charge since 2010 of the
schools Oxford Federal Project, which lets
him supervise students assisting inmates at
medium-security institutions. Three years
ago, he started the Federal Appeals Project
to give students a chance to learn about all
aspects of an appeal.
Because of a students work in another
program, a Milwaukee man facing 14 more
years in prison on a non-violent drug convic-
32
tion was freed in September when his sentence was commuted by President Obama.
My students are my clients, said
Stevenson. I want to give them the greatest
foundation possible for their future practice.
Last year, Stevenson had been spending
a lot of time rebuilding his life after breaking
a hip in a winter-bicycling accident. An Iron
Man Wisconsin competitor, he says the law
is like sports in that it requires discipline,
planning and practice.
And if that practice ever results in one of
his students arguing a case before the U.S.
Supreme Court, isnt there a part of the lawyer-turned-teacher who would want to step
in and take over the case?
Not for a moment, said Stevenson.
Not for a moment.
Jerry Huffman
Morgan
Tilleman
FOLEY & LARDNER
Tilleman ventures
into gray area of
insurance law
Insurance law may not sound like a field
with room for being innovative, but thats always a goal of Morgan Tillemans practice.
It used to be easy to separate a health care
provider and an insurance carrier. Nowadays,
though, thats not always the case.
Helping clients find their way in that gray
area is one of the things Tilleman does best.
We know what the rules are, but figuring
out how the rules apply to new business models and new service delivery platforms is a
challenge, he said. One of the things I like
about it is its like solving a puzzle each day.
Tilleman, a lawyer at Foley & Lardner in
Milwaukee, says the thoughtfulness clients
have shown in reinventing their businesses
has proved an inspiration in his own work.
I have to raise myself to their level every
day, he said.
But Tilleman emphasizes that he could
not have been successful without the clients, colleagues and mentors who helped
him learn the ropes of insurance law. He
came out of law school expecting to work
in securities law but instead landed in insurance law, a field few law students know
of and explore.
I think its critical for young lawyers
to embrace their ignorance, he said. It
would be terrible to try and pretend to
know things about the industry and try to
fool coworkers or clients in to thinking I

knew things.
Tilleman also does volunteer legal work,
helping low-income, transgender Wisconsinites change their names to match their
identities.
Its a cool thing to be able to help those clients meet a real-life need, demystify the legal
system and make it approachable, he said.
Outside his legal work, Tilleman is likewise always looking for ways to break out
of routine.
All summer, he raced sailboats on Lake
Michigan for fun. Tilleman also enjoys trav-
33
eling. So far, hes been to 45 states and 29

countries. Soon hell be crossing off his
30th country: Ireland.
I hate going to one place more than
once, he said. There are so many places to go.
Tilleman also enjoys reading, and his
reading list consists of a lot of fiction all
of it in printed form.
I work entirely on the computer, he
said. Its a relief both physically and mentally to look at something else when Im outside of the office.
Erika Strebel
Michelle
Wagner
Ebben
MICHAEL BEST & FRIEDRICH
Ebben flows
into practice of
construction law
Michelle Wagner Ebben keeps a pair of
boots handy just in case she has to tromp
around a construction site.
Its a must for a lawyer specializing in
real estate and construction.
Ebben says that although she has not
had to use the boots often, theres always a
chance she might need them.
Ive been the one person on the construction site thats a woman, she said.
But Ebben says she is optimistic that
wont be the case for long, given that more
women are going both into construction
and law than 20 to 30 years ago.
Its an optimistic attitude that Ebben has
taken on in part from her work volunteering at Momentum Milwaukee, a group that
helps women build networks and find guidance as they advance through the first half
of their careers.
The industry is becoming more of a level
playing field, she said. Being on the cusp
of that change is very exciting.
Ebben says she doesnt let any frustrations she might have with the state of the
profession overshadow the satisfaction she
gets from working ondifficultland transactions and construction cases.

