Steven Bach has been practicing family law since 1974, helping to establish Pine Bach’s preeminence in the area of family law. He is also noted for his mediation work.

He is a member of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, The Fellows of the Wisconsin Law Foundation, and the Collaborative Family Law Council of Wisconsin.

Bach has published articles in various professional publications and is a contributing author to the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Guardian ad Litem Handbook.

Linda Balisle is the founder of Balisle Family Law Legal Counsel, a Madison-based firm with an exclusive focus on family law and related estate planning.

An attorney with 46 years of experience, Balisle serves high-net-worth clients, business owners, LGBTQIA+ families and handles complex jurisdictional issues and appellate cases. She has extension experience in divorce mediation, arbitration and litigation.

Her extensive appellate experience includes 17 published case reports. She is a former professor at the University of Wisconsin, teaching family law, civil procedure and appellate procedure.

Balisle is the recipient of the Wisconsin Law Foundation’s Belle Case LaFollette Award. Her leadership extends to roles such as Wisconsin Diplomate of the American College of Family Trial Lawyers and past president of the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

Daniel Bestul is an experienced family law attorney who works closely with clients to help them identify their goals and the best resources to achieve them.

Bestul is an attorney with Duxstad McDaniel, specializing in managing complex financial matters and child-related cases. His approach is rooted in collaboration while acknowledging that family law requires patience, creativity, and commitment to achieve results that don’t just suffice in the short term.

Bestul tailors his representation to each client’s individual needs instead of the one-size-fits-all approach. He offers “unbundled” legal services to clients who need only specific assistance or minimal support. Those services include case evaluation, coaching, document review, and limited court representation.

He is a member of several professional organizations including the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Collaborative Family Law Council of Wisconsin, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, and the Wisconsin Association of Mediators.

Jennifer R. D’Amato is a shareholder and a chair of Reinhart’s Trust and Estates Practice, leveraging more than three decades of experience to assist ultra-high-net-worth clients navigate tax issues and other complexities of their businesses and other assets. She is also the chair of Reinhart’s Trust Services Group, co-chair of the Fiduciary Litigation Service Group, and was the first woman to serve on the firm’s Board of Directors.

D’Amato’s clients consist of closely held business owners, wealthy families and private and public charities. Her practice includes business succession planning, leveraged gift techniques, generation-skipping transfer tax issues, will, trust and tax controversy matters, fiduciary litigation and estate and trust administration. Her advanced law certification (LL.M.) in taxation gives her valuable technical knowledge that serves her clients well.

D’Amato has been recognized by Worth Magazine as one of the Top 100 High Net Worth Attorneys in the United States. Over the last five years, she has been named by Best Lawyers as Milwaukee’s Closely Held Business Lawyer of the Year, Milwaukee’s Business Organization (including LLCs and Partnerships) Lawyer of the Year and Milwaukee’s Trusts and Estate Litigation Lawyer of the Year. D’Amato has lectured as an adjunct professor at Wisconsin Law School and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Business.

John P. D’Angelo, an attorney with One Law Group S.C. in Green Bay, strives to provide clients with quality personal service to comfort them while they are going through a difficult period.

D’Angelo practices challenging family law cases, focusing on divorce and the defense of restraining orders. During these difficult periods, he is committed to delivering attentive and reassuring service to each client.

He also represents clients in criminal cases from minor traffic offenses to complex Operating While Intoxicated charges, securing not guilty verdicts in several challenging misdemeanor and felony jury trials.

Whether D’Angelo is working on a family law or criminal law case, he is determined to safeguard his clients’ rights and ensure every individual seeking his counsel feels seen, heard and respected.

Professionally, he is a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin, the treasurer of the Brown County Bar Association and a member of the Brown County Young Lawyers Association, the Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin.

D’Angelo is also a board member of the Children’s Museum of Green Bay and a former member of Titletown Business Connect.

Sarah H. DeKraay is a shareholder and family law attorney at Murphy Desmond S.C. with 25 years of experience in the legal profession. She has built an extensive law practice through referrals, community involvement and marketing.

DeKraay describes her greatest career accomplishment as consistently providing strong representation for her clients while being dependable, reasonable and an effective and efficient advocate. She hopes her professional legacy will reflect a positive difference made for her clients, legal peers, her firm and her community.

