Brian Nelson joins criminal-defense firm Meyer Van Severen

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Criminal-defense attorney Brian Nelson has joined Milwaukee-based Meyer Van Severen.

The firm hired him on June 1, according to a news release issued on Wednesday. Nelson previously worked as a public defender in Indianapolis. During his tenure, he defended felony matters and assisted hundreds of clients throughout the criminal-justice process. He also clerked for a private criminal-defense attorney and interned with a prosecutor’s office in Indiana. He received his law degree from Indiana University in 2016.

While he enjoyed his time in public service, Nelson said moving into private practice will allow him to dedicate more time and focus to each client.

Matthew Meyer, one of the firm’s founders, said Nelson’s years in public practice allow all of the firm’s attorneys to better understand the difficult positions indigent defendants are often put in. Meyer viewed this perspective as a valuable way of evaluating cases.

Ben Van Severen, another founder of the firm, believes Nelson will also allow the firm to help individuals throughout all of Wisconsin, reaching beyond the firm’s main Milwaukee office.

Meyer Van Severen, established in 2015, works with clients who are faced with criminal and drunken-driving charges throughout Wisconsin. Its six criminal-defense attorneys defend drunk driving, violent crime, firearm, homicide, child abuse, drug, domestic violence, property and sexual-assault cases at both the trial and appellate level.