Milwaukee attorney Fishbach dies (UPDATE)

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Nathan A. Fishbach, a former Wisconsin Law Journal Leader in the Law, died Saturday of cancer. He was 58.

Fishbach was a former interim U.S. attorney in Milwaukee and served in the U.S. attorney’s office for 13 years before joining the Milwaukee office of Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek SC in 1993.

He primarily practiced white collar and civil litigation, but was well known for his contributions outside the courtroom.

“He was a very active guy, always in motion,” said Whyte Hirschboeck attorney and friend Charles Bohl. “He was always doing something, which probably explains how he could have accomplished so much in his career.”

Fishbach co-founded the Eastern District of Wisconsin Bar Association in 2002, was president of the Milwaukee Bar Association, served as a member of the Federal Nominating Commission of Wisconsin as was a member of the Marquette University Law School Advisory Board.

Earlier this year, Fishbach received the EDWBA’s Judge Myron L. Gordon Lifetime Achievement Award.

Bohl had known Fishbach since their time working together at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 1979 and the two wound up practicing together at Whyte Hirschboeck in the early 90s.

Bohl said Fishbach, who battled cancer for several years, continued to work up until about 10 days before his death.

“A lot of people decide to retire when they are diagnosed with cancer,” Bohl said. “That is just the last thing in the world he wanted to do.”

Bohl said Fishbach’s personality often transcended the typical adversarial nature of the legal profession.

“It’s not uncommon for people not to develop any particular affection for each other,” he said. “But Nathan was very loved.”

Fishbach is survived by his wife, Susan; and three sons, Jeffrey, Brian and Michael.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Congregation Sinai, 8223 N. Port Washington Road, Fox Point.