Her leadership philosophy centers on active listening, continuous learning and seeking creative ideas. She views each client and case as unique while drawing on the knowledge and experience she has accumulated throughout her career.

DeKraay is a member of several professional and community organizations, including the James E. Doyle American Inn of Court, the Collaborative Family Law Council, the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, the Divorce Cooperation Institute, the Wisconsin State Bar, the Dane County Bar and the LPGA Amateur Golf Association.

She describes her approach to success this way: “Being a successful attorney includes listening, learning, collaborating, and being active in your community. It’s important to have a genuine interest in making things better.”

Looking back at her career, Deb DeLeers said every step along the way led her to open her estate planning firm, DeLeers Legal, LLC in Green Bay.

Growing up, DeLeers wanted to be an attorney and began practicing in Green Bay after graduating from Marquette University Law School. She practiced for six years at a larger firm handling estate planning, guardianship and worker’s compensation cases.

In 2013, she made a career switch — joining the trust department of a local bank where she was responsible for the day-to-day management of financial accounts and strategizing with high-net-worth clients on their estate planning needs. Seeing how her legal expertise complimented her ability to provide comprehensive services to her customers and vice versa, she took a leap of faith and left the bank.

DeLeers obtained her financial and insurance regulations and began working clients as an independent financial advisor and opened DeLeers Legal so she could work with clients on their estate planning needs.

She is active in the community, serving on the board of directors for The Service League of Green Bay, Inc. and Encompass Early Education and Care Inc. and serving as chair for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk and the American Heart Association Go Red for Women event.

Diane S. Diel is the president and owner of Diane S. Diel, SC, with 50 years of experience as an attorney. She counts her greatest career accomplishment not as a single case or verdict, but as the reputation she has built for respecting and caring about her clients and their families, and for bringing realistic, practical solutions to their issues.

Diel’s leadership philosophy is grounded in mission-driven collaboration. Throughout her career, she has focused on advancing the goals of the organizations she has served, bringing creativity and teamwork to bear on challenges. She credits her success as a lawyer to hard work, clear communication and interest-based, pragmatic solutions.

Diel’s professional involvement spans several organizations. She is a member of the Board of Harbor Commissioners of the Port of Milwaukee and serves on the board of the Association of Women Lawyers Foundation in Milwaukee. She is a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals Ethics and Standards Committee and regularly presents programs on the ethics of collaborative practice. She recently retired from a lengthy term on the Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission, which was established during her tenure as president of the State Bar of Wisconsin.

Donna Ginzl brings over 25 years of experience to the table when representing clients.

An attorney with Anderson O’Brien in Stevens Point, Grinzl specializes in divorce, child custody, paternity actions, property division and maintenance. Her compassionate yet strategic approach ensures clients are informed, supported and prepared throughout the legal process.

Ginzl finds success by listening to clients, setting realistic goals and preparing for trial from day one to facilitate favorable settlements. She is passionate about advocating for children and has served as a Guardian ad Litem in numerous family law cases.

She also serves as mediator for parties who jointly retain her to help them mediate mutually acceptable agreements to their family law disputes.

Ginzl is a fellow for the national and Wisconsin chapters of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and a member of the Family Law Section of the American Bar Association. She serves as a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin Family Law Section Board and is chair of the annual Family Law Workshop and the section’s communications committee.

Amber Gonska is the founder and attorney of Lineage Legal, where she has practiced law for four years. Her work focuses on estate planning and elder law, areas she describes as often entering people’s lives during emotional, transitional or uncertain seasons.

Gonska counts building Lineage Legal into a firm that reflects both legal excellence and a deeply human client experience as her greatest career accomplishment. She takes pride in helping families make thoughtful decisions, protect what matters and feel more confident about the future.

Her leadership philosophy centers on building with intention and continuous improvement. She prioritizes ensuring clients feel heard, understand their options and feel confident in the decisions they make for themselves and their families. Gonska also emphasizes healthy firm culture, believing it is possible to do excellent legal work, care for clients and still allow team members to maintain full lives outside of work.

