WHO’S DOING WHAT: AWL hands out awards; Mitich to lead new group at Husch Blackwell

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AWL recognizes lawyers, law students

The Association of Women Lawyers recently honored the recipients of its annual awards and its foundation’s scholarships.

The following judges and lawyers received awards:

• Founders Award – Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan;
• Mentoring Award – Milwaukee personal-injury lawyer Terese Halfmann of Hupy and Abraham;
• Community Involvement Award – Tanya Salman of Michael Best & Friedrich’s Madison office; and
• Pro Bono Award – Debora Scheid of Milwaukee.

Marquette University law student Taylor Brisco and University of Wisconsin law student Amanda Poznanski received the Virginia Pomeroy Scholarships.

Marquette University law student Christa Seymour and UW law student Niabi Schmaltz received the AWL Foundation Scholarships.

The award and scholarship winners were recognized on Sept. 25 at the association’s annual meeting and luncheon in Milwaukee.

Milwaukee lawyers join association’s board

Two lawyers from Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown have joined the leadership of the Milwaukee Young Lawyer’s Association’s board.

Attorney Max Stephenson was recently named president of the association. He is an associate at GRGB in the family law department and former secretary of MYLA.

Brianna Meyer joined the association’s board. She is also an associate and practices criminal defense, health care litigation and civil litigation.

The Milwaukee Young Lawyer’s Association is an organization for attorneys 37 years or younger or those who have been practicing law for five years or less.

DeWitt added to legal network

DeWitt Ross & Stevens recently became a member of a network of business lawyers and law firms.

DeWitt became a member of the SCG Legal Network, an invitation-only group of lawyers and law firms that serve businesses around the world. The network was founded by 17 former state governors in 1989 to better serve their clients in sharing information about the practice of law before state legislative, judicial and executive bodies.

Quarles adds two new partners

Quarles & Brady recently announced two new hires.

Charlie Cousland has joined the firm’s Real Estate Practice Group as a partner in the firm’s Milwaukee office.

Cousland’s practice focuses on real estate transactions and leasing, real estate development and construction and land-use disputes. He earned his law degree from Marquette University Law School in 1993.

Ryan Haas also joined the firm’s Business Law Group as a partner in its Milwaukee office.

Haas represents private equity funds and their portfolio companies, as well as other privately and publicly held businesses in matters such as mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, growth equity investments, joint ventures and general corporate matters.

Prior to joining Quarles, Haas was a partner in the Chicago office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. He graduated from University of Wisconsin Law School in 2008.

Milwaukee partner to help lead new practice group

Husch Blackwell recently announced that it has established a multi-disciplinary practice group focused on advising clients about a new federal tax incentive plan program.

Milwaukee attorney Rebecca Mitich will help lead the firm’s new 22-member practice group.

Congress established the federal Opportunity Zones program in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, and the program provides new tax benefits for investing in certain assets. The incentives are designed to spur long-term investment into distressed areas of the country, primarily those with high poverty and low business growth.

Godfrey adds 8 attorneys

Godfrey & Kahn recently announced that it has hired eight new attorneys to three of its practice groups.

Those attorneys are:

• Nicholas Bezier, an associate in the Litigation Practice Group in the Milwaukee office who got his law degree this year from the University of Wisconsin Law School;
• Tiffany Biedermann, an associate in the Corporate Practice Group in the Green Bay office who got her law degree this year from the Mitchell Hamline School of Law;
• Molly Bussie, an associate in the Investment Management Practice Group in the Milwaukee office who earned her law degree from the Marquette University Law School;
• William Foley, an associate in the Corporate Practice Group in the Madison office who got his law degree in 2013 from the University of Wisconsin Law School;
• Sarah Sargent, an associate in the Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group in the Milwaukee office who got her law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law in 2016;
• Kelsey Schanke, an associate in the Corporate Practice Group in the Milwaukee office who earned her law degree last year from the Marquette University Law School;
• Connor Slivocka, an associate in the Corporate Practice Group in the Milwaukee office who got his law degree this year from the University of Wisconsin Law School; and
• Ashley Smith, an associate in the Corporate Practice Group in the Milwaukee office who got her law degree this year from Marquette University Law School.