Schott rises to the challenge

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Donald Schott is a problem solver both for his clients and his firm.

Schott, a litigator at Quarles & Brady LLP, boasts more than 30 years of experience. He serves on the firm’s executive committee and as chairman of the firm’s Madison office litigation group, in addition to his role as an elder statesman in Quarles’ commercial litigation practice group.

His love of practice was not anticipated, however, when he applied to Harvard Law School, from which he graduated in 1980.

“I originally went to law school because I was interested in public policy and government,” Schott said. “I didn’t think I was going to actually practice but I thought getting a law degree would be a helpful education.

“Once I started practicing I found out that I enjoyed it a great deal.”

In the years since, his passion for the law has become infectious, inspiring his associates and encouraging deep trust from his clients, which include some of Wisconsin’s largest companies, such as Wisconsin Energy Corp. and Johnson & Johnson.

“It’s a challenge and can be rewarding when you have clients whose cause you believe in,” he said.

Schott’s attraction to a good challenge is made apparent in his decision to remain multidisciplinary in a field trending heavily toward strict specialization.

“It’s hard to become an expert on several areas of substantive law,” he said, “but practicing in a large firm allows me to draw on resources within the firm.”

Remaining multidisciplinary does have its advantages however, Schott said.

“It allows you to see connections and see approaches that work in one area of the law that might work in another area of the law,” he said. “Having that breadth of experience can be very helpful.”

His ability to see these connections is noted by his colleagues.

“Don certainly is one of the most exceptional business litigators in the country,” John Daniels, chairman emeritus at Quarles & Brady, said, “because he brings a unique blend of understanding the challenges of complicated ligations and resolving matters affectively for clients. He’s a rare breed of lawyer.”

But the approach has its difficulties, as well.

“One of the things I’ve found a challenge,” Schott said, “is to take difficult concepts from across substantive areas and try to make them understandable to judges and juries.”

The payoff is worth the hard work, he said.

“The most rewarding part of my job,” Schott said, “is finding ways to resolve situations for clients.”