Gonska is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the Florida Bar and the State Bar of Wisconsin. She is also involved with the Alzheimer’s Association, BNI and Vertex League, a coaching group for law firm owners. She regularly collaborates with financial advisors, accountants, long-term care professionals and other community partners.

Maureen O’Leary Guth is the president of O’Leary-Guth Law Office, S.C., and has practiced law for 18 years. She acquired ownership of the firm she joined directly after law school and has grown it into the larger practice it is today.

O’Leary Guth considers that growth her greatest career accomplishment, achieved while maintaining the firm’s dedication to excellence and client service. In 2022, the firm also purchased and developed a larger office building to support its current operations and continued growth.

Her leadership philosophy centers on hard work, commitment, integrity, teamwork, communication and entrepreneurship. She strives to lead by example and values the energy created when a team works together toward mutual success.

O’Leary Guth is active in a wide range of professional and civic organizations. She serves as Wisconsin State Chair of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, director of Ozaukee Economic Development, and a director and officer of the Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Foundation. She is a member of TEMPO and a planned giving council member of Children’s Wisconsin Foundation. She is past president of both the Milwaukee Estate Planning Forum and the Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Club.

Boardman Clark’s Rhonda Hazen has more than 10 years of experience in family law, handling a wide range of cases, including financial matters, child custody and placement disputes.

Known for her ability to negotiate property and placement agreements, Hazen is also skilled in both collaborative family law and litigation. She also has advanced litigation training and skills for those cases that require trial before a judge or a jury.

Hazen’s training in mediation and advanced litigation techniques ensures that she can foster amicable resolutions while also effectively representing clients in court.

Hazen is a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, the Dane County regional chairperson for the Collaborative Family Law Counsel of Wisconsin, in addition to her Dane County and Iowa County Bar Associations.

She is a village trustee and board member for Barneveld, a board member for the Barneveld-Brigham Fire District, a certified EMT and holds a black belt in martial arts.

David Karp, founding partner of Karp & Iancu S.C., is regarded as one of the most experienced divorce and family lawyers in Wisconsin, having handled thousands of family law cases and hundreds of trials during his 40 years of practice.

Karp enjoys complex litigation and has divided martial estates of more than $30 million. He is often the first choice of community leaders, business professionals and other clients who require top-notch experience and discretion. Karp’s excellent reputation and rapport with opposing attorneys are added benefits for his clients and enable him to negotiate the best possible results under difficult circumstances.

When settlement is not an option, Karp is a fierce, well-prepared court advocate for his clients. He strongly believes in educating clients about all possible options and outcomes — and not just what they want to hear.

Karp helped grow Karp & Iancu from two lawyers to a family law firm with 10 offices across Wisconsin, demonstrating his savviness as a business leader.

He is community volunteer, most notably as lead guitarist in Mission River Band, a group formed to entertain at local and national charitable events that has helped raise more than $600,000 for several organizations, including Make a Wish Foundation, Guitars for Vets and Special Olympics.

Ksenija Kokanovic is an attorney at law at Ivanovic Law Office, approaching 20 years of legal practice this fall.

Kokanovic considers her greatest career accomplishment to be providing life-altering legal assistance to her clients — those who reach out after court or at the close of a case to express lasting gratitude for the outcomes she helped them achieve.

Client satisfaction is Kokanovic’s primary driving force. She is also motivated by complex problems, the pursuit of justice, and her own professional growth. The ability to make a meaningful impact on her clients’ lives remains central to her personal and professional goals.

Kokanovic is a member of the Milwaukee Bar Association, the Wisconsin Bar Association and the Illinois Bar Association. She currently serves as president of the Leander J. Foley Society of Family Lawyers for 2025-2026, an organization serving family lawyers in the Greater Milwaukee area and surrounding communities. In that role, she hosts seminars and presentations for members.

A quote from Abraham Lincoln guides her approach to practice: “The leading rule for the lawyer is diligence. Leave nothing for tomorrow which can be done today.”

Christopher Krimmer is a seasoned family law attorney with a unique advantage — his certification as a Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA).

A co-owner and managing partner at Forward Legal Services in Madison, Krimmer leverages his understanding complex financial issues to ensure his clients receive a fair and equitable settlement in high net-worth divorce cases.

