Construction lawyer’s legacy includes Amazon distribution center in Kenosha

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A leading figure in construction and real estate law in Wisconsin has died following a battle with cancer.

Brian Mullins, a partner at Axley Brynelson who worked in the firm’s Madison office, died on Saturday at the age of 62. He joined Axley in 2006 and helped found its construction law group. His work had him representing and providing legal counsel to owners, contractors and suppliers working on large private and public construction projects. He also represented clients in mediation, arbitration and litigation related to construction and real-estate claims.

One of the high points of his career came when he worked as the lead attorney in the development of the Amazon distribution center in Kenosha. He also sat on dispute-review boards used for the the Zoo Interchange and Marquette Interchange reconstruction projects and served on the boards of both the Associated General Contractors of Wisconsin and the Associated Builders & Contractors of Wisconsin.

Mullins, who earned his law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1980, was one of the founders of the State Bar of Wisconsin’s construction and public-contract law section.  He also dedicated himself to instruction. In 1980, Mullins started teaching a course called Legal Aspects of Engineering, which is offered at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he had received a degree in civil and environmental engineering in 1977.

Mullins’ nearly 40-year career in real estate and construction law will be the subject of a special event in April, when the UW Construction Club, in a partnership with the UW-Madison Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Construction Engineering and Management Program, will honor Mullins’ contributions to the industry with its 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award.

A visitation for Mullins will be held 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday at Ryan Funeral Home, 2418 N. Sherman Ave., Madison. And a burial mass will take place at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Saint Patrick’s Catholic Church, 404 E. Main St., Madison.

His family has also invited the public to a celebration of his life, which will take place from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday on the second floor of the Park Hotel, 22 S. Carroll St., Madison. Follow @erikastrebel