Michael Best: Announces 13 Associates Elected to Firm Partnership

 


 


 


Contact:


 


Jennifer R. Rupkey                                                                    


Director, Client Development                                                      


Direct Dial:  414.225.8262


E-Mail:  jrrupkey@michaelbest.com                               


 


 


Milwaukee, WI (June 1, 2006) – Michael Best & Friedrich LLP is pleased to announce that the following associates have been elected to the partnership.


Dereck R. Brower is a member of the Land and Resources Practice Group and Co-Chair of the Construction Special Practice Group. From our Waukesha office, he focuses his practice on construction law, representing owners, developers, prime contractors, construction managers, design builders, design professionals, subcontractors and material suppliers.  He received his J.D., magna cum laude, in 1998 from William Mitchell College of Law.


Shane A. Brunner is a member of the Litigation Practice Group. He practices civil litigation with an emphasis on intellectual property, business, securities and professional malpractice litigation. Prior to joining Michael Best, Mr. Brunner practiced law at the Chicago firm of Jenner & Block and as a Certified Public Accountant at Coopers & Lybrand. He graduated cum laude in 1999 from the University of Wisconsin Law School.


Matthew C. Carlson is a member of the firm’s Land and Resources Practice Group and practices out of the Madison office. His represents clients in a wide array of commercial and residential real estate transactions in the City of Madison and throughout Dane County and Southern Wisconsin. This experience includes representing clients in annexations, subdivision and condominium developments, land divisions, zoning disputes, various purchase and sales of residential and commercial real estate and commercial lease transactions. He also has experience representing businesses with regard to corporate matters, including the formation of corporate, limited liability and partnership entities, sales and purchases of assets and various ownership interests, as well as security laws issues and a multitude of other regulatory and tax related issues. He has represented lenders in commercial and residential loan transactions as well. Mr.Carlson received his J.D. from Boston University School of Law in 1998.


Gregory J. Hartwig is a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property Practice Group in Milwaukee.  His practice focuses on securing U.S. and foreign patents for a wide variety of chemical, pharmaceutical and medical device inventions.  He is experienced in all aspects of patent prosecution, including conducting patent searches, analyzing patentability, preparing patent applications and prosecuting patent applications to allowance.  Mr. Hartwig also has experience analyzing patents for infringement, preparing both non-infringement and invalidity opinions and counseling clients regarding non-infringement options.  His other experience includes assisting in chemically-related patent infringement litigation, as well as drafting license, confidentiality and supply agreements.  Mr. Hartwig works with a variety of national universities, international chemical companies, as well as start-up companies.  He received his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Wisconsin Law School.


Marcia Y. Lucas is practices in the Milwaukee office and is a member of the Business Practice Group focusing on general corporate, securities and venture financing matters. Ms. Lucas received her law degree at University of Notre Dame.


Richard L. Kaiser focuses his practice on intellectual property law with an emphasis on patent prosecution. He is experienced with all aspects of patent prosecution, including patent searching, patentability analysis, preparation of patent applications, and prosecution to allowance.  He focuses on mechanical technologies, but also has experience with business method patent applications.  He has worked with both design and utility patents, and has both U.S. and foreign prosecution experience.  Mr. Kaiser is also experienced with infringement/validity analysis, preparation of non-infringement/invalidity opinions, counseling regarding non-infringing designs, inter-partes re-examinations and litigation support in patent infringement cases.  His other experiences include preparation of patent licensing agreements, product development and licensing agreements, confidential disclosure agreements, consulting agreements, and noncompetition agreements. Mr. Kaiser attended the University of Wisconsin Law School where he received his J.D. in 1999.


Porter J. Martin focuses his practice on business and corporate law with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions. Mr.Martin also focuses in general corporate counsel, private placements, corporate restructuring and joint ventures.He represents clients in agricultural processing and livestock production, general manufacturing, construction, and information technology, among others. In 1999, Mr. Martin graduated with a J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School.


JosephT. Miotke graduated, magna cum laude, from Marquette University Law School in 1999. He is a member of the Intellectual Property Practice Group. His practice focuses upon intellectual property litigation and counseling, primarily regarding patent matters. Mr. Miotke’s recent litigation matters have involved a patent infringement action related to computer-designed orthodontic appliances, a patent infringement action related to fan blade technology, and an arbitration regarding a technology development and license agreement. Mr. Miotke likewise has significant experience in negotiating software license agreements, application service provider agreements, and professional services agreements. His recent transactions have involved a software development agreement for the customization of software to be licensed to customers across the country and the development of an application service provider agreement for online access by customers across the country.


