Who’s Doing What: Firms grab new hires; attorneys on the rise

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ON THE RISE

Jason Allen, a partner at Foley & Lardner LLP, was appointed co-chairman of the firm’s energy industry team. Allen has a background in energy, project and infrastructure finance transactions. He earned his law degree in 1998 from the University of Wisconsin Law School.

• Bryan Esch was named practice group chairman of Madison-based DeWitt Ross & Stevens SC’s business practice group and Scott Paler was named chairman of the firm’s employment and labor relations group.

Esch has been with the firm for 17 years and focuses his practice in the areas of business, real estate, natural resources and trust and estates. He earned his law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School.

Paler has been with the firm for four years and concentrates his practice in employment and labor relations and litigation. He earned law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School.

• Marney Hoefer was named partner and Amie Trupke senior partner at Stafford Rosenbaum LLP, Madison.

Hoefer’s practice focuses on environmental regulatory matters, governmental relations and energy with a particular emphasis on air and water issues. She earned her law degree University of Wisconsin Law School.

Trupke’s practice focuses on property tax litigation and business litigation. She earned her law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School.

• Thomas Shorter, Godfrey & Kahn SC shareholder and chairman of the firm’s health care practice group, was appointed vice president-public of the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation Board of Trustees.

The Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation was chartered in 1955 as a nonprofit, nonstock corporation to enable physicians and other friends of the profession to support projects vitally affecting scientific medicine and public health. Shorter earned his law degree in 1996 from Northeastern University School of Law.

YOU’RE HIRED

Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek SC announced the additions of Kurt Simatic (Milwaukee office) and Mpoli Simwanza-Johnson (Madison office) to its litigation practice group, and Benjamin Swoboda (Milwaukee office) to its corporate and finance practice group.

Simatic is a member of the appellate, business and commercial litigation, municipal law and civil rights, and real estate and eminent domain teams. Simatic earned his law degree from Marquette University Law School.

Simwanza-Johnson is a member of the appellate, business and commercial litigation, insurance coverage and analysis, and intellectual property litigation teams. She is an Illinois licensed attorney whose application for admission to practice in Wisconsin is pending. Simwanza-Johnson earned her law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School.

Swoboda is a member of the commercial finance team. He focuses his practice on commercial finance transactions and has significant experience in commercial loans, real estate finance, interest rate swaps and other derivatives, workouts and restructurings and structured finance. Swoboda earned his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School.

• Elias Swanson has joined the Madison office of Michael Best & Friedrich LLP as an associate in the firm’s intellectual property practice group.

Swanson’s practice focuses on preparing and prosecuting domestic and foreign utility, process and design patent applications in several areas, including mechanical, electrochemical, control systems, medical devices, agricultural equipment and renewable energy. Swanson earned his law degree from Drake University Law School.