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Senatori relishes pet projects

Senatori relishes pet projects

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Megan Senatori (Staff photo by Kevin Harnack)
Megan Senatori (Staff photo by Kevin Harnack)

Megan Senatori’s litigation defense practice is all about strategy.

“It’s like a chess game,” the  DeWitt Ross & Stevens LLC attorney said. “I like the strategy side of it and figuring out how you put the client’s story together.”

She recalls a case in Brown County where she established insurance coverage on behalf of a paper company against excess carriers for alleged environmental liabilities that topped $100 million. That case led to a five-week jury trial and later an appeal, where her client also prevailed.

“That really taught me a lot,” she said, “and there was a lot of strategy involved, but it was a huge challenge keeping that story going for five weeks.”

While Senatori said she enjoys her time spent in court, the number of cases making it to trial are declining as more settle before reaching a jury.

“I really work hard on all my cases and when it settles, it’s like reading a book, but you don’t get to read that last chapter,” she said. “You never know how it might have turned out. There’s not a lot of control in litigation, you really have to roll with the punches. You have to keep your options always open.”

Senatori said her high-energy personality makes litigation a good fit for her.

“I’m a Type A personality,” she said. “I think I would be bored in other areas.”

In addition to working with business clients for whom she handles a variety of litigation issues including complex commercial disputes, construction and insurance, Senatori donates her time to domestic violence and animal cruelty cases. That passion led her to found Sheltering Animals of Abuse Victims, a Madison nonprofit organization that recognizes pets as vital family members and provides them with a safe home at a critical time, namely when a domestic abuse victim seeks shelter from her abuser.

“We have a temporary, confidential network of foster homes in Dane County and place pets of domestic violence victims into foster when the victim seeks to leave her abuser,” she said, adding that research shows that up to 48 percent of victims delay leaving an abuser because they worry what may happen to their pets. “This is an area of pro bono work I’ve done since law school and feel very passionate about it.”

Wisconsin Law Journal: What was your favorite class in law school?
Megan Senatori: I will confess: I was not a fan of law school. I doubled up on credits and got out in 2-1/2 years because I wanted to ‘do’ and stop talking about ‘doing.’ In line with that, my favorite class was the Prosecution Project. We took two weeks of trial advocacy and then worked in a district attorney’s office for the summer, for credit. I was placed in the Rock County DA’s office. The prosecutors there totally took me under their wings. I had the rare opportunity as a law student to be in court every day and even did my first trial (I lost). I have always thought that law school should be structured like medical school, with a residency. The Prosecution Project was my residency. It was sheer terror on pretty much a daily basis, but I loved it and learned a ton.

WLJ: What activity could you spend hours doing outside of work?
Senatori: Hiking in Pope Park with my family. It is gorgeous out there. You feel like you’re a million miles away, yet you’re right in the town of Middleton. It’s especially beautiful in August when the sunflowers are in bloom.

WLJ: What app can’t you live without?
Senatori: My yoga app. I am an avid yogi, and check that app constantly to plot and scheme about when I can sneak away and take a class to get some sanity. With my busy schedule, I sometimes feel like I need a Venn diagram to fit in yoga, but I always give it high priority and I’m never sorry.

WLJ: What was the last book that you read?
Senatori: I just finished a book by ABC News correspondent Dan Harris, called ‘10% Happier.’ I found it on a whim. After having a panic attack on live television, Harris decided that the voice inside his head was pretty much an a**hole — that’s a quote from the book, forgive the profanity. He used his investigative journalism skills to look for ways to silence his inner critic and ultimately found that mediation made him 10 percent happier in life. It’s a really funny and interesting read.

WLJ: If you could have drinks with anyone, who would you pick?
Senatori: I know this is one of those questions where you’re supposed to pick a celebrity. But I’d rather have drinks with my husband and our dear friends, Kirsten and Francisco. We always have a great time and the conversations range from riveting to totally hilarious. It’s like a real-time episode of Seinfeld happening over cocktails. Hands down, we have more fun with them than we would with any celebrity. Although, if Jon Stewart wanted to stop by, I wouldn’t complain.

WLJ: If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Senatori: One of my best skills is also one of my worst skills: I’m a perfectionist.

WLJ: Do you have a saying or word that you tend to overuse?
Senatori: I have noticed that I tend to say ‘right?’ at the end of a sentence. I know this because [my 3-year-0ld son] Samuel, my little mirror, is saying it back to me now. Example: ‘Mommy, you should play with my front-end loader, right?’

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