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Paralegal of the Year

By: WISCONSIN LAW JOURNAL STAFF//November 15, 2009//

Paralegal of the Year

By: WISCONSIN LAW JOURNAL STAFF//November 15, 2009//

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Paralegals – Award Winner

Jennifer A. Dahms
Paralegal,
Davis & Kuelthau SC

Jennifer Dahms has been interested in the law for a long time. As an undergraduate, she was a political science major with an emphasis in law. Although she put off going to law school, she got a job working as a receptionist at a law firm. She moved to another firm as a legal secretary, and then went on to another where she worked as a paralegal for more than three years. When the attorney she was working with came to Davis & Kuelthau SC three and one-half years ago, so did Dahms.

Now she works with the real estate and corporate groups where she has had the opportunity to draft leases, work on the sales of property, loan deal closings, helping draft condo declarations and reviewing plats. On the corporate side, she has had the opportunity to work with attorneys on a variety of things including some mergers and acquisitions.

Dahms says she enjoys the constantly changing activities where she can move from one project to the next throughout the day. She notes that the attorneys she works with give her a lot of leeway.

But she still has an interest in taking the next step to become a lawyer. She has taken the LSAT and applied to law school. Eventually, she would like to practice real estate law.

“Jennifer excels in her role of paralegal on a daily basis, assisting both the Corporate and Real Estate attorneys in their practices. Earlier this year, Jennifer stepped up and handled major aspects of a shareholder’s practice while he was dealing with a family emergency that kept him away from our office. Jennifer is always ready, willing and able to meet the needs of our clients,” writes Joseph E. Tierney IV, Shareholder, Davis & Kuelthau SC.

Paralegals – Honoree

Kimberly M. Finnigan
Paralegal,
Halloin & Murdock SC

“Kim is an indispensable member of our team at Halloin & Murdock and I am always amazed at her ability to handle the never-ending demands of five busy attorneys. Kim takes immense pride in her work and has voluntarily worked many nights and weekends to ensure that our written discovery is managed, our court filings are polished, and our trial binders are impeccable,” write Andrea L. Murdock, Shareholder, Halloin & Murdock SC.

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Jyll Geter
Paralegal, Quarles & Brady LLP

“Jyll routinely goes above and beyond when performing her duties and does all the little things that are not expected, but are appreciated. Jyll will do whatever it takes to get the job done, and done right. … Aside from Jyll’s exceptional work product, devotion to her duties, and willingness to go the extra mile, Jyll is also well liked and respected by her colleagues,” writes Andy Beilfuss, Attorney, Quarles & Brady LLP.

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Peggy J. Hacker
Administrative Specialist/Paralegal,
Frank J. Remington Center, University of Wisconsin Law School

“Peggy is the first line of contact between Legal Assistance to Institutionalized Persons (LAIP) and prison inmates requesting assistance. With a combination of intelligence and compassion, Peggy reviews hundreds of requests every year for possible legal issues and, where appropriate, refers requests to attorneys and law students. … Peggy is remarkably helpful and efficient, and LAIP would struggle mightily without her,” writes Michele LaVigne, Clinical Professor of Law, University of Wisconsin Law School.

Deborah A. Hall
Paralegal,
Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek SC

“Debbie is the consummate professional. Her well-rounded knowledge and experience in the areas of real estate, corporate transactions and business and commercial finance have made her a person the lawyers rely on to ‘get the job done.’ … Debbie’s friendliness, positive attitude, work ethic and strong expertise are what the attorneys gravitate to when they need assistance,” writes Pamela L. Gergens, et al., Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek SC.

Tammy Klein
Paralegal,
Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek SC

“Tammy Klein has recently made the transition from legal secretary to paralegal seamlessly. She never hesitates to take on a challenge, consistently goes the extra mile, and is always willing to lend a hand to help her team. She anticipates the needs of her supervising attorneys, and works well independently as well as a part of the team. … She is a valued member of our team,” writes Sarah Thomas Pagels, Attorney, Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek SC.

Debra D. Krajacic
Paralegal,
Michael Best & Friedrich LLP

“[Debbie Krajacic’s] technical skills as a paralegal are absolutely terrific. … What sets Debbie apart … is her attention to detail and her intense desire to win. When we are preparing for trial, Debbie understands that the work she does reflects on our attorneys, our clients and our firm. … I even have Debbie assist me during voir dire – since her insights about members of the prospective panel are always spot on,” writes Paul E. Benson, Litigation Practice Group Chair, Michael Best & Friedrich LLP.

Pamela J. Price
Paralegal,
Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek SC

“Pam has consistently been an outstanding paralegal year-in and year-out for as long as I’ve known her. She works with a large number of attorneys who frequently expect her to be equal parts mind reader, miracle worker, secretary, investigator, cheerleader, and associate attorney. She regularly meets and exceeds these expectations. … Pam has never let anyone down and simply does whatever is necessary to make the attorneys she works with look good and get good results for a client,” Pamela M. Schmidt, Attorney, Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek SC.

Kenneth M. Smith
Manager Fiduciary
Accounting/Legal Specialist, Quarles & Brady LLP

“Ken joined Quarles & Brady in 1983 as an accounting manager. Since then, Ken has willingly taken on a very demanding client load and supervisory responsibilities for the Fiduciary Trust unit at the firm. His expertise is well known throughout the firm’s six offices and he is routinely sought out for his counsel on trust-related matters. … Ken has the respect of every person with whom he works,” writes Chris Gawart, National Practice Group Chair-Trusts and Estates, Quarles & Brady LLP.

Cindy A. Wagner
Paralegal,
Habush Habush & Rottier, SC

“For over 26 years, Cindy Wagner has tirelessly devoted herself to doing all the things a great paralegal does, which, in turn, makes her supervising attorney’s life easier. … She excels in her meticulousness of some of the least exciting yet most important aspects of litigation: record retrieval and analysis and interrogatories and requests to admit. Due to her knowledge base and wide range of experiences, Cindy is often looked to by many of the paralegals in our firm,” writes Tim Trecek, Supervising Attorney, Habush Habush & Rottier, SC.

Sally Warkaske
Paralegal, Reinhart
Boerner Van Deuren SC

“Sally displays the qualities of a first-class paralegal. … She is an extraordinary individual and a key person in our firm’s immigration practice. She is a talented professional who has a knack for understanding a wide variety of complex legal matters and identifying answers in a practical manner. … Our clients love to work with her because she is personable, caring and responsive,”  writes Anne Hlavacka, Attorney, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren SC.

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