One example of why she enjoys her job is
the work she and her firm, Michael Best & Friedrich,have done onthe Bucks arena. The firm
represented the Wisconsin Center District.
Its great to see all the players all work
together to bring about a project that will
hopefully be a lasting hallmark for the city
and help revitalize the area, Ebben said.
The sense of satisfaction she gets from
closing adeal, she says, is what keeps her
34
moving forward, no matter how complicated

whatever she is working on is. In the end,
theimportant pointis to be nimble enough to
find novel ways to achieve your ends.
That challenge is what keeps me coming to work every day, she said.
Anotherreason she loves herjob is that it
lets her see the physical results of her work
something noteverybody can say.
I love driving around southern Wisconsin and Milwaukee, she said.
Erika Strebel
Hillary Wucherer
QUARLES & BRADY
Wucherers work comes alive

Even if youre doing something as casual as taking a trip to the grocery story,
youre likely to see the fruits of Hillary
Wucherers work.
Wucherer, an intellectual-property attorney at Quarles & Brady in Milwaukee, helps
clients protect their trademarks, counseling
clients on matters such as licensing, establishing domain names and clearing trademarks in the U.S. and around the world.
My clients have such cool products and
technology, she said. And everyday I get
to work with such a different mix and I get
very invested in their development.
And the culmination of that satisfaction
comes when Wucherer sees the end product in its native environment.
When I see it out in the real world I smile
and say, Oh, thats our client, she said.

But law wasnt Wucherers first choice.
She spent three years as a mechanical-design engineer before going to Marquette
University Law School.
Wucherer realized law might be her
true calling after attending workshops as
an undergraduate engineering student at
Purdue University in Indiana.Each week,
the school brought in different professionals who talked about how theywere
usingtheir degrees.
One week, the school brought in a patent attorney who spoke about some subjects that seemed to click for Wucherer,
although she would later feel more drawn
to trademark law.
(The patent attorney) spoke to all these
35
things I really enjoyed about engineering

and other things I enjoyed: debate, crafting
arguments and writing, Wucherer said.
But the real role modelsinher career are
her parents. Wucherers father started a
company, which Wucherer would later work
for, from scratch. While Wucherer watched
him build the company from his own sweat
and tears, Wucherers mother supported
him every step of the way and inspiredher
daughter to have similar work habits.
Even when I came home from a babysitting job, she would grill me about what I did
and if there was anything I could have done
more, Wucherer said. She just instilled in
me that when you do a job, you do it a right
and go above and beyond.
Erika Strebel
Melissa
York
REINHART BOERNER
VAN DEUREN
York relishes work

on complex financial
transactions
Melissa York credits her mentors with
teaching her the ins and outs of how financial institutions work and the role attorneys
play in helping them.
I was blessed with truly remarkable mentors, and Ive gleaned a lot of knowledge from
my colleagues, said Reinhart Boerner Van
Deurens York. Ive also spent a lot of time
curled up on the couch reading regulations.
Those efforts paid off.
York, a fourth-year associate at Reinhart,
has helped a variety of clients from small family-owned banks to large public companies.
She worked with John Reichert, the banking
and finance shareholder at the firm, on several noteworthy transactions. One had her representing a public bank holding company in a
complex merger of equals, and another had
her working on the first-ever sale of a commercial bank in Wisconsin to a credit union.
Its intellectually rewarding to work
on complex cases, York said. Every day
is different, and I learn something new. It
makes the day more satisfying.
Susan Lohrey, vice president and legal
counsel at Nicolet National Bank in Green
Bay, praised York for her ability to understand
the complexities of financial transactions.
Our transaction had its fair share of
challenges, but Melissa worked diligently
behind the scenes to keep things on track,

she said. She was also the mastermind behind drafting a majority of the documents,
which were extremely complex in nature.
When Lohrey finally met York in person at a special shareholder meeting to
approve the transaction, she came away
impressed with Melissas professionalism, and calm and charismatic demeanor.
York has given presentations at various
high-profile events for the Wisconsin Bankers Association a sign that the industry
holds her in high regard, Reichert said.
With her highly developed interpersonal skills and an infectious enthusiasm, she
36
thoroughly enjoys getting to know her clients,

their specific needs, wants and goals, to best
tailor her legal advice, Reichert added. She
works tirelessly for her clients.
York, who credits mentors like Reichert
for teaching her the ins and outs of working
in the financial-services industry, passes
on what shes learned to summer associates, law students and junior attorneys.
Im still learning, but I think its so important
to pay it forward what I have learned, she said.
My schedule is busy, but I know it is also important to invest time internally in the firm since
the development of others helps everyone.
MaryBeth Matzek
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Honoring Up & Coming Lawyers

Alexander B. Handelsman is an attorney in

Melissa M. York is an attorney in Reinharts Banking

David T. Sherman, david.sherman@wislawjournal.com

Susan Quinn, susan.quinn@wislawjournal.com

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Susan Berna, susan.berna@wislawjournal.com

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Christiansen gives a voice to her clients by listening

When I was younger I never felt like

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Think about it. You take the disparate

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Small claims court opens door for Engelkes career

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when I smelled the blood in the water, I

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2016 WLJ Up & Coming Lawyers