For more than 28 years, he has represented clients in family law matters in more than a thousand cases, including divorce, legal separation, annulment and child custody placements.

His approach is grounded in the belief that both parties should have strong legal representation, increasing the likelihood of reaching a fair settlement. However, when litigation is necessary, Krimmer is prepared to fight for his clients’ interests using his expertise and experience.

Krimmer is a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, one of less than 30 in Wisconsin. He is also a fellow with the Wisconsin Law Foundation.

Alison Krueger is an equity partner and attorney at Nelson, Krueger & Millenbach, LLC, with 27 years of experience practicing law. She focuses her practice on family law and has built her career on a foundation of professionalism, preparation and integrity.

Krueger counts her fellowship in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and the opportunity to mentor family law attorneys in the state of Wisconsin among her greatest career accomplishments. Her leadership philosophy centers on setting an example of professionalism and respect for all involved in the legal process, along with a commitment to mentoring young lawyers and staying at the forefront of family law study.

She describes her drive as rooted in guiding clients through some of the most difficult times in their lives with compassion and unwavering advocacy, ensuring that every step in the litigation process reflects professionalism, preparation and integrity.

Krueger is actively involved in several professional organizations, including the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, the Waukesha County Bar Association, the Waukesha County Bar Association Family Law Section and the Leander J. Foley Jr. Society of Family Lawyers.

Catherine La Fleur is the owner, founder and attorney at La Fleur Law, where she has practiced for 38 years as an NBTA Certified Civil Trial Specialist. She founded her firm in 1996 and has built a trial and appellate practice handling complex, multi-million-dollar cases and jury trials across a wide range of practice areas. She has taught litigation and trial advocacy at Marquette University Law School for more than 20 years as an adjunct professor. La Fleur cites building a successful trial and appellate practice while mentoring future lawyers and raising a family as her greatest career accomplishment.

La Fleur’s leadership philosophy is rooted in discipline, preparation, authenticity and resilience, principles she traces to her background in ballet and gymnastics. She believes leadership is earned through example and that people perform best when they feel supported, challenged and valued.

La Fleur is a member of the National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms and the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. She has served as chair of the State Bar of Wisconsin Litigation Section, completed two terms on its Board of Governors and served six years as an elected member of the Wisconsin Judicial Council. She is a Fellow of both the State Bar of Wisconsin and the American Bar Association.

Aaron Lamberty’s experience as an attorney for Racine County’s Child Support Services and as a Deputy Family Court Commission provides him with a unique understanding of how to best manage family law cases for his clients.

Lamberty is a divorce attorney with Divergent Family Law. When working on cases, he identifies and addresses issues that underlies client’s cases to ensure they reach a positive final solution. His diverse legal experiences over the past 11 years have taught him how to dig to the root of the problem and recognize each case’s unique and complex nature.

Lamberty said he actively works to empower his clients to find resolutions to their current issues. Through direct interactions and honest discussion, he helps them understand their legal options and identifies the best way to achieve their desired outcomes.

Practicing for over six decades, Donald Levy has built a reputation as one of the state’s best family law attorneys.

He established Levy & Levy in 1960 with a focus on family law while additionally specializing in real estate, business law and estate planning.

A Marquette University Law School graduate, Levy received a lifetime achievement award 50 years after obtaining his law degree. He continued his relationship with Marquette, serving on the Marquette University Alumni Board and the Law School Deans Advisory Board.

Levy is a fellow and past president of the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Throughout his career, he has lectured extensively on family law before state and local bar organizations. In addition to his legal practice, he serves on several boards, including the St. Mary’s Ozaukee Hospital Foundation.

Kristen Lonergan is a partner at Crooks Law Firm S.C. with 16 years of experience as an attorney practicing in family law and personal injury. She measures her greatest accomplishments not by wins, losses or dollars, but by impact — helping clients find their voice, feel empowered to stand up for what matters to them, and know they had someone in their corner during some of the hardest moments of their lives.

Lonergan’s leadership philosophy is to be the kind of leader she would want and need herself. She strives to lead in a way that teaches, grants grace, acknowledges humanity and ensures that the rewards of the work are shared by all who contributed to it. She is sustained by a perspective that changing one person’s world at a time is meaningful and enough.