Christopher C. Mohrman focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation and administrative and regulatory law. Prior to joining the firm, he was a member of the Administration of Wisconsin Governor Tommy G. Thompson for eight years. Mr. Mohrman served as a policy/budget advisor and liaison to the State Senate. After that, Mr. Mohrman served as Executive Assistant to Department of Administration Secretary James R. Klauser, and then as Executive Assistant to Department of Commerce Secretary William J. McCoshen. In addition to participating in major litigation matters, Mr.Mohrman counsels clients on a variety of administrative and regulatory matters before local, state and federal governments. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School (J.D., with honors) in 1999.


Hamang B. Patel is a tax law attorney in the Madison office. Mr. Patel’s practice includes federal, state and local tax issues arising from a broad range of complex transactions involving partnerships and joint ventures, mergers, and acquisitions, dispositions of subsidiaries and divisions, tax-free reorganizations, spin-offs, new market tax credit financings, low-income housing tax credits and real estate transactions including tax-deferred 1031 exchanges. He is admitted to practice in Wisconsin and Illinois. Prior to joining the firm, Mr.Patel practiced with the tax group for a large law firm in Chicago. He is a 1999 graduate of Yale Law School.


Reince R. Priebus is a member of our Litigation Practice Group and Co-Chair of the Local Government Practice Group. Before entering law school, Mr. Priebus served as a legislative assistant to State Representative Stephen Nass, State Representative Chuck Coleman and State Senator Gary Drzewiecki. During that time, Mr. Priebus served as the Committee Clerk for the State Assembly Education Committee. During law school, Mr. Priebus clerked for the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court of Wisconsin, the United States District Court, Southern District of Florida and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in Los Angeles, California. Currently, Mr. Priebus handles all aspects of corporate litigation, focusing on creditors’ rights, finance, construction, real estate and government and municipal law.  He received his J.D., cum laude, in 1998 from University of Miami School of Law.


Jamie A. Robinson is a trial attorney and a member of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group. Ms.Robinson has handled a wide variety of matters in both state and federal court including contract disputes, business torts, construction, eminent domain, land use, products liability, healthcare, copyright and trademark. Ms. Robinson has acted as trial counsel for cases in both state and federal court; has handled several matters at the appellate level; and is a member of the trial bar. Ms.Robinson has also handled matters involving alternative dispute resolutions including arbitrations and mediations. She attended the University of Wisconsin Law School where she received her J.D., cum laude, in 1999.


Susan M. Sager practices from the Milwaukee office and is a member of the Land & Resources Practice Group.  She focuses her practice in real estate development, land use litigation and condemnation teams. Prior to joining Michael Best, Susan was the senior land use attorney for the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust where she represented cities across the State of Minnesota in complex land use and development litigation. She was the lead attorney in 11 out of 11 successful arguments before the Minnesota Court of Appeals. She has also drafted and argued more than 75 successful dispositive motions. Susan has taught workshops to municipal officials and served as a lecturer on land use, government liability and regulatory takings to the Minnesota Association of City Attorneys and the League of Minnesota Cities Loss Control Seminars. She is a 1993 law school graduate, cum laude, of Hamline University School of Law.


 


About Michael Best


Founded in 1848, Michael Best has earned its reputation as a leading Midwestern law firm.  The firm has more than 250 attorneys in six office locations, including Milwaukee, Madison, Waukesha and Manitowoc, Wisconsin; Chicago, Illinois and Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania.  The firm provides a full range of legal services to clients on a local, regional, national and global basis.  The firm’s main areas of practice are intellectual property and intellectual property litigation; corporate, health care, labor & employment, land & resources (environmental and real estate), litigation, tax, and wealth planning.


 


Michael Best is the exclusive Wisconsin member of Lex Mundi, the world’s leading association of independent law firms.  Visit www.lexmundi.com for more information.  The firm is also a member of the China Alliance.  The China Alliance is a unique arrangement established by four leading independent law firms in response to the increasing importance of China to the global marketplace and to North American businesses.  Visit www.china-alliance.com  for more information.