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Michelle Jacobs, a former U.S. attorney, joined the law firm of Michael Best & Friedrich LLP as a partner. Jacobs will handle complex litigation matters and appellate work with an emphasis on cases before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

Jacobs successfully argued before the federal courts of appeals more than 50 cases, including the high-profile case involving former Milwaukee Alderman Michael McGee. Jacobs also has tried numerous jury trials, including a successful case against four people attempting to illegally smuggle U.S. technology to China.

Jacobs worked in the U.S. attorney’s office for 16 years. For eight of those years, she held supervisory positions, including three years as first assistant U.S. attorney and one year as U.S. attorney.

Prior to coming to working at the U.S. attorney’s office, Jacobs was a clerk for the chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

Jacobs received her law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School.

DeWitt Ross & Stevens SC, Madison and metropolitan Milwaukee, appointed Bradley Raaths president and managing partner effective July 1. Raaths, a member of the firm’s executive committee, will succeed Stephen DiTullio, who has been managing partner for almost 10 years. DiTullio will continue in firm management and will serve as chairman of the executive committee.

Raaths has been with the firm for 12 years and has served on its executive committee since 2009. His practice is focused on business clients in all manners of complex transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, private equity offerings and corporate governance issues. Raaths received his law degree from Marquette University Law School.

DiTullio, who has an active labor and employment practice, will continue to focus on his practice while collaborating with Raaths during the transition.

Nathaniel Cade Jr. joined Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan LLP’s Milwaukee office as a partner in the litigation group. He earned his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School in 1996.

Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Carl Ashley will receive the State Bar’s 2011 Judicial Achievement Award for his contributions to Wisconsin’s justice system. The award will be presented by the Bench and Bar Committee during the Member Recognition and Networking Celebration on June 9 at Kalahari Waterpark Resort Convention Center in Wisconsin Dells.

Ashley was elected to the Milwaukee County Circuit Court without opposition in 1999, making him the first black judge to be elected in Wisconsin without initially being appointed by a governor. He was re-elected in 2005.

The law firm of Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek SC named Philip R. Zwieg director of operations, overseeing information technology and human resources.

Zwieg has amassed more than 35 years working in the financial services, utility and retail industries. He was vice president in Northwestern Mutual’s information systems department, where he was responsible for infrastructure and information technology operations and directed application development, support and architecture.

Zwieg received his master’s degree from Marquette University, and his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he also completed some doctoral studies.