Matthew Rowe to succeed Etten as Ruder Ware president

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Matthew D. Rowe will succeed Stewart L. Etten as the president of Ruder Ware.

A firm spokeswoman said Etten is stepping down from the role on April 1, consistent with the firm’s succession-planning efforts. Etten will continue as a full-time attorney and shareholder of the firm. His practice will focus on business transactional matters, including secured loan documentation, mergers and acquisitions, and bank regulatory issues.

Etten said Rowe’s leadership, experience and tenure as a firm board member puts him in an ideal position to lead Ruder Ware. Rowe joined the firm in 1997 and has focused his practice on corporate finance and securities, mergers and acquisitions, representation of bank and other financial institutions, and providing general corporate advice and counsel to businesses. He’ll continue to provide legal services to clients while serving as the sixth president in the 101-year history of the firm.

Ruder Ware has offices in Wausau, Eau Claire and Green Bay. The firm’s more than 40 attorneys provide legal services to business owners, managers, and individual clients and families. Follow @WLJReporter