Lonergan serves as president of the Marathon County Child Development Agency, the county’s Head Start program. Through the State Bar of Wisconsin, she chairs the Casewriting Committee for the statewide high school mock trial program and serves on the Mock Trial Executive Committee. She is the outgoing chair of the State Bar’s Litigation Section, a Fellow of the Wisconsin Law Foundation, and a member of the board of directors for the Wisconsin Association for Justice.

Gregory Mager built Mager Family Law Firm in Bayside on trust, relationships and a highly personal approach to client service.

He believes family law clients deserve direct access to their attorney, practical guidance and honest advice during some of the most challenging periods of their lives.

Mager assists clients in all aspects of family law. For nearly three decades, he has represented individuals in divorce, paternity, custody, placement and support matters, including cases involving complex business interests, financial issues and sensitive child-related disputes.

Known for being accessible, responsive and straightforward, Mager helps clients slow down, evaluate their options and make sound decisions for themselves and their families.

Mager is a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and a board-certified Family Law Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy.

Rebecca Mason, owner of Rebecca Mason Law LLC in Racine, specializes in estate planning, estate administration and guardianships. She injects compassion into the legal services she provides her clients.

Mason helps make sure her clients have the necessary documents they need to protect their property under Wisconsin law, including wills, trusts and powers of attorneys.

Prior to opening her own firm in 2012, Mason worked on the litigation team at Godfrey & Kahn, S.C. for nearly a decade where she gained extensive experience.

Mason has a strong sense of community, previously serving as a City of Racine Municipal Judge, president of the Racine County Bar Association, a past chair of the United Way of Racine County Board of Directors and a board member of the Racine Literacy Council, the Racine Zoological Gardens and Small World Montessori School. She currently serves on the board of directors of St. Monica’s Senior Living and on the church council at Holy Communion Lutheran Church.

Anthony J. Menting is a partner at Stafford Rosenbaum LLP and has practiced law for 33 years.

Menting counts identifying, acquiring and developing the members of a well-respected family law team as his greatest career accomplishment.

His philosophy on the practice of family law is rooted in purposeful resolution. He believes the primary function of a divorce lawyer is to define the issues that need to be resolved and to facilitate a resolution that preserves spousal relationships and financial opportunities in a manner that fosters and encourages the lifelong ability to co-parent.

Menting is active in several professional organizations. He is a member of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, the State Bar Family Law Section, the American Bar Association and the Dane County Bar Association.

On what drives him to success as an attorney, Menting points to the opportunity to assist a person through one of life’s most difficult and challenging events.

Lauren Otte is the managing estate planning attorney for Oath in Milwaukee. Oath is a business that combines aligning a client’s current-day finances with long-term goals and values.

Otte finds genuine fulfillment in meeting with clients and developing estate plans that protects what is most important to them.

Her practice is built on the belief that successful legal engagement is one where the client feels better and more empowered when they leave her office than when they arrived. Her combination of technical skill in estate law, her role as a firm leader and her unwavering dedication to ensuring smooth transitions for people in her community help her standout among other attorneys.

Otte is a big believer in educating community members about estate planning services and offers frequent workshops in the Milwaukee area about the importance of a quality plan for retirement.

Mark A. Shiller is an attorney at Certus Legal Group, Ltd. with 32 years of experience. His practice has taken him deep into the lives of the families he serves, and he considers that trust his greatest career accomplishment — believing that his work as an outside advisor with an inside role has generated positive, generational impact for certain families while also preserving and strengthening relationships in the present.

Shiller’s leadership philosophy is built around putting others first. He describes his approach as other-centered leadership, guided by the conviction that seeking others’ good over his own is both the right way to practice and ultimately rewarding in its own right, regardless of personal outcome.

His professional involvement is extensive. Within the State Bar of Wisconsin, he has served on the Board of Governors of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law sections and co-chaired legislative efforts related to the Wisconsin Trust Code and the Uniform Power of Appointment Act, among others. He is a member of the American College of Trust and Estates Counsel and has served on the faculty of the ABA National Trust School. He has also maintained long-standing involvement with the Children’s Hospital Planned Giving Council and Church MKE.